Hi folk, it's a quiet day today... I'm trying to catch up on contracts and
business, I'm set up in the kitchen with phone, printer, computer and a myriad
of paper work. I'm racing to get all my emails written and then I'll whip
into St. Helens and send them by wireless...
Joan and Pat are quilting and knitting in the sitting room and solving the
problems of the world. Our home for the next 4 nights belongs to a friend who
kindly let us use it as a base. We are surrounded by native bush, and we can
hear the crash of the waves on the beach which is just a few 10 feet from our
door. We've stocked up with food and I'm ready for class tomorrow.
We are currently 180 kms from Launceston on the East Coast of Tasmania. I
have 4 days of classes coming up and then we'll take off for Hobart and a little
more sight seeing.
Of course we have checked out the town, did the antique and op shops and
left with a little extra baggage.
Let me go back a few days. Wednesday was a warm and sunny day. We left mid
afternoon for the town of Ulverstone, some 120 kms from Launceston. We met in
the quilt shop and had a little wine and supper with the local quilt group and
then adjourned to the surf club for a formal talk ... some 50 gals turned up
(by invitation only... ) We even had a few gate crashers...who were made to
pay extra! It was super to meet so many enthusiastic gals ... however, our
adventure was just beginning ... at 10.45 we began the trip home. The wind
began to blow and the dark freeway was littered with branches... I had to
struggle to keep the car on the road... "Funny we said, there are no other vehicles
around."... Some 50 kms into the trip I realized that we were in the grip of
a huge storm.... Gals we found out that the winds were 150 kms an hour...We
arrived home after 12.00 the wind was whistling through Pat's house like a
train ... as usual I fell straight to sleep.... Joan put in her ear plugs and
popped her head under the pillow. Pat and Bert slept little. Water came through
the front door and the trees in the front yard, laid down and died....
I slept on... Morning told the story. The worst storm in Tasmania's history
... and still the quilters got through...no storm or tempest can keep us from
our meeting.....Reports today in the paper state that the boat we traveled
on to get here just one week ago was severely damaged. Water was waist high in
the cabin Joan and I shared ... eek...It had to return to it's original
departure point even though it was almost to Tasmania.
Out drive down to St. Helens was OK until we began to be bothered by two
young men in a white commodore.... They would get close and pass us in dangerous
situations, like on a narrow bridge or corners ... they would then stop and
wait till we got past and then do it all again. I finally stopped and
informed a shop owner ... who was going to notify the police... However, the
quilting car stopped at a quilt shop and we lost them ... only to see them driving
down the main st looking for us ... so we sneaked off in the other
direction....
We finished the day with our own private movie theater, I set up the
computer and digital projector complete with speakers, armed with minimal chocolate
and diet coke we watched Calendar Girls until late in the evening...
Whew ... it's been an intrusting couple of days gals ... but we're safe.
Class tomorrow
