morning mist

Beautiful trees, winter bare, in a morning mist...

josef chromy

An early birthday lunch at Josef Chromy winery. The view was beautiful, the food good but somewhat overpriced and the service/kitchen struggled because they were understaffed. We gave up on coffee and dessert when the waiter was not sure it could be delivered within 40 minutes - Colin had a plane to catch...

bridport

Saturday is our exploring day. Colin is home, Johanna is free and generally keen to clock up some driving hours, I am always keen to see something new and take a photo or two and Grandma keeps us company and entertained - today by impersonating an elephant standing on a rock at a place called Elephant Rock. Today we drove north through Scottsdale and onto Bridport, a loop taking in the bush, farmland and finally the sea, taking a quick peek at three of Bridport's eight beaches...

the other road

A little excursion today, taking the back road from Launceston to Deloraine. Johanna clocked up some learner driver hours, I made the task more difficult by insisting we stop every now and then so I could take a photo, my mother came along for the ride and we met my aunt at the Raspberry Farm for lunch. Not a bad kind of Tassie day...

the little guys

When Johanna wanted goldfish I admit I thought they were a bit of a waste of space – honestly what can you do with a goldfish? They just swim around and around and poop, not much that is interesting there. But, I also have to admit that I am beginning to think otherwise. In truth, we probably do have goldfish that are a bit unusual. I don’t think I know any others that are hand fed. Fingers are now associated with food so when you stick one in they come straight to you and nibble gently, and you can touch them and kind of pat them even. If you get up close and look into the tank they will swim up to the glass and watch you with their big googly eyes, and if you move to another side of the tank they will follow you, big eyes unblinking and little round mouths opening and closing. They seem so excited that you are there, you and your finger. Now it could be the food or it could be the boredom but it is kind of nice to always be joyfully welcomed. I am getting quite attached to the little guys, so much so that when they went to grandmas when we were on holidays I couldn’t bring myself to put them in a small fish bowl for two weeks. It seemed so cruel, they are used to lots of space and plants and ornaments and stuff. So we emptied most of the water out off the tank and into containers, the little guys into a plastic bag and transported the tank and all the paraphernalia to grandmas. It was quite an undertaking and I was regretting my moment of weakness but when everything was set up and they seemed just as happy there as at home it was almost worth it. Grandma got her care instructions and hints on hand feeding and what did she say two weeks later when it was time for the little guys to come home – I believe something about becoming attached and how she didn’t know goldfish could be so interesting!! I rest my case…

P.S Johanna and I are planning to buy new ornaments for the tank, gotta give the little guys something to stimulate their minds?

miserable

Driving rain and wind, sweeping by in wild sheets of grey. No plans to head out the door today...

welcome home

Returned home from Melbourne mid morning, just in time to see the final remnants of mist and fog fade away.