Bees in my Tree

This post is dedicated to the wonders of the Ceratopetalum Gummiferum or as it is more commonly known the NSW Christmas Bush.

The tree is in full bloom at the moment so there is another scent to rival the Native Frangipani (which has almost done its dash). In a few weeks this mass of white flowers will turn bright red and just before Christmas, will be sold for extortionate prices from Roadside Stalls for last minute guilt gift giving.

An official explanation for the colour change is: " the white flowers of New South Wales Christmas bush are fairly insignificant. However, after flowering finishes, the sepals usually develop a pink to red colouration and produce the massed display that make it one of the most popular Australian plants in cultivation."

I don't think the white flowers are 'fairly insignificant' - they make an awesome display, especially when they are covered by Bees and glowing in the late afternoon light. This tree is about 10yrs old and has been kept trim to encourage flowering. It aspires to great heights though and maybe one day we'll just let it go - the sky is the limit.


Meanwhile, in another part of the Garden a rival for showy display is preparing itself - the melodious Elaeocarpus reticulatus (Blueberry Ash) has buds on every twig and branch and is going to explode in a mass of pink very soon. Just watch these pages.

Cosy

This is a "squeak in by the skin of my teeth" post as another long day comes to a close.

I present two teapot cosies that were knitted for a Ravelry Tea Cosy exchange and which were dispatched last Thursday to their Tasmania recipient. Australia Post came through with flying colours and delivered the parcel of Cosies and other goodies today. I have it on good authority that Emma was very pleased with all the contents and I now look forward to receiving some little Tea Pot cover from my upstream exchange partner over the next month. (No pressure!)

Both the patterns came from the seemingly infinite pattern database that is Ravelry:
The Red and Black Skull and Crossbones is an adaptation of the Pirate Gal hat by Erssie and the Fulled Autumn Leaves comes from Autumn Tea Cozy by aemmeleia. My thanks to both of these generous knitters for making their patterns available.

Sculpture by the Sea

We made it for the very last day of Sculpture by the Sea on a brilliant blue sunny day. There was over one hundred sculptures along the 2km of cliffside walk between Tamarama and Bondi beach and double that number of people walking the track to see them.







The sculptures were so varied in size, shape and composition and were placed up cliffs or over banks and down on the sands of the beach.

Since moving up to the mountains I have missed the last two years of SbtS and I had been a regular patron from way back in 1997 when it first started.















It's a big deal now with lots of big names in the art world and it draws thousands of people from all over the world over the several weeks it's held.

It was interesting to see that 7 days away from the Federal election both the major parties made an appearance for the final prize giving.
Peter Garrett MP and Malcolm Turnbull MP were both pressing the flesh, though not together. I didn't stay for the full Media event though I hear The Chaser team turned up to poke fun at them.

Knitting and Music

Despite a fuggy head, a hot afternoon and the dreaded trackwork I managed to make it to the Rubi & Lana knitting meet for the first time in many months. I also wanted to pick up some of R&L's lovely laceweight yarn to send to my ISE5 partner and bought 2 balls in a rich Peacock shade. Each one has 900m of soft merino yarn!

At the meet I saw an lovely lace top knitted from just one of these. It was derived from a Vogue Knitting patten and had an edging of ribbon at the neckline. The knitter (whose name I can' remember because my brain is fuggy) couldn't recall the exact source but I'm going to look through my VK back copies and see if I can find it.

The remainder of the day was spent at work doing the final of the Rachmaninov Festival. During yesterday's rehearsal I was blown away by the Pianist playing Piano Concerto No. 3 and tonight he was awesome. I now know that "it has the reputation of being one of the most difficult concertos in the entire piano repertoire." and I can see why. He got a standing ovation at the end of the performance and I was one of them.

The SSO is apparently making a recording of this series with Vladimir Ashkenazy as the Conductor. It will be definitely going on my wishlist.

Warning: Dummy Spit in progress

I must confess - today I did a very unprofessional Dummy Spit. The combination of a totally stuffed up head with the pressures of last minute programming and a probably innocuous remark caused me to stomp off high dudgeon.

I have the dreaded lurgy, my throat feels like sandpaper and my nose is a dripping mess. Despite this I still managed to catch the 6am train and get to work on time but I wasn't in a social mood.

I got through the morning's Rachmaninov rehearsal because I was high up in the Lighting Booth by myself and nobody was pressuring me. Later in the day though I had to quickly programme a little Strand 200 for a last minute change to a Fashion Show in the Utzon Room. I, and the people around me, didn't realise how short my fuse was until the smart-ass remark. It all settled down once I was left to myself to finish the job in peace.

Hopefully this "mad Tech disease" won't last long - otherwise I may have to be put away in a quiet little rubber room.

The Scent of Twilight

Twilight, I'm bringing the washing in from the line and a sweet soft scent fills the air. Not the pungent richhness of the Port Wine Magnolia or the sharp perfume of the Jasmine - this is the gentle, tantalising aroma of the Native Frangipani. It's in full bloom at present and because of the recent rain is the best I have ever seen or smelt.

