Field of Quilts YES

My friend B********less Kathy made this lovely wallhanging when I moved into my studio (affectionately known as 'the donga'. It sits there reminding me of our friendship. Thankyou Kathy.I've quilted a few of these. They are quite cute.
Lots of applique.

Field of Quilts VIII NOT

I'm getting good at Roman Numerals. That's just another thing that I have difficulty with - although I'm finding as I getting older things are easier. Roman Numerals were difficult, Italian was diabolical. My early years of Primary School were in Darwin at a great school called Larrakeyah. One of my class mates was called Peter and he was of Italian descent soooo Mrs La P. (Peter's mother) decided that as we were children and she was Italian that she would offer her services and we would learn another language. Well not this little black duck. I have since found out that I do not do languages well - English is at times difficult - although my Mother was brilliant, it didn't wear off on me. Her youngest Grandson, Henry looooves language and it fascinated by anything in a foreign language. Ever watched Harry Potter in other languages, Henry has.

I'm writing this as I always find that it takes a little while for Blogger (bless it) to upload, download, just for ******** sake LOAD. After all that Blogger (I'm now calling it Bugger) has decided that it can't load. I'll try again.

I was very lucky where I grew up, however I think(hope) that most people think that. We moved to Darwin when I turned five. We travelled up from Sydney to Darwin via road and on that Australian icon called the Ghan. Although I think that the Ghan has undergone somewhat of an overhaul and is no way like it was when we travelled on it over 30 years ago. I remember having to sleep in the bottom bunk with my Dad, topped and tailed, with his rather big feet very close to my face. I had my fifth birthday in Alice Springs on the way up and my favourite present was a pair of frilly lavender knickers. They were sparkly and scratchy and had rows of frills on the bum. They were gorgeous and I felt so lucky having a pair of knockers like that, that I just used to wear them on their own. I could do that in Darwin.

Oh well B***** isn't playing so I'll just have to publish w/o pictures and save them for another day. Have a good one.

Field of Quilts VII

Time for some more pictures of the FOQ - just when you thought that it was safe to come back - there's more. These are the photos that I have stockpiled while I wait for me to get my act together to sort out the camera situation.

I thought that this was very interesting as the floral centre pieces had been stencilled and then surrounded by all those triangles. Little pieces of pieced fabric impress me. I know, I don't get out enough

A lovely blue and white lover's knot with some exquisite applique in the borders - very tasteful.

I think that these are all the rage at the moment. There were two at the FOQ. Living where I do, I am not really up with all the latest trends in patchwork and quilting. However these seem quite nice.

I have to wrote this as Blogger wouldn't allow me to upload pictures earlier this morning. Yesterday Roland and I went to a Reserve just south of the Serpentine River where it crosses the Albany Hwy. A bit of a trek ~40kms to see an old baiting camp. Now what they baited I have no idea and as our local historian bloke didn't come, we undoubtedly missed lots of hysterical facts. We found an old well cover up with pig mesh so that we could see the rock lined walls and the diameter. This well would have been dug by hand either by convicts or Chinese. Either way very hard yakka. The river at that point is a delta, forgive me I'm improving on my geographical terms SLOWLY, so there is ample opportunity for tadpoles and froglets(tadpoles so very nearly frogs however just slightly impeded by a tail that is as long as them. The melaleucas are fairly thick on the ground and kangaroos have made very thin tracks through the river to the other side. We stopped as the water was steadily climbing up our boots. The wildflowers were simply gorgeous - very understated, however so beautifully made and minute at times they were breathtaking. All this is to try and make people understand the exquisiteness of all that we saw and a few photos would clinch the image perfectly.

I have just had a bit of a cruise around and read other blogs and at times I feel that my blog is but a 'ppffft' of wind. Heavy issues of the environment are discussed, with great detail, and people with disabilities that govern their every breath. And I rabbit on about the beauty of some flowers and the generalness of my life. I'm sounding slightly Monty Pythonish so I'll stop. It's all relative.

How Time Flies

Our adventure to Hyden and surrounds was TWO WEEKS ago. My word the days have just blurred, it's like being on one of those spinning playground toys that were all the rage when I was a kid. Heavy as buggery to turn, however when they eventually got going they would spin forever.

This is Henry, the youngest Sweetie, 'surfing' on Wave Rock just like he had to do.

And this is the fantastic snake(dugite) that we encountered at the Chook (chicken) display at the Wave Rock Zoo. We were fortunate to walk in the back door of the enclosure and not the front as we would have walked straight into this marvellous, although dangerous creature and the Wave Rock epic might have ended differently and somewhat quickly. The snake was more interested in getting into the chook pens, not for the chooks, but for the mice that opportunistically live there feeding on the spilt grain. We dispatched Henry to get help, and Roland and I watched and were there to stop people from entering through the front. The snake oozed ever so slowly through the smallest gap under one of the wire doors and then proceeded to find a mouse by digging in the sand. A snake digging, what a sight. No hands, but designed so that they can stick their head forward and then bend their head and then hoick the sand out. AND then again and again and again until there is a way for them through the soil. It's tail was the true barometer of what it was doing. The snake entered about half it's body length into the hole, at that stage it's tail was twitching in anticipation, and then it went straight when it struck and then began twitching again as it, I presume ate the mouse. Unfortunately the snake died - I was hoping for the environmentally friendly calico bag and then relocation away from humans. God knows there are enough uninhabited hectares out there.

Just another Mother and Sons Adventure. Got to have them.

Travelling in the School Holidays

We went to Wave Rock just outside the town of Hyden in West Australia. On the way we went through Crossman, Williams, Narrogin, Wickepin, Jitarning, Kulin onto Hyden and then Wave Rock. On the way home we went through Kondinin, Corrigin, Yealering, Pingelly and then Crossman and HOME.

I judged the quilts at Kulin for the Bush Races that were being held that weekend.

The Rock is totally and utterly awesome and we were just so delighted to be there. We explored every nook and cranny and discovered that there is a GOLF COURSE on the south side of the rock. Which is fine, however one of the tees has been set low down on the Rock. So I did my indignant chook (chicken) rendition to my oldest son, who has developed the glazed look really well after only a few months practice, about taking away from the rock, and need I say more. Well I did, but it didn't get me anywhere. I also discussed the golf tee with the oldest Sweetie, when we were back home, and he said (wait for it) that some of the aura of the rock had now been given to the golf course. I had the glazed look then. !@#$$%%^

Henry had always wanted to 'surf' the wave. Unfortunately I have downloaded the wrong photo. Just pretend that he is there 'surfing'.