Sprung in Canberra

We have well and truly done spring in Canberra.  We have been sprung.  It was gorgeous. But didn't quite feel up to Floriade Nightfest on Sunday. See how Mae dressed for this occasion?  Warmly.  Very warmly. Our blood has thinned in the gentle climate of the mid north coast and we were tired so instead we stayed home and got slept on by cats. Delightful.

Gus the cat loves to fetch.  His obsession is milk rings. Once he has worked out you are friend, not cat-murderer, he "tags" you by dropping a milk ring at your feet, and its game on. The furkids at Mae and Nick's are endlessly entertaining. But, being furkids, well they shed fur all over. The answer is another family member, the robot vacuum.  This perky little flying saucer shaped device trundles all over the floors and picks up astonishing amounts of stuff - this lot is from just one day!

Monday the skies were blue, so it was Floriade day. About eleventy thousand other people made the same decision, but we enjoyed it anyway.

This vista represents a coffee cup, you will be pleased to know.  The pink is the outline on a red background, and the yellow and white is froth.  Clear as day. Floriade's theme is "A Feast for the Senses" this year.

There was a flower arrangement display in one of the tents. Dazzling orchids.

The red tulips are my favourite.

 The tulip shapes are getting weirder though...

This weekend must be the peak, nearly all the tulips were out but there were still some of my absolute favourite blue hyacinths. I still remember when I started school in England, the teacher, Miss Jutson would grow them on the classroom windowsill. I remember being delighted by the beautiful smell and I still love it.

David getting inspiration for a sculpture for our waterlily dam.

 Canberra is an excellent place for growing waratahs. After Floriade, we went to the Australian National Gallery for lunch with Kris and Ed. But we couldn't tempt them to stay for the Fred Williams exhibition. We are great fans of Fred. We spent a couple of blissful hours enjoying the retrospective. Very comprehensive and inspiring. Don't miss it.

 After the exhibition we had a little wander in the sculpture gardens. Been so many times and always see something different.  This is the fog sculpture.

Monday night David was too pooped for any more fun, but I had a great meal out with Bobbie and John.  Bobbie and I were at school together. They are working towards a similar dream to ours: living between an apartment in the city and a rural retreat Their apartment is a suberb place in Barton overlooking the lake, and the rural retreat is under renovation in Braidwood. A bit like us, by the time it's all finished, it will be time for the nursing home.  But I guess the doing is the fun part, really. How boring if you had the money to just pay for it all ready made and perfect.  What would you do then? Sit around and look at it?