and third!

Another one today - 

Sometimes first is very closely followed by second

My second zentangle for the day. This one is done completely with a black biro as I began it at my sister's house and didn't have the textas I used for the first one with me. Beginning inspiration was the packet of tiny teddies nearby. 

On to the third one now! I am feeling quite relaxed and recommend giving it a go if you haven't already. 

Zentangles and the ART of STARTing

Today I learn again, as I have so many times before, how useful it can be to just start something. I've always been a bit of a doodler. My notebooks from university are covered in lots of different patterns in the margins and sometimes out of the margins too. When I used the landline more than I do now there was usually a notepad nearby with multiple doodles. 

For quite a while I've admired various zentangles I've seen on the internet and have pinned a few ideas on Pinterest. Alysha often does zentangle and similar designs and finds them a great way to relax. Until today I haven't gone much beyond thinking I could do that. Today though I actually made a start. And found as I often do that once I start the rest follows. I noticed too that it was quite meditative. I'm keen to experiment some more and expand some of the ideas that came up while I was patterning away. 

The finished product

Another start I am about to make is on a new book to read. I've yet to decide what book it will be. My experience of reading is quite similar to my zentangle experience in that I take quite a while to begin a new book but once I do the momentum is there and usually I finish it quickly. A couple of my measures of a good book are that I want to keep reading and don't want it to end and then when I do finish it I keep thinking about it. According to these criteria the book I have just finished (The Eye of the Sheep by Sofie Laguna) is a fabulous one. Thinking about it now, how I felt towards the end of the book and how I felt towards the end of the zentangle are rather similar. That duality of wanting/not wanting to get to the end! 

Shadow Shot Sunday - March 15th, 2015

Brianna and I made it today to the Iridescence exhibition at the South Australian Museum. We were just in time as it was the last day today. I'm really glad we made the effort to go as it was fabulous and we both enjoyed it. There will be a longer post about it in the near future. In the meantime, here are some shadows I enjoyed. 

You can see lots of other people's shadow shots at www.shadowshotsunday2.blogspot.com. 

Shadow Shot Sunday - March 8th, 2015

Palm tree shadows on bricks and grass shadows on the underside of an old trampoline for Shadow Shot Sunday today. 

See other people's shadow shots at www.shadowshotsunday2.blogspot.com

So many treasures at Writers' Week

So many treasures at Writers' Week

I've had a good week, particularly the three days I was able to attend Adelaide Writers' Week, part of the Adelaide Festival. It was held in the Pioneer Women's Memorial Garden from 9am to 6pm over 6 days (February 28th - March 5th). There are two stages, the East stage and the West stage, and seven 1 hour sessions at each. Over the six days the place is packed full of treasures - the authors, the interviewers, the audience, the staff, the volunteers, the book tent, the blue sails providing shade, the coffee, the food, the children parading in nylon costumes, the Story tent,  the book tent, the signing table, the children playing on the slope (with palm tree fronds as swords), the shadows, the plants on the stage backdrops, the program, the beautiful hand soap in the bathrooms (Aesop brand) and more. 

I made it to a total of 12 sessions. Sometimes it's difficult to choose between the two offered sessions! Authors I heard speak were Helen Castor, Jenny Uglow, Andy Griffiths, Martha Baillie, Elia Barcelo, Omar Musa, Julia Gillard, Nicholas Clements, Miranda Richmond Mouillot, James Bradley, John Darnielle, Smith Henderson, Rohan Wilson, Graeme Simsion, Jenny Offill and Roxane Gay. All (and those interviewing them) were very impressive. One of the highlights for me was the line at the microphone for questions at the session with Andy Griffiths. Lots of confident children aged from about 5 up asking very interesting questions. Unfortunately there wasn't time for them all. The line at the signing table afterwards was one of the longest I saw. 

