Did my last photo, taken along the Murray River in Echuca, give the impression we had the toasty Christmas I was worried about? (Notice, by the way, how low the river is in that picture.) Nothing of the sort. Melbourne had its coldest Christmas on record, 14 degrees C, and Shepparton may have been even colder. Global warming swings both ways!
Be careful what you wish for, I guess... What we all wish for is rain, of course. The scenery to and from Shepparton, which I hadn't seen in a month, is bone dry. My brother in law reminded me that at this time of year it should be full of lush greens. Instead it's the palate of this painting by Fred Williams, "Upwey Landscape II" (1965), which I found here (I saw one of its companions is in the NGV, National Gallery of Victoria).
Williams is the Australian painter whose work I most enjoy, and a suitable link to Echuca, since he painted some wonderful work inspired by the red gums of Echuca in 1966, including this one (which also has a companion at the NGV, image unavailable).
I have yet to see Victoria green ... and am not likely to, at least not this time around, since I'll be leaving before Spring.