Merry Merry - One and All!

The clocks are chiming 12:00, it is officially Christmas 2013 in Vancouver.  The house is decorated, the fridge is stocked with all the flavours memories require for our own traditions. Egg nog does not cross the threshold,  hot apple cider is the beverage of choice as is lamb roast instead of turkey. Pavlova or plum pudding, Christmas cake and shortbread are the must cook sweet choices for this holiday. 

A parcel has been delivered while everyone is out carolling.

All is quiet.

Come in, welcome, the fire is lit and thankfully once more our children, their loved ones and our grandchildren are safe together under our roof. Truly a gift of Christmas that is most treasured.

We hope that your loved ones are with you.

Merry, merry one and all.

With warm regards.

Janine and Bruce

Sunrise December 24, Christmas Eve

Ice and snow on Boundary Bay, British Columbia and view of Mount Baker.

Sunrise from our house, across the ice  to Mount Baker.

Starting Small

Starting Small:

After a wonderful summer travelling it is hard to settle back into day-to-day life.  A meeting of the three Miniteers was necessary to reenter the world of minis.

We met at Elizabeth's house as Fatima and I needed to see the progress on #43 Green Dolphin Street.  It is just fabulous, full of character and atmosphere.

We keep telling each other that we will do a project when we get together but there is always so much to talk about and share that projects go on the back burner.

Fatima and Elizabeth kindly made gifts for my MiniHouse to encourage me to get back to work.

Fatima made a Paris Scrapbook Album. I have not photographed all the pages but here are a few, she also made cold porcelain as an experiment. Sorry Fats it is still in the freezer. I am  hopeful that I will do something with it soon.

The book is filled with tiny dried flowers and leaves, postcards, maps, fashion plates, photos of iconic landmarks, stamps and pages of letters. An amazing gift.  She also produced some book covers of biography's of Napoleon.

Elizabeth recognized that I need a rug for the dining room so created one for me. It is also perfect.

Of course a winter's day cannot pass without bread rising in a bowl and a couple of new jars of jam to add to the pantry.

Elizabeth also found a collection of frames. I can imagine creating a mold to generate a wall full of frames.

Thank you both Fatima of Beauxminis (blog being constructed) and Elizabeth of StudioE Miniatures StudioEMiniatures, both kind and generous friends who make me so happy just to be with them.

So well did they inspire me that I decided to begin a small project to move me from outdoor persuits to indoor ones as the weather begins to cool.

The bathroom has seemed rather blah! I wondered if the wallpaper was too crisp. I wondered if the tiles were too white  ....... wondering, wondering. Obviously I needed advise from the other two Miniteers! It was decided a transom lite may do the trick to break up the large wall.

Call in the trusty man with the trusty Dremel and cross ones fingers.

So far so good the wallpaper has not torn. A bit of a worry as I don't have any more of the bathroom paper. Oh, yes, I did check on my electrical plan that there was not any wiring in that area.

Note to all miniaturists and a reminder to self - never, never throw any small bits of trim away!
This little window was made with such small pieces.

Mmmm - looking better.  I think that following Elizabeth's StudioE Miniatures example on her Je t' a Door posting I need light switches in all the rooms! Now that is another small start.
regards Janine

Jonquil enquired about the accessory that Bruce used to cut the hole for the transom light. He used the same one for the door from the kitchen into the courtyard. We hope that the following photo will help her find the one she will need.

Travels in an Australian Winter

This is not a post about Miniatures but a photographic log of our 2013 land cruising through the outback of Queensland, the Northern Territory and Western Australia. A trip of almost 25,000 kilometers in four months.

Western Queensland is still in the grip of drought. Windmills groan as they lift artesian water to thirsty cattle.

The natural hot-water springs of Mataranka, N.T. are a luxury after dusty long-distance  driving. The landscape changes dramatically as you pass into the tropical north.

 Kakadu National Park

Darwin

Below: Purnululu

Purnululu National Park, in Western Australia, formerly known as The Bungle Bungles is accessable by four-wheel drive vehicles. In June there were still eight creek-crossings to ford but in high season, August, the creeks dry.

We travelled in a small four-wheel drive Nissan diesel Ur-Van camper that served us very well.

Purnululu offers wonderful walking and wilderness camping.

On to the coast and at last the Indian Ocean.

Below:  Cape Range National Park is a popular place for swimming, snorkelling on Ningaloo Reef, fishing and hiking.   Bruce also swam with the whale sharks.

Below: Looping back inland we visited Karijini National Park. You can walk canyons and at the close of day admire red sunsets that set the stage for starry, starry nights.

Ancient fig tree roots cling to cliffs.

Sunny day washing. How we appreciate all those blue-sky days.

 Heading south into cooler weather visiting The Pinnacles, small coastal towns, old homesteads and typical hotels and greener landscapes.

Below:
Perth and Freemantle and then the winery country of the Margaret River and the picturesque south eastern coast of Western Australia and the Southern Ocean.

Regretfully we headed east but the journey is not over.  We still have the Nullabour Plain to cross and Uluru and Kata Tjuta to explore.

Above: Uluru

 Below: Kata Tjuta

Number One husband, companion and photographer Bruce.

Hope you have enjoyed sharing part of our winter journey in Australia 2013.

Trip 2013 highlighted in orange.
Trip 2011 highlighted in green.

Next post: Back to Miniatures