The Roaming Stevens

Small gathering with new mates at their groovy old/new house and dear people we have known for years were there, too! TOO.  MUCH.  FUN. It is fabulous to slip back into country living and socializing.  It is easy to do.  Everyone shows up when it's convenient.  Some people bring extra dishes to enjoy.  Everybody brings their beverage of choice - to share...or not!  Ha!  People migrate to your outdoor space - the verandah; the deck, and when there is a fire pit - well, that added touch makes the entire evening MAGIC. Toss in a couple or three precious, hairy, tail wagging, intriguing, happy, hungry, dogs and the night gets BETTER - even if one teeny-tiny tail-wagger likes to snap at the BOYS!  Nice, crisp, cool evening with a beautiful moon, funny conversation, and more of those Kapunda twinkling stars.  Top that with a home-cooked meal, heaps of fine wine, and Jim Beam Honey shots and well, you know...one could end up having ...

Some things NEVER change.  Aren't we happy about that?  Late appointments in the city yesterday; traffic was the usual - aggressive and busy.  Tinto dropped me off and went searching for a newspaper (a real, live newspaper!) - HA! - I love that he refuses to read the world or local news from his phone.  See?  Truly.  Some things NEVER change...but, that is not what this is about. 12th of December, 2013 - the date I left Australia for 'Mighty Memphis, Tennessee'; 4 years IS a long time to be gone from your home.  After conducting business, Tinto met me and when we hopped back into the car, I smiled and said (knowingly) 'Where are we headed?' Tinto chuckled and said, 'Amalfi's'.  I asked him if he made reservations.  I got THE look...you know the one.  I replied, 'We'll never get in.'  I added to that, well I pointed out, that he had been sitting in the reception area for quite some time and that gave him amp...

G'Day from Kapunda! Tinto and I are waking each and every day to a schedule of tasks...going from one room to the next and bringing Maxwell House back to splendor! It's been a long time since I stomped up to Gundry's Hill Lookout, situated directly above Maxwell House.  Henry was ready to go.  Henry was walking me...and I TRY to hold him back, but the old boy is excited to be 'out and about' again! I only know what I've been told...Gundry's Lookout is supposed to be where Captain Gundry managed an early copper mine.  I don't know...but, I DO KNOW that the views of the agricultural area surrounding our house are simply wonderful.  It's quiet and clear upon the hill; tomorrow I shall return and pick-up the rubbish that some (person/s?) left behind.  The place is far too pretty NOT to look after it. In the past whenever Tinto and I had new guests visit us, we would make cocktails and take a walk up Gundry's to see the sunset.  It's quite...

BASKING IN WINE, WOOL, and WHEAT country... 'WOW' again ~ it is so easy to slip right back into gentle Kapunda life. It is also very easy to forget what you enjoy and love about a place. Tinto and I LOVE the quiet ~ the stillness, the pitch black skies with their sparkling, twinkling diamond stars.  WE enjoy the night skies almost every single evening.   Oooooooh, and did I mention drinking some of THE MOST OUTRAGEOUSLY fine South Australian wine almost every night, too?  South Australians KNOW how to make this magic liquid. We are fortunate to have returned to perfect weather.  Please, though...Spirit in the Sky...Kapunda and surrounding area desperate for rain. Thinking we live in one pretty spectacular place to discover nature and STOMP! SEE BELOW:  This is my view of yesterday afternoon's walk!  YAHOO.   Can you even SEE the sheep?   For a minute I thought they were coming to tell me 'Hello'! ...