Had a beautiful day at the Gembrook Market Sunday after a day of unpacking on Saturday. Ironically I get more done without another (theoretically) able-bodied adult around (iow Nic) than I do with just myself and Laurent. When it's just L and me I get into my groove and just follow our pattern but I'm not sure what to do when I'm trying to do it with another person! We only did about 5 boxes! Today I did 11 boxes all by myself, moved a bookcase and kitchen table plus chairs and that with "toddler help" and dogs/cats underfoot!

Sunday we went to the market though and I love markets! I especially love markets on
days like this one... small towns that are still small towns, crisp autumn days, with unending bright blue skies, the breath of frost in the wind enough to let you dig out the soft warmth of a scarf to enjoy it but still plenty of the golden sort of sunshine that is unique to autumn dappling gloriously through the trees and warming your shoulders. It's like stepping into a "wish you were here" postcard.

We saw some familiar faces... I got more of my favorite soaps (Soap Box Hill... we love their patchoili/frankincense granules/cocoa and organic coffee granules one, their goatsmilk and chamomile one and their lavender/oatmeal/lavanderflowers and australian organic red clay one), favorite lemon butter (Robbins from Drouin South... yumlicious!) and grape jelly for Nic who loves grape jelly but can never find it anywhere and a little trudge basket for me that I'm going to get some terracotta pots, plant with red geraniums, tie a bow around it and tuck it on the porch with some moss between. We saw the people we got Noir from, who were happy to hear he is growing like the proverbial weed. I saw a bunch of stuff I wouldn't have minded having more disposable income to get... some *soft* yarns in gorgous colours - baby alpaca, angora goat, angora rabbit, silk etc. Stained glass lamps for our bedside. And birdfeeders made of reclaimed timber. I also really wanted to get some mums (the flowers) that were gorgeous and cheap ($3 ea, so I could get 5 for what I'd normally pay for 1!) but Nic lost the last of our money so I didn't get them. :-/

Still it's a beautiful day and best of all (in La's opinion) Puffing Billy the TRAIN comes by every so often! Plus there is a great kids playground and park next to it so he could run around and a petting zoo so he got to feed some sheep and goats.

I also heard from the Coloured Sheep folks, through whom I'll be locating all my sheep. I also heard back from a lady and have arranged to pick up five Indian Runner ducks tomorrow. As well, the guy we are getting the line of credit through is also quite knowledgeable about stock having used to raise english leisters for wool, cattle, chooks etc. so I've been getting some nice advice and good stories in that respect and he's putting me in touch with a good local shearer who deals
with small volume customers.

Also I have to wish Amanda's beautiful, gorgeous boy LEO a belated but sincere HAPPY THIRD BIRTHDAY!!!

Some recent pics...

La proving we really must get him a human sibling and soon... (I didn't train him to do this, honest! He's just mimicing Hope!)

La and Noir, looking disgruntled at having been disturbed from his puddle of sunshine snooze.

And the pen for the ducks. Yes the fence is leaning in the shot... there is an area dug out around it where there's wire being laid down under it so foxes can't dig into it, then it gets backfilled.