Through Balanda Eyes

Ride

2012-02-01T00:41:00.001+09:30

Memento mori
MEMENTO MORI!

OK I'm teetering on a parapet of sanity again. I'd feel better if I could express it but by the time I have time to write, think, sit, ponder.... my brain is ready to shut down and I only want to vegetate and be left alone. I'm not unique or oppressed, it's just the life of a parent. It is not my intention to live for 'Self' but there must be a time for breaking out of the roles assigned by the necessities dictated by dependents, employers, the expectations of others. Just a little time to be!?

I do get time! I steal it! I trim fractions of time for my sanity, little moments when nobody's looking. One day I might just take it all and walk right through the wall!
There are moments when the kids finally go to sleep... A couple of minutes between phone calls at work... the ride home... anything will do!
I listen to subversive tapes that tell me I'm asleep and I'd better wake up! Wake Up! Just break out and say to hell with it all, 'What you think is your life is only an illusion!'. Fuck you Jed Mckenna! Did you raise a family? Don't tell me, show me! Fiction doesn't count for crap when other people's reality depends on what you do!
Once I have fulfilled these important roles in the lives of others I sure hope I am capable of remembering Maya, it all gets a bit foggy after a while.

Today I decided to take some of that time I was talking about. I didn't steel it, I just took it and it felt good. There were a bunch of Drunks making a huge racket downstairs. They sit down there when it rains. Longrassers, drunk, stoned, messy and noisy, gambling, drinking, swearing, fighting, shitting and pissing and messing up the place in all kinds of ways you don't want to know about! Somebody upstairs said they'd had enough and, "would somebody please go down there and ask them to be quiet? Please!".
Port casks all over the place, beer cans, wet clothes, spit and possibly a little bit of vomit on the ground amongst the group of about 12 drinkers. 15 minutes! 15 minutes of me just being present in a wonderful moment. I started out asking individuals to not drink or smoke dope on our premises. "People are trying to work here and you're all shouting and fighting and we can't concentrate! You are not allowed to drink or smoke gunja here! Please show some respect, this is a Church building...!"
Well sometimes this works pretty well. People get the message and stow their stuff away while I'm talking to them and all is quiet for a while... Not this time! A few agree with me that it isn't fair to be causing so much noise while people are trying to work but they had a critical mass and were determined to continue arguing, drinking and so on. This was great!

On other days I had been annoyed and frustrated but today I'd been reminded to live! "Remember your mortality!" Memento Mori! Yes I will die! It could be today, or right now! But probably not! Enjoy every moment of this unique experience, it is a gift!

I stayed down there for about 15 minutes debating, chatting, avoiding being struck by airborn scissors. No hope of actually solving the perceived problem of drunken longrassers in the carpark, but in a strange state of contentment. Of course you can't talk with drunks for too long before becoming bored so when it started to get boring I went back to work. By this time a couple of co-workers came downstairs to 'help me' solve the problem. I left them to it and went back upstairs to report to the person who'd enlisted me to do the job.
"Well" I said. "We've had a bit of a meeting down there and the consensus was that you can go and get stuffed (actually they said go and get fucked but I didn't see the point in offending)". "The group has unanimously decided to continue drinking and smoking while they wait for the rain to stop but they'll try to be a little quieter while they do". "Oh yeh and apparently God doesn't mind".

Ahhhh 15 minutes of reality!

Storm water drain... to cross or not to cross?

It had been raining all day and the sky was Dark when I left work. The women in the office I work were all concerned that it might be dangerous out there, I'd get soaked, the roads are flooded! etc... etc... "Yes I know! Isn't it great!"
It was pouring rain! I mounted my bike and rolled out onto the highway which was swamped with a river of water two feet deep. Cars splashed torrents of dirty water from the road as they passed me, lights were on people had pulled over, emergency vehicles were all over the place. It was pandemonium. Peak hour traffic and all the major roads looked more like streams. There was a hint of apocalypse in the air, the Imperial arches of Gold on Bagot Rd had even taken a battering, red and yellow perspex had crashed to the ground!
There was flooding on the Stuart Highway, Bagot Rd and Mc Millans Rd. Rapid Creek had completely engulfed McMillans and I was forced to double back and cross a fast flowing open drain to get home. What a joy! There's nothing quite like a monsoonal downpour to wake you up!

Shed water

Crumbling empire

Rapid Creek... where's the bank?

On days like this I love to Ride!

Thinking outside the Square

2012-01-09T12:28:00.002+09:30

What would I be doing if I had just a little more time? Well I'd like to think that if I had more time on my hands I'd be out the back tinkering and fiddling with my bikes or learning how to build an outrigger canoe... You know, stuff like that! Catching up on all the hours I wasted in my youth.

I am inspired by the creative people I have come to know both personally and via the internet. One fella who's work I really enjoy is Peter Wagner from Davis (Bicycle capital of the USA). Peter's creations all perform some kind of function, usually locomotion, over land or even water. They are fashioned from old bicycle parts but with the added ingredient of eccentric physics and uncommon dimensions! He calls his creations Whimcycles and they bring a lot of joy to the people in his community.

Check out this great video of my 'Buddy' Peter and some of his friends.
Film maker Nicolette Daskalakis really captured some of the magic in this short documentary.

Whymcycles: A Boy and His Bikes from Nicolette Daskalakis on Vimeo.

This is Flestering at it's best!

Paths and predicaments

2012-01-08T22:41:00.003+09:30

Last September while riding out to the Elizabeth River bridge I noticed that the bicycle path had been extended beyond the bend which used to mark the end of the Darwin - Palmerston bike path. I returned a few days later excited to see how far the extension went and discovered that an excellent bike path had been created along the old Darwin Rail line, all the way to Howard Springs!

Palmerston - Howard Springs bicycle path (crossing rail bridge)

Palmerston - Howard Springs bicycle path (rail cutting)

According to the NT Transport Group the 5.4 kilometre path was officially opened on the 11th September 2011, just a few days after I rode it. It's an awesome path and quite easy to ride. Unfortunately I have two major complaints about the path. I can't stand those stupid bent poles which force people riding in opposite directions into each others way to avoid hitting the poles (These things are really dangerous in town where kids ride, they are just the right height to hit a child in the head!) The other thing that I can't figure out is the crossing at Howard Springs Rd which instructs cyclists to Dismount prior to crossing the road! WTF for? I presume it's purpose is designed for the safety of cyclists. However I just can't see how getting off one's bike and pushing it across a road is going to improve safety for anyone. If it's based on road accident stats I think they'll find that Pedestrians are much more likely to be hit than cyclists (OK Stats can be extremely subjective but for goodness sake!). If I'm riding my bike the safest way for me to avoid being hit by a car is to spend as little time crossing the road as I can. My bike provides me with the means of doing this, why would I want to 'Dismount'?

What's this chicanery?

Dubious safety research!

A technically legal predicament presents itself to cyclists most times we enter the road. Follow the ill conceived directives of road planners who appear to have given bugger all thought to the practicalities of their arbitrary designs, or follow ones own instinct for reading road conditions based on a keen sense of self preservation? Well in the case of this 'Dismount' sign I decided to follow the instruction purely out of curiosity and for the sake of experimentation. Result: I felt quite compromised standing in the middle of the road! Now I know for sure what to do next time!

Since it's construction I've ridden along the new stretch from Palmerston to Howard Springs about 6 times and have really enjoyed my experiences on the path; it's like a public esplanade in the middle of nowhere. There are always heaps of cyclists on the path and it passes through some really nice country, including a raised section where you can ride over the top of paperbark wetlands which will likely be in full flow by February.

Besides it's ride-ability there was another plus to the path which enticed me back a few times.
Last year when I first rode the path I really enjoyed riding past a well wooded mango orchard which wasn't fenced. Besides the potential to glean a few ripe mangoes the orchard created a wonderful atmosphere. It was densely wooded and had a full, lush canopy which created it's own micro climate. Riding past it was like riding through a shady grove, it was aesthetically beautiful.

I kept my eye on the orchard and wondered if it was being maintained. Some of the trees may have reached senility but most were in pretty good shape, non commercially speaking of course. There were dead branches and signs of parasites or disease among them but also thriving colonies of green ants. It appeared that the trees hadn't been tended to for quite a long time.

As the season rolled on, the grass grew longer between the trees and I felt sure that no one cared for the crop. Eventually the fruit had grown to a size that could be picked. I decided to head out there and collect some that had fallen, after all no one seemed to care for it. I managed collect a few pieces of fruit which had fallen on the ground. By the time I visited again there were tons of mangoes on the trees and the grass was quite tall throughout the orchard. I decided to pick some fruit... and filled both slings on my Xtracycle. Technically not Gleaning but it seemed the fruit would only go to waste. After two trips I had far more fruit than I could eat in the two weeks it would take it all to ripen! I was ecstatic that I had come across such a perfect situation. Food falling from trees and all I have to do is go for a nice ride on my bike to collect it!

Well it was too good to be true! A couple of weeks ago I rode past the orchard and it had been razed to the ground! Nothing left of that little grove but a smouldering pile of smashed branches and roots, a few stumps sticking out of the ground and some mango seeds remaining from the fruit that rotted on the ground! So much for "The People's Orchard!" At first I thought it was an act of malice against the trees and those who enjoyed their bounty but most likely a simple pragmatic decision to reduce potential spread of disease or re-develop the land or something like that. Either way it pisses me off when things like that happen.

Mango tree stump (100s of trees destroyed)

Pile of burned roots and branches

It was such a beautiful orchard. I guess I was always preoccupied with its fruit to bother taking a photo before it was destroyed.

So much space so few places to sit!

Larding up

2012-01-07T21:08:00.005+09:30

A life of balance and moderation... must be nice.
Even though I've reduced many of my excesses I am still prone to over indulging for pleasure or recompense. Like just about everyone else I tend to seek escape in worldly pleasures, these days they're fairly tame but can still cause problems. My indulgence at this time of year is FOOD! There's so much around, Christmas is like a glut!

Shortbread for your love handles!

Early January is a funny time of year, the stores are over stocked with Christmas goodies and Darwin is still mostly devoid of people, due to the annual Christmas Exodus. Basically in this town many of those who live here come from elsewhere. A lot of people head back to whence they came to spend Christmas with their family. Retreating South, 'going home' for Christmas! I reckon Darwin is a pretty cool place to live in at this time of year. It's nice and quiet. It also means that the shops have to reduce the price of all that Christmas stock, which presents me with more temptation than I can bear!

By nature I tend to function a bit like a 'Hunter gatherer', well more of a scavenger actually. I plan my personal meals around what I can scrounge for the lowest price if not for free! Family meals are more organized but we do tend to rely on marked down food from the supermarket, we get by pretty well like that actually. It's more of a lifestyle choice than a necessity for me really, living frugally has allowed me to work 4 days a week and doesn't create too many problems... Unless I actually get more than I need!

Through the year we tend to eat a lot of potatoes, rice, noodles, vegetables and not too much meat (not counting last month's unprecedented amounts of ice-cream!). I can usually counterbalance any dietary excesses by doing extra miles on the bike or riding harder... or missing lunch at work... (I hate missing out on lunch!)

I love food but can get away with eating fairly large serves of normal food so long as I work it off on the bike. The problem at this time of year there is so much cheap food and this month I am only riding to work twice a week! I've been scoffing down cheap fruit mince pies three at a time and so much lovely shortbread that I can feel the butter oozing through my veins! It's disgusting and they keep marking the prices down, cheaper and cheaper! Today we got half a dozen three dollar packets of the shortbread for 49 cents each! At the rate I've been eating this stuff it's possible I'll die from a heart attach or an aneurism on my way back to the shop for more shortbread while stuffing another mince pie in my gob!

Moving Lard Cart

It's time for a reality check! Last night I as I slipped into my chair at the computer I felt my belly resting on the desk! A loose roll of fat rolled over the edge of the table and wobbled as I sat down! Not a good sign! I can no longer rely on physical activity and a limited budget to maintain reasonable health... I'm going to have to practice... moderation.... and possibly stop eating after my ~~first~~ second fruit mince pie... ARGH!

I find the thought of being mindful of my weight appalling! What kind of life am I living that I cant expect to burn off any excess energy simply as a matter of course during my daily activities? Have I become some sedentary suburban slob? (Well yes technically I have been living like this for many years but I refuse to be classified in that way or to concede defeat!)

Now that we've got this new Cargobike our family is facing another dilemma, although we are getting exercise riding to the shop, we actually have carrying capacity for so much more junk food!

I may be saved... they're selling 5kg bags of Basmati rice for just $6! I can remain true to my scavenger nature and actually get some reasonable food back into my diet!

Happy New Year.

Blank

2012-01-04T00:38:00.002+09:30

It's tricky and uncomfortable to be dragging my ass through what can only be described as a half-assed attempt to strip bare the shrouds of a false existence! I'm hoping the journey out of attachment might be something like riding an eternity on the diamond tip of a turntable needle, trip trip tripping and scratching it's way across an old vinyl record! Will I hear the same song a million times before the grooves dissolve and I'm released from the first track of this LP?

I went back to work today but couldn't shift gears... I think I need to just sit down and do nothing! The desire for this doesn't come to me very often but when it does I know I should, 'not' act on it. The thing is that I'm spoiled for work and and I'm worried I might sabotage the whole situation just to get out of it! I can't force myself to care about what I am supposed to 'be' or 'be doing!' With no time for me or to myself, barely even for for my own thoughts, bit by bit life has collapsed from deliberate action back down to automatic behavior, reactions, duties and an inner refusal to comply or accept any of these things!
It's quite maddening actually.

Last night I gave in and watched the latest version of Moby Dick on video (OK I know they're called DVDs now but what's the frigging difference?) I had refused to watch it until I'd finished reading the book but I figure it doesn't matter at all. How can that book be translated into a film? It can't fit in a film! OK I saw the characters, the boats, the chase and even a strange version of the whale. Ahabs words are there but the desperately wild madness of what he's saying can't be bound in the film and neither can a film contain 'who is Ishmael?' This might never be revealed the way that Jed McKenna describes but his character did have rather creepy detached lack of presence in the story.
I think watching the film only set me up for chasing whales when I should have been preparing to re-join the world of work! The problem is that when you're considering life as an illusion it's hard to find anything that can scare you back into caring about the consequences of taking a mental excursion.

Half Assed! "Strike through the Mask?" Not likely! I'm just poking at it like a 'Hand puppet of Maya!'

How will we do this tomorrow?
Maybe I'll just look for a new job or something... Or maybe I should stop listening to crazy bastards who think they've attained enlightenment, it just gets me crazy and I'd probably be better off spending my nights stacking shelves at a supermarket somewhere with Heavy Metal music in my headphones!

Goodnight.

Just another day

2012-01-02T14:57:00.002+09:30

Happy 2012!

Once again I commence the New Year without any major objectives, plans or ambitions.

We shrugged at celebrating New Years Eve, just another day really. Having spent the past 16 years, to the day trying to live just one day at a time, the temptation to 'Party' on New Years Eve has lost all it's allure. I welcome the opportunity for rebirth and renewal which the first of January has come to signify for me but the idea of making a fuss on New Years Eve just doesn't do it for me like it used to...

Christmas was quite nice, we spent the day with some friends who live around the corner. This year Santa was on a pretty tight budget so the kids got only a few presents, they were quite cheep but well and truly worth the money. Our eldest was warned not to expect too much, she may have been a little bit disappointed but she didn't really show it. As it turned out her presents were ideal, mostly crafty stuff, which she could have just thrown in a corner but she actually decided to use it and over the course of just a few days has learned how to thread a needle, do some basic straight stitches and tie off the thread when she is finished! We were extremely impressed with her enthusiasm for sewing and are now looking for some more advanced needle work to get her started on.

Hand stitched felt dog, (deliberately contrasting thread with material)

Hand stitched felt elephant

On Boxing day we received word from our landlord that he wanted to come and re-tile the living area and bathroom in our flat, so having spent the past week moving everything into the bedrooms we were ready to move out for a few days. Thankfully Sam decided that the Piano can stay in the bedroom!(I was dreading moving it back!) Thankfully some friends offered us a great opportunity to house sit while they were away, so we bundled up the kids, some bedding and essentials and headed off to stay at their place. The house we stayed at is elevated and the garden is full of bamboo! For me it was like paradise, Sam missed the aircon but the kids were happy exploring the garden, playing with the dog and feeding the chooks. After three days I had well and truly settled into our temporary treetop home. For some reason I always find it easier to read when I'm away from home and had just about knocked over the book that Sam gave me for Christmas (Pedaling Revolution by Jeff Mapes). I dreaded leaving the breezy bamboo loft retreat but Sam was desperate to get home. Time had come to return so we headed back to our poorly lit 2 bedroom unit where tiles had been laid over a cracked concrete floor and the dust of ground tilers cement hung from cobwebs and clung to the grimy walls!

As we were moving all our stuff from the living area to the bedrooms in preparation for the repair of our floor, it occurred to us that we have accumulated TOO MUCH STUFF! So today on the second day of 2012 I have decided to make a beginning on a small personal transformation... (Damn as I write this I know how unoriginal it is to declare resolutions at this time of year but, I've nothing original to write and feel compelled to post something so you're gonna cop the cliche' ramblings of this unimaginative dilettante!) I intend to reduce my attachment... So as we've been moving all our crap around I realized that I've got boxes full of attachment that I need to get rid of!

Today I have shed more of the treasured stuff that I've been hoarding! I'm sure I dumped piles of my old assessments from when I was studying but today I found some more and was able to half fill a bin with research papers, reports, assessment tasks and graded work from several years worth of TAFE study! Most of the land management papers I'd been saving are now in the bin.

Library studies assessments and projects.. ALL GONE!

Tour guiding resources....70% GONE!

Disability Services assessments and projects....80% GONE!

Parks and Wildlife Management assessments and resources...70% GONE!

OK I held onto some of my projects, maybe I'll chuck them next year.

After having spent years of studying for various TAFE certificates I can't say that I have retained any of the knowledge that I once received certificates of competence in, that's not to say it was all a waste of time, it's brought me to the place I'm at today but I definitely don't know all I've learned... if that makes any sense?

Once I started eliminating some of my old files Sam came forth with boxes of other stuff like old photos and various other memorabilia that I'd been holding on to. How much of these things to I need to fulfill my memories? What can I live without? Just about all of it actually. Out it Goes!

Having ditched a lot of stuff I feel a little lighter but still have a lot to go. Now I think I'll sit back with the kids and enjoy a shaved ice Snow Cup!

Oh Come On!

2011-12-23T23:07:00.003+09:30

Kids get stuck in buckets!

The boy is unstoppable!

"Don't sit in that bucket boy! .... Listen to me I know!"

His favorite line... "Oh COME ON!" So despite my advise, he sits in the bucket... and... Ha! He gets stuck!

We spent most of the day together today, just hanging out, doing our favorite stuff. Amongst a bunch of other stuff, me scrounging at the tip shop and the boy scamming lollies from the receptionist at my work.

