Been a Bit Quiet, Haven't I.

That's because Christmas, New Year and big birthday celebrations and hot - very, very hot. Well, I live in the south western Australia so of course summer is hot. Even so 44 degrees C is pretty hard to take. I've just been outside watering the vegetable garden and even before 9:00 AM it was baking. Amazingly even those plants I haven't put shade cloth over are doing well. Whether they'll be so full of life after another day close to 40 degrees C is something w'll just have to wait and see.

I like growing at least some of my own food so the vegie patch is an important part of my life. This year I was late putting the summer crops in because the dividing fence between us and one of our neighbours was in danger of falling down and the earthworks required to put a new one in involved digging up much of where I usually put my vegetables. As soon as it was finished I planted but everything is now behind. Usually by now at the least we'd be harvesting enough beans, tomatoes, spring onions, cucumbers, zucchinis and lots of herbs to feed us and freeze for later. Never mind, though, because there will be at least another four months of warm weather and the current crop will be in full production soon. When I went out this morning the still small zucchini and butternut squash plants were a blaze of brilliant golden flowers and they, along with some basil and nasturtium flowers and leaves, can make a pleasant part of a meal.

Hmm, I just realised I should have taken a photo because they were lovely. Ah well next time.

Australian Women Writers Challenge 2015

Well I've signed up for the Challenge again and I'm looking forward to it. See the badge on the right - elegant and eye-catching as they always are. Last year I only managed eight reviews although that is by no means how many books by Australian writers - both male and female - that I read. I'm hoping to do better this year. although the trouble is I always put reading of a book ahead of writing about it. I recommend this challenge highly. It makes me think about what I'm reading and that's always a good thing.

Musical Magic

because I don't know how else to describe it. 'It' is polyphonic overtone singing or throat singing, where a performer sings two different notes at the same time and what they can do with the technique is extraordinary. German singer, Anna-Maria Hefele, is an expert in the overtone singing technique from Tuva in Russia and produces eerie and lovely music. Once reserved only for men - it was thought to make women infertile - it is now sung by both men and women. In this video Hefele shows just what it is like.

There are other kinds of throat singing notably in Mongolia where it is a traditional music. I found this video just breathtaking.

You can find out more about overtone singing here.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuvan_throat_singing.

Thanks to my friend, Annie, for telling me about this.