FRIDY PHOTO SCAVENGER HUNT - BUCKET.

 Wow, Friday again already.  I had all sorts of ideas I wanted to pursue for this, but being in hard lockdown again & only allowed a 5km radius from home, scuttled any of that.  I've had to rely on my archives, so very little for today.  Linking with Astrid once again for this.

Looking back to 2008, I remembered this photo taken which fitted the criteria perfectly.

The bucket of a huge loader with our eldest son & myself.  He is a qualified plant mechanic & has worked on all manner of big things & lucky we could see him whilst on holiday that year.  When will we ever go on holiday again & see the kids and grandkids..................?

I'd have loved to have a few sunny days for taking a couple more photos, though nothing much is in flower in my buckets at the moment, so back to the archives & I found these two.

An old bucket that I planted up a couple of years ago with a small flowered fuschia.

And again..................................The same corner of our back verandah in 2 more photos.

Same bucket, but with fuschia larger & more flowers for a quilt photo shoot.😉

The next photo has a re-purposed wine bucket (a gift from the real estate agent when we moved here & as we are non-drinkers & have no use for it I found a good use as a planter) and  another old bucket awaiting a new resident. (on far left).

OK, short and sweet today and hopefully next week I'll be able to get into the swing of things as Spring will be here, though our Health Minister isn't hopeful for the "foreseeable future", but warmer weather will bring HOPE, my word for this year.

I'm off to link up & check out the other hunters and maybe back very soon with a couple of other link-ups I usually join in with my quilting during the week.

Take care all, stay safe and enjoy the weekend.

Huggles, Susan.

FRIDAY PHOTO SCAVENGER HUNT - DOG.

 Firstly, I'd like to thank all who commented on last week's post & this time I think I'm running very late.  Still feeling rather down & with our latest hard lockdown, things don't seem to be getting any better.

OK, this weeks word wasn't too bad, but as we don't own a dog these days, I've made do with a few that might make you smile!!! (I hope).

The Dog on the Tucker Box at Gundagai.

He sits in a parking area beside the Hume Highway at Gundagai in New South Wales and we've passed it umpteen times on journeys back and forth for holidays etc. If you click the above, there is a story attached.

This one has appeared more recently in a vacant building near the railway underpass in town and is the mascot for a shed building company.

And this cutie has popped up during the pandemic and sits beside the Yarragon railway station further down the highway.  I was quite surprised when we saw him.  Beautiful mosaic work & I've not been able to find out what, why or who it represents or is just something to make you smile.

A cute laser cut dog given to me by a man who makes things out of a junk. I inquired about how a laser cutter works & he said he'd show me & asked what I'd like.  His pet dog was beside me & I suggested him.  DH then made a base for him & he sits atop the microwave.  

These two were made by DH some years ago.  The sitting one resides at DDs & the other is mine & guards the pond these days.  We call him springer.

Ruby, a friends' dog supervising some work being done on the Club Room kitchen last year at the start of the Pandemic.

Having puppy cuddles.  This little one belonged to one of the guys who installed our wood burner last                                                                                       year.

                                     Out on a quilt photo shoot, a dog found my quilt interesting.  

My lot for the word "dog" and hopefully I'll be on time for this weeks word.

Thanks again all and I'm off to see if I can still link with Astrid who has been running these hunts.

Take care all and hugs from Susan.

FRIDAY PHOTO SCAVENGER HUNT - STARTS WITH "S"

Linking with Astrid for this Fridays word photo hunt.

 I am a bit early, but on Friday I have to attend a hospital appointment for a minor procedure, so thought I'd do this on Thursday afternoon.  It is a little photo heavy, because I kept thinking of all sorts.

The letter "S" stands out for me, as all of my names begin with this letter, so I am "SSS".................

SILO.

One of the many painted silos here in Victoria and  now other states in Oz too.

SOLAR PANELS.

The solar panels on the roof of our home helping us be a little green.

SEASIDE

I could have used many photos, but chose this looking out to sea over the beach huts at Mornington.

SWANS

A paddock full of black swans on the east coast of Victoria.

SHEEP

Sheep & some beautiful lambs, taken not long ago when we had a rare break from being in lockdown.

