Swimming with the Dolphins, Seals and other marine life.

What a week we have had , last weekend Geelong - City by the Bay put on her best for the Skandia yachting festival. The Event has proved to be a fabulous event for sailors, yachting enthusiasts and visitors alike. Beginning in 1844, the regatta has evolved over many years culminating in its current format and has formally been known as the Festival of Sail, Geelong Waterfront Festival, Skandia Geelong Week and now Audi Victoria Week.
The Royal Geelong Yacht Club was the place to be over the Australia Day weekend with fantastic food, drinks and fabulous entertainment to finish off a great day of sailing on the water. The Royal Geelong yacht club do the city proud. On the Sunday thousands flocked to the waters edge, while we were taking in the sights the Roulettes the R.A.A.F. Aerobatic team went through their 15 minute display, twisting and turning reforming into another pattern and the oohs and ahhs went on , I swear they were that low over the bay that I could have touched them --- Weeel a bit of an exaggeration ---- but Great Stuff.

Then on Thursday we went on the Queenscliffe Ferry to Sorrento to have a day in the bay on Mooraker Dolphin swims http://www.moonrakercharters.com.au/

Leaving Queenscliffe behind on a cloudy day. The ferries leave every hour on the hour from Queenscliffe and Sorrento, Chinaman's Hat can be seen in the distance we will visit it later on.

The following photos will tell it all. First swim was with the Dolphins 14yr Grand son and 17 yr Granddaughter went into the water. This swim is in between ropes and ten persons went off the platform at the same time , the dolphins weren't many in number owing to the overcast conditions, however it was exhilarating.



After the dolphins we cruised over to Pope's Eye were the swimming was more relaxed looking at the fish and other sea life.

Human fish underwater

Australasian Gannets line the rocks, this structure was especially made as a sanctuary for the marine life. Chinaman's Hat houses the fur seal colony, it also is a specifically man made structure.

No I didn't get into a wetsuit I need a lot of room and privacy to grunt and groan my arms and legs into a wetsuit, not to mention the other fleshy parts of my anatomy. Neither did DH Keithie.

We are privileged to be able to share these fun times withe the grandchildren. It is back to school for them next week where Maddy goes into her final year and Cam Year 9.

Next post my sewing and a giveaway. Hoo roo Margaret

Bags and more Bags.

Saturday the weather is a nice 20c today, yesterday it was so hot and I couldn't get working, so I watched the 20 /20 match and surfed around blogs . While I was surfing another day I came across the disappearing 9 square and string quilts. All my sewing is done for the Leukaemia Foundation, so I make bags and all sorts of other small things.

This disappearin 9 square was so neat to do and get a nice block.

I read a couple blogs on strings and came across one that sews onto fabric, I had been given a new sheet that a friend was going to use as lining so that became my backing.

All of the material I have used has been Andrea's left overs from quilts or curtain fabric some given other bought at a very good price as it small swatch pieces.

All the bags have pockets inside some a zip pocket on the back and some a separate zipped jiffy bag.

The plant was swinging when I took this one. The hanging basket has nodding violet in it and was the basket used for the blackbirds to line their nest.

This material is polished cotton from a small swatch book. Last year I donated over $1,400 to the LFL most of the money came drom craft sales. This year I am looking at raising around the $1,000 mark again and have an idea for a craft market on a Saturday focusing on the 3216 post code, it is only an idea that I am playing with at the moment. I am going to the Made"N' Thornbury craft market to see how they organise theirs. Bye for now Margaret

Support Relay For Life!

Support Relay For Life!

Johnston Collection and WEATHER UPDATE

45c Yesterday, and we topped the State Wowee. Just thought I would let you know as Europe is blizzard out with freezing conditions there is sun up there it is down our way at the moment.

If it is at all possible for you to visit The Johnston Collection by all means do so. The Geelong Quilters were one of the groups who displayed. I went last week and I haven't stopped talking about the wealth of talent that was on display. Each year a different town is invited to do the display I believe next year is Warrnambool.

225 Artists On Show
The work of 225 Geelong region artists and craft artisans are presently on display in Melbourne's prestigious Johnston Collection house (above). The works, ranging from intricate lace and patchwork to painted porcelain and slumped glass form themed Christmas decorations in each of the house's nine exquisitely-furnished rooms. Organised by Geelong groups including Leopold Lacemakers, Geelong Patchworkers, Fibre Artists and the Embroiderers Guild, the works have been on display in Melbourne since November 2009. The Geelong artists -created decorations has been one of the venue's most successful and highly-visited ventures. However, they're due to be taken down next month, and the good news is that they'll then be kept together and put on display in Moorabool St - in the National Wool Museum's gallery space, for a new exhibition opening in March. Even though the display will be on view in Geelong later in the year, to see it at its best Go Now. Now back to my cutting and sewing Bags well we can't all be gifted my gifts are still budding Cheers Margaret

Big day out with the Grand Kids.

When you are blessed with three girls , they become very adaptable to all kinds of work. Our three girls could match any man in anything with the exception of engines. It is time to renew the fence between our neighbours place and ours, incidentally this was the first fence that was built before we started to build back in 1974, the other fences have been replaced. A beautiful Wisteria has been growing over an extension to the carport, half of this had to be cut down as it was through the fence, that meant that all the dead trailers had to be identified and cut out, a very exacting and long dirty job.

I was the chief encourager a real Barnabas. DH and GS3 were there to give a hand. Weeelll!!!

Then on to Monday Frankston Sand Sculptures .

It had been 56 years since I had travelled by train to Frankston. The trip from Geelong was 1 hour 10mins, then on to the suburban line and a 1 hour 5 min trip to Frankston. On the way up and back Geelong to Melbourne I listened to my ipod ( the best present gson 3 got for his birthday a couple of years ago was a new ipod he gave me his old one ) . I have music from Terry Clark, Stuart Townend, Dusty Springfield. Huw Pridey There sings my soul, Yvonne Kenny Song to the moon from the opera Rusalka, sound track of As time goes by from the movie, Simon and Garfunkel, Nora Jones, Van Morrison and more. On the way and back from Frankston I was sitting up like a child as it was all a new and wondrous sight reliving the glimpses of the Port Phillip Bay from Bon Beach, Edithvale, Chelsea, .

Me Sewing machine, Scissors, Zip.

Spanish Armada

Margaret

2010 What will it bring

Oh! how I enjoyed the Advent Swap conducted by Fiona. My swapper was Gai from Narromine and as each day passed I was exposed to loving kindness in the way of a gift, thanks Gai.

I finished the year off by making a few cushions from stitcheries that I had done through the year.

I gave the three gds's man bags for Christmas , like the bags in the front. The ones at the back are girl bags. Easy peasy to make , however I didn't like the way the seam showed near the zip opening , I fiddled a while and came up with binding this seam and it looks much nicer.

These photos were taken on my clean reclaimed porch.
Happy Stitching Margaret