The Answer is Still NO!

The answer is still NO we have not had our kiwifruit picked yet. It has rained and rained and rained, so everyone in the whole district is behind where they want to be. It's quite depressing really. Could the fruit spoil? - well yes I guess it could. The pukekos are certainly eating plenty. We are trying to be patient; truly we are. There isn't actually a choice.
 There have been breaks in the weather, but then more rain. Thunder several times! 
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                                     Anyway on to other things.

 From juice kept last year, we have been making Guava jelly. I will spare you the details but some of it had to be reboiled to get it to set. Now we have just 22 and a half of these jars full. This year we are not collecting any; we will let the birds particularly these fellows have it.

 This is a NZ native pigeon - a Kereru. One of my photographic challenges is to get a really close really clear photo of this fat greedy bird.

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 During one of the breaks in the weather I walked up the quarry behind us and took this shot of a distant Mt. Our property in in the middle of this photo. ( click to enlarge ) Can you see the straight hedges? The white spot in the middle is  the surround of the extra vegetable garden R planted this year. Kumara and Yams are still in the ground there.

 When I took this next photo it reminded me of something.

 These Autumn fallen leaves are off the Liquid Amber tree. When I was just 11 for one of the first sewing projects we had to do at school was make a tray cloth by hand. It had to have a design embroidered on it. I clearly remember using the shape of 3 Liquid Amber leaves on mine. In red and orange and yellow. It turned out really well. It was on cream cloth with 2 little raised threads in pairs on it. What was that called?  I'm darned if I can remember now.

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 My camellias are really nice at the moment.

 This is a favourite. Camellia japonica frimbriata.

 The one with the best fragrance and lots of pickable flowers is Cinnamon Cindy.

 This one is just a seedling that grew and was good enough to keep. The bee likes it anyway.

 Raindrops on the tiny  buds of camellia Trans no konesisi  ( a scented Taiwanese species )

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 My pattern for my Kim Mclean class arrive. It is for a huge quilt. I think I will just get the needs for one panel to start with. It said get 9 yards for the backing! As it is just a one day class I know I won't get much done by hand in that time.

 How have any of you ladies who have made her quilts gone about this? Totally committed or piece by piece?