I finally finished putting the Cargo bike together, (mostly) and we did some miles together in her, me peddling, the boy jumping around like a crazy monkey on a stick! Singing, laughing teasing joking. The kid cracks me up! Later in the day I loaded the cart up with three kids and we went riding in the rain with the roof on, our outfit looked just like a wagon from an old John Wayne movie. The kids ran amok in the cart, laughing and goofing around, screaming when we hit a bump and sticking their heads out and waving at people as we bounced along the bicycle path. It's about a 6 km ride to Rapid Creek where we dropped our temporary charge back to her folks. We then rode the Nightcliff foreshore path all the way around to Nightcliff and then branched off to the Mulch pit for a bit of gardening and to take a couple more kids for a short joyride in the cart.
As the sky began to darken we headed back home. Mission accomplished. The Cargo bike handled the load, three kids, easily but most importantly, they enjoyed riding in it.

Oh yeh and the boy surprised me somewhat this afternoon. His sister likes fairly heavy rock music but he seems to have finer taste. Well we spent a little bit of time in the car today and when I put on my new Chili Pepers album I was expecting to hear the standard "Oh COME ON!", which in this context would mean get this crap off and play the music I like, but it never came! I looked over my shoulder and there he was nodding his head to the music! He likes the Chili Pepers! His Mum is gunna kill me! I started tapping and bopping away... then from the back of the car I hear. "Arrrgh.... OH COME ON!".
"What?" I ask, (maybe he's changed his mind and doesn't like the music)
"Stop dancing that's MY MUSIC!"
How do you like that! Only a few hours previously I'd rescued him from a bucket and here he is telling me I can't even groove to my music in the car!

Managing the mischief

2011-12-22T07:15:00.002+09:30

"Don’t throw sticks at butterflies in trees!"

That’s the conversation I had with child 1 recently… That's the sort of conversation we have on a regular basis... Sometimes it drives me crazy! "Don't stick those skinks in the bucket full of water, they'll drown!" Don't shake the bush with birds nest in it the babies will fall out and die!" "Clap your hands together to catch the moths, you'll crush their wings!" If you like a peaceful life and think settling down and having kids might be some kind of serene dignified way of growing older with grace… Good luck to you! You might find it an adventure into the limits of sanity, tolerance and acceptance. If you struggle with feelings of powerlessness and wish to seize control of your own life, if you want to develop a set of values to live by and never falter, you're in for a big surprise if you think this will be easy when raising a family! You might find that every day is a battle to maintain even a thread of who you aspire to be. You might find that as you trudge from one day to the next you are lucky if you can make the vaguest of symbolic gestures toward the life you intended to live. You might find that your daily routine, directly contradicts those virtues you were hoping to nurture. The design you had intended to live by might now only be nothing more than a wistful dream you had selfishly harbored in the space between changing the dirty nappies and washing a pile of dirty dishes. Or worse still clawing your way through a swathe of plastic toys to the front door, clambering out of the air-conditioned unit, with an arm full of Mac Donald's wrappers for the bin!

Marrying someone doesn’t make that person your minion and spawning fry does not guarantee the children will be a physical representation of all you aspire to be. Ha! If you wanted that you could have created an avatar in Second Life!

This is real! This is where the rubber meets the road! This is where the shit can sometimes ‘…hit the fan!’

Am I Bitching? Nahhhh! 'It's All Good!'

There are funny times as a parent too. Amongst all the madness and fighting there is a lot of humor!

Yesterday the kids were arguing over a toy. One of us told them if they didn’t sort it out we’d switch the toy off! By now the youngest is really annoying the eldest child, it went something like this:

Eldest child : “If you don’t stop that I’ll turn you off!”

Youngest child retorts promptly and quite seriously : “But you can’t…! I don’t have any button!”

We all burst into laughter, our little one fancies himself as a comedian. Although he was serious about the fact that he had no switch that could be pushed to turn him off, he immediately capitalized on the situation to try and keep us laughing.

Damn these kids are funny!

As I've posted previously, I feel like I am lacking in originality, however that is not true. I am surrounded by it! If I quoted half of the crazy stuff my kids have said I'm sure I'd have a best seller!

Oh yeh, Child 1 received a prize for colouring-in a picture for a local supermarket. She has also completed the poster that Sam copied for her (minus the corporate branding). The final product was pretty good.

Child 1 painting a Christmas Poster

The books on your shelf

2011-12-18T17:18:00.000+09:30

Recently we were given the opportunity to accept a pretty hefty increase to our rent or consider finding cheaper accommodation. Since we for about the past 13 years we've been paying about the cheapest rent in Darwin, we realized that finding anything suitably cheep would be far too difficult. We'd been holding our breath and crossing our fingers, hoping that our rent wouldn't go up for a couple of years as we watched house prices sky-rocketed in our area. But we knew crunch time was bound to come!

About 6 weeks ago the landlord contacted me and hit me with some news, which we'd been expecting but it still sent us into a brief state of shock, for a short time we were afraid we'd have no choice but to move out. We went through a little fear for our future security but when the various stages of grief had passed we were ready for the worst case scenario. After all this place does not belong to us, (nowhere really can) but we've been here for many years and call it home. We thought about the prospects of having to move all our stuff out and realized that in 13 years we had accumulated a whole lot of stuff. It's time we considered, what we would do if we had to leave? Where would we go, what would we bring?

As it happened we came to an agreement with our very generous landlord that we could just afford. Thankfully we can stay. Now we don't have to move out but there are renovations planned and we have to clear all our stuff out of the living area. It dawned on us that we have a lot of stuff to move! Amongst all our gear are two book cases full of most of what we have read over the past 13 years and a bunch of stuff I may never read! I'm a slow reader but in 13 years even I can accumulate a lot of books. Why do I think I need to keep them?

One big problem for me is the so-called acquisition of knowledge! I want to know stuff, I want to learn about the world, people and things, there is information in books. Most of the books can be dispensed with once I have read them... but for some reason I have kept them.

Lately I've managed to take some time to re-assess my priorities and consider how I have been approaching the business of life. What is my purpose etc... What am I clinging to? What do I really need? I know that I don't need many possessions but constantly find myself hording stuff. Building up a stock pile that could come in handy... but when? Bike parts, computer bits and pieces, and books mostly. I admit my life is cluttered with stuff. I remember a line from a Redgum song 'Where Ya Gonna Run To "...And the books on your shelf are a measure of all that you've earned..." Well I always thought the last word of that lyric was 'learned' but in the end both words add up to the same thing. Are my books only a manifestation of my own attachment to stuff, status, achievement? If I have learned something surely I can move on to the next lesson, why do I need to cling to the vessel? Am I ever going to read a novel a second time? It takes me so long to read them once! Do I keep these books as resources or trophies?

I dumped a bag full of books on Saturday... It's a start but I'm not ready to part with most of them. Maybe one day.

Smiling Cyclists

2011-12-15T23:32:00.000+09:30

Today as I peddled home beneath Thor's Mighty Mountains of vaporous silver light and dense black thunderheads, I felt an odd euphoria. With all that weather up above there must have been a lot of negative ions in the air. I slowed my pace and sat back on my saddle with arms outstretched just feeling the air flowing across my arms, as the breeze blew through my fingers my hands caught enough to pull my arms slightly back behind me, up above clouds expanding shining and full of power.

It's funny the joys of cycling.

I remember how as a motorcyclist I had joined a fraternity of Riders. We were set apart from the drones who sit dumb behind the wheels of their automobiles! Trapped in steel cages! We lived closer to the road, closer to the trees and rocky verge. We were with the sky, in the rain and the sun and closer to danger and life. On a motorbike you get to contemplate the fragility of life, instant by instant and you get to really appreciate the beauty of movement and those times when it's all flowing in perfect time! I can remember that once out of the town riders would usually acknowledge each other on the open road.

Cycling is sometimes like that! Just like AB Patterson's Drover, 'The cyclists life has pleasures that the car-slaves never know.'

Rolling up to that set of lights that usually catches 3 or 4 of us like a fishing net, holding us for a while while the cars roar past and we catch our breath before the next push headed for home. Sometimes I see familiar faces and sometimes there's people I haven't seen caught there before. We wait for the lights to change. Some riders won't make eye contact, they're on a mission and possibly take no pleasure in their ride home. Maybe they're concerned about their fitness level, or something. But mostly the riders waiting will glance at each other and give a smile or a nod. Today was kind of magic like that. For some reason everyone I came across gave a great grin! As if we could all feel the awesome energy that surrounded us! Or maybe some of us were just glad that the ominous thunderhead wasn't quite ready to dump on us. It the path home was abuzz though. As I crossed that road a bloke on an old postie bike came shuffling up to the lights... he was dragging his feet up to the white line and beaming at me happily! I chuckled and then I laughed! Sometimes it's like that On The Road!

As I got closer to home I felt that amazing coolness of the dark thunderclouds that were now all around me. Not the rush of cold air that comes flooding in with a thunder storm, just the coolness on the skin, a reprieve from the heat. The cloud didn't open up on us, it just slowed on it's path across a bitumen patchwork shimmering heat and combustion engines. Enough to remind all riders, we are blessed!

Creativity and Compost

2011-12-14T01:15:00.007+09:30

I've had a bit of a breakthrough regarding my lack of creativity!

It's a long and interesting story, which I had hoped to write about here in an attempt to break through the veil of stifled incompetence but... once again, I'm out of time! And it turns out I spend it doing exactly the wrong thing. Always doing something when I should be doing nothing! It's no mystery why I and so many others lack creativity and it's merely a symptom. Nothing to worry about really, unless you're in a state of half awakened confusion and dismay... Like me.. ha ha ha... So much attachment but nothing worth holding onto!

It turns out (according to some fella, doesn't matter who he is or how he figures) that we tend to loose our creativity as we get older simply as a mechanism for dealing with a world of rules. We are expected to perform a whole bunch of mundane tasks, which would take forever if we were to approach them with all our consciousness every time we had to do them. Thus as a pragmatic mechanism of energy conservation most of us tend to perform many tasks in a state of semi conscious autopilot. It seems that what generally happens is that as we age, ~~many~~ most of us give up our creativity bit by bit in the name of "Getting shit done"! That was something I heard by chance on the radio the other day. Sounds about right to me. I'm guilty!

Then today as I was plodding my way through invoices at work and listening to Echart Tolle, (Bit of a trip really but nowhere near as crazy as Jed Mckenna!) Mr Tolle reminds me that in the mad rush to cram as much of what I desire into my crowded life as I can fit, I leave no spaces in my life (for God, Emptiness... whatever.. to enter). All I'm left with at the end of the day is whatever obsessive crap my ego was up to when last I let it run my life.... Ergo The same old repetitive crap! (My words not his). I don't stand a chance of channeling creativity if I'm running the same old tapes! Blagh! Take this post for example... It ~~has no chance~~ can not possibly entertain or create a shred of interest simply because here 'I' am again! Worn out, full of my own thoughts, having spent no time outside of my own ~~thoughts~~ head in months! No wonder I used to seek oblivion! But that's no solution, so what is? LOL Give it up! Don't watch TV, let go of obsessions. Wake UP! Breathe, Laugh! Better still, laugh at 'Me!' See those words I've struck through? They're exactly what I'm talking about. My mind is stuck in a rat trap! Whilst I continue to grasp I am doomed to repeat myself over and over until I am a blabbering vegetable!
**POST SCRIPT** It is possible that I am The Man With No IMAGINATION!

A borrowed Santa for the kiddies

I came home from work today to find the kids had been building Lego houses and Sam had copied a picture of Santa onto a large piece of art paper for the kids to colour in! Creations everywhere, lucky for me I took part in some pretty special little creations when I had the inspiration to make something good!

Tumbling the rotting grub

What about the COMPOST?

Oh yeh and the other item for this post. Compost! I'm not talking about me now... Not yet!

The garden has been an ongoing drama for us. We'd really like to grow our own food in the yard but have been frustrated by various issues like, gardeners poisoning our plants, palm trees growing a mass of roots anywhere we lay soil, a body corporate that prefers us to grow grass and palm trees, a dog that digs up our compost and kids who like to trample over or pluck out anything we stick in the ground!

Anyway a little while back Sam decided to divide out some of the garden and dumped some potting mix then broad cast most of the seeds I'd been collecting. We were ready for the next step. Compost!

Some time about a week back we decided, no more food waste in the rubbish bin! We ordered a compost tumbler bin and decided to stop burying scraps in the yard where the dog can dig them up or chucking them in the rubbish. We didn't figure it would take so long to get a compost bin and ended up stowing all our food scraps in the lovely new chest freezer, which by then was nearly empty of ice-cream. Finally the compost arrived and I collected it on Monday. Tonight we loaded her up with all the food scraps we'd been saving for the past several days and included a bit of paper and cardboard for roughage. Apparently the dry stuff is called 'brown compost', food stuff is called 'green compost', you've gotta get the right mix but I'm sure we'll figure it out.

Ice-cream with banana topping and crushed nuts!

Coincidentally the night before we set up our compost we also consumed the last of our ice-cream stash! The freezer has now been decommissioned until mango season... or the next time Ben or I have to do an emergency run to the airport to bring home dead Magpie Geese have to be jettison from someone's excess baggage headed to Elcho!

Ice-cream Bike

2011-12-09T00:00:00.002+09:30

I don't know where to begin with this story...
Once upon a time there was a kid... '...who had a big hallucination...'!
A stupid idea took root in the mind of an obsessive and compulsively deluded dilettante...!
Dive in jack and never mind the flack!

Ok, here we go and please try not to judge.
Firstly let me say that I have literally no spare time or money to devote to foolish flights of fancy, fairytale business ventures or hobbies! I'm fully booked! Do you get it?

That's right! So don't bother asking am I free to catch a film, go for a ride or sip f---ing lattes down at that cool caffe where everyone hangs out hoping to be seen wearing their hippie sandals or sporting expensive custom tribal tatoos coz I don't have the time!
OK... back to the idiotic tale.

So I'm gathering supplies for a work event and planning to put the gear and myself on a carbon hungry airplane to travel into a remote part of the country where I'll meet a bunch of other people who got there the same way in order that they may sit and discuss 'What God Wants' (apologies Roger Waters!). And I'm wondering couldn't we all just do this ourselves at home and save a few thousand years of rotting vegetation from being converted into CO2? Not to mention the money!
Anyway I'm at the shops doing this crazy shopping with other peoples money while I contemplate if I can afford to buy myself a softdrink... when I see an add on the wall.

FOR SALE
ICE-CREAM BIKE

With photos and a blurb about all the stuff that comes with this great bargain and business opportunity!

(First viewing of the machine)

I snatch the phone number off the wall and proceed to the supermarket to gather supplies... (Not enough coins in my purse for a can of drink for myself..!) I go home and sit on it for a few days. An Ice-cream vending 3 wheeled bicycle (tricycle). This could be the answer to my dreams! I have a great job but sometimes I struggle with the madness of the money and resources that get consumed to no apparent end! I feel like a dirty sellout every time I fly. I could leave all that and spend my days cruising the streets on my new Ice-cream vending bike! Not a care in the world. Hanging out with the kids on the street. Bringing pleasure to all with cool refreshments... and blah blah blah! Dream on dream on!
I discuss the idea with my wife and she (quite an amazing person) agrees! "Go for it" she says!
"WHAT?..
"If you really want to do this then just do it!"

OK! I busted into our savings! I got the cash out! Broke the contract! Stuff the interest! I'm following a dream. Actually it gave me great pleasure, less of my money being used to oppress the people! (Of course I'll pay it all back once I get into business!)

I purchased the Ice-cream bike.

So I've finally got it home, the bike and all the stuff that came with it! Including a gas powered fridge, chest freezer, deep cell battery, ac inverter, battery charger, original cart and gear for the 'cargobike.com MKIII' trike, ice-cream cones, a snow cone ice shaver, several litres of syrup, 5 kilos of crushed peanuts, and a bunch of other bits and pieces...

(The last time ice-cream bike was seen in tact!)

So I get all this stuff home and have a few days to think about what I've done... The questions pop into my mind. What about hygiene? What about regulations? What about health? What about time? What about how far I'd have to ride the bloody thing to get to where I want to sell this stuff? What about how heavy the frigging thing is? What about the fact that I've got two young kids and I'm seriously considering keeping tons of ice-cream in the house? What the f--k did I think I was doing?

(The chest freezer... after a couple of weeks...nearly empty)

Yep... Yet another ill-conceived idea... but this time I followed through! I've got all this crap and I've got no idea now what to do with it!
Well first thing's first! I reckon so we set about getting rid of the ice-cream! Yep! one tub at a time! We're eating it! There were about 3 2lt tubs plus a bunch of these little single serve tubs designed to be squeezed into a cone... We're eating them all! With nuts and topping!

The kids love me! I'm the Ice-cream man! When I get home from work at night it's snow cones all round! Ice-cream is garbage if you ask me, when the stock is all gone we'll turn the freezer off and save electricity and sell it! I won't be selling ice-cream! Actually I don't even like ice-cream very much and I don't want to be selling the crap to kids, soft drink either! But while it's in the house I'm eating the bloody stuff! I know it's not like selling drugs or grog but seriously if I'm not into it myself why sell it to others? I'm thinking of converting the whole thing into a 'portable film projector' or maybe I'll do fruit juices or something... I don't know, it was a crazy idea! For now we're just going to have to finish the ice-cream and use the cart to take the kids to school and do the shopping... reducing the atmospheric CO2 the hard way... one calorie at a time!

I was telling an aunty about this latest adventure and she couldn't stop laughing! She thought it was a great laugh that I'd purchased a business and had spent the past few weeks eating my way through the stock! I reckon I got off lightly! I once met a couple of fellas who bought a pub and thought they'd do the same thing with their stock! Now you might think that would be pretty cool... I doubt most of us have sailed so close to the wind! Believe me it got pretty bloody ugly and quickly... They'd gone bust and nearly killed themselves not long after they started.

Wednesdays

2011-11-30T18:10:00.000+09:30

Wednesdays. We spend Wednesdays in the garden.
The weather is getting hot.
Sometimes we are drenched in sweat before we even get there; but, we go!
We like to feed the horses and look at the cattle along the way, sometimes there are calves,
As we ride along the river there are magpie geese, and egrets, sometimes whistling ducks.
Today it was hot! I felt tired, things felt wrong... I wanted to leave but persisted.
We have friends at the garden and it feels bad to desert them but the energy felt wrong and my heart said no,
It's like getting out of bed on the wrong side or wearing your clothes inside out...
We stayed. I felt like the sun had already drained me. There were feelings of anxiety and uneasiness around.
We stayed... but our hearts weren't in it! I was covered in ants, they bit, I welted! I became dehydrated, the kids dropped their tadpoles on the dry earth and everything began to feel really crappy.
We struggled to move heavy things, we dug holes and chipped away at claystone, shards of coffee rock sprayed our faces as the mattock forced it from the ground, sweat dripped, vision blurred, head thumping... drink as much as you can! The pond wouldn't fit no matter how hard I bashed the rock. Somebody said it's facing the wrong way... OK, no problem how would you like it? (I could shove it sideways for you if I had the energy!... I didn't have the energy!) Big f-----g Deal I thought, what's next?

