Highways and Byways: Poinciana

By Maik Strosahl

A couple of months ago I stumbled on Vic Midyett’s December 2016 posts, “Thunder Down Under: Four little paintings for Christmas,” which featured art works his wife, Shirley Deane/Midyett, had done for Christmas gifts. I really liked her 5" x 7" painting of a Poinciana (#4), 12/29/2016, but didn’t know much about it.

In Memoriam: Victor L. Midyett

Missionary kid, 

storyteller, 
man of all trades

By Moristotle

Our beloved columnist Vic Midyett passed away this morning. He had recently been conversing with me and a couple of others about some differences between dogs and cats. His last email, on Wednesday, said:

Y’all know the difference between dogs and cats, right?
    The dog says, “You house me, you feed me, you love me: you must be God.”
    The cat says, “You house me, you feed me, you love me: I must be God.”

So typically to the point!
    I was told the news of Vic’s death in a reply to that email thread by his widow, fellow columnist Shirley Deane/Midyett.

Thunder Down Under: Payback

By Vic Midyett

Here’s another story from Down Under. The events recounted occurred while I worked for the state airlines in Tom Price, Western Australia. Rarely have things worked out so well.


Our town of Tom Price hosted the annual dart-throwing competition for the region. The event is always held, like most things in Australia, at the pub. About 20 men from another town won the competition and celebrated heavily, partaking far too much of the amber liquid.
    It came time for them to be given a ride to the airport to fly home. It was my job to get them to the airport on time, so that our “flight on schedule” record would remain above average.

Thunder Down Under: Jet airplanes for the Royal Flying Doctor Service in Western Australia

A Rio Tinto LifeFlight PC-24

By Vic Midyett

In my February article on the Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia, I reported that beginning in the second half of this year three new jet airplanes would be delivered to the RFDS in Western Australia, and one of them has been delivered to our local office, located at a small airport 20 minutes from where we live – Jandakot Airport.

Thunder Down Under: Spirit of determination

Detail

By Vic Midyett

I had breakfast with a friend a few weeks ago, after which we went for a walk along the Swan River, which runs through Perth and spills out at Fremantle into the Indian Ocean.

Thunder Down Under: Survival – separate yet together

By Vic Midyett

“In all my put together born days” is an old Southern (U.S.) saying that I suspect is not used much, if any, anymore. It means, “in my whole life.”

Thunder Down Under: Waterfall

(detail)

Near Salem, Oregon

Painting by Shirley Deane/Midyett

Text by Vic Midyett

Shirley saw this waterfall in the State of Oregon while visiting our oldest granddaughter and her three sons. It isn’t far from the City of Salem. The eagle was not in their field of view, but it entered Shirley’s imagination.

Thunder Down Under: An Australian wild flower

(detail)

Affectionately called “the Bird of Paradise”

Painting by Shirley Deane/Midyett

Text by Vic Midyett

This Australian wild flower, “the Bird of Paradise,” has blossoms a good 4-6 inches long and very pronounced in color and presentation.

Thunder Down Under: For Ben’s birthday

Signature

A rare portrait

Painting by Shirley Deane/Midyett

Text by Vic Midyett

Ben is my son, but Shirley regards him as hers too. So, last year, she painted her second portrait ever, of Ben for his 38th birthday. (Her first portrait was a self-portrait, done many years ago, and it appears on the cover of her book, Brain Tangles.)

Thunder Down Under: Bikini butts

By Vic Midyett

There is a very old seaside cafe just north of us a bit that has had these table/ umbrella-stand things for years. I’ve always thought I needed to get a picture of one and share it for a giggle. I did one day last week and here it is!

Thunder Down Under: Sunrise!

By Vic Midyett

I couldn’t bypass the pine trees, but I did bypass the power lines this morning [several days ago now] to get this sunrise shot with some rain falling on some lucky people to the east of us. I just love sunrises!

Thunder Down Under: Midwestern Tornado

[detail of “Midwestern Tornado”]

Paintings by Shirley Deane/Midyett

Text by Vic Midyett

We have friends (a chiropractor and his wife, who is a medical doctor) who travel to the Midwest of the United States every year or two just to chase tornadoes with a professional storm chaser. The chiropractor has many photographs and asked Shirley if she would paint a tornado for his office.

Thunder Down Under: The Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia

Map of RFDS regions in Australia
[click map to enlarge image]

By Vic Midyett

I have mentioned the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) in more than one previous article. The RFDS uses two types of planes in Western Australia: propeller planes, of which it has 16, for landing on dirt strips on farms or on highways, and a jet, of which it has one.

Thunder Down Under: RMS Queen Mary 2 ocean liner in Fremantle

By Vic Midyett

The arrival of the ocean liner RMS¹ Queen Mary 2 in Fremantle with the high tide on Monday caught me by surprise – I wasn’t expecting it here again so soon, after being here only last year. And it didn’t stay long, only about twelve hours, leaving with the high tide that night. While it was here, it refueled, and a line of taxis and buses of all sizes picked people up to show them around. Shirley talked to some folks from England who just walked around Fremantle.

Thunder Down Under: Office Clouds

Detail from “Office Clouds”

For calm negotiation

Painting by Shirley Deane/Midyett

Text by Vic Midyett


Shirley did one more painting for her friend. “Office Clouds” hangs in the main conference room, where Shirley’s friend conducts conflict-resolution meetings. We all hope it will have a calming effect on the negotiators!

Thunder Down Under: Let’s go for an airplane ride!

By Vic Midyett

Last Sunday, our neighbor Jamie took Shirley and me for an airplane ride from Perth International Airport to a smaller but busier airport 40 miles away where all the maintenance for the larger airport is done. The photo shows the plane we flew in; Jamie was delivering it for maintenance.

Thunder Down Under: The Aussie Kookaburra

[detail from first painting]

Two paintings of the King of the Bush

Paintings by Shirley Deane/Midyett

Text by Vic Midyett


Shirley very recently did two paintings of the Kookaburra, an Australian bird that is a member of the Kingfisher family:

Thunder Down Under: Travel memories

By Vic Midyett

I sure miss the adventures Shirley & I had while travelling around Australia as “gray nomads”! For example, I took these two photos in 2014 near a town called Sawtell in the state of New South Wales (where Sydney is). The temperature was very nice that day, as you can tell from the next photo because Shirley wasn’t bundled up!

Thunder Down Under: Sunflowers for an Office

“Sunflowers” (detail)

Painting by Shirley Deane/Midyett

Text by Vic Midyett







A friend of Shirley’s wanted a sunflower painting for her office. So, of course, Shirley painted one for her:

Thunder Down Under: Delinquent Crows

By Vic Midyett

Over the last couple of months, two crows have made me laugh at their behaviours. Their actions have caused me to assume they are young, although they look fully grown.