Spring jam making

The warm spring weather with us, with some bursts of summer heat. We went away for the weekend, and I am sure bunches of tiny new grapes appeared over the weekend on our grape vine - promising of a good harvest for this summer's grape jam making.

A couple of weeks ago with lemons from our tree I made French marmalade (carrots, lemons & sugar) - not as bitter as some marmalades can be), and Lemon Butter (lemons, butter, eggs & sugar).

Here are the results -

The French Marmalade - 

The Lemon Butter -

Is there nothing as homely as produce fresh from you own garden..........

 The new bunches of grapes....

 

We live only an hour or so from grape growing and wine producing areas....the photo below was taken at one of the vineyards. 

I am linking up with Mosaic Monday at Little Red House and the wonderful work of  Mary and other photographers from around the world.

I hope you have a wonderful week.

Where I'm From

I belong to a writing group called South Side Quills. I wrote this for our latest assignment.......

Where I’m From

I’m from Jackson and Clayden

From Bilbarin, Corrigin, Kulyaling and Moorumbine

The big kitchen table

And the long back yard at my grandmothers

The outhouse under the weeping trees in the dark

Singing with my sister on the wooden bench under the kitchen window

The gravel footpath.

Gum trees and wheat fields

The cellar under the yard filled with jars of fruit

And the loving embrace of my Aunt.

I’m from Rivervale, Tranby and Belmont

And the inviting smell of a new reading book

The pathway through the bush garden

And a boy named Tony whose father was hanged.

I am from a teacher who frightened me from my sums

Skipping in the playground until the Tranby ship’s bell rang.

And wanting to go to dancing lessons with my Russian friend Anna

With the long name that no-one could spell.

I am from the diesel on my father

And the prickles on his chin

Climbing up to sit beside him in the big tanker truck.

The feel of crushing grapes between my fingers

And the big pot of grape jam on the wood stove.

I’m from the knitting on my mother’s knee

And the treadle sewing machine on the back veranda.

Her singing that filled the house

The pictures that she drew

And listening to her recite Banjo Patterson.

I am from books borrowed from the travelling library van

And sitting on the floor in the cool of the passage way reading on a hot summer’s day.

Running under the sprinkler

And the delicious strawberry nectar of a push up icecream.

The cubbie under the wattle tree

And flying up into the air on the swing on the back shed.

I am from the sound of the milk-cart horse in the early morning

The roar of the cockeyed bob that lifted our roof

Pulling down a Guide tent in the rain while the earthquake cracked!

The front row seat at Oliver Twist and the smiles of the actors just for me.

I am from burnt toast and sloppy cabbage

Lemon meringue pie and Sunday roast

Afternoon tea in a floral tea-set

And buying icecream buckets with my father at the drive-in.

I am from the feel of the hymn book in my gloved hands

As I gaze up at the stained glass of the Wesleyan church

dreaming of my wedding day.

I am from teenage love

And two boys

The eldest unfairly forced to grow up at the age of two

because of a world turned upside down by Down Syndrome

Feeling different because of the label on my forehead that everyone can see.

I am from a life changing accident

Two precious perfect grandsons

The passion of a dragon boat

and selfish stolen moments.

I am from the camera in my hand

And the images and words in my head.

Bush walks and wildflowers and travelling through my country.

And learning too late who I want to be.

I am

By Jill Harrison

September 2011

some more Western Australian wild flowers from our recent trip..........

I'm linking up to Mosaic Monday at Little Red House. To enjoy the work of Mary and other wonderful photographers, please click on the link - Mosaic Monday
I am also linking up to Kim Klassen and her Beyond Layers Course - click here - Beyond Layers

Have a wonderful week. Perhaps you would like to write your own "Where I'm From"

To see more images from our trip go to my post - hopetoun-fitzgerald-river-national-park
 I hope to bring you more images soon - once I've sorted through them!

You can also see my posts - 52 weeks touring around Western Australia - here - Tour Western Australia
A blog I have created from our travels over a number of years around our amazing state of Western Australia.

Hopetoun & the Fitzgerald River National Park, Western Australia

We recently took a camping trip to Hopetoun located on our south coast, east of Esperance and 50km south of Ravensthorpe where Western Australia meets the Southern Ocean.   

The main attraction for tourists to Hopetoun is the pristine coastline, easily accessible unspoilt beaches, walk trails and drives, beachside camping, and the magnificent Fitzgerald National Park and Eyre Ranges which borders the town. On a clear day the views from the top of East Mount Barren, only minutes from town, appear to go on forever.  Fitzgerald is the largest and most botanically significant national park in Australia, and one of the most flora-rich conservation areas in WA, with a biodiversity of 1800 known species of flowering plants, including 75 varieties which are found nowhere else, and is an internationally recognised Biosphere Hotspot. Currently roads are being upgraded in the area, which will make Fitzgerald even more accessible.

It was the thought of a few days in the sun and the wildflowers that drew us to Hopetoun in October, and the region lived up to its name – the beaches were beautiful and the variety of wildflowers where truly amazing.  The best way to enjoy them is to stop along the roadside and walk a short way into the bush, or walk along one of the trails, or climb East Mount Barren.

This was our first trip to Hopetoun and the Fitzzgerald River National Park, and there were many wildflower species we had never seen before -

Below is the Scarlet Banksia - Banksia coccinea. Seen here along the roadside near Hopetoun. The plant grows to 8 metres. In this picture you can see the flower forming on the RHS to fully open in the middle photo. In the first photo you can see the red parts of the flower folded over in curls, which open out as the flower matures as in the second photo.

This is the Qualup Bell - Primelea physodes. See here at East Mount Barren with raindrops!

And below is the Barren's Regelia - Regelia velutino.
See here with a view from East Mount Barren over the ocean.

This is the Rusty Hakea - Hakea ferruginea. I love the way the flowers form in the cups of the heart shape leaves.

This is the Royal Hakea - Hakea victoria. A most unusual plant which grows up to 4 metres high. Seen here at East Mt Barren . Unfortunately we didn't see one flowering - the flowers form in clusters in the cups of the leaves.

This is the Shining Honeypot - Dryandra obtusa.
It is a prostrate shrub whose flowers come out of the ground. This is listed in my wildflower book as being uncommon, so I was very excited to see it.

And some views from East Mount Barren in the Fitzgerald National Park. On the right is the Southern Ocean, and on the left Culham Inlet - looking towards Hopetoun.

This is looking south west over the National Park and the Southern Ocean. 

 This is the view from East Mount Barren the day we climbed it - it was cloudy, misty rain and we climbed up into the clouds. 

 And at days end a walk on the beach and a beautiful sunset. 

I hope you have enjoyed this little tour of Fitzgerald River National Park and the beautiful and unusual wildflowers I have shared with you. I hope to bring you more photos of our trip in the coming days. 

I am linking up with Mosaic Monday at Little Red House. To see the work of Mary and other wonderful contributors - please go to the link - Mosaic Monday

Have a wonderful week.

To read more about Hopetoun and the FItzgerald River National Park you can click on the link here - Hopetoun & FItzgerald River  - where you can read more and see my article printed in "On the Road" magazine, July 2012
 

Sunset on Steve Jobs

A quote from Steve Jobs from Apple Inc Co-Founder, a visionary and creative genius who died from pancreatic cancer on Wednesday 5 October at the age of 56.....

“And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.”

I took this photo walking down to the beach late afternoon at Hopetoun on Western Australia's south coast on Sunday.