Then someone stood on a piece of tin that had been hiding a baby blue-tongued lizard and I knew the day was lost! Poor thing had a broken back and we tried to carry on as though it was OK.
It wasn't OK.The lizard was badly hurt and will die. I said kill it, somebody said no... What can you do? The lizard will die, we all die! We shouldn't have killed the lizard, we should have been listening... We weren't.

My mate Dan got some new teeth. Teeth are important, it's good to have teeth. They can chomp food and also make you look better when you smile, people stare when you have a gaping hole where teeth should be... I know because I do... I stare.
Some of my teeth are gone. I won't get them back? What does it mean to loose teeth? Death. That's all. It's only a sign that we are dying. We're all dying so what's the big deal? I'm glad I won't have a head full of perfectly good teeth when I die. What would they be good for? Some people pay big money to have their teeth straightened. Just to look good! True! Why leave this place without a few dents and scratches? Surely we need something to carry with us into old age. To show the senile and forgetful that we lived! Something cool to show the kiddies. What about the stories? I wonder what the tooth fairy would pay me for that chunk that fell out the other day?
Some days you've just got to find a place in the shade, sit down and find let the spirit rest, listen. Dadirri!

Down in Melbourne they buried a family friend. It's OK to mourn! Sometimes it's all we really should be doing! 100s went to his funeral and celebrated his life.

Now I'm home, cooled off and relaxed, sunburned neck and nose. Enjoying a cool glass of water. Water is precious, lovely and sweet.

About Teeth

2011-11-25T22:44:00.002+09:30

I have a recurring dream. It's kind of like the, 'I'm walking down the street and everyone is looking at me funny, Oh Damn! I'm completely naked' dream. What? You haven't had that dream? No not the one where everyone else is naked! That's a different kind of dream. I mean that dream when you are in what would be an otherwise normal public setting, like at work or school or doing the shopping. And... then... WHAM! You realize that you'd forgotten to put clothes on before you went out. To my nudist friends, please imagine that this is not something you normally do!

Anyway I'm not talking about that dream now either! I'm talking about the TOOTH Dream!

I have this dream that all my teeth crumble and fall out of my mouth. It's not a nice dream. Although there is no immediate fear or consciousness of pain, I just get this terrible sinking feeling like my teeth are my life and they are falling from my mouth like grains of sand through an hour glass... (or a 7 minute glass in the case of our egg timer). I sometimes dream that my teeth are falling out and it gives me a strange sense of impending doom.

Now everyone knows that teeth are pretty important. Eating is one of my favorite activities, without teeth I would find it more difficult and less pleasant. To loose ones teeth is not a superficial thing! For many people, before dentistry became popular or a sanitized affair, and before processed foods were available on the market, I'm talking way back, in this country about 200 years ago. If a person lost his or her teeth, unless a close friend was prepared to pre-masticate their food, or they had a decent supply of milk, the toothless wouldn't last very long. In many early human societies the teeth were used as an important tool for survival. If you didn't have good teeth you would have been far less effective at a whole lot of important daily duties, like making string, chewing sinew, stripping the flesh from animals and fruit, cracking seed pods, etc... etc... How long do you think you'd last if you couldn't chew your food?

I can definitely see why my primitive sub conscious associates the loss of teeth with calamity, defeat, and death. However I don't how my primitive sub conscious is able to remind me of this just a week or so before I actually loose a tooth! Or at least a bit of one anyway!

A few weeks ago I had the dreaded tooth dream and then just this week I was chewing on a Mintie (OK bad move!) when I noticed a bit that was harder than the rest. At first I thought it was solidified Mintie but when I felt the loose piece clang against one of my remaining teeth I knew for sure! I've broken another tooth! It was a pretty big chunk too. What a bummer! Now I'm wondering how young I'll be when all my teeth are gone! Thankfully there's no pain but I know I'm gonna have to get the thing fixed, I hope they don't want to pull it!

I'm not too sure why my teeth are so week but I have a few theories.

1. Caffeine, (I drink a ton of it and have heard it depletes calcium.)

2. Sugar free cola drinks (there's no sugar but heaps of caffeine and a bunch of nasty chemicals)

3. Too much sugar (It's possible but I'm not such a sweet tooth)

4. Opening beer bottles with my teeth (Haven't done that for a long time but I don't suppose it did my teeth any good)

5. Eating ice (A friend got me onto it years ago when we had no money... I kind of got used to it, At least it doesn't make you drool red bile and spit, like an anesthetized camel!)

6. Too many years of falling asleep with the 'whitelady' or one of her friends and forgetting to brush my teeth before collapsing into unconsciousness. (Hey when you're all charged up and living for the moment who's seriously going to march off to the bathroom and brush their teeth? It just wouldn't be the same!)

7. Genetics (Probably! Nothing I can do about that one either)

It doesn't bother me so much to loose a few teeth. I don't like paying to have them pulled but I've enjoyed plenty of steaks in my life and am happy enough on a vegetarian diet these days anyway. Besides during these days of affluence and highly processed foods a person doesn't really need his or her teeth, except for social reasons like smiling at a potential mate, new employer etc...

But the world is changing quickly, I have a strong sense that teeth will become quite a useful tool in the post peak world. I sure hope the kids don't end up loosing their teeth too, I reckon they're gonna need them!

Rest - a Parasympathetic imperative!

2011-11-23T23:46:00.000+09:30

Last night I actually got to bed before midnight!

Burning the candle at both ends has worm me down... way, way down! I have ignored all the signs and laughed at suggestions that I get some rest. I don't operate heavy machinery, I sit in an office for most of the day, who should care if I stay up every now and then? Surely I'm entitled to a little bit of me time!

Well every now and then has once again become every night! After a day sitting, mostly at the computer I come home, get straight into taking care of kids and family and once they are all settled and sleeping, the adolescent in me says great! Now it's my time! And so I switch on the computer and catch up on all the stuff I'd really like to be doing if I had more time! I convince myself that there's no harm in it but I recently read an article in Kindred magazine titled A Place to Rest that made reference to the Parasympathetic Nervous System.

My lifestyle would appear pretty easy to most people but the reality is that I am suffering from stress! TRUE!

Having virtually collapsed from unhealthy exhaustion last night the article reminded me of all the aspects of life I've been pushing to the side for too long. Physical exertion, meditation and most importantly some healthy Rest! I have refused to rest! I know I need it but I've fueled myself on caffeine and insisted on getting my fair share of time to do what I like! The problem is that the most available time, when I don't have other commitments is late at night when everyone is asleep... and when I should be too! I have no energy to actually do anything so I jump on the computer! I can defrag the computer but my mind remains over wound.

I have never coped well with sitting around at other people's leisure! Not that I have miles of strength or energy but I am one of those people who is much better off put to productive use! The sedentary life is like a slow death! I enjoy the comfort of working in an office and I love my family but I respond to captivity like an animal caged. I have developed a neurosis! Reading this article which mentions the Parasympathetic Nervous System reminded me of the harm I know my lifestyle is doing to me... It's gotta change!

Well actually it is changing, little by little. Just for today I have managed to counter this problem! (I say as I type about it so close to midnight!) Today I spent the whole day outside with my boy! It was hot and we sweated... Spending the morning laboring down at our community garden in Nightcliff was a great way to exercise the demons of idleness! Then off to the pool for a swimming lesson, followed by a fairly long cruise along the foreshore on our bike, visiting a friend and eventually returning home at about 4pm exhausted (and sunburned...). Physically exhausted and completely happy. Ready to rest! As my boy gets older I am gradually finding ways to get us both out there. I think he's a lot like me and enjoys the stimulus of being amongst the plants, working in the soil, meeting the Frilled Necked Lizards, the people and the weather!

This morning it rained on us while we rode down McMillans Rd. We sang and laughed as we cycled through the tropical shower. When we arrived at the garden it was hot but we were happy to see the chooks and eat snake beans off the vine! We inspected the Banana Circle that we'd help to make the week before and found the compost rich and steaming, full of life! The boy happily wandered off to find lizards and collect cicada shells while I cut bamboo and chatted with my gardening friends... As far as I can tell this is about the best way to prevent:

Heart disease
Sleep problems
Digestive problems
Muscle tension, pain, and headaches
Depression
Obesity
Memory impairment
Worsening of skin conditions, such as eczema

Anxiety
Restlessness
Inattention, lack of focus
Irritability and aggression
Sadness, depression, and lack of motivation
Over-eating or under-eating
Smoking, drug, and alcohol abuse

(List of ailments as per that article in the Kindred magazine)

It's been really difficult to get any time to Rest at home since we had the kids, (Several years) Today was one of the few days in all of that time when I could actually lay down on the bed for half an hour, during the day without having to break up a fight, change a nappy, prepare someones food, or attend to any number of other domestic responsibilities or demands. I actually managed to get half an hour of real Rest! BLISS!

Now that the boy is getting older we may be stepping into a new phase of family life. My mission will be to wear him and myself out physically whenever the opportunity avails. This will be our path to peace!

A walk in the shade of a Glasshouse Mt.

2011-11-16T23:58:00.001+09:30

Q.L.D.!
I have resisted a trip to southern Queensland for a very long time. It's a busy commercial crowded and glitzy place, what could I possibly do down there? I've seen Surfers once and I've heard the Sunshine Coast has gone the same way! Why would I go through the pain of seeing what they've done to it? Like the song goes... "There ain't no Paradise in Surfers.... It's a Paradise Lost!"

Well guess what. There's more to Sunny southern Queensland than beaches, Highrise and sweet blond chicks wearing gold bikinis!

We've been off and away, tripping along in the cool of the Sunshine Coast Hinterland and it was Good!

A couple of days at Glasshouse Mountains Eco Lodge. Where there was an abundance of fresh fruit straight from the trees, pineapples and even macadamia nuts just lying around on the ground! We cracked the shells, chomped on the white flesh of nuts and scooped chunks of melting sweet bromeliad flowers dripping with sweet syrup. Drinking rainwater from the tank was also a pretty sweet experience.

(Glasshouse Mountains Echo Lodge)
It was via The Glasshouse Mountains Echo lodge that I discovered the word flestering, and while we were there we saw a few creative examples of the owners recycled re-sculptured flester art. OK doing this sort of thing is nothing new but I think the creation of a word to describe it might be.

(Walking uphill)

From the Echo Lodge I went for a drive with my Mum and Brother up to Maleny and then on to visit an old friend who happens to live in an amazing part of the world called Crystal Waters... WOW!
Yep! This was the part of the trip that sold me on going down to Queensland! At the beginning of this year I thought we would need to leave Darwin, I felt so sure about it that I used up a large chunk of my money to fly to Tassie seeking refuge in the cool mountains surrounded by temperate rainforest. I went looking there because it was a place surrounded by trees and fresh air and because it was very cheap. However the place I really wanted to go to was Crystal Waters Eco Village!

(Cob woodfire oven @ Crystal Waters)

(Crystal Waters Village Green Bakery)

This trip was no longer urgent but having done some research I was pretty keen to see the place first hand. I'm so glad I got to see it. It was beautiful! I had lowered my expectations too far after having read as much as I could find about the place. It was actually quite beautiful, which I hadn't expected. This is a place I could live in! Maybe one day we'll return!

As usual there's plenty I'd like to write about this trip but it's late, my eyes are stinging and I have a head ache so I'll reduce it to a few words.

I really liked the hill country behind the Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast. The diversity of plants and animals caught me by surprise! I was not prepared to see so much variety of species, it blew me away. The fertility of the soil and the availability of fresh water was also surprising.
One day I am sure I will return!

A glove full of peanuts...

2011-11-04T23:50:00.000+09:30

Give me an inch and I'll take a Glove full of peanuts!

I know that obsessive self indulgence is not a healthy path to tread. I know that I'm prone to fits of fantastical illusory dreams of divine expression and art and that the high I seek will always dump me like a king tide surf on an empty shore.... but... There's no law against it yet and if it don't interfere with my ability to operate a motorcar then what's the harm right?

Tonight I dragged the family out to the Darwin Visual Arts Association (DVAA) at Frogs Hollow to see an exhibition of paintings titled 'Peanuts fill the glove...' by the Artist Nat Uhing. Nat is a multi skilled and practical artist who has produced some awesome textile creations in embroidery and bookbinding... sometimes, I think combining the two! If you thought embroidery was just for old ladies (Hey I didn't think that! I'm just saying if you did...), you'd be tragically wrong! This exhibition isn't about textile art though I did see one mixed media piece... the exhibition is essentially paint on canvas! Paintings...!

The title for her exhibition may seem a bit cryptic so if you're wondering maybe a snippit from the Artist's blurb will explain...

"...every one of these paintings went out on a journey by itself, to grapple with whatever the fixation of the week was, and without a care for where the others had gone…peanuts, gathered to fill an ineluctable glove."

Nat's art erupts with colour and exudes imaginative introspection, self exploration, energy and humor! It's fun, sexy, elevating and... well I reckon pretty bloody good!

'Reading Monsoon Dervish' is Melancholy... Lady Kitsune (foxy) is crazy!

I've followed these paintings via Nat's Blog so I'm already kind of connected to these paintings in a way but Sam, who hadn't seen them before was just as impressed (as I am obsessed!)... The kids were more interested in the free corn chips and lollies outside! (Well we hadn't fed them dinner and hey if their busy stuffing their faces and letting me check out the art, I'm not going to complain!)
Just as Nat let us in on the creative process vial her blog 'The Smallest Forest' she also shared some of the music that inspired her paintings. I'm listening to it now and am transported into that ethereal world of imagination.. possibly gleaning some of the power that enabled the artist. But to be honest, feeling more like the voyeuristic dreamer. No paper, no brush or hand. I can't watch the bubbles bursting above my head all day (or night). It was a nice interlude though. Thank you very much!

Oh yeh there was a collaborative exhibition next door called Sirens which was also great, full of mermaids, octopuses and seascapes, the female form with fins in shades of blue. We were surprised to see some familiar names in the list of artists and rather impressed with their work too!

I'm not sure how long the exhibition goes for... maybe all of November. Check it out.

Blowouts and blisters

2011-10-29T23:22:00.003+09:30

If I could go back in time and give myself some advise before embarking on the journey of life I might say to myself... 'Now kid you're in for quite an ride, some of it will blow your socks off! Some will be a bit scary. Sometimes you're going to wonder if any of it was worth it and some days you'll think you've discovered Paradise and you just won't want to leave but remember! Things never stay the same and 'There will be blowouts!'

(Don't get excited I have no intention of continuing with any profound revelations in the rest of this blog post, from here on it's just an ordinary day in the life story about getting a blister and bursting a tire.)

Today the kids and I had a great time hanging out on the church lawn and scratching around in the Mulch Pit. There was a mob of people around as usual, everyone on their own trip, talking drinking coffee meeting friends 'networking' (OK that word shits me just as much as seeing it in practice but if the word fits...). Yes It sometimes gets a bit pretentious on our turf, sometimes it seems that "connectedness" has displaced friendliness but on the whole it's still an OK place to hang out on a Saturday Morning. Today the boy and I decided to venture back into the Mulch Pit, It's been a while since I'd attempted to do any physical work in the garden, the kids had been a bit of a handful over the past year so I'd given up trying to do anything beyond keeping a close eye on them. But Today was different! Today We Gardened!

I got stuck into it for a while with a crowbar, mattock and shovel, (digging a banana pit) only to find that after years of working in an office with very little sweat time... my hands had gone all soft like a ~~girl~~ baby! The callouses I had developed years ago when I did stuff, had dropped off and my hands which are now pink and soft, were vulnerable to blisters! So after only a few minutes of digging, I felt the skin on my finger rip as the crowbar tore open a blister that it had only just created! The sweat of my over fed, doughnut blubber, office-bound body dripped into the wound and I said "eowww!" I cried 'I've got Blisters on my Fingers!' but nobody sang along! (Some folks have no sense of humor... Or maybe they were never into John Lennon!) I am discovering just how frail my body has become. It all started when I learned how to use a computer! My body has atrophied to a shadow of it's useful self and I've become a helpless blob of cyber-space-cadet whose body has been drifting in zero gravity for over 10 years. This was bound to happen! I resolved to continue digging, but more carefully. I managed to get a few other things done and ultimately I felt good. It was a weak first start but at least there was sweat!

During the process of me recommencing manual work a fella turned up carrying a banjo, I think it was his girlfriend who had the harmonica, they were into gardens but not used to the heat and didn't want to sweat. I suggested they might like to sit in the shade and play some music for me while I do hard stuff and... they did! What a way to work; with the sound of banjo and harmonica to spur me on! I had this eerie feeling I was in a Coen Brother's movie. Now referring back to my first paragraph, this is what I call something close to paradise, blisters and all, the day was GOOD!

We stayed in the garden until the mobs had left Frilly's. Just as I was about to mount my bike there was a very loud CRACK sound a bit like a rifle going off. A jet of dust shot out from under the front wheel of my bike. It was a blowout! The front tire of my bike had a great split through the center of it! I couldn't believe it! It just went off! Lucky I wasn't riding down hill at the time it would probably have sent me off into the gutter or worse. I looked at the tire. It was yet another salvaged from the tip. I'd traded up a few times having found better profile tires, this was one I was quite fond of and not ready to part with. Unfortunately, even though there was still a bit of tread on it, the tire had actually perished a fair bit and needed to be replaced! I just wasn't ready to do it yet. That'll Learn me! The blowout only set me back a few minutes, I happened to have another wheel waiting in the wings, it had been donated a couple of weeks previously, I just pumped up the tire and threw her on and Bob's your uncle. I was mobile again!

(There's a hole in the tire!)

(Blowout!)

(Best tire I've ever used and it was a gift left under a tree!)

Got home, went to the shed, reached in and pulled out a treat that spun my head! Magnificent tire full with tread, left under a tree just by an anonymous friend!
It was given only a couple of weeks ago! A Schwalbe Marathon in closer to new condition than any of the tires I've ever had! I fitted the new tire and tube, filled the thing with air, stuck it where the front wheel is supposed to go, re-connected the brakes and took it for a quick spin. Unbelievable! I actually couldn't believe the difference in the ride! With a lot more pressure and slicker tread pattern, this tire made my bike feel totally different! Better! Much better! The problem now is I look at my bike and think. "You're not worthy!". A feeling of guilt or shame or something came over me. How could I put that beautiful tire on such a crappy, nasty old rattle heap of a bike! The darn tire's got me wanting a whole new bike to put it on! Or maybe I'll just have to get busy learning how to rebuild this bike properly! I can't wait to take the bike out for a reasonable ride to see just how great tire is, who knows I may even put the rear one on before the old one has a blowout!

Thanks Douglas! You're a champion!

A life choice dilemma

2011-10-28T23:42:00.002+09:30

Finally I've arrived home after having spent about 4 and a half hours sitting on the locally manufactured bricks at Maningrida airport terminal. Although I am impressed that they make their own... I am not so satisfied with them as a day bed!

(Maningrida Bricks, Glad I didn't have to sleep on them!)

