Changeable Weather

What a funny few weeks of weather.  One day 30 degrees with a scorching nor-west wind, the next day we're back into our winter clothes and there's snow on the hills.  And so the pattern goes.  One of these days soon we'll settle into something approximating summer and I'll start watering the garden!

One of the good things about living here is that the roses take on a life of their own at this time of the year.  They flower later and longer than in town (especially if I can be bothered watering) and December is really when they come into their own with their first flush.  The garden at the front of the house is planted with mainly fragrant plants of one sort or another and all the roses there have fabulous fragrance.  

My favourite is the rose that is trained along the front of the balcony and under the windows.  Arriving at the house you're met with this froth of white and sitting on the balcony in the sun you are surrounded by an intense warm smell of roses.  Gorgeous.

Garden at front of house

Looking along the front of the house

 

Frothy, fragrant white rose on front of house

The rose arbour at the end of the tennis court

Rose arbour in full bloom

In the meantime, Mary and I have been concentrating on preparing for our Hump Ridge Track experience, doing long walks across the river on Tinline Downs.  Spectacular views and some rugged country mean we're enjoying it (on the whole) and I think we'll be ready for the main event in early January. I'm even running twice a week, which is a first in many years. Craig, on the other hand, hasn't done a thing in the way of getting his fitness up, so I think he'll be crying like a baby half way up the hill on day one of the trek.  

Going uphill from the Lottery River

Heading down towards the Lottery River for lunch

Wildflowers on the hill

Mary and the dogs up high

In between working in the garden, climbing hills and getting fit, I've actually been working on our Chocolate Fish business and am in the process of changing the Burbury Suite into a board room and meeting room for Chocolate Fish clients.  We've also just about finished painting the kitchen and laundry - photos to come!