Life's a Beach on Australia Day
ink & watercolour illustration, 8" x 10" [20 x 25.5cm]
It's Australia Day ~ the anniversary of the landing of the First Fleet under the command of Captain Arthur Phillip in Sydney Cove in 1788 ~ and a great excuse for a public holiday. We do love to party.
It seems only right that Australia Day coincides with the height of summer here, where the three iconic Bs ~ Backyard cricket, BBQs and Beaches ~ are typical ways of celebrating this special day with family and friends. If I was heading to the beach, I'd be happy to find a deck chair like this one waiting for me just next to the tide line, but with plenty of shade from a muslin-draped cabana. Someone to fan me with a palm frond and spritz me with jasmine-frangipani water would be nice, too. If you're in the northern hemisphere and shivering in the drizzle or grey, you're welcome to sit here a while with me. I'll order some cocktails and mocktails to be served in half pineapples with straws and little umbrellas printed with kangaroos, koalas and kookaburras. You're welcome. And Happy Australia Day to us all!
What an inviting scene. Almost nothing better than reading at the beach. Which of the 3 B's are scheduled for today? All of them, I hope!
ReplyDeleteHappy Australia Day to you. Today we are all Aussies!
Happy Australia Day, Shell! I'll be an Aussie today for you and all my friends in Oz.
ReplyDelete(I love the shoes.)
That combination of Bs sounds heavenly. I want a day on the beach with a book! Our beaches are a little chilly right now, so I guess I'll just have to come to Australia and pull up a seat in that adorable chair. :)
ReplyDeleteHappy Australia Day!
Cali ~ as it turned out, I had the 4th B: brunch! Today, you are Aussie aussi. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks, Petrea ~ it will be our honour!
Amy ~ book, being the 5th B, is a perfect companion on the beach. You can pick up where you left off and it won't complain that you went swimming without it.
Noticed on my calendar that today is Australia Day, and had to come straight away to see how you're celebrating. This is perfect (especially for those of us in that other hemisphere who are having the direct opposite of beach weather)—and I'll more than happily take up your invitation and clink pineapples with you!
ReplyDeleteYou're so considerate of us here in the drizzle, Shell, and I'd like to extend the same hand of friendship to you and invite you to join us here in that drizzle, on this non-holiday normal working day, where we can offer you a cup of tea, hastily made with non-preferential tea-bags, and a seat by the not yet made fire with the children bothering you for a look at your foreign coins, and we'll paint you a picture that we'd pride ourselves was as alluring as yours, but was really not a patch on it. You're torn now, right, and busily browsing for flights over here?
ReplyDeleteOh, yes, please, I'm pulling up my beach chair (though it's not quite as pretty as yours) and sitting right next to you in the sunshine!
ReplyDeleteI just thought of the 5th B to make this party perfect: boys! Did you send out invitations to RDJ, HJ, SB and DC?
Mise--hilarious.
ReplyDeleteDarn it -- I missed Australia Day! I hope you had a lovely time celebrating the five Bs (and a few Ks). I'll have to remember this fabulous-sounding holiday next year -- might be a good time to come join you down under to drink cocktails and hang out in beach chair! Love your drawing; it just exudes the heat of summer.
ReplyDeleteI can't believe I missed Australia Day! And I was so up for a game of cricket.
ReplyDeleteAlexa ~ clink! {Thok? Plunk?}
ReplyDeleteMise ~ what can I say to a compelling invitation like that, other than Thank You, my dear! Shall stock up on my currency before arriving.
PCN ~ I knew I could rely on you to provide the party boys. And a fine selection too, I must say. ;)
Katie ~ make like a bird and fly south next winter! That would be fun ~ MmeB will join us, of course.
Margaret ~ howzat!
Back to below 0°c today here with some cold wind.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the feeling of warmth you 're giving us through your drawing !!!
Sorry, I knew nothing about Australia day, hope you had a nice, enjoyable holiday, 31°c in Brisbane yesterday, perfect for the beach, with a little shade a couple mojitos.....
I have to admit I left all the B's behind and went for one big S. SHOPPING! Cute things for the winter months ahead. Well a girl does have to be prepared. ;)
ReplyDeleteHappy Aussie Day to y'al!!
ReplyDeleteHowever, somehow I get the feeling missing something that our Pie Day has.
And, I really can't believe Margaret also missed our National Pie Day! But, admittedly most missed it! It's starting out as one of those years for her, I guess.
Marylène ~ you have been doing your research. :) Definitely the shade was an essential accessory. I'm happy I sent some warmth your way!
ReplyDeleteAdventures ~ you are prepared. Impressive!! And a nice way to escape said heat.
Cafe ~ I can't believe Margaret missed a Pie Day of any kind, let alone your National Pie Day. I have a smidge of caramel tart in the fridge ~ better eat some to help me recover...
Happy Australia Day to you Shell, your image today is a perfect illustration of summer! (snow in Avignon today... I want to be on an Aussie beach !!!!)
ReplyDeleteAnd now everyone, a rousing chorus of........
ReplyDelete"Kookaburra sits in the old gum tree, merry merry ____
of the woods is he! (Fill in that blank for me Shishi, I've forgotten)
V
"king," we always sang in school, V.
ReplyDelete"Laugh, kookaburra, laugh, kookaburra.
Gay your life must be."
And was he king of the bush?
ReplyDeleteThanks, Nathalie ~ and to you!
ReplyDeleteV and P ~ well, there's my something new ~ I hadn't realised that sweet little song had travelled the world. Were you both in the Girl Scouts/Guides? Between you, {yes, 'king of the bush', Petrea}, you have it spot on!
I'm sorry I missed your day on the day. But have been loving the Australian Open.
ReplyDeleteMaybe we learned it at 4H camp. I don't remember for sure. But it sticks with me. We sang it in rounds.
ReplyDeleteHiker ~ watching the Australian Open partially makes up for it. You can join Petrea in some rounds of the Kookaburra song to make up for the rest...
ReplyDeleteThe kookaburra is gay?
ReplyDeleteI was was going to ask the same question but AK beat me to it. Who knew. Kookabura is outta the damn closet. "
ReplyDeletePlease don't ask me to conjur up where that song came from Shi shi. It's something I wish I could DELETE to make room for things I really need in my brain right now.
IS tomorrow Francophile Friday ????? OH PUHLEEZZEE!
Speaking of the boys: Forgot to tell you that we were having a conversation about celebrity encounters recently and my daughter Katie told us about the time she met our boy HJ—and this was the first I'd heard about it! I say you can take being a blasé New Yorker a bit too far.
ReplyDeleteVirginia ~ désolée, I'd already prepared today's post by the time I saw your comment. :( Since I can't help your pangs for Paris today, hopefully I can feed someone's voracity for Venice.
ReplyDeleteAlexa ~ oh my!!! Your daughter Katie has some explaining to do. In great detail ~ don't leave anything out...
Lovely dear for our Oz day. I do love the accoutrements you take to the beach with you.
ReplyDeleteMmeB ~ I neglected to mention the zinc cream. :)
ReplyDelete