SPIDER

A huntsman spider on the wall of the Superintendent's Home at the Quarantine Station on the Mornington Peninsular which was another rare day out in January when we actually got to see DD and family.  We had a lovely day and another would be rather nice.  

SHELLS

A few shells I've collected over many years.  Taking a photo this afternoon was difficult once again with very cloudy skies, with little light coming into our house.

SEWING & SKATES.

Sewing, particularly my quilting is keeping me sane and the little quilt above was started many years ago as a mystery QAL, but running out of 2 of the fabrics at the beginning meant I put the few blocks I'd made aside.  Early this year I did some sorting & weeded out a few old projects & put them together as small quilts which I'm giving away as baby gifts.  My old skates which I've had since my teenage years haven't been used for a long time as my feet have changed shape & they don't fit anymore.  I was last on the ice in 2018 with my granddaughter & had to use hire skates.  It was great to be on the ice again.

STUDIO.

Something I miss is my old studio, which I'm showing below in its very messy state, as I've no other photos.

Most of these photos are from my archives and I'm sure I could have found many more, but as I'm a little on the STRESSED SIDE (um...a couple more S's) I have hopefully fulfilled this word hunt.

OK, that is my lot for today and if someone can tell me how I can get these 2 photos to go side by side, I'd love to hear from them as I've spent at least 15 minutes trying.

Thanks for reading if you get to the end.

Take care all, stay safe and hugs from down under.

Susan.

PHOTO SCAVENGER HUNT - FRIENDS.

 Well here I am for the first time in a while.........what with poor internet connections due to storm damage, feeling unlike my true self with all the world in chaos & such bleak winter weather, I've not really felt like blogging.  Now I do admit that I've been keeping myself amused with a lot of sewing and that is down to blogging "FRIENDS".

I've participated in a few quiltalongs and have a mystery QAL coming up this month.  I did post my 2 quilts done for the QAL run by Sandra at mmm.quilts in Canada and my friend Joy in Ballarat who blogs at Days filled with Joy has also been running a few too.

Over a 4 week period we were given the patterns for 4 blocks and challenged to make them and put them into our own setting.  This is mine finished and I've been waiting to take some good photos, but the weather just hasn't played nicely.

The next quilt is one of my own designs and came about during a conversation when I saw Joy last year as the pandemic took hold and she decided we should do a joint QAL with the title "Let's Stay Home".

I didn't join in with mine, though I am participating in hers which is a year long one with stitcheries and pieced blocks.  Eventually did mine, but have no pattern writing skills, so haven't put it up on my blog as a QAL.

LET'S STAY HOME.

A big thank you to quilting bloggers who run these QAL's and mysteries to keep us motivated.

MY FEATHERED FRIENDS.

A couple of recent photos of visitors to our garden.

One of the magpies who visit on a regular basis, helping herself to the coir from a hanging basket which I'd intended to plant up, but hadn't got around to, due to the cold weather.

Two sulphur-crested cockatoos above the blueberry bushes.  We don't see many here but they have such big characters which I enjoy.

AN OLD FRIEND (my BFF).

My friend Sue and myself taken some years ago now and alas we've not seen each other now for a few years due to the pandemic, but hopefully next year will settle down & we can meet up again.

This very old school photo shows the year we met at school.  This was a new school for me since we'd moved house and Sue was asked to look after me and although we didn't go right through our school years together, we've managed to stay in touch all this time.  I'm sitting on the far left in the front row & Sue is third from the right, also front row.

FURRY FRIENDS.

I know I've posted this photo before, but here are my 2 late cats curled up on the armchair with me.  Most evenings after work they would be up there with me.  Fluffy on the left was Tabitha's daughter & made it through to 14 and her Mum was nearly 18 when we lost her.  I do miss them.  This photo would have been taken in the late 90's.

OK, my lot for this week's photo hunt and I know it is a little disjointed and I've waffled on a lot, but thank you if you read this and I'll hopefully pull myself out of this slump and blog a little more in the future.  BTW, we are in Lockdown #6 & things don't look like improving soon, nor the weather.  Bring on some sunshine please!

Take care all, stay safe & hugs from down under.

Susan.