Do Not Disturb

South coast free of weather problems.
It's so green it's even unaustralian.

The calm and bird calls seem strange two days post east coast low.
Bits and pieces of vegetation are scattered all over, large tree branches and whole trees have come down throughout town which makes it difficult to restore power despite extra crews arriving from other places.
  We never lost power supply, it has been said before, there is a reason for our good luck because of some infastructure on the same line.
  Many school kids are having an extension of the holiday break as schools have not reopend.
  People have difficulty living with uncertainity. They have expectations.
Just imagine the results after a full blown cyclone.

                                                                                                                                              

   Turkish Delight or  Turk Lokumu - giving rest to the throat.

  Take two saucepans. In the first one place 4 cups caster sugar, 11/2 cups dark grape juice and juice of 2 lemons or limes.

Boil till soft ball stage.  Remove from the heat.

  In the next saucepan place 1 cup cornflower and 1/2 cup grape juice.  Stir to a paste, add 2 more cups of grape juice.  Simmer on a low heat till thick, stirring

all the time. Pour the hot syrup into the thick cornflour mixture stirring all the time.

  Simmer on a very very low heat for about an hour.  Stir every now and then.  It will get very thick almost solid at the end.

  When sure it is really really thick and your arm hurts remove it off the heat and add 2 tablespoons rose water.  Pour into a greased tray.  Leave uncovered 3 hours.

  Lightly oil a knife and cut into squares or do this - mix 3/4 cup of icing sugar, not icing sugar mix, and 1/4 cup cornflour and roll each piece in this.  Store in air tight

cool place - not fridge.  Keeps 1-4 weeks.

We are surrounded by windy stormy rainy weather.
 Never before have I heard of as much destruction in the Hunter as regards uprooted trees, downed power lines, loss of power supply, loss of phone services, roof and fences, schools and institutions closing their doors but no real flooding in the suburbs but flooding of the towns and roads of the hinterland.  
A dreaded east coast low, a Pasha Bulka storm, quite a change from the benign.
Council workers and chain saws soon opened the road again.

Electricity supply is no longer a simple service for which we pay to cover the costs.  That would be too good to be true. Too good to last.
 Now it is a commodity and a means of making cash.
 Every man and his dog is into electricity.  The country side is full of utes rushing here and there and belonging to power companies. 
Hope it means good service. We are paying for it.

 The above ute is not from that industry. Those dogs are more like farm dogs.
Anyway, its a dogs life, dogs left out in high summer temperatures, more as a commodity, an accessory, they will swear they love their faithful dogs, tough love.
 Believe dogs can only sweat via their tongues. How well do they manage in searing heat of summer confined to a metal ute in order to bark and protect a tradies belongings.
Strangly, animals have a new independent supporter in NSW parliament.
 

Digger

The photo is from Harry who was in the card yesterday.
Which one is Harry? Impossible to say.
I am uninformed about military uniforms but noticed the sort of slouched hat which could be Aussie style.

Post card from Harry in France dated 14 September 1917

To Dear Mother
Hoping that you and Dad are keeping in the best of health and that this war will soon be over and me safely back home with you all again
From your loving son Harry
I can't get envelopes big enough for cards

Memories of the war years have special significance just now.  

Who is in the shoe shop window?
Country towns, mainly those that do not suffer from the big two'' effect, have shops that have never changed much and are furnished with wooden shelves full of merchandise, service from a timber counter and original shop fronts  all of which is a change.
Lower photo is a more extreme example.

Autumn days in Crookwell.

Crookwell has a working post office and a CBA among other things
Then, was this preparation for the B2B Cycle event today? A road race, Blayney to Bathurst.  At this point not far from Trunkey Creek - a very very old time village.  Doubt that it even had a cafe or store.

 Alasdair Fraser, Scotland's premier fiddler and Californian cellist Natalie Hass were outstanding duo at National Folk Festival, Canberra with 112 groups or individual performers from the four corners. Non stop.
 And Gordie Mackeeman and his Rhythm Boys from Prince Edward Island were blistering as they say.
 Authentic folk music, world music and lots in between, dance, choral and instrumental workshops, bush poetry, Australian folk, Anzac tributes, then alternative fashions, trinkets, foods were the abundant market stalls. Camping at the site is popular and extensive. 
 Next year marks 50 years and organizers are gearing up for four days always at Easter.
 Weather is warm to rather chilly with a little snow arriving this morning somewhere on a local hill top, they say.

Morris dancing.
Festival poets have been known to parody the dancers. Wonder why?

Morris dancing and a prancing steed.
National Folk Festival.

the amenities at dusk
ten campgrounds you will never want to leave....!

Quick. Circle the wagons.
What's to fear at a festival?

Rowing at sunrise
Where the Hastings meets the sea.