Today we're going to play a game . . .

. . . it's called 'Find the Stick Insect"!

First prize is one weeks holiday at the Kurrajong Garden and free use of a weeding fork.  Second prize is two weeks holiday . . .

Weeding continues apace, the bed in front of the verandah is almost done, the most prolific 'weed' there was the determined seaside daisy - once upon a time, I can remember actually planting it in my garden, many years ago and quite a few gardens ago - what was I thinking?

Since moving here, I planted a small Japanese anemone or windflower, a pink single, I think I've had a picture or two on here, it's on the easterly end of the verandah bed, around the corner and in front of the fishpond.  Planted it a good metre from the corner.  When weeding the other day, found it has turned the corner and is a good six inches or so out into the main bed.  We plant things that seem like a good idea at the time, but later we wonder why.

Further along the verandah, where the Stick Insect lives, is DA Leander, still flowering -

Glorious blue autumn sky!  The sun is still warm but the evenings are getting cooler, I have even resorted to the electric blanket at night, but that is mainly on account of my aching ankle.

Further round the garden, along the front of the house, the bank of violets has recovered from the heat of summer and is starting to flower again.  I particularly like the white violet in the foreground, which prolifically self seeds, especially in the gravel path.  

Today I thought I would clean up around the hedge at the side of the garage.  It's growing way too high, it's supposed to be used to hide the garbage bins but it almost hides the garage!  I wish I was game enough to fire up the chainsaw . . .

Anyway, I figured a clean up around the bottom would be good, got my rake out to rake up the fallen leaves left over from Mike's last hedge trimming effort and look what I raked out from underneath -

Where did they all come from and how did they get under the hedge?

I was slightly interrupted in my clean up by the most enormous garden spider I think I have ever seen.  One of those common brown ones, I must have removed the camouflage of its home when I pulled out some weeds, my first sight of it was as it walked ever so slowly across the gravel towards the hedge and a close look revealed the multitude of baby spiders it carried on its back!  I guess that means it's a she!  She came out of here -

and it's a wonder she fitted in!!  B - I - G spider . . .

To finish on a sad note, our dear Auntie Nell passed away yesterday.  She was 101 only 9 days ago.  Ironically, I had a message from my sister in law last night to say that they have arrived in Ieper (or Ypres) and will today be travelling to the place on the Western Front where Nell's (and my dad's) oldest brother lost his life in 1917 in the Battle of Messines.  How amazing that there are almost 96 years between the passing of these siblings.  I have always felt that Auntie Nell was my link to my Dad, who died in 1986.  While Auntie Nell was still here, somehow Dad was too.  It truly feels like an end of a long era.

Mike and I will travel up to Dorrigo on Sunday for the funeral on Monday.  It's going to be very sad.