February Wrap-Up and Signs

For other signs from around the world check Tom's blog.

I started the month suffering from neck pain - stress, bad posture, who knows? A couple of physio appointments sorted out the problem for now.

On Saturday 5th, on a 42C  (107F) day, myself and another young lady from the neighbourhood went to Maria's house, (who we both met via the Buy Nothing Group) as she was teaching us to make bottled tomatoes, and an eggplant and tomato pasta sauce. A bit of work using up a 10kg box of tomatoes, but we brought home a box full of bottles for the pantry. 

With some tomatoes left over I was lent a dehydrator to bring home, so I could try to make "sun dried tomatoes" which I did on Sunday.  Could hardly believe we had a drastic but short lived drop of temperature to 27C (80.6F) and a tiny bit of rain.

On Thursday 10th Jose and I went out to the Mid Week Eats at Riverton Reserve- with an Asian food theme.  They had entertainment for Chinese new year, but we arrived a bit late to see it all.

Food was good, and I loved the home made Indian mango ice cream I had for dessert.

Chicken curry and mango icy pole and a waffle for Jose

Little library at Riverton Reserve

The photographer took a photo of me, but it wasn't among the ones published on the city's website

Sign from The Indian ice-cream van

Fresh water container at the event - just bring your bottle

Friday 11th, I met up for lunch and news catch-up with two retired ex-colleagues at the Spudshed Cafe. Since the beginning of the month it was now compulsory to provide our immunisation status when eating at indoor venues, and this was the first time I showed mine.

That evening when Jose arrived from work he asked if I would like to join two other colleagues and their wives for dinner at the Casino. I agreed, we got ready and were picked up in a taxi by 2 colleagues, but minus the wives ...

The columns outside the Casino were decorated with Chinese characters - inside many Chinese decorations alluded to the Chinese New Year's celebrations

Dinner at Junction Grill was pleasant and food was nice. Better still it was paid for by one of the colleagues. One of the colleagues likes to play, so after dinner he sat a table playing some game. 

Fish and chips for me and a steak and chips for Jose

We both walked around a bit, took photos of the Chinese New Year themed decor, and at about 10,30pm bade farewell to both colleagues and caught a taxi home.

Happy Year of the Tiger to all of you!

Monday 14th - Not that it should be the only day in the year to celebrate romance, but for dinner I made grilled garlic prawns, a tiny bit of rice and a green salad and to top it all a chocolate mousse. Jose made the prawn cocktail starter. It was a nice meal, and I even drank a glass of wine - something very rare for me.

Jose gave me a small vase of orchids for Valentine's

Believe it or not, but our resident wagtail had a lady? visitor on Valentine's Day, who kept him company on the wire in our patio that night. She was probably not impressed as our wagtail has been all alone again...

On Tuesday 15th, I was sitting in my study when Jose got home at 3pm and announced one of his colleagues had been diagnosed with Covid, so not to come close to him. Luckily he hadn't been in close contact with the colleague, but still all 150 employees were tested and took home Rapid antigen tests to test themselves at home before going to work the following day. I called my boss at the clinic for directions and she said as Jose wasn't considered a close contact it should be fine for me to go to work but she would also do a RAT test on me.  In the morning I sent her a message to say Jose was clear, but because she had never done a RAT test she asked if I wouldn't mind being a guinea pig so she could work out the practicality of doing the tests on patients in future.

Friday 18th - I joined 5 or 6 other ladies from the Community Harvest Group (that I joined via Maria that I met through the Buy Nothing group), to have a meeting at the Canning Horticultural and Agricultural Society with the lovely Megan Radaich, an author and lecturer on food preserving. What an inspiring talk! The group has now booked her for a hands-on workshop to make Kimchi and Sauerkraut for the 18th March.

Saturday 19th -  In the morning Jose and I went to Carousel Shopping Centre and after our shopping had lunch at Grill'd - Perth's best burger restaurant.

Wall with signs inside Grill'd Carousel

At night we attended a light show with 300 drones at Elizabeth Quay - in celebration of the 60th anniversary of John Glenn's triple orbit around earth. Back then Perth residents were asked to light up their houses, etc so that it could be seen from space and the city was then called "City of light".   Magnificent show which was super popular.

After the show Jose and I shared a delicious cocktail at a bar at Elizabeth Quay.

Friday 25th - Passata making workshop at the Canning Agricultural, Horticultural & Recreational Society (CAHRS), hosted by Maria (my neighbourhood friend I mentioned above). 

Ten ladies joined the hands on workshop. It was a long, long day processing 100kg of tomatoes, and each of us took home with 9 bottles of passata, each uses about 1kg of tomatoes. In between in had lunch and got to know each other.

Saying on Maria's apron

I finished painting a round table and 4 chairs that had been given to me by the "Buy Nothing Group". I sent a photo to the lady that gave it to me and she was impressed with it. Her idea had been to paint it all in black but she much preferred my choice.

Sunset seen from my garden

And I end with a newspaper cover from "The West Australian" which I thought was hilarious.

Western Australia was meant to open up its borders to the world and the rest of Australia on the 5th February, but a few days earlier, due to the new variant - Omicron - being more transmissible, our Premier Mark McGowan cancelled.

So this was the front page of the newspaper joking that our border would finally open on the 5th February 2052 by our Supreme Leader...🤣

PS: our border has finally opened on the 3rd March, even though Omicron is well and truly in the State already!