I have found a new area where Reg and I can take Indigo for a run.

Parks Victoria is trialling Nortons Park, in Wantirna South, as a new dog-friendly area where visitors can have their dogs off lead. The whole park area of fifteen hectares, including the barbecue and picnic area, will be one of the biggest play spaces for dogs and their owners in the metro area. 

Team Leader Vanessa Bluett said it’s the first whole park in the region to be given leash free status by Parks Victoria, and will be great for the health of local dogs and their owners. 

“People love their dogs and so do our rangers,” said Ms Bluett.  “The area we’ve set aside is large enough for dogs and their owners to have a good run around, throw a ball and get some exercise."
 
She says the success of the trial will rely on dog owners using their common sense and being considerate of others in the park.

“While the whole park is ‘off lead’, it is vital that owners maintain control of their dogs at all times and when they leave the ‘dog friendly’ area, dogs must be on a leash. Picking up after their dog and taking all rubbish home with is also vital to the continuation of the trial,” Ms Bluett said.

Nortons Park has ample parking, toilets, a shelter with BBQs for picnics and large open areas of ‘off lead’ space.  Ranger staff will be patrolling the park more regularly and monitoring the trial. 

For further information - Parks Victoria Information Centre on 13 1963.

Surprisingly our dog Indigo loves cats. When we walk around our summer home she goes and greets all the cats in the neighborhood.

She will enjoy her walk today a little excitement is happening around the place. It is harvest time.

A bit of excitement for Indigo our dog during her walk today. The farm machinery is active and the harvesting is taking place.

I love a peaceful summertime spent in a rural location in one of the more southern states of Australia.  My pick is in the mountains, good climate and not too high bushfire risk permitting or in the...Read more.

Goulburn Valley Farmland Living with No responsibilities.http://www.gray-nomad.com/4/post/2012/02..

What is your reading/writing nook like? I have a day bed sofas, set up with loads of comfy cushions in front of a panoramic window with a view over a tiny cottage garden and then out over the poplar avenue, wheat field to a distant red river gum forest along the water channel.
I bought one of those strong bed tables to put my iMac on and wheel tat into place. Then in the Indigo the poodle comes and sits beside me on the top of the sofa's back rest so she can alternate watching birds, frogs, lizards or me write. Oh and when I am lucky I get coffee delivered as I work.

The heart break of floods is with the nation again as the second La Nina event year in a row brings the worst floods in decades to North NSW and Southern Queensland.

Communities in northern New South Wales and southern Queensland face the most severe flooding in decades in early February, 2012.  Predictions are that the current La Nina weather system will hang around and affect eastern Australian until mid Autumn.  While the birds can fly to better locations animals and insects struggle to find high ground and survive.

I also have this one pastel pencil A4 size impressionist art work framed under glass in an acid free double mount.
I am still waiting on Pack and Send to quote me the delivery costs, - I would never trust Australia Post with glass, lol, would you?  I could quote now to send unframed however you would possibly have to pay more than my asking price to frame it as nicely. The frame is not new. This work is 'ex gallery' and has been in storage. In fact I will need to clean the glass up before I send it, although the buyer will need to do that too as the glass is taped during transport to protect it from breaking. 

As soon as I have the cost to me I'll mark this original art work as low in cost as I can. :-). Feel welcome to ask questions, my Art Sale will run all though Feb and I hope - into March. I begin my new novel - I wrote it in my head last night instead of sleeping so it is eager o get out, lol. from April so no art selling from then on, planned, hence my doing a SALE now.

Clydesdales and dray, Pastel pencil original art work, outer frame size 475 mm x 410mm art work on A4 size acid free pastel paper framed in double mount acid free mat board.
Acclaimed Australian artist, Kathy Shell

I am being asked about Clydesdale art bargains.
I do have a few. The one above is in my art bargains sale.

There are some art prints of my Clydesdale at http://www.kathy-shell.net/horse-gallery.html

Kathy Shell

__Above is a ruin of an old sand house, today they are building houses of sand in recycled plastic bags. Some of them are beautiful, check out the link to view. I am sure Indigo would give a five paws to these they would be well insulated and cool.

Not Your Usual Housing Structure | Friends of the Environment | eons.comwww.eons.comNot Your Usual Housing Structure:
Have you ever heard of homes made of recycled plastic bags filled with sand? Not your usual structure
A well made arch or dome shape is structurally sounder than the traditional rectangle building model. I would live in those.
Where sand is not available Mud Brick homes were very popular in some environmentally aware suburbs and work so well in a bush with the environment and are less subject to bush fire risk trees. I thik suburban style dwellings bang smack in the middle of a bush fire hazard landscape and no home insurance then expecting tax payers to build you a new home when it burns down is crazier than a building made of sand and plastic bags or mud. I'm all for thinking non-traditionally if it works for the area. lol, but then I live in a '7 room shack' on someone elses farm, half the year and a caravan the rest, I did away with the traditional home on land years ago and LOVE the unconventional home.