I love the familiarity of the event, as well as some of the small changes. How wonderful too that it is every year now. It used to be every two years. One of the small changes this year was the backdrops behind the two stages. For the last few Writers' Weeks they have been made up of twigs and looked quite fantastic. As they did this year as well, comprised of small native plants which had been grown by Trees for Life volunteers over the past six months. Volunteers watered the plants during the week. The plants were also used for the arch entrance and you can see them in the photo above. 

As well as the wonderful memories I got to take home a couple of treasures. After hearing Jenny Offill talk I decided to buy her book, Dept. of Speculation and am enjoying it very much. I also brought home an envelope I was given by one of the volunteers. Inside were some seeds to plant so I can grow some Enchylaena Tomentosa (ruby saltbush) at home. 

The envelope I was given. 

Inside the envelope

I'm already looking forward to next year's Writers' Week. And in the meantime I have some reading to do and plants to grow. I still have some books from last year to read too. 

This is a six word Saturday post. See how others' describe their week or part thereof at www.showmyface.com. 

Shadow Shot Sunday - March 1st, 2015

Looking up at shadows on blue sails at Adelaide Writers' Week. 

This is a Shadow Shot Sunday post. To see other people's shadow shots go to www.shadowshotsunday2.blogspot.com. 

Shadow Shot Sunday - February 22nd, 2015

Some of the more shadowy shots from yesterday's zoo visit for Shadow Shot Sunday today. 

Spot the White-cheeked Gibbons in the shadowy trees. 

See other people's shadow shots at www.shadowshotsunday2.blogspot.com. 

Enjoyed some time at the zoo

Enjoyed some time at the zoo.

We went to the SDA Family Zoo Day at Adelaide Zoo today. Thanks to the Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees' Association my daughter got free tickets for herself, me and her sister. My sister and her eldest daughter also went. We got free entry into the zoo, a sausage sizzle, drinks and icy poles. There were also free rides and entertainment. What a great afternoon it was! 

Yesterday and this morning we were not sure whether we would go or not as it was forecast for 40C in Adelaide today. We took frozen water and juice boxes and my niece did a great job of spraying water over us to give a little relief. It certainly was very hot but we had a good time. I was quite surprised by the number of animals we saw. I expected more to be hiding or very inactive due to the heat. Many of the exhibits had misted water and the animals were certainly feeling the heat. The Sumatran tiger and one of the tapirs as well as some large black parrots seemed to be feeling it the most. After a couple of hours at the zoo we went to Botanic Park to get our sausages, drinks and icy poles and for the drawing of a raffle for a TV which SDA members could enter. Unfortunately we didn't win this year. After an enjoyable afternoon we certainly appreciated the air-conditioned car trip home. 

One of the animals near the entrance are the Capybara. I don't recall seeing these animals before and what fascinating creatures they are. They are the largest of the Rodent family. Babies were born in October last year and are already quite big. 

The otters seemed to be putting on a show. 

Funi, one of the pandas at Adelaide Zoo is currently experiencing a phantom pregnancy and so has access to her night quarters. I thought we might not see her at all but did catch a glimpse of her. 

I got a close up of a pelican. I wouldn't have wanted to be as close as the Cape Barren Goose that kept getting snapped at when it tried to walk past. 

This cassowary was quite active today. 

I read the sign about the White-cheeked Gibbon before I saw any and was fascinated to learn they change colour after a year and then the females change back again at sexual maturity. 

We were very lucky to see the baby which was born in April last year and saw the mother moving freely through the trees with baby clinging on. 

We saw a very active wombat. I've never seen one move so much before. Usually they are sleeping. They can move quite fast. There was a sign saying this is a temporary enclosure which they are exploring. This one certainly was. 

Despite the heat, it was an enjoyable afternoon but I do hope its a little cooler next year. 

Pictures of people

I saw my two year old niece last night, as well as her mum and sister. All of a sudden my niece has started drawing pictures recognisable as people. How cute! When my daughter saw the drawings on the table she said, "Awwww, when did she reach the potato stage?" I'm fairly sure the lines in the second picture are 'writing' as I saw her doing the same thing on another picture while saying 'M..u..m..m..y'