I've just spent a day at Elcho Island, where I had to go as part of my work. It kills me to think that I'm flying all that way just for one day! I'm trying to live simply and in the process reduce my carbon emissions, I ride my bicycle everywhere around town yet here I am jumping on a damned plane and flying across the country like some kind of jet-setting wanker executive! Or actually a lot more like the hundreds, possibly thousands of contract laborers, (and qualified tradesmen of course) who fly in and fly out of remote communities every week! It sucks and it kind of makes me sick to think about how ridiculous the situation is! Don't get me wrong, I do like flying and I really like visiting the people and staying in Arnhem land Communities but it's just not sustainable and besides my job simply isn't so important that it should require me to travel like this... yet here I go again! Anyway, I was on my way home this morning when the plane had technical difficulties and we had to wait for someone to come from Darwin to fix it. four hours later and we're wondering if we'll ever leave.
If the aroma of burning av gass and the sound of screaming engines turned me on then today would have been a real treat! Unfortunately I was kind of keen to get back to Darwin to see my wife and kids and to throw myself into sweat labor down at the Mulch Pit! It was possibly some kind of a blessing that I shouldn't complain about but I did have other plans and wasn't feeling terribly philosophical about the delay... at first.

Having recently read 'Radical Simplicity: small footprints on a finite Earth', by Jim Merkel (who happens to be an ex military weapons developer and trader) I am well aware that this trip alone has completely engulfed any fuel I would have used driving to work throughout the year...
The book is interesting but Jim lost me with all the calculations! Even if I was into maths I don't think I'd ever enjoy scrutinizing my consumption to the extent that he advocates. It just isn't fun! Anyway since I've read the book and now have a hundred formulas for finding out exactly how many planets it would take to sustain my consumption of resources. I am seriously reconsidering what I do for a living and how I can find a more acceptable way to put bread on the table.

There are several positive aspects to my work, which I shouldn't take for granted. I come in contact with some amazing and inspiring people.I have learned so much from them that I always balk at the decision to leave. It's a very peculiar problem... to leave would feel like deserting my family... actually because of the Yolngu system of adoption and Malk it would be exactly like deserting my family... and that is the biggest dilemma! So I guess I'll stick with it for a while.

(A very healthy cashew, hidden in a jungle)

The thing that has really been firing me up lately is my interest in learning more about growing food. How shared gardens can actually build resilient and caring communities! It might sound a bit mooshy but this is something that energizes me! Nightcliff Uniting Church has recently taken the extraordinary step of employing a Permaculturist to coordinate activities at The Mulch Pit! I think that's an amazing and thing to do! A community that runs on the smell of an oily rag has deemed it's appropriate to employ someone to develop their permaculture garden! That's awesome!
I recently spent some time with Dan, and was instantly infected with his love for plants, soil and everything that lives in a permaculture system! I've always been interested and my minor involvement down at the The Patch gave me a sense of why I think it's such a special thing to do but now that I've been talking to Dan at the Mulch Pit, and having just spent 4 hours reading our mate Robbie Lloyd's book 'Going Walkabout through the Suburbs' (about creating inclusive societies) I'm thinking that now is the time for me to start studying permaculture.

(Timothy with his banana and sugar cane plantation)

Meanwhile back on Elcho this morning I was fortunate to spend time with the Community Minister, Timothy Buthimang, my Mari. Timothy is a devoted gardener and a Uniting Church 'Community Minister', although he can illustrate many things through the metaphor of gardening, he is a man of action and wisdom... a Worrier of the Spirit who is a living demonstration of the power of wuburr (sweat) to overcome adversity! His lessons provide real fruit! Timothy has maintained a garden of some description for many years. Recently Buthimang's farm/plantation was burned by a wildfire, but he showed me this morning that he has reclaimed the garden from the ashes and now has some very healthy banana and sugar cane growing in the ground. He has pots full of Pawpaw seedlings and various melon varieties as well. Having spent time with Timothy, I know what I need to be doing.

So here's to gardening tomorrow!

A concept takes flight

2011-10-26T01:35:00.000+09:30

More about the aircraft salvage operation.

A few weeks ago a mate of mine told me about a plan that another fella I know had to salvage some aircraft parts. Well the operation didn't quite work out and they were beginning to wonder if they'd be able to find what they were looking for.
Remarkably, coincidentally... whatever you want to call it, I happened to have something pretty close to what they wanted so the project was able to continue.

So without giving too much away I thought I'd post some more photos of the progress that has been made over the past couple of weeks. Conversion from trash into functional artistic creations of beauty!

(Building an undercarriage of individually curved wooden frame for wings)

(Cleaning and painting tail)

(Fitting hand crafted woodwork to aluminium flight gear)

There is a deadline for this project so I imagine I'll be posting about it's completion soon. It's looking fantastic so far.

Reflections of ego... the road ahead

2011-10-26T01:10:00.000+09:30

Another self indulgent naval pondering excuse for a blog post.
I have been wondering for some time about the purpose and reason for this blog. It's not specific, often full of personal rants with no real objectives and little to no research of subject matter prior to publishing.
It doesn't contain any useful information about how to make money, fix your car, pick up chicks, catch fish, grow your own vegetables or cook a souffle!
It does not provide inside information about corrupt political or business entities, have any suggestions for achieving Buddha consciousness, Nirvana, or reaching heaven or even describe personal encounters with any of these things.
Mostly it's so eclectic and vague and the over abundance of opinionated clap trap does nothing to entice the reader's attention or inspire further reading... So what is it for?

Well I have thought long and hard... (Well for about half an hour) and I am now sure that I do not know!

I've been at it for nearly 6 years now so I suppose a brief deconstruction is in order.

Title - THROUGH BALANDA EYES
The purpose of this title is to let the reader know that the author of the blog views his world through the eyes of a Balanda. The word Balanda is a Yolngu word that is used generically by many indigenous people in the Top End of the Northern Territory to name non indigenous people... particularly Anglo. It is a word that was introduced by Macassan traders long before Yolngu ever set eyes on a White Man.
I like to use the word Balanda because it implies that there were important cross-cultural interactions between Indigenous people and those from other parts of the world long before Europeans arrived in Australia. It forces me to be consider my dominant culture experience of the world as only one perspective among many other world views. So Through Balanda Eyes means to me that although I am living here on Larakia Land I am not necessarily seeing things in a way that is natural for this place. Ultimately I am only a newcomer and have much to learn.

The Sub Text - 'A collection of thoughts and images usually scattered and disorganized that have now found a home... '

This pretty much explains the nature of the blog and I expect warns the reader not to look for form or any kind of reliable format to my writing... It's a mess!

Further Sub Text in Brackets - (Commentary from somewhere near the center of THE EMPIRE!)

This bit might be a little more cryptic. It is something I added after having listened to Eleine Pulos of Uniting Justice speaking about the bubble of contented ignorance that we live in here in Australia. Assuring ourselves that the world is becoming a fairer and better place to live, while our affluent lifestyles starve a growing portion of the worlds population into inescapable poverty, deplete the world of precious resources and create unprecedented environmental disasters and extinctions... I suppose it's a fairly standard Marxist perspective but these days we seem not to hear too much that really challenges the sense of capitalist, entitlement that allows us to justify any crimes for the sake of preserving our current way of life.... At the Center of the Empire.

Blog Format

Well I've basically used a standard template but added a repeated background of bicycle sculpture... because I'm into bicycles. I have a list of blogs and stuff in the right hand column that I don't remember updating for a long long time. There is also some political, environmental widgets, and my flickr widget and some other stuff.

Blog Content
This is what it's all about and now I'm getting too tired to write about it. This is where I am stuck! I'm thinking of trying to take a more organized approach to my blogging but balk at the idea!
I could refine my subject matter and focus on particular subjects, but I have realized that some of the subjects I am most passionate about I never write about on this blog! They seem to be too serious for me to do justice so I just tend to leave them un-written! What is that all about? What should I do about it? I'm not sure yet.
I'm wondering if I should just choose only one subject per week and try to post about that at least once in the week. That might help me to focus. Maybe I could focus on the title of my blog and keep everything contained to the perspective of a non indigenous person... in order to prompt the reader to wonder how an Indigenous person might feel about the same thing... (I think that was the point of the title after all!) and how might we act if we cared about that?
One big problem I am concerned about is that by writing on too many subjects I risk appearing like a smartass pretentious know it all! I'll have to watch out for that one. It's not a good look for someone with as little knowledge as I have!
I'm still not sure where I'm going with this but it's too late in the day now to be interested.

Hoo Roo.

Flestering for a saner world!

2011-10-23T23:31:00.002+09:30

Have you ever heard of 'Flestering'?
I don't think I had until my wife thought to point it out to me recently. She knows I like doing stuff with junk and when she discovered the word and art of Flestering she had to tell me all about it!

I couldn't find the word in the dictionary so looked it up online and discovered only a few references to it but what I found, I liked!

Here is a definition of flestering according to this site: (Go and read some of their theory, I think it's pretty cool)
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09004/939328-109.stm

"Flester (fles-ter), n.,flesta, -am; v.,flesto, -are, avi, -um.

Attributed to Uncle Flester, presumed timeless and ubiquitous.

1. n. Defunct, discarded, things; immediately redeemable. In the post-industrial age, fragments of formerly functional contrivances.

2. n. Any "thing" in so far as one ascribes a presumptive integrity to it, often the result of a visual prejudice.

3. v. The act of flestering, i.e. making proliferative and promiscuous use of what is at hand, closely related to the practice of Bricolage (See French anthropologist Claude Levi-Strauss: "The Savage Mind.")"

If you've ever seen the film 'The Gleaners and I' you might remember seeing some of the fascinating people in the film who collected junk from the street and turned it into something... artfully transforming trash into objects of curiosity and sometimes beauty. The creators of the River Cube project call this kind of transformation of discarded material Artful Trash Management (ATM) and also use the term Flestering to describe the process. I like it.

There's a satisfying feeling you can get when salvaging stuff, junk, and turning it into something useful. Whether it is intended as art or not, many things transformed in this way appear to take on a magical new quality and an odd beauty! I remember the farm gates on properties back home were often made from recycled beds or other iron, which had been welded and cut to fit. The latches too were crafted from recycled iron.

Darwin has it's own examples of Flestering, some of it I have found to be absolutely inspiring! I can't help being drawn to anything created in this way, it just sucks me in!

Here's a couple of local examples of Flestering that I reckon are pretty cool.

Creative Image Gallery ~~Tin Shed Gallery~~
I don't think they're showing anything at the moment but you can check out Pedro's handy work at Casuarina Square, you sit on it! (Erratum - the link is to Tin Shed Gallery but the place I'm referring to is actually the Creative Image Gallery... Oooops!)

Darwin Fridge Festival

The event came into being last year. It is produced by Darwin Community Arts. Last year it was a basic exhibition of art done on, in and with discarded fridges (from the tip I expect), In one year it has grown enormously and now includes poetry and performance art! I believe there's still time to get your entries in.

The opening of the 2011 Fridge Festival was held last night at the Darwin Aviation Institute. An awesome open air venue, that absolutely reeks of Old Darwin Town! If you weren't there you have seriously missed out on something special! No dress code, free mangoes and plenty of room for the kids to run around!

If you're into a seat of your pants Adventure Flester check out Monsoon Dervish! If you scroll down you can see the awesome recumbent bike that local adventurer (not sure he'd like to be called that) Kris Larsen has created and ridden where most people fear to drive! If you're curious about his yacht or bike and would like to know how they came into being, with a capital 'B' I recommend reading his books.

As for me I've only tinkered with small stuff, re-using things that have been discarded, and mostly things I find on the side of the road while riding to work. (you'd be surprised how much treasure falls through the cracks in a wealthy society!) There is one project I am following with keen interest though. I managed to rescue some old aircraft bits before they were tossed out for scrap metal and they are now being transformed by a wizard of recycling and his conspirator. I'll try to post a progress report soon.

Twilight Sailing

2011-10-22T00:22:00.001+09:30

But first about - A Graduation Ceremony.
Before I get into the drama's of learning to sail stories I'd like to mention that today (oops technically yesterday now) was CDU Graduation Day. This year for the first time CDU graduated some very special people who have managed to complete the Mawul Rom Project at Galiwin'ku. This was a very special occasion, graduands received a Masters in Indigenous Knowledges! Congratulations to those who graduated especially those members of my adopted Gupapuyngu family who have worked so hard! I was proud to see you there today! I wanted to jump for joy and cheer you but of course the atmosphere required a little more restraint!

(Academic protocol doesn't encourage emotional explosions)

Sailing

Over the past few months I've managed to complete two basic skills courses in Sailing and have even attended 4 Twilight races at the Darwin Sailing Club. It's been a real hoot! I love being on the water. Attending sailing classes has made it possible for me to experience some of the basics of sailing a yacht and provided some great moments bobbing around in the sea.

Today was the Darwin Sailing Club's final Twilight Series 'Non Serious' sailing race. This was possibly my last chance to sail until next year and I kind of spoiled it a bit by being a little too blase. Today there were no Pacer dinghies available and my regular sailing partner deserted me to crew on another boat so I had to take out a Pico. Actually I was looking forward to finally sailing solo and not having to share any of the boat with someone else but the rapture soon wore off! Picos are smaller dinghies than Pacers and the reduction in hull size means, surprise surprise, they're more cramped! With no jib to watch for my boat's orientation in relation to the wind, I soon discovered that it is a little harder to avoid the no-go-zone! Another problem which made things worse for me was the fact that the hull is more like a flat platform, which means there's not leg room. I ended up nearly dislocating my right knee 3 times!

It happened all to quickly! Directly as a result of two important factors... My lack of experience in these boats coupled with lack of concentration lead to me trying to quickly move from one side of the boat to the other during a Tack or a Gibe, resulting in my torso and everything else moving in one direction while the lower part of my leg is caught sideways under the weight of my body! The result of this unfortunate maneuver was the unmistakable shooting pain of two leg bones unwilling to maintain their relationship within the bounds set by my kneecap! I experience it as a deep pain stemming from a knee that will not bend in the usual way. It hurts, I swear, I thump the side of the boat and there's a sickening feeling like my leg won't straighten, but I try and then *POP* it's back in place. This happened three (3) times!!! Strangely now, just after midnight I can feel the pain in my hip joint! How odd!
Despite the physical discomfort and frustrating lack of skill at sea, I still managed to have a pretty good time. At least I was out there and it truly is beautiful to be propelled in a wind powered boat!

The sailing club is a new social experience for me. I found it quite a laid back and relaxing scene.When the race is over we all go back to the club and enjoy a bit of social activity and one or two free drinks from the esky. It's good fun actually but unfortunately the season is over which will mean I am at risk of forgetting everything I've learned before the season starts again next year. Looks like it's back to paddling around in the canoe with the kids.

What can be written?

2011-10-19T23:48:00.002+09:30

It's been a few days since I've etched anything in these zeros and ones...
Sometimes there's nothing to do but leave it. Nothing can or should be Done!
I've had some moments along the way but a nausea has overtaken me when I've thought to write anything at all.. It's like the millions of repeated statements or thoughts are rotting at the bottom of a pit somewhere!When I look for words I find they've all been said. Any attempt to be authentic is futile. The stench of decay... generations of wasted words, gossip, chit-chat, slander, flattery, useless prose and failed poetry rises up and choke me. What is that stink? Am I wearing a suit of rotten fish and steaming crap?
Sometimes it's like that. Sometimes any attempt to tell or write about an insight or an experience can only reduce that special moment to cliche. Like every combination of words I attempt to join together, are recycled or borrowed and nothing original can be said by using any of what I think I know. Why say anything at all?

I have noticed so many 'coincidences' lately. Would it be fraudulent to even mention them? Sometimes to experience synchronicity is incredibly gratifying but it can also be a lonely kind of realization, like there are no discoveries or secrets only glimpses of kismet and so why tell what has already been told?

But No! There have been some divine moments lately... How can I express that? Would you feel what I feel if I wrote about it or made a list? Probably not! An idea can evaporate and moments are lost as though they never existed no matter how strong an impression they make at the time... So what?

(Joker's Ball with an Idiot Grin!)

Sometimes I listen to 80s Pop music and capitulate to nostalgia. I find memories easier to recapture through a tune or scent but struggle to grasp that idea in current moment. With word or by pen! So I won't even bother with that! Today I'll just tell some things I think are cool. Treasures I've stumbled across!

(Placards - Fundamentally good advise but... Did she have a particular God in mind? I should have asked)

Treasures I've found:

A Dugong passed beneath me as I was sailing last Friday afternoon.
Frangipanis are flowering and their scent is intoxicating and blissful.
A gift of two good tyres left under a tree.
Mangoes are ripe and ready to be eaten... Gleaned fruit tastes sweeter than bought!
The pearl shell I found on East Point Beach this morning is worth more than the days pay I traded for time with my kids at the beach.
'He who pays the piper calls the tune' I already knew this but was recently reminded of how important it is to remember.
The use of Academic Jargon is nothing more than pseudo intellectualism. Using it doesn't mean you know anything of any real importance.
Regurgitating Political / media Spin is even less impressive than using Academic Jargon.
Spring Tides in the buildup are immensely beautiful. (the beauty is not recordable as far as I can tell)
Solar Cars are cooler than V8s no matter what Territorians think.

(Solar Cars are cool)

Oops! I can feel the bile rising...
I actually would rather not post this but I have to do it! The compulsion not to write or talk is so strong that I feel I have to do something to purge it!

Lawson wrote The Rovers. He knew a thing or two!

"... And when the world is crowded—
’Tis signed and sealed by Fate—
The roving blood will rise ...."

How to fly

2011-10-09T09:44:00.001+09:30

Last night my daughter had a flying dream. She seriously wanted to know if she's ever flown before because she thinks she can remember it...
Then she asked earnestly.
Dad... do birds fly from here (Tapping her head) or from here (with her hand on her chest). How profound!
I think she got the idea from a movie or something but it prompted a very serious question. How are we motivated? What is the cause for our striving? What elevates us to the greatest heights? The brain or the Heart?
She said when she flew in her dream it came from her heart.
My lack of originality and creativity is always trumped by simple and honest wonder of children. They are truly and purely Artists!

(Captain Flinn with his parrot, spider and boat)

The scent of rancid coconut

2011-09-29T06:19:00.001+09:30

There is a foot on my head and laughter at my back,
Nothing I do will release me from this trap.
Run around, jump, spin, stagger and fall!
Trapped in a spastic dimension,
Like a clown in a glass box.
Jump, spin, stagger, run around again
You can struggle and strive if you like.
To all ends, No difference made!
You will be greeted by more of the same.
Try to make it work but some things never change!
No talent, No chance, nor music or art,
Just these spastic jitters and a crumpled heart.

I lit a fire to calm my aching soul
Smoke billowed through the yard and the street
A few coconuts for fuel, and their rancid fumes filled the air
Peace torn apart in the smoke and choking stench
Dark birds gathered to pick over burned offerings
My wretchedness exposed
Ready to be devoured like flesh from scorched bones
No time to ponder or chance to grieve
Back to bread labor put away your dreams!

Sometimes every effort is met with calamity, shame and ridicule...
I take comfort, to laugh heartier, louder than the din that surrounds me!
Not hollow or empty but maniacally in Zen.
All is ridiculous, Lets not be serious!
The Gods of Olympia might scoff and scorn but to this life I was born. And so will proceed, whither my headstone does read, Here lies a joke, mock him while he sleeps!

