Summer

Has been nice, but it's about to get ugly. I wish I could find an ice bucket to crawl into like these little guys. We will be hiding out as best as we can.

Weekends

The weekends blurred together abit as I only worked 2 days last week. Drinking Ouzo and eating pickles. Visiting the twins. Playing Cricket and Ping Pong. Watching the West Indian Cricket team in their glory days at the Shadow Electric. Riding bikes. Getting lost. Drinking beer. Making many types of refreshing drinks, persian mint cup, various iced teas. Watching the skies from the hammock. Picnicing and witnessing the bats take off from Bellbird picnic ground to the sounds of Snawklor and Sun Araw in the dark. Waiting on the storm to break. And just recently, drinking ginger beer spiders.









There were a couple of afternoon kips in there too. Adam would call it pleasure stacking. Maybe I do like summer?

16 Bottles of beer on the wall

Ginger Beer! I bottled it today, Though I have a feeling this batch might be the sacrificial batch. Not so much that they will explode, more that the flavour in the bug hasn't built up properly. We will see how it goes, it says 5 days til it's ready, so I will update. As long as it's fizzy and drinkable I'll be happy. I have the rest of the bug still developing some more flavour for another 10 days, then I'll make the really good batch. I love that it is called a bug, or a mother or a plant. Growing yeasty things is kind of fascinating.

My Mum had her ginger beer making licence revoked after too many explosive batches. Even when we started using PVC bottles to avoid shattered glass, some of them lost their tops and swelled up beyond recognition, the dimples at the base completely rounding off like a torpedo. We used to wrap them in a towel and gingerly carry them to the fridge. You had to drink the whole bottle as they no longer stood up. We loved this ritual as kids and I have been meaning to make my own for ages. It tastes like summer to me. Now that I live in the deep suburbs and I can't be bothered going out on my day off, it seems like the perfect time to experiment.

Then I might need to make some Preston Mules.

Stormy afternoon

Wednesday afternoon. A ride up to Northcote through the threatening clouds and kids cricket, to the rooftop to welcome Don home. Amazing rain here again. It poured down.

Saturday

This from last saturday. An exhibition at Y3K and a perfect summer day. There have been alot of them. I have rustled up a bike for Courtland, as a bike is necessary in my life. Lucky Don won't be around to encourage dangerous tricks. Don will be busy representing Australia in the International Snow Sculpture Championships in Colorado. I wish I could go. Apparently they will be carving a giant kangaroo on a lounge. Good luck Don, and team Pouch.

The Picnic

We eloped. You know, Japan. BUT we had a bbq picnic on Saturday to celebrate our wedding with some loved ones. I've always felt spoilt for friends here in Melbourne and saturday was the perfect example of why. So many good ones in one place, lucky us! Also, despite threatening rain and thunderstorms for the last three weeks, we had the perfect picnic weather, with stunning blues skies, and cool breezes.





We had barbeque kings and a cake committee and people bringing all sorts of treats. Thank you to everyone who came, and everyone who brought things. We had a great time. It was delicious. We love you!




We had cricket, frisbee, bubble blowing, tree doilying and late night park dancing. More photos to come, but in the mean time, there is a bunch here on flickr.

Tip Top

A perfect summer weekend with saturday pimms and parasols on a rooftop for afternoon tea while lounging in a pool. Happy Birthday Anna! A sunday drive in the hills, a wander through the trees, a country market with tasty strawberries and huge snakes worn as necklaces, little pony rides and some very average country food.

This weekend was brought to you by TIPTOP white bread, featuring in cucumber and egg sandwiches on saturday and cheese and tomato toasties in Gembrook on sunday, anyway, hello white bread, long time no see.

thirsty

From my birthday BBQ on friday. Where thirsty people were drinking watermelon punch and sucking on ice cubes, and later drinking ice-ey fruity concoctions on the dancefloor.








It was a slightly regrettable scene the next day as the heatwave continued and the bottles and glasses were piled up on every sticky surface. It didn't help that I didn't get into bed until 7am after watching the hot air balloons drift over the backyard, glowing in the sunrise. Anyway, we had fun. But possibly the worst post party conditions ever.

Sunday

This Sunday Adam and I have to sit the gallery at C3. As good a time as any to be reminded how nice last Sunday was. A BBQ in Rachael and Ed's backyard. So nice. Nice fort building by Hoops and Lydia and Samaya.

Also Happy Birthday to this little man in the basket hat. Way to be cute Clancy.
Anyway, come visit us on sunday!

goodbye to berlin

... goodbye to pink phones

Our last days were hot and busy and mostly pretty lovely... you know playing ping pong in the park...

... drinking sexy lager...


Three little girls appeared offering me a hand painted candle 'shöne kerze'.
I was delighted, and confused, until Mark clarified that it was a present for me. They disappeared like the little elfin princesses they were... We burnt it later in the beer garden and stared into it in awe... See, a fascinating movie.



Swimming in the lake with the ever lovely Marieke. I love fresh water lakes, Berlin has them and it was hot... Another reason my heart is breaking that it's such a long expensive plane ticket away from home.


Sad story, happy story...

getting fresh

Mayday officially welcomed the sunshine, and it's here. The city has been transformed over the last few weeks, so lush and new and fresh. It's green & growing from every crevice and piece of wasteland. Bleak streets are transformed into leafy, friendly boulevards, crammed with tables and people... It's looking lively.

For some quiet we walked in the woods today, wandering around Schlactensee... Picnicking, hunting for mushrooms & building up the courage to go swimming in the lake, next time...

We also saw lots of people walking their dogs with boat shoes & cashmere sweaters draped casually across their shoulders... We didn't raise an eyebrow with paper hats, sticks of power and my hobo picnic bundle.

pretty much it

Losing motivation, it's hit all summery, and have been drinking too much beer and hanging about in parks and playing pingpong.

goodbye to berlin

it's been lovely this bit of summer...

i've been laying in annies backyard, sitting on window ledges, bbqing and drinking beer...
hanging out with loved ones... nursing sick boyfriends and sleeping in strange beds, catching buses and living out of a suitcase... it's mostly rather nice really...

I got totally spoilt by the amazing miss penelope with special gifts to take and keep me warm and shiny... much love lady...



anyway tomorrow is gonna be 31 degrees and i might just have to climb into the spa and drink an icy beer to toast the missing summer...

goodbye to berlin