All the flowering trees in the garden are going to put on a good show this year, the Christmas Bush is a mass of buds getting ready for the season and the Blueberry Ash is going to be covered with little petticoat shaped, pink blooms very soon.

The only tree that hasn't come to flower is the New Zealand Christmas Bush or Pohutukawa. The streets of Bondi are lined with this hardy tree and they are all in full flower so why isn't mine? It's very healthy and has plenty of moisture - maybe it's too comfortable and doesn't feel the need to reproduce.

On either side of the reticent Kiwi the Blueberry Ash and the fluffy yellow blooms of Backhousia Myrtifolia are certainly doing their bit for the honeyeaters and the bees. One could honestly say that everything in the garden is lovely.

Sandpit Drama

Back in the Studio and here is the set for Gilgamesh - a box full of sand. All the action takes place here, three actors and a heap of toys/props and some dramatic lighting.




The set up was quick - as it should have been with a 15 lamp rig! The performance itself is a a quirky little piece aimed at an older audience despite the matchbox cars and action figures. The bits of the Tech run I saw were entertaining and amusing.

There has been no knitting done today as it's been one of those do-everything, be-everywhere days. Marquees to derig, Drama shows to operate, Concert Halls to check, pager continually going off. I must have walked for miles up those pink-grey Tarana granite steps and my feet are killing me.

Time to head home up the mountains.

Another Scarf

This is the "other" scarf that I started for ISE5 - it's nearly finished and even though I haven't got a recipient for it I will complete it. The Mohair Goat yarn is wonderfully soft and comes all the way from Halifax Nova Scotia. It will make someone a nice Christmas present.


The scarf is in the Studio and it's the quiet before the Bump-in tommorrow morning. The set for Gilgamesh is a 7.3m x 2.4 m pit of the finest brown dirt, all 6000 kg of it.

"A high energy and brutal adaptation which combines hip hop, toys, matchbox cars and professional wrestling to deal with themes of masculinity, power, love and loss."

I hope the scarf can cope.

Newnes

A few weeks ago we took a wee day trip to Newnes, an shale-mining ghost town about 187 km from Sydney and about an hour's drive from home. The scenery is awesome as it is nestled at the end of the Wolgan Valley surrounded by spectacular sandstone escarpments.

This once thriving industrial town has few habitable buildings left. The Newnes Kiosk, formally the pub, has a long and colourful past. It used to be situated on the other side of the road on the banks of the Wolgan River but after being extensively damaged in a flood was moved to higher ground by a large group of volunteers over three days in '87.

As well as the glow worms in the disused rail tunnel the main attraction is the extensive ruins of the Refinery and Shale processing plant. They cover a huge area and it's the closest thing we may have to a classical Archaeological site.

Old photos of the mill in its heyday show the "dark Satanic Mills" that produced Coke, Crude Oil, Kerosene and Benzine. The company that started the whole venture in 1906 never prospered and despite other owners and Government schemes the plant ceased production in 1932.

The entire area is now part of Wollemi National Park and the bush is gradually reclaiming the coke ovens, the retorts, the ammonia scrubbers, the pump houses and Paraffin Sheds. Considering the amount of toxic and noxious material that must have produced in the area it is a wonder that anything grows at all.

We plan to go back there again in the cool of Autumn and stay at the large picturesque camping ground or (my preference) the solar powered cabins. Deep in the valley with no phone reception, no TV, no computer - just walks and books and knitting.

ISE5 Scarf finished

This pretty thing is going to be sent off across the sea to somewhere in America next week.
It's the Gypsy Rose scarf for ISE5 and it uses a blend of Belisa Cashmere and Rubi & Lana Merino Laceweight. I'm pleasantly suprised at how nicely it has turned out - it has a lovely drape and is heavier than its lacy appearance seems. I'm crossing my fingers that the recipient will like it also. Now that I have completed both Scarf and Tea Pot Cosy exchanges I can get back to completing the Cobblestone Pullover or the long suffering UFO's.

The trouble is Juno Regina is calling me.

The Brook

This little weatherboard church hall is the home of the local theatre group, Brook Community Theatre.

Since 1987 it has had a long and proud history of providing the mid-mountains with plays and performances that actively involve members of that community.

Unfortunately this is soon to end as the building has been sold and the theatre group will be homeless.

The final production in the venue is "The Rise and Fall of Little Voice", opening on November 24th and finishing on the 15th of December. I spent this afternoon rigging and focusing the ten lights on the tiny stage with a bit of vocal support from the auditorium.

While I was doing this I had a chance to admire the features that make this hall such a special place, the wooden gabled roof, the arched windows and the hand painted vignette above the proscenium that apparently depicts the historic "Crossing of the Blue Mountains ".


It will be sad to see the last of this sweet little performance space and I really hope that, whatever it gets used for, these special features are preserved.

