Herbals, Childrens' Street Art, Teasing the Gulls and a bunch of Real Sweet Ladies

~ Herbals - Heartsease (Viola, Johnny-Jump-Ups):

This beautiful old book was kindly given to me by my BIL a while back. It makes fascinating reading and is, I'm sure, a reference source for herbalists today

Nicholas Culpeper, a very famous astrologer-physician of the early 17th Century writes that Heartsease (Violas)  is "an excellent cure for the venereal disease. The spirit of it is excellent, good for convulsions in children, and a remedy for falling sickness, inflammation of the lungs and breasts, pleurisy, scabs, itch, &c. The flowers are cooling, emollient, and cathartic..." 

Who would've thought this little plant would have so much responsibility!

My collection of Heartease (also known as Violas, Johnny-Jump-Ups).

Once they're in the garden, happily, you've always got them.

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~ Childrens' Street Art: We drove over to Paynesville (as regular readers would know, it's one of our favourite spots).  I wanted to show the efforts of the local schoolchildren. They added to the street 'theme' by each painting a marine-based wooden cut-out. The cut-outs were then attached to planters and rubbish bins (as shown in the group photo below), making them very easy on the eye.  The council similarly decorated various street poles. All combined to create a unique and charming streetscape and a source of pride for the children concerned.

The footpath wasn't left out either, inlaid with a
beautiful mosaic fish

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~ Teasing the Gulls: Still in Paynesville. The Autumn air was a bit brisk, so our thoughts turned to food.  Fish and chips perhaps?  You bet....   

"Two serves of flake and chips and 4 scallops thanks!"

Definitely too chilly, so we drove a little down the road and parked overlooking the lake.  Enjoying the view we hoed into our fish n chips....  until

"Helloooo in there.
Wot you two doin' ?
HEY  ! ... CHIPS!!"

"Gonna share? That's real
friendly of youse"

"Awwww, not that's just plain mean...
how can I get it through
the windscreen ... flamin'
tourists.

Ok fellas, we got a coupla
smart-alecs here, call in
the troops!!"

"How do ya like this for
a view? "

"... or this,
wheeeh... give em hell fellas,
we'll get a chip outta them yet"

*thinks* "I'm too dignified
to beg for a chip. I'll just
sit here and pretend I
couldn't care less"

Time for a cuppa.  MD gets the picnic basket out of the back.  I walk off to take a photo of the lovely view we had of the lake  ... oh no, they've got him surrounded! Run for it darling !!!

Please don't report us to the Cruel Humour In Persecuting Seagulls authorities. We've got to get our fun somehow ;-)

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~ Real Sweet Ladies: Last, but definitely not least, is MD's crop of Pink Ladies for this year.  They're soooo sweet. It's such a delight to eat home-grown fruit - no wax, no sprays.  
His decision to let the chooks have the run of the orchard (until the fruit started to form), has kept attack by coddling moth to a bare minimum this year.  

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May your days be full of fun and happiness