News & Updates from Vicki Avcin ~ AusCrafts · Page 70
October 24th saw our town buzzing with the arrival of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex landing in town. Their plane touched down at the airport about 5 mins up the road from where we live.
We saw it fly over and waved madly as it approached the airport to land. We get a pretty good view of most of the planes as they fly over about 500 to 1000 feet (can even see the people depending on which way they approach the runway.
Then while they were disembarking, it was in the car and down to the end of the road to watch the motorcade go past on their way to the barge.
We didnt know at this stage that Meghan had been taken elsewhere and wasnt with Harry on the Fraser Island 4 x 4 bus.
We found out shortly afterwards when people came from the airport where theyd hoped to catch a glimpse of them.
Harry went over to Fraser Island on our local barge a trip of about 45mins to Woongoolba landing.
From there he went in the bus over the sandy tracks to a couple of ceremonies where he was given a warm welcome by the Butchella people, traditional owners of the land, then it was out on one of the whale watching boats to see the last of the whales for the season, overland again to the beautiful Lake Mackenzie where he kicked off his shoes and paddled in the pristine water.
Meghan went directly over to Kingfisher resort on one of the other whale watch boats, a bigger faster boat than the barge where she rested while Harry was off doing his thing.
In the afternoon they both did a meet and greet along the jetty before going back to one of the luxury houses where they stayed overnight.
They then came back to the mainland on one of the faster whale boats where they headed to the airport to fly direct to Fiji.
Although we didnt meet them, it was fun to be part of the buzz and excitement to see them in town.
Our grandson Axl, has had a big year. He turned 3 and now hes off to school. He started on 9th October for the beginning of term. Well it really isnt school but kindergarten but as his brother and sister go to big school he calls it school.
He had no issues or tears at all (his Mum had a tear or two though), Dad got a big hug and then he led the way when they got there.
Get a load of the size of the bag on his back!
He is going to a Monterossi school and will only go for 3 days a week to start with the first day only 1 hour, then it will increase to 1.5 hrs a day for the first couple of weeks then 9 to 12 for the rest of the term.
There is the option to go 9am to 3pm which his Mum might do if hes going well as she has to study.
There was so much to see, with the vegetable garden, a huge playground which was taped off and he wasnt impressed about that, but they were relaying the ground cover and is open now.
He liked that he had his own basket to put his things in, which might be good as he tends to just leave things at home, but a little responsibility now to keep his things in his basket will be great.
They grow up so fast and its hard to believe hes now off to school for the next 15 years of his life!
This week Id like to give a huge THANK YOU to all the customers that have purchased my designs and designer resources, cutting files and scrapbooking items as I have just ticked over 15000 sales.
I joined CUP in 2010 as I was a digital artist and was looking for a way to be able to use my graphics in a way that would bring in a little income.
I submitted some designs for Rob to look at and I was accepted as a designer. The art of making my designs into something that others would be able to convert into making their cards was scary at first.
It was easy when I used my designs to make my own cards, as Id just print out what I wanted and cut out and put on a card, if I stuffed up then it was easy, just reprint what I wanted.
But to have to lay it all out so that others could get it right the first time was a challenge.
I had been digitally designing for many many years prior to joining CUP, had been teaching people how to use graphic programs for about 15years (and boy hasnt there been changes in the programs and what they can do) and also had our own printing business as well since around 1999.
Joining CUP was one of the best things that I couldve done. Ive seen CUP evolve a lot since then too into what it is today.
It still gives me a huge thrill when customers upload their finished cards into the gallery as I love seeing how theyve made them up, not always how I pictured them in my head, and theyve turned out beautifully.
We have a very talented bunch of cardmakers that purchase and make things from CUP purchases. So to those that have helped me reached this milestone, Thank You. Next milestone is 20000 sales! But Ill probably get excited when I get to 16000 too.
The picture is some of the fabulous cards uploaded to the galleries and made by cardmakers over the years.
We hear of many tornadoes in the US and the devastation they cause but only occasionally do we hear any storm referred to as a tornado here in Australia.
Usually the word supercell is used and where they hit the damage is massive. Waterspouts that make landfall are more common.
On Thursday 11th October, there were storms forecast, some severe with the chance of supercells, but never did anyone see what was coming.
About lunchtime, BOM was tracking several storms but 2 showed signs of being very bad. We watched the radar and saw them moving over towns as they tracked to the north east.
Most were of the impression that the closer to the coast they got the more theyd die out with only heavy rain coming through.
But no these storms just kept going, even intensifying, and continuing on their path. Reports started to come in about a small community, Tansey, having been hit hard, people trapped in cars, big hail and a lot of damage.
As we kept watching the radar, these storms just keep going.
Listening to the radio (fire service) we became aware that something really big was happening and at around 4pm all our phones get a text message (Gov message) with a warning about the storm for Hervey Bay and Maryborough.
We knew we were going to get a storm, just wasnt sure what was in store so all precautions had already been made, cars undercover, loose items secured etc and we waited.
Next the house phone rang with the warning with the emergency warning siren usually only heard when there is a cyclone.
We watched as the radar showed it getting past Maryborough and just about at River Heads and then fortunately the radar went from black to orange and we dodged a bullet.
What we didnt know at that point is that the community of Yengarie (west of Maryborough) had also been decimated with the 2nd tornado.
People were injured, wildlife injured and killed, trees over cars, houses and buildings flattened. Not something we are used to but the forecasters are saying tornadoes are not uncommon in Australia, we are just hearing about them more as a lot already occur in areas where there is no population.
So 2 weeks ago we are fighting fires and now doing storm cleanups. Life isnt dull. The cockatoo in the pictures is alive and doing great after a few days of TLC.
We hear of many tornadoes in the US and the devastation they cause but only occasionally do we hear any storm referred to as a tornado here in Australia.
Usually the word supercell is used and where they hit the damage is massive. Waterspouts that make landfall are more common.
On Thursday 11th October, there were storms forecast, some severe with the chance of supercells, but never did anyone see what was coming.
About lunchtime, BOM was tracking several storms but 2 showed signs of being very bad. We watched the radar and saw them moving over towns as they tracked to the north east.
Most were of the impression that the closer to the coast they got the more theyd die out with only heavy rain coming through.
But no these storms just kept going, even intensifying, and continuing on their path. Reports started to come in about a small community, Tansey, having been hit hard, people trapped in cars, big hail and a lot of damage.
As we kept watching the radar, these storms just keep going.
Listening to the radio (fire service) we became aware that something really big was happening and at around 4pm all our phones get a text message (Gov message) with a warning about the storm for Hervey Bay and Maryborough.
We knew we were going to get a storm, just wasnt sure what was in store so all precautions had already been made, cars undercover, loose items secured etc and we waited.
Next the house phone rang with the warning with the emergency warning siren usually only heard when there is a cyclone.
We watched as the radar showed it getting past Maryborough and just about at River Heads and then fortunately the radar went from black to orange and we dodged a bullet.
What we didnt know at that point is that the community of Yengarie (west of Maryborough) had also been decimated with the 2nd tornado.
People were injured, wildlife injured and killed, trees over cars, houses and buildings flattened. Not something we are used to but the forecasters are saying tornadoes are not uncommon in Australia, we are just hearing about them more as a lot already occur in areas where there is no population.
So 2 weeks ago we are fighting fires and now doing storm cleanups. Life isnt dull. The cockatoo in the pictures is alive and doing great after a few days of TLC.