Ever since Mereth went on an excursion to Cowell with the patchwork club we have been planning our own trip so that I could see the lovely shop there. It's never been the perfect time though, so we made an executive decision this week that we were just going, full stop. It's a long drive, nearly 600k for the round trip, so it required an early start. We had to go north to Port Augusta and the head of Spencer Gulf, then south, down the other side to Whyalla, and then on to Cowell. We saw the sun come over the hills when we were already 40k along the road, and the early light made the somewhat bleak countryside spectacularly beautiful. We made good time, and arrived at the Spotlight in Whyalla before it opened. We stocked up on a small amount (!) of fabric, had a McCafe Mocha and then set off for Cowell.

This area is full of iron ore mines, and there is even a jade mine at Cowell. I suppose it could be seen as desecrating the landscape, but I like mining areas. They are so full of energy and industry, and the remoteness of them has a pioneer quality.This is what can be seen of one of the iron ore mines from the road. The red earth stains everything, even the white lines on the road and the white marker posts are a pink colour.
Hmmm, I think he has right of way..... There were several pieces of immense mining equipment on the move that day, with full police escorts. There's no alternative but to pull off the road and wait till the the trucks have roared past.

We made it to Cowell before midday, and briefly admired all the old buildings. This pub would be around-about the right size for us to have as a patchwork retreat centre; we can dream. This scene is so typical of just about every small coastal town in Australia; main street running down to the foreshore, pines planted sometime after WWI and an early stone pub.And this is the perfect wrought iron lace for a coastal pub, a heron holding an anchor; there is something written around the heron, but I can't read it in the photos. Next time I'll have to get better details but it's on the second floor balcony and it's hard to get close.
We had a marvellous time at the p'work shop, called Stitch'n'Bits. Mereth had the good sense to take photos inside the shop, but I was overwhelmed by the fabric and didn't give it a thought. We chose some lovely fabrics for current projects, and some for future ones, and some Just Because We Wanted Them. I am unrepentant. Besides, it would have been silly to go all that way and then NOT buy fabric!

Ownership of some of these pieces is being disputed; Mereth badly wants the dusty pink second from the left. We may have to send away for some more of that, because I rather think I own that bit, seeing as I bought it.There's lots to be going on with here; I even bought Orange, most unlike me.
And that is 4m of double pink, that is destined for a project I'm itching to begin. Mmmmm, pink and brown!The last photos are from a deserted garden in Cowell, hopelessly overgrown and abandoned. These bulbs were flowering in profusion, I've never seen anything like them. They were stunning, from the beginnings of the bud to the final, faded flower. I have no idea what they are, sadly. If I were a true daughter of my mother, I would have pinched a bit to grow in my own garden, but I'm not brazen enough, yet. I'm learning though.