Ironically a few stations stops west another wonderful Community Hall is under threat - this time by a Highway. The Lawson Mechanics Institute would make a fantastic new home for the Brook Theatre. It's larger, has better facilities, great acoustics and vocal group of loyal mountain supporters that don't want it to be demolished for the sake of an extra lane on a Freeway.

Situations like this really makes me wonder about our priorities - I hope the Councillers and State Parliamentarians that are supposed to be making our Community a better place to live in will see come to their senses and Save The Hall.

Let it be...

What is the best thing to do with a dark night in a 2000 seat Concert Hall? Squeeze in a Beatles cover show between Symphony performances.

The notes had hardly died away in the Rachmaninov festival before the stage was stripped, backdrops hung and lights rigged. There's not going to be a lot of time for rehearsal (6 hours for the whole turn around to happen) but it's a touring package with an experienced cast.


I'm amazed sometimes how we continually manage to do things like this - minimal amount of time and crew with a critical deadline (the tickets have already been sold, there's no chance to put it off) rig, focus, plot, perform and then, take it all down again as soon as it's over.

It's sort of like knitting a lace shawl, admiring it for a while, then ripping it all out to make something else. Crazy.

It's Thursday so it must be...

... Belgium? It feels like that sometime. What day is it ? Where should I be? What am I supposed to be doing?
The daily juggle of Shift work, commuting, and school hours goes on, each with its ups and downs but the birds and the bush and the early morning mists smooths these transitions.

At the entrance to our local village shopping centre is this fine example of the Cabbage Tree. A slightly different species to the one in my backyard but still one of my favourite plants.

When we bought our little weatherboard cottage here years ago one of the first things I did (much to my partner's amusement) was to plant one of these outside the front door. It's a reminder of the unique landscape of New Zealand and as iconic an image as the silver fern.

The Ballet's Back

It's a Duty shift for me tonight and it's Ballet season at the House - no more Opera Factory for a few months, no more repertory, no more change overs late into the night.

Rachmaninov is playing upstairs in the big Hall and down below in the Drama the lighting session for Tales of the Vienna Woods has started.

What am I doing while all this creative theatricality is happening around me?

Lighting a flower table in the Marquee. It is not my favourite job or my favourite location but it's done - flowers look lovely, clients are happy.

No knitting being done tonight despite having only a few metres of yarn left - scarf is nearly finished - it will have to wait for tommorrow night when I catch up with House and Heroes.

I'll leave a shot of my last batch of marmalade as it cools .

Getting a Grow On

The Melbourne Cup is about to start and I have placed my once in a year bet - Master O'Reilly and Purple Moon - both hot favourites. I chose them because I like the numbers - no logical system there. (Purple moon second - Master didn't even place, this is why I don't bet.)

Outside it's another cool, wet day and I am cooking more Cumquat marmalade and being entertained by the antics of the Cockatoos as they bully the little Crimsons Rosellas and King Parrots away from the bird feeder.

There was a new seed bell put out this morning and the big sharp beaks of these Cockies has decimated it. Most of the seed has fallen to the ground where it is sprouting in a green carpet, competing with the strawberries for space.


The constant rain has spurred the garden to a real grow on.


The rainforest Native Frangipani is blooming,


the Mulberry tree is in fruit (Mmmm - jam),

the passionfruit vine has flowered for the first time and the Tomato plants have doubled in height.


All this has happened without my intervention as I am not a gardener. I am glad there is someone in the house who has got a green thumb as my theory is - put it in the ground - if it survives, well and good.

On the down side this picture is worthy of a CSI investigation. The crime scene was littered with Currawong feathers with only one bloody bone left. It may have been a cat but Currawongs are not small birds - maybe a fox? Still a disturbing thing to find in a garden which is trying to become a safehaven for native animals.

Remember, remember the fifth of November

Remember remember the fifth of November

Gunpowder, treason and plot.
I see no reason why gunpowder, treason
Should ever be forgot...

When I was a child Guy Fawkes Night was a really big occasion - which was ironic because we were raised Catholic and were celebrating the execution of a Catholic conspirator. I wasn't too worried about the whys and wherefores though. It was just a big party with bonfires and fireworks and potatoes cooked in the embers.

Nothing like that happens now here in Sydney - Fireworks used to be let off on the Queen's Birthday holiday but are now totally banned. It was a bit shocking to see a full page colour Ad for rockets and bangers and squibs in a copy of The Otago Daily Times that my brother brought over from New Zealand. I must be part of the cautious generation now because all I could think of was burnt fingers and eye damage and bushfires.

This is the closest we'll get to fireworks here - my Cabbage Tree in an explosion of Flowers. It does this every year and the bees and Honeyeaters are very grateful for it.

In honour of Guy Fawkes "The only man to enter parliament with honest intentions" - I will watch V for Vendetta tonight. In the meantime check out this You Tube Video to see what may have happened if he had succeeded.