goat kindy

walking the goat

what kind of creature are you?

my twin playmates showing me what goats like to eat

my first greens ; six new messages

You might have thought this blog was about surf and fruit. Well, sorry, but it appears that goats are where it's at. Sumba is growing fast and is somewhere between a cute toddler and a horny teenager. He will chew any inanimate object he can reach, with a particular fancy for plastic bags, rope, power cords and books. 

He is now too cool to give his mumma kisses, preferring to indulge his manliness on my leg.  In the hope of convincing him he is, in fact, a goat and not a human, I encourage him to attend goat kindy when the other kids come around.  If he has finished checking his facebook and playing scrabble, he will curiously watch goat behaviour from his lounge room vantage point, joining in the occasional friendly head butt. 

We have reduced his bottle feeds from seven to four each day, hoping he will start eating solids. He nibbles the garden with the effect of a grasshopper and ate his first fruit yesterday. Like a gentle bleeting alarm, he wakes us at 4.45am each morning for his breakfast, treating us to the beauty of a tropical sunrise.  

With only six days until we leave, I am racked with sadness over leaving the little fella behind, but we have found a family nearby willing to watch over him and promise he won't become Christmas lunch.

Thanks to Aquaman for the drawings. 

birthday adventure

Just the two of us on a borrowed motorbike. Bathers, sunnies, long sleeved shirts. A loaf of camp oven bread, salad and art supplies in the backpack. Over the newly graded road to our favourite south side beach and beyond. Returning home when my butt was numb and the dusk shadows long. Yes, I feel lucky. 

art society

The Art Society has recently held its third gathering, and it is anything but an ordinary meeting. Bring your own project, afternoon tea provided.  If you dress to match the colour of your paint you get extra creativity points. The society has a founding band of two, with a guest appearance this week from Mumma Aquaman; a most talented and experienced quilter, seen here hand sewing painfully small triangles into dainty squares.  A local friend was most puzzled as to why anyone would cut up brand new fabric, only to sew it back together again. Fair call I say. I am screen printing new bolster covers, using a mini screen from textile artist Louise Snook, and Linda is drawing coral.  Dad is wandering around the outside, afraid to get too close to secret women's business.  

I began this quilt two years ago and on the odd cold night I have been using it in its half finished state, much to the disgust of my mother-in-law.  She couldn't bare going home without seeing it completed to her exacting standards, and I was more than happy to hand it over. In the absence of an iron, dad was roped in to "finger press" the seams flat before the wadding and backing fabric were pinned on.  I would have skipped over that part, such is the nature of my casual craft.  Thanks mum. 

the barefoot studio

Aquaman's been splashing around paint rather than water of late. Surf conditions have been pitiful, but not unexpected for this time of the year.  When a small bump in swell arrived yesterday the southerly blew the bejesus out of it.  Doesn't bother this little mermaid, as my lagoon activities are unaffected by the capricious breeze.

I've been doing my own bit of arty farty carry-on in my studio.  I put together a driftwood "mosaic" and have started on a "busroll'.  To protect my desk from paint, I'm using one of only two newspapers to arrive this year, and have caught up on the Arab revolt and the all ordinaries index from June.  Plenty of aspiration without expectation, with time for tea, cake and friends in between. The decoration of our only solid wall is complete; must be time to extend.

Sasha from Mick's Place, me & Karen

the bottom turn

Aquaman has shed the rubber, put on his faded boardies, picked up a paintbrush and invaded my studio. The painting is a commission from another expat as a gift for a mate's 50th birthday.  The recipient is a goofy footer with a solid bottom turn, hence the subject matter. Tom's choses medium is acrylic, and he likes to use up our teaspoons as his pallet with built in handle.

Commissions welcome - please speak directly to his manager and publicist.  She's the blogger.