March Mist.

It's very wet today. Overnight we had 3.5 inches of rain. ( actually we didn't really need more rain yet, but it will size up our Kiwifruit ).

The photos show what I can see out my windows; red leaves on the Viburnum ( Viburnum plicatum tomentosa ) out the bedroom window - it's a lovely small tree and the first by far with Autumn colours.

From the window in this room, the office, I can look down the gravel driveway and see puddles. See how low the cloud is almost blocking out the trees in the Quarry Park behind us.

Yesterday when we heard the weather forecast we spent some time picking beans and what may be the last of the tomatoes, put the picked pumpkins in the outside shower for safe keeping and battened down the hatches!. Last night it was very windy then the rain set in, now mid morning it is just damp and drizzly with odd heavy showers.

We have been giving pumpkins away as some were starting to rot where they were sitting ( should have had boards under them ). We grew 3 types ( crown; butternut and buttercup )and have more than 70! Some are still on the vines and not needing to be picked yet.The tomatoes did their thing early and are looking really tatty now but we have picked 53 kilos from them. ( that's a lot ! )

So it's an inside day ! I love that.( Even if it means some housework ) I have computer time and ironing and cooking and reading and just maybe some sewing. The Big bird's feather coverage is growing every evening. I have cut his tail feathers ready.

The 3rd photo show our new kettle, lovely brushed stainless to match the rest of the kitchen and very modern compared with the old one that just died. It can be set to heat to different temperatures and even to keep it hot after reaching that temp.It is strange how appliances all get sick or die at a similar time. The fridge is now back home with a new thermostat and no longer leaving puddles.

^ In answer to your questions.I have only been a quilter for 5 years, and only a member of my P and Q group for 3 and a bit. Before that I made felt embroidered balls as baby toys.I have knitted since age 6 and sewed from very early too. I remember school sewing class at primary age , making a tray cloth from seersucker with embroidered coloured leaves I traced around from our Liquid Amber tree ( maple leaf shape ). We also made a smocked babies dress all by hand. Of course as a teenager I spent hours making dresses with yards of material in the skirt. I enjoyed dress making a high school - was never the very best one at it but fairly good - not like one poor girl who unpicked so many times there was just a hole left in her fabric - she was a bookworm and didn't want to be there. In 1986 I do remember sewing the backdrop for the stage in our local hall for a school production my younger son was in - maybe that was my first landscape quilt...it was huge.