Short and Sweet!

And this post has to be short and sweet as it is half past midnight and I should be in bed 

BUT

I so wanted to finish this quilt and now that it is done

I just had to share it!

This is Ocean Dreaming 1 and it is off to the Middle East to a Chaplain serving with the Australian Defence Forces over there.  I asked him what he liked about the see and he wrote 

I guess I enjoy walking along the coast... My wife and I (and kids) have spent a lot of time on the northern beaches - particularly around the headlands, rock platforms and small beaches. I love to sit in the shade and read a book (my wife is a painter - so she draws) surrounded the sights and sounds and smells of wind and wave. It's probably difficult to capture that on a quilt!

Other than that - I love being at sea - the ocean is a beautiful living thing... so many colours and moods. To see an albatross or some other sea bird 100s of miles from land, effortlessly gliding across the surface - just above the waves is spell binding. Or to sea a whale breaching out at sea or a massive pod of dolphins with hundreds of animals moving together across the sea - that's a treat!

Up this way, in the Gulf of Oman - particularly in the winter months (when it is calm [ie. not monsoon season] and by calm - I mean a completely flat - just like the surface of a mirror) there are whole 'fields' of algae that light up at night, glowing fluorescent colours - it is just an extraordinary experience to witness the ship moving along from glowing field to glowing field at night. The phosphorus in the ocean seems to particularly abundant in these parts too. In some places it lights up as electric blue and green sparks in the water as the ship slices through the water. It is so much prettier than any fire works. In those areas where there is an abundance of this phosphorus, the guys will often direct the nozzle of a fire hose at the water's surface as we pass by - just to increase this effect!

Day and night there is so much that is good to see out there.... I guess when you are in a small ship surrounded by a lot of shipmates - even though you become very fond of one another, every one needs a break, for just a little ...and I guess - looking out to sea is the only way that you can get a little bit of time to your self. 

I hope I have captured some of what he talked about - I loved reading what he wrote!

I hope he loves reading what I wrote. This label goes on every Aussie Heroes Quilt.

This is going in the mail tomorrow morning!

And now, for me, TO BED!

Till next time..............happy stitching!