"Don't dream it.... be it."

2011-09-26T06:59:00.000+09:30

Apologies to the writers of Rocky Horror, this post has nothing to do with the Rocky Horror Picture Show and I probably could have saved that quote for something related to the play or film, whatever. But the catch phrase really fits this situation.
The following video offers an alternative to how things are and shows how the Dutch have successfully realized a dream.

Introducing the Dutch Cycling Embassy!

Cycling For Everyone from Dutch Cycling Embassy on Vimeo.

This video dispels any myths that might exist about Holland always being bicycle friendly. They were headed down the same path as every other industrialized country! Cars begun to dominate the Streets of Holland's major cities just like everywhere else in the world. Holland didn't just happen to become a bicycle friendly country... They chose to respond to the negative social and environmental impacts of motor vehicles by deliberately creating bicycle friendly infrastructure for the sake of their citizens!
We can do the same in our cities... If we wish!

Family for Family

2011-09-25T07:26:00.000+09:30

The culture of Darwin is constantly in a state of flux. When I arrived here only 15 years ago there was a sense of togetherness and community that I hadn't experienced in other places I'd lived. Such a large proportion of the population had originally come from somewhere else. Folk would often gather for BBQs, strangers were welcomed and there was a general sense of openness and acceptance of others from all walks of life. It was fun!

People I'd met who had lived here a lot longer than I, would tell me, that it's nothing like it used to be and that Darwin used to be much more easygoing, that people were more connected before. Well maybe gradually that easygoing lifestyle is shifting, but the spirit still exists. Many of us who have experienced that special hospitality are determined to keep the spirit of welcome and acceptance alive.

Old Darwin Town lives! We will reject oppressive laws, we will reject inhumane policies, based on fear and xenophobia, and we refuse to condemn and fear our neighbors. We live too closely with the indigenous people of this country to believe that we are entitled to call ourselves Owner! We scoff at the attempts by Government to dehuhumanize those seeking asylum. They are just like the rest of us who have come here from elsewhere and we will reach out to them with the same friendship as was offered us when we arrived.

If you're in the Darwin area and are looking for something to do with your family and would like to show your support for those families who have been locked up from the moment they asked for asylum, then maybe you'd like to join the party outside the airport lodge.

Family for Family - Asylum seeker support BBQ and concert

This will be "...an afternoon of picnics, games and live music to show support for children, adults and families
in detention in Darwin.

When: Sunday 25 September, 2011
Where: On the big block of land opposite the Darwin Airport Lodge
Time: 3pm onwards
Why: To send a message to those living in detention to stay strong and let them know they are supported.

Bring: Your family, friends, food, music. (Musical instruments)"

For more information or are interested in helping checkout the DASSAN website or contact: Cat Beaton cata.beaton@gmail.com

Softening up

2011-09-24T20:30:00.001+09:30

Back to the Xtracycle rebuild!
I posted a while back that the Xtracycle had blown bearings in the center bracket, worn breaks, cracked saddle vynil a busted gear shifter and probably some other things... Well I fixed it all up a few weeks ago and managed to 'soften' up the ride a bit by changing some components.

OK I better clarify one thing first. 'Rebuild' is a bit of a misnomer. I didn't turn my wreck of a bike into an all purpose all terrain, 'pimped' to the max (I hate that word, pimped, but you get where I'm headed with this right?), urban utility bike. No I didn't really fix her up nice or spend hours rebuilding the bike with expensive custom parts that shine and make lovely click sounds when shifted into position. But I did get her back on the road and and a bit more comfortably than she had been before.

Total cost.... ? Not sure I think it all cost me about $10 and about 2 hours work.
Here's what I did.

(Shimano SIS 6 speed shifter $0 10 minutes work)

I ripped out the old twin leaver rear gear selector with the complicated mechanism and replaced with a basic 6 speed Shimano SIS gear selector. This item cost me nothing, Cheep mountain bikes are all fitted with this style of gear shifter, I just ripped it off a wreck that was laying around. It works perfectly and now I can change gears! I could have got another of those complicated ones from the tip shop designed for a 7 or 8 speed hub but I couldn't be bothered fiddling around changing the gear cassette, besides I'd rather ditch the complicated shifter!

(Second hand Biopace chain-ring & second hand replacement axle and bearings)
For $10 I bought an old mountain bike minus the wheels for two reasons.
1. It had a biopace chainring.
2. The frame was large and I thought it might become my new Xtracycle

It turned out that the seat post had become fuzed to the frame and I ended up ditching it. I did however keep the chain-ring. I really like Biopace. I'm not going to argue the pros and cons, I know some people think it's crap but my old Shogun road bike has biopace and I've always found it easier on my knees than other bikes. Biopace may not necessarily provide more power but it does seem to 'Soften' the experience of riding on my knees!
The Biopace chain-ring did not protrude as far as the original chain-ring so I needed to find an axel for the center bracket that would match it... (The original one was just as worn as the one I'd been using on my Xtracycle bike (Raleigh). I pulled apart one of my old Giant Road bikes and used the axle and bearings from that. I scavenged the best of the bearings from all three sets, crammed in a bunch of grease and fitted it all to the bike. With a few adjustments I managed to get the axle to turn quite freely without too much lumpiness... (Well there is a little bit of a notch but what do you want from a set of bearings that have come from three different worn out bikes?)
I threw the chain-ring on having no idea if it would fit, or work (I don't get the maths, geometry or physics of what I'm doing I just look at stuff, size it up roughly, throw it together and hope for the best). It worked! There's only a couple of milimeter's gap between the smallest chain-ring and the frame, which means the front derailleur can't reach the small ring but I'm happy being able to use the two larger ones.
Now I'm running a Biopace chain-ring on my Xtracycle! Mock me if you like. I'm happy with the result.

(Replaced brake pads with a little more tread)
I pulled some flash looking brake pads off an old bike at the Tip Shop. I think I paid a couple of dollars for them. Too much really they aren't very good but at least there's some rubber and my bike will stop.

(Flat surface peddle belonging to a Giant Hibrid bike)
Second 'Softening' agent I applied to the bike were these standard Giant Hibrid peddles. I had been using some pretty decent metal peddles which had good bearings and great grip but they were chewing up my thongs! I usually ride in thongs or bare feet and rarely wear shoes, the grippy spikes in the old peddles had already worn holes right through three pairs of thongs, including a couple of emergency replacements I'd scored from the side of the road! I've been riding on these peddles for about two weeks now and the bottom my thongs are completely in tact!

Having replaced these few items with stuff that cost me next to nothing my bike is back on the road full time! The net result of my efforts is that I now have a softer ride.

Major points of softness I have added:

1. Gear shifter - I can change gears... ergo it's easier to peddle than when I'm stuck in top gear.
2. Biopace Chain-ring - Biopace eccentricity reduces the pressure needed on down stroke while maintaining constant drive to the rear wheel. Resulting in less pressure on the knees of rider.
3. Peddles - I don't do hard core BMX or mountain-biking. Flat peddles are fine for urban cycling on a heavy bike. These are softer on my footwear and softer on my feet.

Bikey Boy rap...!

2011-09-19T22:00:00.002+09:30

The family went out without me on Saturday night. I had a busy day and came home to an empty house!

I'm pretty sure it was the first time in a couple of years! I could have done anything but I wasted my time on the computer again..! Well it wasn't a total waste of time, I did manage to play my own choice of music on the sterio... through the speakers! As loud as I wanted! YEH!

Sam took the kids to the NT Schools concert IMAGINE. They were bombed out when they got back so we put the kids to bed and Sam told me all about the show. Apparently there were plenty of great performances but what the kids really liked was. The Bikey Boys from Nyirripi!

She was sure I'd like them and insisted that we look them up on Youtube straight away. We did, and I do!

Check out their video it's very cool!

Bikey Boys From Nyirripi

Some great lyrics in this song, fun dancing but, strangely, the Bikey Boys only have one bike between the lot of them!

"My bike is a bird, I fly around town.
Looking for food, crawling on the ground.
Watch out because it might be you.
There's no tellin what my bike bird could do"

Or how about this line?

"...It's me, My bike, and the dirt road!"

The beginning of the song reminded me of a section in the middle of 'The Brothers Cup' by Red Hot Chilli Peppers, a little bit.

What is the message in this song?
BIKES ARE FUN!
Rap On Boys.. and get yourself some more bikes!

Singing hypocricy

2011-09-18T00:17:00.003+09:30

On Friday I attended my child's School Assembly.
Wow! They've changed a lot since I was a kid! The Children are actually involved in running the school assembly, there are awards, and performances and it's heaps of fun. The principal still addresses school discipline issues but there is an amazing amount of collaborative work involving the kids as well.

Anyway I'm straying from the issue I wanted to raise. During school assemblies, everyone stands to sing the National Anthem. I have to admit I haven't even heard it for years, we used to sing God Save the Queen.
We did sing Advance Australia Fair during my last years at school but... well... I wasn't there that often! I don't recall ever going past the first verse anyway. I am sure I've heard it before but a lot has changed in this country since I heard it!

So we're standing at attention... I sing heartily for the first verse... then "La da di da da da dada, da da de da da daaaaaaa" (I tried to keep the tune but didn't really have a chance so I just shut up and listened!)

And was horrified to hear these words...

"...For those who've come across the seas
We've boundless plains to share;
With courage let us all combine
To advance Australia fair..."

I don't often think of myself as a particularly patriotic person, I tend to oscillate between various states of mind when it comes to the role of obtrusive political systems, Governments, nations etc... For practical purposes though I do understand and respect the role of nationhood. The Laws, and the significance of documents such as our constitution, a flag under which we might affiliate and an anthem which reflects the spirit of the people of the land we belong to. I get why we might need such things as a means of cooperating and unifying etc... These are the structures that allow us as individuals to align ourselves with our countrymen under a code of honour of sorts. We respect the basic tenets of our society. And that's why Constitutional Law is taken so seriously, or to deface a National Flag is considered to be extremely offensive.

So how is it that we have allowed our Government to pervert the laws of our land to such an extent that they can change them whenever the law does not suit their own agenda, in this case their anti Refugee Policies?

If Nationhood means anything. If it is expected that we, as free thinking individuals, should willingly stand in obedience to the symbols of our nation and sing a National Anthem; then surely the words contained in this song must have meaning!

As I watched my child proudly singing I felt a deep sense of shame! We have sold our children a lie and they are loyally singing it to us in their morning devotions! Whatever shall we do about this terrible treachery?

Change the National Anthem?

"For those who come across the seas...
We've not a crumb to spare.
Steel bars and razor wire,
are all, that you'll, find there!"

If I advise the School that I do not want my child to sing the National Anthem it is not because I don't love my country! It is because I cannot bear the thought that our children are being used to propagate a myth!

Peace!

Beautiful Bike Art

2011-09-15T23:12:00.001+09:30

Back in November last year I thought I'd search the internet for articles about cycling in Darwin. That was when I first read an article by Mike Rubbo on his blog Situp-cycle.com. I think he actually came all the way to Darwin just to find out about our bicycle culture and what it was like to ride a bike in the only state in Australia where cyclists haven't been hit over the head with draconian Helmet laws. I was surprised to find that he had actually done a bit of research, provided some statistics and even created a short documentary film to share his experience of cycling in Darwin. See Darwin Shows the Way.

Mike is a Sydney based cyclist/blogger who happens to be an advocate for the mode of cycling he calls Sit-up cycling. It's a kind of attitude toward riding or a philosophy of normalizing the bicycle as a legitimate urban transport option. You can read his blog if you want a detailed definition of this.

(Riding with a guitar by Mike Rubbo)

Mike also happens to be quite a good artist and he specializes in, You guessed it... BICYCLE ART!

Now there's a whole heap of great propaganda Art around the bicycle activist scene, a lot of what I've seen is related to event posters, either hand drawn and reproduced or art produced using fancy graphic art computer programs. Mike's art is quite different to everything else I've seen. He uses three main mediums, Rubbings, Lino-Cuts and Solar-prints. The effects are absolutely beautiful! I love the swirling scratchy lines he produces particularly in the rubbings. They have such a soft and mystical feel. People and bicycles communing with the elements of wind, light and movement. All aspects are linked with flowing lines that barely separate the subjects from the their backgrounds. It's as though the person, the bike and the environment are somehow all united. I really love this stuff. If you're into Bicycle Art (does such a genre even exist) Check out his Bicycle Art Blog. It's well worth taking a tour through his amazing images.

These images allow me to dwell, if only for a short time, in a kind of transportation Utopia. A place where cars are scarce and people have more time to enjoy the pleasures of the outdoors as they cycle contentedly about their daily business, to work, shops, school or just having fun.
I am reminded of H.G Wells quote:

"Every time I see an adult on a bicycle, I no longer despair for the future of the human race."

Peace!

Clean up Day at Rapid Creek

2011-09-14T14:31:00.001+09:30

On Sunday as I cycled along the bike path between the horse stables and the creek, I was still oblivious to the fact that the banner I'd failed to read on several other passes was promoting something that I was actually interested in....

However when I rolled toward the 'Red Footbridge' near the freshwater barrage I realized my foolishness for not having read the sign!

As the bridge came into focus, so too did a pile of white and yellow bags filled to the brim with rubbish, discarded bottles, cans and those inflatable foil wine bladders!

(Rapid Creek Landcare Member - with bags - Name omitted due to my shocking memory)

The sign was promoting the Rapid Creek Clean-up Day and I had made other arrangements! I remember saying on previous years that I would definitely help...

I rode past under a cloud of shame as others were dutifully collecting all the trash bottles and debris produced by the abundance of human apathy. (hey I really love the creek OK!) Most of the stuff had been left there by local drinkers, too pissed, ignorant or just plain sick to clean up after themselves. (A complicated series of problems that we could probably find strong correlations between the health of the people and the state of our natural environment but let's not go there now)

I had a brief chat with a couple of the people there but had to keep on moving, promising I'd lend a hand if they were still going when I returned.

By the time I got back to the Clean-up Base Camp most of the volunteers had gone home, but a huge pile of bags filled with trash remained leaning against a tree. Tara the organizer of the clean-up event was still there. I apologized for not paying attention to the sign and missing out on the clean-up to which she replied, "There's still plenty of rubbish lying around" Then I was asked which colour bag I'd prefer to use... Lucky for me I wasn't looking for excuses!

They'd already cleaned away a massive amount of trash but with so much there is always some remaining. I was pointed in the direction of a patch that may have been missed and off I went, bag in hand.

I have to say walking along the banks of Rapid Creek on my own and collecting rubbish turned out to be quite a special experience. I was only out there for about an hour but in that time I removed a huge variety of plastic bags, bottles, a bicycle wheel and even a blanket. I also got to explore parts of the creek that I don't usually see. As I walked I began to slow down and listen to the environment around me. Even though I wasn't very far from the road, I could still hear the traffic, but there was a serene quietness around me that I found quite soothing. I saw several species of birds and sat in the shade of a majestic Milkwood tree. Once my bag was full and I'd cleared, what was a reasonable amount of junk away from the creek, I headed home feeling somehow more content and happy, more centered than I recall feeling for a while.

(Sample of what can be found along Rapid Creek before the Land Care Group does it's thing)

Over the years my relationship with Rapid Creek has swung from being particularly concerned with the future of the creek and it's amazing riparian habitats, to one of detachment as I felt my concerns for environmental degradation tearing me up inside until I had to step back. I have always enjoyed the creek, riding along the cycle paths, paddling on the ocean side of Trower Rd, the unusual fermenting smell of the mangroves even the hoards of fruit bats that rise from their roosts in the evening. Somehow though after having collected rubbish on Sunday my concern and desire for a connection with the creek have once again grown into a need to actively love and care for this very special space. I love the paperbark swamps that drain a pure cool and clean water, filled with small fish, crustaceans and all kinds of micro and macro invertebrates. I love the shady banks, the gnarled roots and the delicate ferns they support. I love the deep straight channels of fresh water flowing strongly through swamp box and the cool dark riparian undergrowth full of frogs and forest birds. I love the wide inlet where fresh and salt waters mingle and I love the abundance of life that flourishes around the mouth of the creek as it releases it's fresh water into the open sea.

I have shared all these things with my children who have come to know this water too. For them it is normal to watch egrets wander between the horses and cows at Rapid Creek Stables, or look down from the bridge to see garfish swimming against the tide. They know to expect a kingfisher or two on their way to the park at Jingli and that if they're lucky maybe a tree snake or the occasional Shell Duck on the footbridge. These are all part of life when you live near Rapid Creek.

It's time to commit to the glorious Rapid Creek while it still possesses all those magical qualities that other urban creeks and rivers have been robbed of! It's time to make a firm commitment to care more deeply and intentionally for a creek that has already given so much to me!

Balancing the message

2011-09-10T16:05:00.000+09:30

Have you heard of the Ginger Ninjas?
If you search them online you'll find a few staggered blog posts, a pretty cool website, maybe some photos of their South American human powered musical tour on bicycles with some pretty radical bikes (Xtracycles, they're awesome!) and you should be able to find a variety of doco style short videos.

I followed their progress through US and Mexico but there were many breaks in transmission... and I thought they'd given up but actually it turns out they were just absorbed in the actual experience of doing it and... well succeeded in unplugging from the virtual world for a while.

Anyway they're trying to release a video of their 2007 tour, which I think will be pretty awesome to watch because they are a band who carry all their gear on bicycles and uses their bikes to generate power for amps electronic instruments etc... and they Ride Xtracycles... and they're just doing it!
Apparently the mad idea to 'Ride to Belize' came up when someone misinterpreted the words of one of their songs! Someone shouted it out and all of a sudden they're packing their gear and cycling away from California on a wild adventure across Mexico headed through some pretty rough and hilly terrain for Belize!

You gotta see it.

I have to thank Adrienne from 'Change your life Ride a bike' for posting on this one first Here. I've subscribed to the Ginger Ninjas blog for ages but their posts are so irregular that I kept thinking they may have come to grief out on the Big broad Highway of life. Nahh They're just out there somewhere doing what the rest of us only dare to read about.

I hope they are able to complete this film, I'm sure there will be plenty of drama to keep us enthralled but honestly I'd watch it just to see them dragging all that gear through the mountains on their bikes!

Drama Sells!

2011-09-10T00:07:00.003+09:30

"How did we become like this?"

"What?"

"Well... more like Fascist state of Italy during WWII than a free egalitarian democratic country of swaggies, larakins freedom lovers and lovable misfits like we want everyone to think we are."

"Oh... That! It's all about Marketing!"

"What?"

"Well it goes something like this. People make money by selling stuff. All electronic media sources such as TV, Radio and even the Internet are able to operate without charge to the end user because they provide advertizing space for people who want to sell stuff to the listeners, watchers, browsers, 'The Audience' right?"

"Yeh right...."

"Well in order to secure lucrative advertizing they have to attract an audience."

"OK...?"

