Retail therapy at the Sock Factory

The Sock Factory is on the must-do list in York. This is the only place in W.A. still manufacturing socks. I thought it would be a museum, but they have purchased new machines from Italy to keep up with the latest technologies. The reviews state that the socks are very good value, which is true but we thought the designs needed some modern input. For example, there were no low ankle socks which are popular nowadays.

I bought myself some stripey Possum and Merino socks, imported from NZ. I thought these were a bit more trendy and good for cold feet in winter:

C tried on various things in the gift shop and came away with a fine Merino sweater and a warm poncho to wear in the house on cold winter nights. The gift shop was doing a lot of trade this morning:

Next on the agenda was a visit to the new Gallery 152, with its current exhibit of botanical inspired artworks. Many were already sold as they displayed a red dot. The following pics show some of our favourites:

This was my favourite: an Illyarrie (Eucalyptus erythrocorys) not yet sold at $3500.

This is a sculpture. (Eucalyptus macrocarpa).

This was C’s favourite: a very fragile creation based on a wattle (Acacia denticulosa) made from sterling silver, 18 ct gold, natural rubies, citrine and more, selling for $3800.

Then it was time to support other local businesses. I purchased a nice bottle of rosé wine for tonight whilst E perused the sweet shop. We had a coffee at a pavement cafe, where Rocky was much admired by the locals. We haven’t seen any other rescued greyhounds in York, whereas there are plenty in Perth.

I have now identified the spikes in the dog’s feet. I think they must have been “double gees”, a very pernicious weed which should be reported to the Ag Dept.  I found one embedded in the sole of my sandals after my early morning walk:

They have a really sharp spike, one of Nature’s most fiendish inventions to ensure spreading it around. I had walked across the stubble to the highest point on the property where I took some photos:

This is looking towards York in the distance.

York around town

First stop was the flour mill where there are arts and crafts on sale and a cafe, busy on Sunday morning with people having breakfast in the courtyard. It is right next to the train line, where a heavily graffitied grain train was being hitched onto its engine:

There was a man with two minuscule dogs who wanted to say hello to Rocky. The encounter was friendly. The man owned a purple VW campervan, an original which had been shipped in pieces from Germany years ago and reassembled here. It had a number plate with the entire word YORK as opposed to the modern Y:

We strolled down to the river and across the suspension bridge which swings about alarmingly if you jump up and down on it:

It was now getting too hot to be out, so I took one final photo before heading back to Hillside:

This giant bilby is an example of Wara Art, which was brought to York from Japan in 2008. There are several around town featuring Australian endangered fauna. In Japan, rice straw has traditionally been used to create utilitarian objects such as tatami mats. With the advent of man-made materials farmers have been left with an excess of rice straw at the end of the rice harvest. In W.A. wheat straw has been used to produce the sculptures. Eventually they gradually fall to bits as they get destroyed by the elements.

Back home at our cottage, we tried eating outside on the veranda till the flies drove the younger people inside:

There is a trail of giant Christmas cards.

Hillside Retreat

You can visit the website:

http://www.hillsideretreat.com.au/

 “you are transported to a tranquil country retreat in York in the Avon Valley. Being the first inland town settled in 1831 and only 97kms away, York is Western Australia's most historically rich town. It is steeped in history and boasts many wonderful old buildings, so it is fitting that Hillside - a Federation-pile-with-a-past - sits in the historic heart of this famous Wheatbelt town.”

C was up with the lark and the dog at 5.00 am,  out for a run and a walk. Rocky didn’t want to run today because he got something prickly in his paws yesterday  - maybe some sharp pieces of wheat stubble. At 7.00 am it was time for my early morning walk round the property. This is the best time of day for anything energetic in York. I don’t know how the early settlers survived the hot dry summers with no aircon.

We are surrounded on all sides with views like these. A strong Easterly was blowing, good news as it kept the flies away!

There is an aviary full of green and yellow budgies. At my approach they suddenly took flight to the far side of their cage.

This is the main entrance to the property. The driveway is lined with the collection of machinery.

The main residence is in the background.