_I had a great morning in the art studio and after Indigo came and inspected and gave her approval of the representative from Pack and send, we got straight down to business and they will be quoting me on shipping my fine art collection. This allws me to hold an art sale over the next month then wind it up over March then we will betaking Indigo to the beach for her doggie winter holiday. 

She has already put in her requests. From the sale of the art wors she wants a new lead with built in flash light for evening walks. Also anti tick and flee prevention treatment.
From the sale of the novel she requests her teeth be scraped as she has  developed middle age tartar.

When she is through with putting an indent into any money we earn, lol, there might be some left for mum and dad and the car expenses.
These are our plans:-

12 Month Planner.
My Novel Dreaming Billabong is back from the proof readers and is ready for submission to a literary agent or publisher and it is time to make the new twelve month goals which will see either the sequel written or a stand alone novel.

Now I am about to launch an ART SALE

Kathy Shell Artist/Author 12 Months and beyond, action plan.

FEB:, I list art for sale free shipping in Australia and internationally at cost.
Also Pitching my novel to publishers and agents - ongoing until success.

MARCH: I continue to sell any remaining unsold items but no new listings.

APRIL:Easter: Wind up - Sales CLOSED - Planning new Novel & Travels

MAY till January 2013 Write new Novel

FEB 2013 - Possible Second chance offer art sale -IF, I do another.

I had a great morning in the painting studio with the rep from Pack and Send who will be getting costings to me fairly soon of the shipping of my large Moorcroft Vase, Art Easel Kits, Metal detector, Framed ad unframed original Oils and watercolour paintings, Wholesale quantities of scrapbooking papers and prints.

I will be focusing the next fortnight equally dividing my time between pitching my novel and getting these 'out there' where people can see them on line.

Indigo has been looking over my shoulder while I Google alesis qs8 synthesizers. There was a great music party held here in our community tonight with big bands playing and topped off by fireworks.
Surprisingly fireworks do not greatly concern our Indigo, she was quite happy sitting back with us enjoying the music.  It was the Australia Day celebrations and what is a party without music.

I find it hard to comprehend what a powerful instrument the alesis qs8 is as I am not a musician nor technically minded but I was impressed by its performance. I can best describe it as an incredibly responsive keyboard combined with its huge library of sounds and extensive interfacing capabilities make it the choice of any serious musician desiring a powerful synthesizer with the sound and feel of a fine acoustic piano.  I don't know how but apparently you can connect it via a  serial data port to a Macintosh or PC - unbelievable for somone like me who can remember the old gramophone days. 

Do you remember the 'His Master's Voice Label?"  I remember them in fact my own family member musicians made recordings in the old 78 format. It was considered as big an advance in its day.

His Master's Voice in abbreviation HMV , is a trademark in the music business, and for many years was the name of a large record label. The name was coined in 1899 as the title of a painting of the dog Nipper listening to a wind-up gramophone. In the photograph on which the painting was based, the dog was listening to a phonograph cylinder.  Gosh I remember playing old 78 records and I am amazed at the progress in the music industry during my lifetime.

One of the first songs I can remember is "How Much is the Doggie in the Window.

_
How Much is the Doggie in the Window.

The history behind this popular golden oldie.  I would have been six years old when this song hit the Australian music charts and it would have increased my yearning for a dog and nagging my mother to get us one.  The nagging worked and I have had a dog in my life ever since. This is a popular novelty song written by Bob Merrill and Ingrid Reuterskiöld in 1952.
The best-known version of the song was recorded by Patti Page on December 18, 1952 and released by Mercury Records
Patti Page later released another version that said, Have you looked at that puppy in the animal shelter? That was an effort to  undo what had been seen as the advertising of pet shops and puppy farms in the title of the song. The song was considered a novelty but it made top of the charts in the US, England and Australia for many weeks.


How much is that doggie in the window? (arf! arf!)
The one with the waggley tail
How much is that doggie in the window? (arf! arf!)
I do hope that doggie's for sale

I must take a trip to California
And leave my poor sweetheart alone
If he has a dog, he won't be lonesome
And the doggie will have a good home

How much is that doggie in the window? (arf! arf!)
The one with the waggley tail
How much is that doggie in the window? (arf! arf!)
I do hope that doggie's for sale

I read in the paper there are robbers (roof! roof!)
With flashlights that shine in the dark
My love needs a doggie to protect him
And scare them away with one bark

I don't want a bunny or a kitty
I don't want a parrot that talks
I don't want a bowl of little fishies
He can't take a goldfish for a walk

How much is that doggie in the window? (arf! arf!)
The one with the waggley tail
How much is that doggie in the window? (arf! arf!)
I do hope that doggie's for sale
I do hope that doggie's for sale

Note:
Arf! Arf! sounds like a small dog.
Roof! Roof! sounds like a bigger dog.