"Human nature, is kind of predictable! We are drawn to controversy... Drama. The marketing guys have us all figured out. You could try to get on the Telly and talk about love and peace but people get bored with it. It doesn't sell.
Drama sells... Drama is not confined to those convoluted programs labelled as 'Drama'. Drama is all the stuff that happens in peoples lives that the media make a living by telling us all about.
However we are at a new phase in media/news/current affairs, they 'produce' drama. And they refine the art of Drama until you get what we have now. Radio and Television programs full of manufactured 'conflict' because conflict is the essence of drama and drama sell; so conflict is a marketable commodity. People will listen to some over opinionated bastard spewing hate on the radio. Feeding ignorant fear, justifying resentment and preparing the audience to condone retaliation against perceived enemies. The best part about this style of media is that those who don't like them listen too, feeding fuel to the outrage! What happens then is the worst of all! The half baked issues concocted and manufactured for the purpose of creating drama for the sole initial and primary purpose of making lots of money for celebrity presenter and shareholders then become matters of 'public debate' and are considered the issues of significance to 'The Public'. The citizenry has been duped! Informed discussion and decision making highjacked and the pillars of our democracy exchanged for the facade of the set of a cheep TV fiction.
Everybody's listening, everybody's watching and most of us are buying it!

The more conflict produced the higher the drama content, the more listeners the greater sales value and on it goes.

This is not The Media providing information to the citizens of an informed democracy! This is a Marketing machine producing anxiety, fear and paranoia.... Drama. Inventing enemies, manipulating the perceptions of it's loyal trembling Consumer Audience. (A Consumer Audience Minion Army)"

"Oh.... And that's why we don't watch television anymore?"

"Exactly!"

"Oh, yeh... Right"

It just rained on my yard for the first time in months... The rain on the earth smells just like Bali! It's beautiful.

Week of thoughts

2011-09-08T21:33:00.000+09:30

"I've been contemplating...."
"What!?"
"You know... like thinking only... more deeply, possibly less strenuously but kind of making enough space in me for the bigger ideas to get in"
"Oh......" "You always were full of shit!"
"Yeh"

OK don't ask what I've been contemplating, It doesn't matter. I think I'll write on my blog. Some of the ideas we've talked about like the Myth of Retirement or Needs vs Wants and why it seems so hard for people to tell the difference. Not that there's anything wrong with wanting but it can tend to lead to necessary excesses of what you Don't Need or in the end even want...

Maybe I'll just write some of the simple lines of thought we've been playing with and leave it at that. The conversations have entertained me enormously lately.

Like when we were discussing insatiable desire for more.... and how even so called spiritual leaders seem to require all the very best of modern comforts and consumables... and you said we don't 'NEED' Money!

We live our days in the Mary Poppins school of thought when it comes to having lots of cash.... We are occupied usefully and we get enough to do the things we like and as Mary Poppins said "Enough is as good as a feast..."
Hey and didn't Sheryl Crow sing "It's not have'n what you want, it's Wanting what you have..." Or something like that?
And right now we do. Hey that's right... we do.

A big weekend at home in Darwin

2011-08-21T17:25:00.002+09:30

This weekend has been chock-o-block with activities! It's been an awesome cathartic experience of Music, dance, sailing and film. There are many ways to "Suck the Marrow..." and this week it's been with the aid of the Darwin Festival.

Friday - Attended Fun Run with Humphrey: My wife intended to take the kids while she waited for me to finish work... I called her to find out where she wanted to be picked up from and she ~~demanded~~ insisted I come in to Fun Run. There was laughing singing and loud music in the background... It sounded like fun so I headed in.

(Grey Panthers performing at Fun Run)

FUN RUN was awesome! There was so much positive energy at Raintree Park on Friday night you might have thought everyone was High! I stayed from 5:30 until 8:00 my wife and kids got there at 4!

The show was laced with all kinds of local acts from the Grey Panthers to the D City Rockers - Break Dancing crew. Humphrey gave us an aural history of the Greek Legend of Pheidippides while running the distance of a marathon on a treadmill! The dance crew who were accompanying Humphrey were incredible! They spread the love and smiles around and it was infectious! Darwin City was pumping! People were literally dancing in the street. Everyone was happy and smiling! It's hard to describe the sense of elation our whole family felt during and after this great show! (OK we don't get out much but Wow what an experience!)

I also took the opportunity to take child 2 for a Pedicab Ride! It was so cool! The Pedicab riders (It seems they are all female after dark.) were really friendly and happy to talk about their work, so I had a good chat with my rider about what it's like to be a Pedicab rider, I had been worried about the safety of riders at night and she did mention there is occasionally aggro from drivers but overall they are received well by people around town, and it's a great way to meet people. The riders I met were also enjoying the atmosphere generated by Fun Run!

Saturday Morning - Sailing lessons: It was a bit gusty and my head wasn't properly screwed on... I capsized twice! My poor crew must have been wondering what the hell I thought I was doing. We live and learn.

Important things for me to remember about sailing:

1. If you're going to let go of something in the middle of a tack, let it be the main sheet rather than the tiller! (If you let go of the main sheet you're not likely to capsize. If however you choose to let go of the tiller and pull tight on the main sheet..... well, Sailors just don't do that.)

2. DON'T let go of the Tiller!

Sailing Tally

3 capsize (once turtled), 2 grazed ankles, Several bumps on the head (hit by the boom! More than once!)

Capsized once during attempted Man overboard drill!

I went home with tail between legs but it was fun anyway. ;)

(Pretty sure this is a Cotton plant - Lee Point Reserve)

Saturday Afternoon - Walk with the family from Lee Point to Casuarina Nudist beach. It was a lovely walk and the kids found cotton. Feeling pretty good.

(Projector Bike)

Saturday Evening - Projector Bike! A bunch of happy cyclists met at the old Palmerston Town Hall in Darwin to join a small film festival on wheels! Projector bike consists of a 3 wheeled Danish Style Cargo Bike which holds a databeam projector and, I presume, a computer full of films and music. The audience all ride their bikes and follow the 'Projector Bike' around town to various locations suitable for projecting images onto a blank wall. This was such great fun and the crew of 3 organizers facilitated the ride beautifully. The films were all Australian Short films and all quite tame and heartwarming themes. As we rode from venue to venue the MC played some pretty cool music through his sound system and the two assistants controlled traffic so the rest of us could ride in a group and not be intimidated by other traffic.

Thanks guys I think everyone had a really great time! There was even a couple who'd chartered a Pedicab especially for the ride.

Saturday Night - Neil Murray at the Railway Club. I only found out about Neil Murray being in Darwin by mistake! I have not sought out events to go to during the Darwin Festival. Mostly I've found out about them via my wife and figured if she's encouraging me to go to something, I won't be looking any gift horses in the mouth. On Friday night before I went to pick them up I thought I'd check out the Railway Club in Parap. I hadn't been in there since, pre-marriage dancing lessons, er... about 12 years ago... long before the old place burned down. Anyway the doors were open so I thought I'd check it out on Friday afternoon and there in the foyer is a poster announcing Neil Murray will be playing Saturday Night! I really like listening to Neil Murray! He was due to start while I was at Projector Bike but I was determined to find a way to do both things.
On Saturday Night after Projector Bike I peddled my heart out as the show was over and headed for Parap pronto! I got there while he was performing the first set and met up with a couple of friends too! This is officially the biggest night out I've had since my first child was born! I have tried to see Neil Murray on several occasions but circumstances had not been generous... until now. I sat blissfully contented, my friends must have thought I was being anti social because I didn't want to talk at all! I just wanted to absorb the atmosphere... listen to Neil sing and enjoy the moment. Another awesome night! I loved the story Neil told about his Dad and the song was great too but what topped it off was the little jig he danced at the end. "Go Out Dancing!"

Neils songs are a great social commentary in Ballad and I really like his style but the Crowd really went off when he played the old Warumpi favorite "Black Fella -White Fella". The raw rock of that song really gets people motivated.

RIGHT ON!

When it was time to go my 2 friends had missed the last bus home so we picked up a spare bike I had stashed at a place near by and cruised home by bicycle. Putting the Xtracycle to good use one got a free ride home and kacked herself laughing all the way. Apparently sitting as a passenger on the back of a bicycle is a peculiar and hilarious mode of transport! It may be unusual and a little odd but she didn't offer to ride and I think when we got home she was well impressed with the ride.

Sunday - Teddybear picnic... Nuff Said!

Lost in Funk and loving it!

2011-08-17T02:16:00.000+09:30

I've just spent 3 hours searching the web for information about Sailing Canoes and submerging myself in Chili Pepper Funk!

I don't know if I want to cry or scream!
My eyes are stinging and the lids are sagging but I'm trapped in a frustrating fact!
All Talk and No Action!
I've gotta sweat out this caffeine so I can sleep and dream.

(Ready to take flight, what's holding me back?)

I'm full of inspiration and powerful compulsions but No talent! There is nothing forthcoming! My heart races with the tunes the beat and I've got nothing to make, no words no art. I am Slumping!

(Maybe some space to think?)

Chill..... Listen to the FUNK... (I was never really into Funk... but it's having a strange effect on me... I am beginning to realize it's therapeutic powers...!) RELAX...
If there's nothing there, so be it! I am.

(Today I enjoyed what is and left the rest!)

Maybe I'll listen to more Funk and see what happens?

Art vs Border Worship

2011-08-14T18:48:00.001+09:30

Remember when the last census was held and a bunch of people listed Jedi as their religion?

It was kind of funny but also kind of a mockery of our political system not to mention legitimate religions (on account of I assume many of those who registered as Jedi Knits don't actually adhere to any of the principals that such an order might require... if it actually existed).

Anyway with the very real Humanitarian crises our country appears committed to contributing to I happened to be reading an article the other day that referred to current attitudes toward immigration and providing asylum to those in need. The article written by Elenie Poulos referred to a social condition that the author has labeled 'Border Worship'. It is a scary situation which has already caused our leaders to condemn many people to a fate we should all be ashamed of. Maybe in this years Census, in the interests of producing a more accurate national profile, I wonder how many of us would qualify to register our religion as Xenophobe, Border Worshipers of the, media hyped justification, paranoid variety?

I was just wondering... that's all.

If you're into participating in the propaganda machine there's no end to the Government Spin, media manipulation, Scape Goat Politics and Downright Bastardry.... in the media.The truth, as I see it, is that as a Nation we are supporting policies that contribute to the unnecessary perpetuation of misery anguish and suffering of our fellow human beings and what is worse we are committing children to a future that is dominated by fear and uncertainty. God help them.

If you'd prefer to get to know just who it is that we're Locking up or having 'detained' in prison camps across Northern Australia, and now Malaysia, soon PNG, then head down to the Supreme Court in Darwin over the next week and check out the Exhibition 'Footprints of my heart' which features works of art created by Asylum Seekers who have been detained in the Darwin Detention Center. However if you attend please be on guard. You may be exposed to Works of Art that express Humanity, Love and true feeling. These are not qualities that those who would like to repel asylum seekers from our borders want you to know about!

Facts and rules for riders of the Cox Pen Rd

2011-08-07T17:29:00.004+09:30

I have just dragged myself off the couch to make a quick post about the ride around Darwin Harbour while I am semi conscious and before I flake out on the couch again!

This will be short but I thought I'd post in-case I lapse into a fatigue induced coma!
Based a ride I've just come back from and previous experiences riding around Darwin Harbour.

Date: 07.08.11
Ride: Leanyer - Mandorah
Departure: 5:30am
Arrival: 11:15am
Duration: 5hr 45min

Rules for riding the Cox Peninsular Rd
(These could apply to any long rides in the Top-End)

Leave home early.... very early! Better to ride in the dark than in the full heat of the day.
If someone offers to help you by carrying water and food DO NOT refuse!
Carry spare tube, puncture kit etc.... (If someone else carry's these things for you that's cool too)
Avoid carrying anything yourself. (I've never done an assisted ride but dam I wish I had!)
Water, Sunscreen, water, long sleeves, water, snacks and water are essential.
If you're riding in a Club Ride or expect that you will be in the same vicinity and don't want to be scoffed or laughed at purchase all the latest gear, bike, licra, computer etc... etc... (Kit under $4,000 may not cut it)
Try not to be on the road between midday and 4:00pm (The sun is a killer!)
Get some exercise before you go....

There's probably a few more rules but I'm getting queasy so will leave it at that!

Facts about riding the Cox Peninsular Rd
(The following information is based on my first hand experience... anyone wishing to dispute anything written below is free to accompany me on the next ride... You can carry all the shit!)

A 10 km commute each way to and from work 4 times per week is not enough training for a ride like this
If your not a super fit super fast rider and leave Darwin after 6:00am your going to be riding in the heat of the day.... (It's not pleasant riding the Cox Peninsular Rd in the heat of the day)
If you find yourself on the road after 12:00pm midday it is likely you are already feeling fatigued, you are going to suffer a sense of extreme demoralization, dehydration, aching knees and back, you may find yourself cursing every f--king thing you see on the road. The only consolation will be that all the really good riders have already passed you and it's likely that everyone else on the road is feeling the same way that you are... You might find yourself cursing them anyway just because they're there...
If attend a group ride on a bike that is anything over 10 years old and you wear stubbies shorts and a secondhand flouro safety vest people will laugh at you!
If you wear said clothing and stand too near the gate of the Mandorah ferry club riders will mistake you for ship's crew and ask you to help them with their bikes... You won't get a tip!
If you carry all your own stuff and find yourself amongst a pack of riders on flash new carbon fibre bikes you will not be able to slip stream them... You will chew their dust and you will be scoffed at.
If you carry your own stuff you can pull up whenever you like and have a picnic, (This is a good time to find a comfy position and watch the licra brigade pushing hard through the heat to the next watering point. (There are some bonuses to being as uncool as me)
If you find you got home a little bit late due to being under prepared, unfit and suffering all kinds of pain don't expect a hero's welcome... ;)

Dorky rider

Ride Summary
Left home (near Leanyer) 5:10am... forgot water, went back and filled up... Left home at 5:15am, got to the gate and realized one of my tail lights wasn't working, tried to fix it but fudged it instead and chucked it on top of the fridge.... Left home at 5:20am, forgot something else.... I can't remember what it was but I had to go back into the house to get it at great risk of waking family!
Left home at about 5:30am and cycled into the darkness feeling like I'd forgotten something but in no mood to return for it!
Had a great ride along the cycle path enjoying the starlight. (There was no moon). When I reached the usual turn off for the Stuart Highway I noticed the path continued ahead of me through what had been uncleared bushland last time I was there. I followed the path all the way to Howard Springs, it was awesome and I reckon it covers some really lovely country too. I'll have to get back and check it out during the day sometime, when my legs have recovered. Once at Howard Springs I had to double back to the main Rd to get back on the highway but it was well worth the detour.
Peddled into Noonamah at 7:00am, just in time to watch the sun rise. There had been a rodeo on Saturday night and there were people sleeping all over the place in swags and in the back of utes. A sign read 'Highway to Hell'. Ha!
Continued up the Stuart Highway munching on a cool fresh apple and grinning at my good fortune... Arghh the open road.
Arrived at Berry Springs pretty soon after feeling a little knee sore.. There was a food stop for the Club Riders who had registered for the Around the Bay ride with Darwin Cycling Club. Had a brief rest there and discovered one of my water bottles had split, chatted with the ride officials, who advised me that the first group had left Palmerston about half an hour previously, they'd be coming through pretty soon. I kind of wanted to stay and watch them pass through but thought I'd get the jump on them and pushed off.

Bunch of riders

Next stop was the Blackmore River for my obligatory photo next to the sign... I don't know why but I've done it every time... Just as I was getting an orange out of my bag I heard the whoosh of about 10 cyclists flying by.. Here they come. The first of 250 riders.
I jumped back on and peddled off after them... I had no chance. I was only half way around and was already flagging. The rest of the ride was grueling, as it always is. I struggled along, stopping for a drink or to eat some fruit.By the time I'd come to Mandorah the other riders around me weren't going so fast either.
I limped into Mandorah at about 11:15 and could see the ferry coming. When it arrived and the passengers had disembarked I lifted my bike onto the roof where it was surrounded by more carbon fibre than I've ever seen in my life, riders gingerly passed their precious cargo up to the top deck, flinching at every knock or scrape. Gratefully I stepped aboard and crashed into one of the inside chairs.
I looked around at the other riders, none of them seemed as stuffed as I was! They were all shining and smiling with fit capable bodies, I put on my bravest face and did my absolute best not to hobble.. but it was no use, it was obvious I'd hit the wall!

Mandorah Pier (With cyclists)

It took me an hour and a half to ride the 10 km home.

Reflection: At least this time I made it to Mandorah before midday. Good luck to those who were still on the road.

Pedicab crawl

2011-08-06T08:19:00.000+09:30

Awesome! There are now Pedicabs in Darwin!

Posted on Rickshaw Way

'The road to my survival'

2011-07-26T01:24:00.000+09:30

Stressed... I left work two weeks ago for some Time-Out!

Well a rather intensive week at Dhudupu Galiwin'ku, but sleeping under the stars and surrounded by some pretty special people, followed by a week in the bush with my wife and kids.

Before I left I was feeling crowded but isolated. Agitated by people and desperate for solitude, it's kind of ironic that I would spend the whole two weeks amongst people who, if I try to find the most accurate relational term to describe them, are, My Clan... A week amongst adopted Yolngu family, three days with just my wife and kids and then another three days amongst a strange and varied group of people, with whom I share the most critical of bonds! Amongst my own kind.

Magic happened while I was away... I needed it to! Somehow being on the land with the people of the land and with my own kind, fresh air, a fire, time space, sleep, peace... I am human!
I don't know how long the feeling will last but I know where to find 'The road to my survival'!

There's nothing much on my mind to write about but I thought I'd share a little whimsical excursion my mind took recently.

I've got this friend and lately I've been watching her behavior. I saw her over the weekend and couldn't help wondering if she's insane or maybe she's blessed or something else more obvious to the casual observer..?

This past weekend I have watched her glide about, her attitude was for giving, always inviting the lonely ones, the outsiders the most destitute and desperate... She always seems to be there, Available. Somehow as I watched her the tune of a song started up in my mind... It was 'Duncan' by Paul Simon. Boys are often lost and men can become destitute as Duncan, Broken spirits are revived and confidence returned when Eros visits. There's always a chance an Angel may visit.

With the tune of Duncan on my mind for the past couple of days I had to look it up on Youtube and discovered some more magic. I love to hear Paul Simon sing this song but something special jumped out at me while watching this version!

Careful with that mutika

2011-06-18T04:05:00.002+09:30

I am not sure how to approach this subject since it arouses quite a bit if anger within me and I feel the subject is terribly misunderstood by the general public and more specifically the Dominant Anglo Mutika (motor car) obsessed culture!

(Telltale markings on the road)

I have to write something but once again I doubt I will do it justice! Maybe this can be the preliminary for some more substantial writing about the issue of road safety and the basic human rights of pedestrians.

Once again on my way to work I came across the remains of a grisly scene. Spray painted marks on the road indicating the various points of impact and final landing place of various objects after having been impacted by a motor vehicle. As I rode down Bagot Road toward the city I noticed the markings one by one until reaching the unmistakable outline of a person!

Another body has been smashed on the road! As I ride to work it is not uncommon to ride across blood stains and fur from countless, bandicoots, rats, cats and sometimes dogs. Occasionally but far too often there is evidence that a person has been hit. Thursday was one of those days!