Perth to York

We have escaped to the country for a few days before Christmas. C has found a dog-friendly place to stay: Hillside Retreat on the outskirts of York, which is 1.5 hours drive from Perth. The veranda of our cottage is all fenced in so Rocky can be left there, but there are acres and acres of farmland for him to run around without escape to the main road. It is hot, very hot! Too hot to eat dinner outside: 35 degrees at 6.00 pm. We’ve had to retreat inside to our aircon.

Ice cubes melting rapidly in my champagne!

There is a collection of ancient rusting farm machinery lining the driveway of the property. We walked around till the mozzies drove us inside!

Saturday night and Sunday morning

The Herb Garden Committee were invited by “The Boyz” for drinks and nibbles on the grass near the swimming pool. The nibbles were rather substantial, as the two chefs and their Thermomix excelled themselves as usual.

Watermelon with cream cheese and walnuts

Delicious prawns

Barb and Miriam

Chris bringing Rhubarb Gin and Ginger Beer.
No thanks!

..................................................................................................................

No time for a hangover on Sunday morning! A beach walk was scheduled for 7.30 am from Fremantle to Cottesloe. I couldn’t find the right car park for the meeting point, so I drove part of the way as far as Leighton Beach. This gave me a head start: a good idea since I find it hard to keep up with the group these days. I eventually met the others relaxing under a tree at Cottesloe. They had walked on the beach while I stuck to the footpath.

Looking back towards Fremantle.
Rough sea and clouds threatening.

Tanker waiting to enter Fremantle Port.
Rottnest behind.

Almond Croissant?
Yes, please!

Surf Lifesavers getting ready for a practice.
Cottesloe Beach.

Coastal vegetation.

Location: Latitude 32 degrees south.

Twelve Days

Background information from Wikipedia:

On the first day of Christmas my true love sent to me
A partridge in a pear tree.

On the second day of Christmas my true love sent to me
Two turtle doves,
And a partridge in a pear tree.

On the third day of Christmas my true love sent to me
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves,
And a partridge in a pear tree.

Subsequent verses follow the same pattern, each adding one new gift and repeating all the earlier gifts so that each verse is one line longer than its predecessor:

• four calling birds
• five gold rings
• six geese a-laying
• seven swans a-swimming
• eight maids a-milking
• nine ladies dancing
• ten lords a-leaping
• eleven pipers piping
• twelve drummers drumming

Every year a team of creative ladies from our block put together a Christmas display in the foyer. The 2020 production is amazing, though really difficult to photograph because of reflections on the glass:

I like the pipers piping. Their hats are screw tops from wine bottles and their pipes are golf tees:

Stirlings to Katanning

Driving along the Salt River Road this morning, the biggest excitement was seeing a big mob of emus: a mother and about a dozen chicks. As soon as I stopped the car, they turned tail and ran. They were too quick for me. This is a very quiet road with hardly any traffic, so they were not used to being disturbed.

There were more wildflowers to photograph, including this yellow Chittick, a completely different colour to those we saw in Cape Le Grand:

I needed my expert H to help identify the rest, but I’m on my own now:

The long straight road to Cranbrook went though flat fields of recently harvested wheat,  with pale golden stubble glowing across the landscape. Flocks of sheep had been let loose in some to feed on what was left.

I arrived at Katanning just before lunchtime. It was a relief to make use of their super fast wifi to update my blog.

.... later:

I now have a room looking out onto the street and the railway line. On a miserable wet Sunday evening, there is nothing much doing in Katanning: just one goods train came through from Albany, covered in graffiti. My room is slightly larger, but not so quiet. There are noises of people talking and laughing, but not from next door. It seems to come along the machinery, the original mill workings in the ceiling:

The restoration of the mill is a great selling point, but impractical  in some respects. A few mod cons are appreciated, such as the availability of in-house movies. Instead of a siesta, I watched The Gentleman a clever Guy Ritchie production. There is a small “Guest Valet”, a communal kitchen area on each floor, where boiling water comes from a tap for tea and coffee making. Also included in the Valet is a collection of Folio Society books, exclusive and expensive, but surely this could have been achieved with a smaller price tag. However, this place makes a welcoming half way stopover for those who don’t want to drive back to Perth in one day.