Kings Park Bushwalk

It’s that time of year again when Kings Park puts on a carefully curated show of Spring wildflowers. I was keen to see if I could put in an appearance as I’ve been “resting” for two weeks. I managed to walk with the group for 6 kms before taking a shortcut back to my car. Getting to Kings Park was a bit of a challenge, since there were many road closures for the annual City to Surf Run. Access to the Park was limited to one entrance from the south side. It wasn’t easy after that, since Lovekin Drive was closed for resurfacing. Finding the meeting spot was like finding your way to the centre of a maze!

When I finally reached the Pioneer Women’s carpark, I was immediately introduced to a mother and son who were planning to do the Camino in mid-October and wanted to pick my brains. I was envious.

The wildflowers were wonderful, maybe a bit early this year:

Paper Daisies always attract attention.



This seems to be a fungus growing out of a tree stump.

Near the carpark is a display of wax flowers. I never realised before how many varieties exist:

When we were in Japan we saw a solitary common-or-garden Geraldton Wax on a restaurant table, in a bud vase like a single rose.

The botanists are doing a similar job breeding varieties of Kangaroo Paws:

P.S. I've just watched a documentary The Cost of a Rose about flower farming in the Netherlands and Kenya. The cost of growing waxflowers in W.A. does not involve such human misery!

Winter pursuits

This is the first time in quite a few years that I haven’t been able to escape up north for some warmer weather. Two reasons for this: firstly, I spent too much on my Andalusian trip and secondly, I was awaiting a medical procedure. Like the Royal Family, I’m not going to reveal details (except to say it was in a part of the body we don’t talk about in polite company). I’m just recovering now and have this little reminder of my time in day surgery:

This is a good time to concentrate on my crafts. My wrist warmers in the Arne and Carlos yarn go nicely with one of JL’s merino jumpers that I’m making use of. 

My blue bed jacket in a retro pattern is almost complete. The very first thing I knitted (aged 10) was a pink bed jacket, done under close supervision by my mother. I wish I still had it. My mother taught me to knit and my grandmother to crochet. I am really grateful for both. We used to do it over the Christmas holidays when everyone was bored with too much food. I wish I could pass on my skills to my daughter and granddaughter, but they seem to have other interests.

I will put my bed jacket to good use when I sit up in bed with a cup of tea on cold mornings, catching up with emails and YouTube videos that I follow. Among other things, I enjoy Rachel is Knitting and Little Miss Drop Stitch as well as lots of videos about campervan travels.

For knitting inspiration I keep looking through this book, purchased when I was in Margaret River:

Now for some quilting. This is a project that has been going on for too long. It’s supposed to be one of those covers that hotels put over the foot of beds: very difficult to photograph. It’s based on fish motifs from JS’s balcony railings in Exmouth, together with a few Camino touches:

A small amount of preserving has been done, in the form of red onion chutney. It’s delicious on a cheese sandwich. The jars are sitting on one of JN’s handwoven tea towels; weaving is not one of my accomplishments:

Finally, there’s always time to go out for a coffee. Have you ever seen them do a seahorse?