I am talking about Bagot Road which links Darwin city with it's Northern Suburbs. It is three lanes wide and carries what I would expect most cities would consider a moderate amount of traffic. The road divides the residential suburbs of Ludmilla and Coconut Grove from the patch of land containing the RAAF base and Airport. Along the outbound side of the road there are retail outlets, MacDonalds, Red Rooster, two Primary Schools, blocks of flats and the Bagot Aboriginal Community. The majority of the in bound side has only a strip of grass and trees seperating the road from a high cyclone wire fence behind which is the RAAF, there is no footpath and very little space to stand, the ground is sloping towards the road. There are several bus stops along the road with about 4 or 5 on the side which has no footpath and very little space for people to sit.

Here I think are some of the factors which I believe have contributed to far too many people being hit on this road.

1. Speed limit - 70 - 80 kmh

2. Lack of appropriate pedestrian crossings

3. Lack of appropriate lighting at key sites where people cross the road

4. Higher than usual number of pedestrians/ Public transport users

5. Higher than usual likelihood of people who are not familiar with road conditions (a lot of people who stay at Bagot actually come from Aboriginal communities where there aren't any busy roads)

6. Pedestrian Intoxication

7. Driver negligence
8. Insufficient space to stand at side of the road, sloping surface

I do not have any details about the facts involved in this recent accident and I would prefer not to speculate or try to draw any conclusions as to what happened on this occasion. However I would like to reflect on the attitudes that I come across when discussing the situation with people generally. I find their comments quite revealing and believe that it is popular Car Culture attitudes which have allowed this situation to continue without any 'meaningful' attempt to improve safety for pedestrians. (I use the word meaningful because there have actually been some attempts made to improve bus stops and crossing but they do not really address the real problems.)

These statements are a generalization and are not related to any empirical data, they are based only on general themes I have picked up on in discussion with people who are not experts... and were not present at the accidents. It is possible they may read a little too much of the local Tabloid or watch news on TV.

Q. What caused the accident

A. The the pedestrian was drunk and black

Q. Who was at fault

A. The pedestrian

Q. How could this have been prevented

A. He/She should stay off the road

Q. What about road conditions?

A. Not a problem.

Generally the answer I get is that The pedestrian was hit because they were drunk and stepped onto the road at night, weren't seen and an innocent driver hit them.

Those hit aren't always black or drunk but there seems to be a general sense that this is the reason why people are hit by cars on Bagot Road. When the situation varies though people often seem just as willing to blame the victim of the incident rather than consider that there might be some other serious causes for the incident. For instance when a cyclist was hit a couple of years ago I remember the major point of discussion was whether or not he was wearing a helmet! It seems the blame for the accident could be shifted from the driver to the cyclist simply because he didn't have a helmet on when the car hit him!

Personally I find this situation quite intolerable and because it will result in more people being killed or maimed unnecessarily. I don't want to be one of them.

I will try to post on this subject in more detail when I have time to compose a constructive argument. But I would like to ask a few questions which I have asked several people I know and received somewhat negative feedback.

1. What if the speed limit was reduced to 60km. (how much time would actually be lost?

2. Would pedestrian crossings or lights make it safer for people to cross the road going to or from the buss stop?

3. Would improved lighting crossing the road near a buss stop increase visibility of pedestrians?

4. Would drivers pay attention to signs alerting drivers to the presence of pedestrians make them more cautious?

I am not blaming drivers for this situation. I still don't know any of the facts that contributed to this latest incident and would hate to attribute guilt to anyone involved, it's not my place to do that. I have been in the situation more than once when an intoxicated pedestrian has stepped onto the road at night and it is a frightening situation. I have learned that there are times and places when this is more likely and I slow right down, regardless of what the other traffic is doing! Really I would just like to take a look at the whole situation and challenge some of the popular thinking on this subject in the hope that a solution might present itself.

Surely we must be capable of putting our fundamental responsibility for the care of human life before our perceived rights as drivers of motor vehicles?

Long bike out of action

2011-06-15T18:28:00.001+09:30

Time to give the trusty Xtra-long treadly a spell.
After 2 years and 10 months of daily commuting and general getting about, The Xtracycle is officially off the road!

It's been my main mode of transport for nearly 3 years but is now in desperate need of an overhaul.

List of stuff that is somewhat broken or just doesn't work any more....

- Saddle (vinyl split and cushion exposed)
- Brake pads (warn out)
- Brake cables (stiffening)
- Snap Deck (Laminated sheets separating, timber veneer splitting)
- Rear gear (shifter just won't grip the cable any more)
- Bottom Bracket (warn out, bearing case rusted and busted. Axel...)

(What's left of axle and bearings... There were insects (cicadas) in there!)

(Brakes, saddle, gear selector. Stuff that isn't cutting it)

I had intended to fix most of those bits and pieces that should be considered general maintenance but could never find a spare moment... The final straw came when I was slightly unwell one day and found myself grinding away in a bad gear, the chain ring moving in a sideways motion and too much friction radiating from the center bracket. I stopped the bike looked down at the play in the chain ring and found myself unable to continue at even a moderate pace. I limped the bike home and dreaded riding it again! (I rode it one more time when I went looking for Rosellas but found it was no longer fun!)

Now that my favorite machine is off the road I am alternating between two other bikes.

1. The Train-bike - An old Beach Cruise with an alleycat extension and a Weerider for taking the kids out and about.

2. The Pink Wonder - My old Shogun Katana road bike, for commuting and longer tours.

I have to say I am really enjoying being back on the road bike. It's a bike that fit's me perfectly and, (when I can stop the rear wheel from rubbing on the left chain stay!)it gets me to work 10 minutes quicker with energy to spare.

Lately this is the bike I've been taking out for morning rides. The speed allows me to get further and see more before having to turn back home in time for the family breakfast routine.

The morning rides are like a return to some kind of sanity... problem is that they make the other things I do... like work, seem somewhat less sane.

This morning I had the alarm set for 4:30am but was too tired to get up, but woke again at 5:15am, which is slightly too late for me to get as far as I would prefer, but I decided to ride anyway.

The moon had almost set and unfortunately the batteries on my headlight were waning, I was really struggling to stay on the path, it became really difficult with all the bicycle traffic coming the other way shining extremely bright lights in my eyes. I reckon there were about 30 bikes on the path between Karama and Palmerston this morning. The air was so fresh, but the conditions were perfect for riding fast, no sweat... (well not much sweat anyway).

By the time I reached the Palmerston bicycle overpass the sky was beginning to lighten up so I decided that would be far enough. It's not a bad spot to turn around, so I rolled back down the hill to the Robertson Baracks junction and sat for a while watching the sky change color as more and more bicycles rolled on past.

5 minutes of bliss before shooting off home as the sun began it's trajectory... (well the earth actually but you know what I mean)

Unlikely miles

2011-06-13T22:52:00.001+09:30

The relaxing weekend that never was!
It was meant to be a four day long weekend family retreat. We were going to roast marshmallows on the fire!
Plan as much as you like sometimes The Fates have other ideas!

We headed off late on Friday planning to spend a long long weekend at a Cattle Station/camp site just south of Adelaide River. Well... actually four days including a brief interruption, where by we all jump back in the car on Saturday so Dad (I) can attend his sailing lesson and then drive back before it gets dark.... But besides that we were meant to be sitting back watching horses poo and eating marshmallows by the fire!

It happened that this weekend was the week of the Adelaide River Show. Held at by the Adelaide River Show Society... or (ARSS), we really wanted to go but were diverted by forces more powerful!

Well the first thing that went wrong was I left the darn marshmallows at home which threw a major spanner in the works! At least we saw the Ghan crossing Adelaide River bridge... worth a few points with the kids but definitely not as much as marshmallows!

Then the expensive battery operated lantern fizzed out and we had no light... ,we were advised that under no circumstances should we drink the water... (which we'd been drinking over the past 2 days), then at sometime around midnight we are woken up by the police and advised that we are camped in an official disaster area and we'd have to leave first thing in the morning! Apparently risk of poisoning. I expect the matter has been in the news but I won't elaborate.

As we were preparing to leave we were humbugged by a media helicopter which amused the kids for about 5 minutes but essentially was just plain annoying.

We figured it'd be nice to visit Kakadu so headed off toward Pine Creek, scoffed a pie, bought a hot coffee each... (for the adults) and wandered over to the big windmill to stretch our legs. Out front of the museum/library we happened across the old Furphy portable water tank with a strange inscription on the side. The information plaque beside it explained that what many people assume is Arabic script is actually a 'Temperance' message in 'Pitman's Shorthand' and reads "Water is the gift of God, but beer and whiskey are concoctions of the devil, come and have a drink of water" Cool Eh! We were both quite impressed... I mean in this day and age of controlled drinking programs and various other state endorsed attempts to 'reduce harm' caused by drinking, it seems quite quirky and odd to see a private firm expressing such a blatantly anti alcohol message... however I guess they were in direct competition with producers of beer and whiskey... and I suppose carts such as the one that carried the Furphy water tank are what was referred to as 'The Wagon' or the Water Wagon.

Off we go again and it's up the Kakadu Highway and into the big park. I hadn't been that way for ages and thought it would be a great road to ride on a motorbike or bicycle. We were soon running out of fuel so stopped at the Mary River Roadhouse, nothing much to comment on there except they still make sure you pay for your fuel before filling the tank, and I saw the most immaculate Norton Commando I think I've ever seen so far from a major town and not a drop of oil staining the bitumen beneath it! Drooling I drove on!

...I think it's at about this point that we'd actually blown our meager budget.

I realized somewhere along this road that I'm totally over driving! Now all I want to do is toast marshmallows on the fire and read a book! What on earth are we doing spending all this time on the road?! As I drove I kept spying spots along the way where I'd camp if I were cycling... The kids were getting restless in the back and we just looked at each other and asked why are we doing this?

We found a quiet camp area with plenty of space, a free fire site and plenty of fresh water... time to set up camp. Hallelujah! Set up the camp again, lay out the rugs, set the kettle, light the fire and we're settled again. That camp was just what we needed, if only we could have stayed a few days, I think we would all have begun to unwind.

We didn't stay of course! Time to pull up the camp and off we go again at some time around 10:00am. Rolling down the road, this time a little slower, slightly more relaxed and at ease. Visited a few of the quieter camp sites we hadn't been to before and discovered some pretty decent places to visit next time. There was time enough for a walk at one of the famous rock art sites, the one near the Anbangbang area which is no longer called what we used to call it and unfortunately I can't remember it's name now.

Used the last of our cash to buy fuel from a temporary petrol station at Jabiru, rolled on down the road, picked up the dog on the way home, saw 7 Jabiru (birds) on the way and lurched the car into the driveway with the fuel light flashing and just over a thousand ks on the trip meter... Stinking of smoke and sweat, a few scratches from collecting firewood and feeling somewhat more content than we should.

Oh yeh... we found the marshmallows and scoffed the lot down in seconds! There was frantic clawing at the packet and demonic laughter in the air!

Philosophy or wisdom gained?

When approaching the road, even if it's a familiar one, don't assume you know where it leads!

Water craft (canoe)

2011-06-03T23:16:00.000+09:30

Where to paddle?

You can cast me with the dreamers and see if I float!

For too long I've wanted to sail but done nothing about it! I hadn't realized how long I'd been dreaming (and talking) about it until I ran into a guy I used to work with who happened to ask me if I'd sailed around Australia yet!

"What?!" How did he know I'd been thinking about boats, sailing, the sea and fascinating exotic coasts lately?

When I asked, "What do you mean?", he just laughed and said, "You've been talking about that for years!"

Talk talk talk! That's about all I've done! Of course I haven't been in a position to just up stumps and set sail, I have responsibilities! But what good is just dreaming and boring people with 'one of these days' stories?

Well a few months ago I decided to do something about it and I bought my very first water going vessel! An old canoe from the tip shop!

It floats and paddles well but there aren't many places close to home that I can paddle it! So I'd been playing with the idea of turning it into an outrigger sailing canoe... I was getting pretty excited about how I might make it when the next step in my sailing life occurred. My wife suggested I could do a sailing course at one of the local Yacht clubs.

So last night I attended my first theory session and discovered there is quite a bit of physics involved with sailing a yacht! Suddenly the idea of chucking a few poles across the deck of my canoe, attaching a piece of polly pipe and erecting a couple of poles and a sheet (a sail not the piece of rope that controls the direction of the sail!), might get me into more trouble on the water than I'd expected! I learned about the significance of a keel and a whole bunch of other stuff that kind of blew my naive dream out of the water... or potentially onto a 'lee shore!'.

Yes marooned on a Lee Shore is where I could end up if I try to sail without a keel... Or capsized if I were to try to fix a sailboard mast to the hull of my vessel without any way of lowering the sail!

Ha already practical reality is taking the place of ignorant dreaming.. I hope as I continue through the course I will be able to maintain some of the romantic naivety that inspired me wonder about what could be just over the horizon!

Now I'm looking at the old canoe with fresh eyes!

Now I'm really pumped! They're only baby steps

riding pre dawn

2011-05-31T20:20:00.003+09:30

For most of my life I've been an early riser.

Even back when I was about 10 years old I'd wake up at 6:00am and take off on my bike. I remember being bored and totally impatient as I waited sometimes for hours outside one friends house looking for signs of life... waiting for someone to wake up and come outside...

When I was a teen I helped friends with their paper rounds and really got a kick out of riding around the suburbs while it was still dark and most people were barely stirring in their beds!

When I left school and got a job, I bought a motorbike and found I needed a lot more money than the supermarket was paying so I got a second job cleaning at a local University.... 4:30am start!

Some time after that I hit the jackpot and got a job as a Postal delivery officer where I thought I had it made! 5:30am start and go home as soon as the mail is delivered! I loved it! There's so many stories I'd love to tell about that job but I've been sworn to secrecy! (I'm serious!) Somewhere along the way the Postal service went through what you might call a cultural change, the milk and honey ran out and one day I found myself in a field of thorns... 'Time to hit the road!'

I left that job and went back to school... learned to type and use the dreaded computer (Like I've written before), stupid machine! The next thing I know 10 years have passed and I've been working in an office, staying up late every night sleeping in... till 7:00am! Sleep deprived and forgetting how much I missed the dawn!

So now that I've nearly kicked that habit I've been waking early again and re-uniting with the bliss of 5:00am quiet streets, cool breeze and the scent of freedom! Sendiri saja!

On ~~Sunday~~ Saturday morning I was woken up at 4:30am, I wretched the Shogun Katana out from a tangle of vines, put some air in the tires and went for a quick spin down the bicycle path to Palmerston. Still too early to turn back I decided to head for Chanel Island when I discovered the new boat ramp and jetty at the Elizabeth River Bridge. I crossed the bridge then decided to turn back and gaze at the stars from the jetty. I've heard the planets are forming some kind of alignment, I don't know which ones I was looking at but there were about three clustered around a crystal clear crescent moon just before dawn. The rail bridge was alive with micro bats serenading each other in the dusky light. It was beautiful. I got home sometime around 7:00am just as everyone was waking up.

(Drawn impression -human admiring the moment when the night is met by the dawn)
(I forgot my camera!)

This morning there was far less moonlight for riding so I went for a shorter ride earlier in the morning. An early morning mission to collect Rosellas from a the scrub just a few kms from home. Unfortunately there appeared to be no plants... strange because every other year there have been masses of them. Maybe Parks and Wildlife rangers sprayed them all? I'll have to go back in the daylight to check. Anyway there is only two days before the New Moon which meant the moon was waxing and only a thin sliver of light and to the right I think Venus? I don't know, I'll have to look it up. I came home without the loot I intended, but feeling the energy and lust for life entering my body!

This afternoon I surged home on my early 80s Mixte ladies bike and left a couple of licrad up speedsters to chew on my dust! I don't know if they were racing me but they must have felt pretty weak being thrashed by a fella riding a 30 year old ladies bike in the sitting up position. Arrgh!

What is obsolete?

2011-05-21T01:13:00.002+09:30

Eliminating what I don't need, despite the waste!

Way back in 1999 we bought our first computer. A Compaq Presario It was very exciting. I can't remember why we bought it, there was something about spreadsheets, word documents but mainly I think I thought it would be cool, and I could veg out and play video games. We wanted something that would retain it's usefulness for years to come. We were both working so could afford a decent machine and they weren't as cheep as they are now. It was a big investment and we fell for the hype that we just had to have one... I think back then we also bought a big TV too!

Looking back I can't believe how much we paid for our machine, but we were assured that this model would outlast most others in the market. Unlike the cheaper ones it had a DVD ROM (No burner... nobody had those!), and 2 USB ports which was also uncommon, but may prove to be handy in 'The Future' and a ZIP drive which was the mass storage hardware of the future. There was a whopping 15 Gig of space on the hard drive and it had 250 mb of RAM.

I have to say that the computer did actually change my life. At the time we got it I hadn't had any experience with typing. I used two fingers and looked at the keyboard, only staring at the screen to proof what I'd written! I was slow.

I was working as a Postie and had plenty of free time but I spent most of it playing games! Somewhere along the way I got up the nerve to leave my secure job and actually went back to school... At TAFE I learned to type and somehow found myself writing essays, reports and stuff like that. (Believe me it's not what I thought I'd be doing so long after having dropped out of school) The skills I learned using that computer enabled me to get office jobs. When I was a kid that was a big deal! I had dropped out of Tech, and never thought I'd work in an 'Office!'. I didn't really want to but that's not the point. (actually one teacher informed me that I would be unemployable)

(Now here I am dreaming about making earth bricks in a remote community...! anyway back to the computer story)

The old computer served us well for about 7 years, in that time we upgraded it with by installing more RAM, shoving in a new Hard Drive and installing a CD burner. After 7 years though it had become obsolete. It just couldn't be upgraded enough to run the programs we wanted to use, we were going to have to get a new one. This is when I realized just how wasteful we can be. PC's were designed to work like a kit. You play around with the components and build them up as you go. I thought many of the parts were meant to be interchangeable and so I expected that, I'd be able to pull out the motherboard and reinstall a new one into the box. After all it's just a box with ventilation, a power supply, and the necessary gaps and spaces for all the peripheral stuff you plug in. Well as you would guess that isn't how things work. There's a manufacturing principal called 'Planned Obsolescence' which pretty much guarantees that when they produce a new product the manufacturers make damn sure that it won't just fit into the space where your old one used to sit! A new product has to occupy it's very own space in the market and everything old must be thrown away! People must have the latest stuff!

In the end we bought a whole new computer, even though most of the parts from the old one would have continued to work for at least a few more years! I have held onto the old machine for the past 4 years or so since we got the new one but now I've decided to get rid of it! It is such a shame. the box is still in perfect condition and it will likely end up in the land fill, not even used for scrap metal...

I have been struggling to make sense of this sort of thing for a long time but have only now decided that it's OK that it makes no sense. Don't bother trying to understand why it's like that... it just is. Put it down to yet another crazy things people do, marvel at the colossal waste, but don't worry...

