Drawing day eight

Still working on the linocut, but overdid it on Friday ("I'll just do this little bit, ooh, but look I've nearly finished with that area, I'll just keep going for a little while") and paid the price of screaming nerves.

I probably shouldn't have tackled the weeding in that state, but ripped back some of the jungly back yard in the beds around the clothesline. I did make a happy discovery under the weeds: the white tree dahlia planted by the fence is not dead or consumed by a myriad of snails, but is instead sporting two healthy looking shoots. It probably won't do much this year - it seems to take a full round of seasons for the tree dahlia to establish a good root system - but I'm hopeful it might flower next year. The purple/mauve ones I planted a few years back are thriving, taller than the fence (probably over 8ft tall) , thick stems (they're like bamboo, jointed) and lush green leaves. See some here: http://www.istockphoto.com/file_closeup/?id=1672744&refnum=339883
The garden is majorly overgrown and I plan to put in some serious gardening time before I go back to classes in three weeks. I meant to plant vegies, but it's getting a little late in the season for many.

This morning, The Bloke and I went to Dandenong Trash & Treasure Market. I hadn't intended to actually SPEND more than a couple of $$s, but an art folio with shoulder strap caught my eye - I've been looking for one smaller than the huge A1 size I have, for transporting prints and printmaking stuff - and at $10 as opposed to $40-50 for brand new A2 size, it was too good to leave :) It's a nice hard sided one, with a strong zip, pockets inside and binder clips to add plastic sleeves. Perfect!