slow progress

I did hint it would take weeks of carving. The pic above is a print off one of the 5 blocks that I need to carve more from before it goes into the 5 colour print I'm making for the commission. I just wanted to print this little B&W number off it before I reduce it further. And that's my hanko (Japanese name stamp) purse you see on the left. I love that little thing!

We've had to cancel a trip to the Prom (aka Wilson's Prom) due to all the crazy fire activity still plaguing Victoria. And we were going to be hanging out with some lovely folk from the UK and be near the ocean and everything! We cancelled because we're being super careful and didn't want to risk being smoked in or the possibility of being stuck there due to fires all along the highway. They're predicting more craziness tomorrow with a forecast of 38 degrees and wind.

of floods and fire

I've just returned from flooded Queensland to the bush fires of Victoria. Australia truly is a country of extremes due mostly to its sheer size. While wildlife die (and a boy is suspected of having been taken by a crocodile in a flooded area in north Queensland) and homes are flooded in the areas around Ingham near Cairns, Victoria (in the south) is dry and hot (it got to 46.4C degrees in Melbourne on Saturday or 115 F) and suffering from massive bush fires that have killed 131 people at last count. It's a disaster zone and the fires are still burning very close to Melbourne (in the north). Everyone knows somebody who has been affected. A woman I know from work lost her house to fire on Saturday.

If you live in Victoria (or Australia) give blood to the Red Cross if you can. Katie's blog mentions other things you can also do.

PS.
10th Feb - 173 people are now dead and 24 fires are still burning in Victoria.
12th Feb - 181 + many more that have not been counted in Marysville yet.