Botanical art, thunder storms and sculptures

Glenda (our librarian here in Mitchell) has ordered me in a wonderful selection of books on the subject of botanical art.  Previously I'd hoped to do a course on botanical art; however, grant applications failed to deliver the funds, therefore I've decided to do my own course through books.

Some of the books --  particularly 'Botanical Illustration Course with the Eden Project' by Rosie Martin and Meriel Thurstan  -- give step-by-step instruction along with magnificent examples for inspiration.

With my sun room organised as an art and writing space I'm now ready to get serious -- in a relaxed way though!  There is so much to learn, explore and appreciate.  Learning the Latin names of plants is another challenge.

What else, this week?  Our weekly marimba lesson; a thunderstorm that caused our two German shepherds to squeeze beneath our bed, panting anxiously; an outing to the weir to give the dogs a swim in the river; excellent morning coffee at Lemon Pie Cafe; and all the normal everyday domestic and garden things that need doing along the way -- that has been our week.

Today's temperature was 34°C beneath the verandah.  But it's a dry heat and nowhere near as taxing as the same temperature at the coast, where humidity is usually high.  High humidity drains me of energy.

When we bought our present home, Richard (the previous owner and our friend) left us some sculptures that he created.  They are now positioned around our outside sitting areas and give a good feel to these spaces.