What a difference a few weeks can make. I walked in Brisbane Water National Park at the beginning of August and water was spilling over the falls, dripping from charged hanging swamps and there were places you had to watch your footing because of the mud.

This month, it's a different story. This month I've turned sprinklers on my garden here at home, and the park, well. The creek is down, the mud has dried and while rock orchids are in flower, the wildflower season is not a patch on past years.

IN SEPTEMBER:

I WENT TO... Brisbane to see family and work (and did a little orchid hunting closer to home).


I ATE... Simple, un-fussy Italian, at Il Verde, in the new King St dining precinct of Brisbane. I like a no-fuss Italian restaurant that lets the food do the talking. A simple, understated wine list and a select few desserts (with gelato a must) goes a long way too.

I OP SHOPPED... Brisbane's op shops are some of my favourite. My sister and I spent a day trawling stores in Paddington and Bardon. I scored an unworn 1960s swimsuit for a gold coin donation. It was going to be thrown out, as is the policy (understandably) for many op shops, but for me it was a case of "right place, right time". I also came home with a pair of Levi's jeans for $5, a couple of summer tanks in linen and silk and a 1950s Pake Muu-style Hawaiian dress, similar to these.

I MADE... a knitted beanie. I know, it's spring, and all winter knits should be off the sticks, but a work colleague gifted me some beautiful chunky wool and I found the perfect pattern on Ravelry.

I READ... I honestly don't know why I keep this here. I am reading massive amounts of text, but it's all for uni, and no one wants to hear about that. No one.