The Outer Barcoo

Victorian Bushfires and a helluva heat wav

Well if you've ever stuck your head in the oven and turned it on, then you'll know what it felt like to be here in Victoria over the last few days .  The phones went out and the power went off and everythingl just basically melted.  We scrambled for our torches and water bottles, and I paused to snap the sunset.  May as well - there was nothing else to do.  I gave up watering the trees when, in shorts and sandals, came across a big black snake.  I did three, and the other couple hundred can survive without me.

Last nights sunset.  Click on pic and enlarge.  Tonights cool change brought the first sign of smoke from the other side of the state.  Here's some pictures.

Hope all is well in your town.

Quiltmania : Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia

Quiltmania have published my story on the RFDS  80th Anniversary Quilt Competition and Exhibition.

Three quilts were featured, and include the winning quilt "Beyond the dream - The impossible dream" by Jocelyne Leath.  

The other two are "Where would we be" by Jill Hessing and "Flynn's Vision" by Barbara Bennetts, who says I have chosen to depict the isolation and panoramic vista of outback Australia, so reliant on the services of the RFDS, by showing these places in my quilting pattern. The BREAKAWAYS near COOBER PEDY ,THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA in the FLINDERS RANGES, the tessellated  pavements on the OODNADATTA  TRACK are all there. The trees are representing the dry tropical savannah country of the GULF OF CARPENTARIA are also on the lower right hand corner of my quilt.

The story covers four pages, and although Lana Lefroy  scored about eight paragraphs for her part in the story, her quilt was not published, so it is here below, Some of the others from the day can be seen in the album on the right.  Feel free to contact me for any further info.

Quiltmania distributes 60,000 copies in France, Holland, England and US/Canada.

Quiltmania

Kim Selby Photography - Woodend

Kim Selby is a local photographer based in Woodend, and you just have to love this portrait - reproduced with permission, from her website

I think this gorgeous little love should be on the cover of something fabulous 

My God Its a Woman ! Farewell Nancy Bird Walton

When young pioneering Australian aviatrix Nancy Bird flew to the outback, one of the men exclaimed "My God It's a Woman!"

She passed away this week aged 93.

Here's a link to the Story. and one to an ABC interview in 1994

Happy New Year from Down Under

6am this morning.  (If you're up at that time, you may as well take a photo)