It will all be obsolete some day. Rather than worry about it I think I'll sit under a tree and learn to tie knots in a rope. Its bound to come in handy some day, you never know when your ocky straps might snap... ;)

Just burst the bubble!

2011-05-20T00:16:00.000+09:30

Not sure where to start this post but today I determined that I would write something.

To begin with the dry season is here! Yes.... The mood is shifting as that feeling like Spring fever takes over and the body and soul bristle with anxious energy and anticipation of moving into an exciting season.

A combination of the change of seasons, a series of profound coincidences (I can't elaborate it would ruin the whole experience!) and a desperate desire to shift gear and direction have allowed me to Burst a Bubble that I had been shrouded in for several YEARS!

Various domestic responsibilities coupled with my insatiable desire to explore, wander and drift had caused me to spend too many evenings living vicariously via the virtual world of the Internet!

I've discovered a lot of great stuff in here and found ways to take part and even contribute. There is so much information, entertainments and distractions but ultimately it's not a real life! Actually I think the 'net' result has only been to piss my wife off and make me crave a real life even more... not to mention the amount of sleep I've lost!

Now since I'm writing in this internet blog it's obvious that I am not giving it away completely! But I have decided to quit browsing and drop all superfluous subscriptions. I have explored the social networking gig and found it extremely unsatisfying... Just like mainstream media these things appear only to create status anxiety and take up valuable time that could be spent far more creatively!

Did you know that when you shut down your Facebook account the spying little creep of a thing presents you with a list of your closest friends who will miss you when you're gone! Ha! Not Bloody Likely! Actually if you want to know how many 'friends' you have shut down your Facebook and see who calls you to see what's up.... (If the phone doesn't ring, don't worry it just means that you are free to follow your dreams without the hindrance of unnecessary cometary)

Now that the dry is here we are spending heaps more time outside. I've fallen back into my old habit of going to bed before midnight and rising before dawn! The mornings have been awesome! We've managed to go on some great little rides around Casuarina Coastal reserve with the kids. Parks, playgrounds and even blowing bubbles in the back yard!

(bubbles! Try it it's FUN!)

Cycling in the dry is much the wetter more humid months!I arrive at work dry and fresh and there are heaps more bikes on the road but the head winds tend to make the trip home a bit slower. I'm not complaining! Even though the Long Bike needs a major overhaul I can't bear not riding it to work every day so will postpone the fix up for another month!

Like I said in the previous post I have dragged a rusty old project from the tangle of vines in the back yard. The poles and U-bolts I pulled from our old trampoline have sufficed as a temporary fix until I find the right size tubing that I can bolt to the frame. I'd love to have the time, space and gear to fix it right up but I will be getting rid of it as soon as it's presentable!

(Four wheeled mobile)

Maybe I'll post here again but if not... Don't worry I'm probably actually living my Tao!

Gardening for broke!

2011-04-30T00:12:00.002+09:30

Demise of a green space
The little front yard garden took a pounding this year!
Having lost two wet season crops in a row this season I discovered the most sinister of causes... The gardeners contracted by our body corporate had poisoned all my lemon grass, basil and snake beans! I caught the guy actually applying the poison while I was off work one day and couldn't believe my eyes!

Over the past couple of years I'd had pretty decent crops of snake beans which were providing our family with some pretty regular snack food and great shade for the north facing window! Our kids had become accustomed to picking beans and basil straight from the plant and eating it on the spot. It was great to see them discerning the ripeness of beans and determining which should be eaten green or which should be saved for seed. All that had to stop when I found the gardener spraying our beans with Roundup! I was really pissed off to find these guys knowingly putting poison on plants that were obviously food, but it was devastating to know that it was my kids who could be poisoned!

Disheartened I watched our beautiful food producing plants shrivel and die within hours of being sprayed? I recalled a previous time when I'd been away for a couple of days and returned to find my healthy garden looking like it had just been napalmed! At the time I'd convinced myself it must have been a soil borne disease. At least the PawPaw in the backyard was spared!

I don't grow enough in the garden to feed the family but it is nice to have a little home grown tucker if only to remind the kids where food actually comes from... Of course we don't go hunting the tree monitors, fruit bats or frogs we find in the back yard, but a few vegetables makes a good start for becoming intimate with your food. We generally leave the wildlife to go about it's business relatively unmolested.

Food production continues
Last year during the build-up, my kids got hold of the Roselle seeds I'd been saving for some time when they should be planted (I wasn't actually sure when that should be). It was November and they'd left them soaking in the tadpole water for a couple of days. Then when the bucket was full of wrigglers (mosquito larvae) they tipped the whole lot out on a bare patch of dirt where the trampoline used to be....! What do you suppose happened?

Yep it was just the right time and conditions for planting Roselle seeds! So some time in December I noticed the sprouts and before we knew it there was a beautiful thick clump of Hibiscus sabdariffa growing in the back yard. COOL!

(Young Hibiscus sabdariffa)

So weeks rolled by and we watched the plants grow and eventually the flowers came. Beautiful! (Don't worry this story doesn't end in herbicide!)

(Budding flower)

(Yellow flower as seen early in the morning, they turn pink before falling off in the evening)

There were heaps of flowers each living for barely a day before they would fall to the ground leaving a small red calyx... as more flowers bloomed the calyxes (the Roselles) grew bigger with the ripening fruit inside...

(Bushes in full flower displaying some maturing calyx and fruit)

(Maturing calyx and fruit)

As the bushes were looking quite laden with heavy fruit and brilliant red calyxes we took off to Mataranka for a long weekend. Having just celebrated a birthday party and spent the remainder of our money on the trip away we returned with a budget deficit but discovered that the Roselle bushes had blown over in the wind due to the weight of all that fruit!

(Laden bush fallen in the wind)

Well what great timing! with little food left in the cupboard what better time to pick forage in the yard! The boy and I munched on the leaves as we picked a bucket full of crimson treasure from the back yard then I sat with our eldest and separated fruit from calyx preparing for the boiling of the Jam (luckily there was sugar an apple and half a lemon just waiting to go in the pot)! Our home has become an Idlers paradise! No more trecking miles away from home, through 7 ft high grass to raid spindly ant covered bushes! We can just go and pick the fruit right in our own back yard!

Looking back in the cupboard the next day my darling wife discovered some wholemeal flower and when I got home from work we delighted in our hand made fresh bread and spiky jam! Sometimes the very best of life seems to appear just when you think the cupboard is bare!

(The fruits of our harvest)

Thanks to the natural habit of our kids we now know the right time and conditions for planting Roselles!

Wabi-sabi!

Bikes and poverty

2011-04-20T01:50:00.003+09:30

I've been thinking a lot about bikes lately... again!
Having spent the past week crawling from bed to panadol and back to bed I am very grateful to be back on my feet (more or less) and back on my bike! What makes this even better is that just when the long-bike was about to fall apart completely my friend brought back the Avanti (The third new bike I've ever owned!) which I'd left with him about 8 months ago.... and (drum roll please assorted happy crickets and birds) The Dry Season appeared this morning as if from nowhere!

What a great day!

So, this afternoon I spent tinkering around with the kids bikes in the back yard, sipping a much longed for cup of coffee and delighting at the prospect of my eldest moving up to a larger frame. A chance encounter with a local bicycle Wizard also helped renew my enthusiasm for fixing stuff! I even dared to think about the forgotten 4 wheeled project bike I'd left squashed between the canoe and the compost bin in the darker regions of the back!

Time to clean out the bike shed and get some wheels on the road.

This evening I even managed to catch up on some of the bicycle blogs and amongst them I found ~~this~~ an interesting video about a bicycle project that is helping to reduce poverty.

(VIDEO REMOVED)

Check out: The Bicycle City. Trailer from Greg Sucharew on Vimeo.

Since mobility is a major issue for many people I have been inspired to try and find a solution to the two halves of a 4 wheeled bike in my back yard. Let's hope something good happens with this pile of wasted bike.
There's a lady somewhere in Darwin who has a son with mobility problems who would really love to be able to get out on a bike. I promised her she could have this one if I ever got it going.... It's killing me to think it may never get there.

The 4 wheeled contraption which I hope to resurrect

Open the Chute!

2011-03-30T18:27:00.001+09:30

"Willingness, honesty and open-mindedness are the essentials..."

Nice addition to this photo.

The beach where I live

2011-03-02T00:02:00.001+09:30

Sometimes It's really nice where I live... :)

Best seen standing still... or walking slowly.

Connection to place

2011-02-20T17:03:00.003+09:30

I am an Australian Citizen.

My ancestry on both my mother's and my father's side originate in Scotland. Both families settled in Victoria several generations ago (sorry if this information is a little vague, this is not a genealogy post)

I grew up in the outer Northern Suburbs of Melbourne. My parents house was build in a new Estate back in the late 1960s. Prior to this the land had been a farm, which I believe was owned by ta family by the name of Black. I have heard that an elderly lady, Mrs Black (possibly the original farm owner prior to subdivision), still lives in the old farm house around the corner, but I've never met her. I don't know the true history or the original People who belonged to that place, although there must be one. It is known to be part of the Wurundjeri people's country. I can see evidence of where and how they lived in books, but their story is not commonly known to the settler inhabitants of their land and I can imagine those who remain do not fully know their land like their ancestors did.

Growing up I never heard their language or even of their existence. It is only now and due to all the work that has been done to rediscover our countries Indigenous heritage that these stories are beginning to be told, but they are revealed like relics from the past rather than threads of a tale that might connect us to the land we are on.

When I was a kid our house was still surrounded by open paddocks, horses would occasionally visit our yard. At the bottom of our street there was a fresh water creek and a patch of bushland that must have been considered too steep to develop (The creek has since been filled in, the bush cleared and houses stuck on the side of the hill). Beyond the creek was open woodland on the steep slopes and dairy farmland on the flatter country, all subsequently redeveloped as housing estates. An open aqueduct passed through the farmland but beyond that was the Plenty River and more native bushland in the valley around the river. As the land on the city side of the aqueduct gradually became suburbia everything North of the aqueduct remained, The Country!'. This was where I liked to go most, it became my second home.

Land for Wildlife
Unfortunately it seems everything is up for grabs if you have a few bucks more...FOR SALE?

(The orange flags hanging on the fence mark out land to be bulldozed and paved)

As a kid I spent most of my time outside, riding my bike and exploring having adventures of one kind or another. I explored every corner of my neighborhood especially the waterways, creeks, rivers and dams. I ate it's mushrooms, blackberries, cherry plums, sour apples and pears as well as whatever fruit I could reach over local gardeners fences. I noticed every bird, lizard, wallaby and roo; there were even turtles and bats. As I got older I'd often spend nights in the bushland adjoining the Plenty River with one or two of my adventurous mates, we'd catch eels and the occasional fish from the River. There was a special place on that river where platypus lived. At night Sugar Gliders would leap through the acacias back at camp. My friends and I also spent many hours hunting rabbits along the banks and in the cow paddocks surrounding the river. We knew all it's secret places.

A sacred space by the river

Pebbles Crossing... As known by some

I often wondered about the original people, how they must have loved this place and why there is no apparent sign of them now. I grew up in that country and lived in it, I have been burned under it's sun and drenched in it's rain. I have walked across it's frost covered fields and felt the frozen grass snap under my feet while my toes froze in wet boots. I've drunk water from it's creeks, sat by the smoky fire of it's eucalyptus trees and sweated across miles of track and through the scrub. I've assisted the farmer to deliver a still born calf and skun my own calves crossing his barbed wire fences. I am not an Indigenous person of this country but can sympathize with those who are if they love it like I do. Although my ancestry is Scottish I can only consider myself a native of the place I was born and grew up. I have traveled and lived a long way from the Plenty Gorge but my mind and heart keep tripping back there. It is my country. Yolngu friends have told me that it is quite natural for us to become part of the place where we are born. Even if it is not our own Clan Estate the spirit of the place will be part of us and we a part of it.

It is no dream of mine,
To ornament a line;
I cannot come nearer to God and Heaven
Than I live to Walden even.
I am its stony shore,
And the breeze that passes o'er;
In the hollow of my hand
Are its water and its sand,
And its deepest resort
Lies high in my thought

(Henry David Thoreau)

I have heard it said that the land is not dead.
It is sleeping and waiting for it's people to come home. To sing the songs and call it by it's true name. Even though Piece by piece it has been sliced up, re-allocated, subdivided and sold! Dozed, filled in and paved, barely a scratch of earth remaining beside the concrete, bitumen and bricks! Ignorant and ambitious to profit from what cannot belong to them the developers have moved into places they should never be granted to step! They haven't ever seen a single mist rise from the river.

Drainage from the road straight into the creek

A pretty view for new home owners, but will it ever mean anything more than that?

The reality of modern 'best practice' land development technique

Out of site out of mind!

As Thoreau foretold in his reference to Flint's Pond, they have even re-named, profaned it and ultimately shamed it!

"Flint's Pond! Such is the poverty of our nomenclature. What right had the unclean and stupid farmer whose farm abutted on this sky water, whose shores he has ruthlessly laid bare, to give his name to it? Some skin-flint, who loved better the reflecting surface of a dollar, or a bright cent, in which he could see his own brazen face; who regarded even the wild ducks which settled in it as trespassers; his fingers grown into crooked and bony talons from the long habit of grasping harpy-like;— so it is not named for me. I go not there to see him nor to hear of him; who never saw it, who never bathed in it, who never loved it, who never protected it, who never spoke a good word for it, nor thanked God that He had made it. Rather let it be named from the fishes that swim in it, the wild fowl or quadrupeds which frequent it, the wild flowers which grow by its shores, or some wild man or child the thread of whose history is interwoven with its own; not from him who could show no title to it but the deed which a like-minded neighbor or legislature gave him who thought only of its money value; whose presence perchance cursed — him all the shores; who exhausted the land around it, and would fain have exhausted the waters within it..."

(Henry David Thoreau - Walden - 1854 The Ponds chapter)

If language is a gift from God, how many generations will pass before those who live here now will begin to speak the language of the places we inhabit? When will it be revealed to us if this place is Dhuwa or that place Yirritja? Who is this tree, rock or animal? What name should that sunset have? What songs do they sing and call me to dance to? Do I call this place mother, sister or brother? Will finally know that to kill a river is murder?

Broken

2011-02-18T23:25:00.001+09:30

This is a week of broken things...

1,000s of Trees around Darwin

Broken

Our old car (crashed last night)

Broken

Front sliding door...(came off it's tracks tonight)

Broken

The tap I fixed last month... (leaking again)

Broken

Washing machine (Blew up with a bang in a cloud of smoke today, causing power outage)

Broken (Domestic staff currently on strike!)

Snap Deck on my Xtracycle

Broken! (and a little bit soggy after the recent rain)

Not sure what it all means but I'm waiting for a sign!

Simplify

2011-02-16T23:08:00.001+09:30

Right now here in Darwin we are experiencing the eye of category 1 Cyclone Carlos. Prior to the development of the tropical low and the accompanying 'very' wet (Over 400mm in 24 hours) weather I was busy getting on with simplifying my life and leaving the blogging world behind me. Just give it up, cold turkey like a bad habit or addiction... (I'm sure Thoreau wouldn't have spent his days blogging...! He'd probably have some great derogatory description for those who waste their time on such egocentric nonsense)

Instead of blogging mindless 'twitter' I have been reading 'Walden' by Henry David Thoreau and spending my days exploring, walking, paddling, planting etc... and loving it! But now I'm housebound, taking shelter from Carlos, the Wind and the Rain,and I'm too close to the computer to resist.

Here's some things I've seen over the past month or so.

(A great train headed south)

(A walk through the mangroves amongst the Mud-skippers)

(A mossy wonderland)

(Wild Ginger on a hillside in Litchfield National Park)

(Giant Myrtle Beach trees in a sacred gully in the Otways)

(Paddling a swollen river in Geelong)

(A living sculpture of plants and food in Collingwood)

(A magical era of bicycle innovation and invention)

Over the past month I have enjoyed some really wonderful experiences. I have shared most of these with the ones I love and we have felt blessed to live in a place that has so much natural beauty and to have the right to travel freely to almost any place we like in this country.

I have also seen the continued trauma and pain suffered by Asylum Seekers and the lack of compassion shown by our Governments, media and many members of our society toward these vulnerable people.

I have seen the continuation of racist policies and sanctioned discrimination against Indigenous people in the Northern Territory and I have seen the destruction and defilement of places that are incredibly dear to me.

It's a busy time in this life and everything seems to be moving way too fast. I resolved at the end of last year to make better use of my time and not bother too much with useless things. The more practical the better and there's no point to prattling on about it. I may find that while tapping away on this keyboard I have missed a perfect opportunity to learn to knit, sharpen a tool, identify a plant, skin a rabbit or grow a bean! Right now I could be writing a letter to a certain Shire Council challenging them on their decision to allow developers to channel their stinking festering drain pipes from their environmentally disastrous housing estate straight into the Plenty River that I love!
Maybe if I'd had just one spare day I could have spent it collecting all the shit that has washed through those drains and dumped it in the nearest showroom of that housing estate? Now that would have been time well spent!

(The destruction of the fields where I used to roam)

I took my boy out to the fields so he could experience the fresh air, the smell of the grass and to feel the dry bark and clay under his feet just as I did when I was his age! Alas I was too late! They have taken it all away!

Christmas Day with the family

2010-12-25T18:12:00.007+09:30

I thought I'd make a quick post while Christmas dinner is roasting. (apologies to my Vegan friends)

So far we've had a great day. Only a few weeks ago we thought we'd be having a very quiet Christmas at home with the kids but after a few phone calls and some last minute bookings my parents and brother came up to visit for the week and we are spending Christmas Day with them. We've had a great time so far and the kids have really enjoyed the company of family.

Our day started with presents at 7:30am. Headed off to Church for a great service and plenty of singing at 9:30. Came home to more presents and an awesome Christmas Lunch of Cold roast turkey, cold salads and alcohol free trifle for desert.

This year we had an idea, rather than throw out the wrapping paper we decided to use it for a table cloth, which had the added benefit of keeping me busy while the kids opened their presents... (Unfortunately it is necessary to distract me so that I don't complain about the, lack of quality and amount of packaging in kids toys these days, consumerism, waste etc... etc...)

My brother is a bit of a dark horse. He doesn't say much and rarely gives any details when we ask him what he's into or what he's been doing lately. Fortunately Mum brought some photos to show us what he's been up to and I was very impressed.

He never told any of us but a friend managed to take a photo of my brother The Christmas Window Artist! Good on you Bro!

It is easy to see the rampant consumerism connected with Christmas and be repulsed or cynically say that what we do is a far cry from celebrating the birth of Jesus. This year I'm just enjoying the spirit of sharing with family and aren't too bothered by thoughts of hypocrisy and stuff like that.

Three days ago I watched 'The Road', again. The bleakness, desperation... The want for something more.
On Friday night a friend was speaking about what Christmas was like when he was in gaol. "...two slices of canned pudding with custard..." He expressed the sense of joy he felt simply standing in a Supermarket surrounded by fresh food and people happily preparing for their Christmas dinner which they would most likely be sharing with their families. He filled with awe and gratitude at the abundance that surrounded him. He did not take this for granted.
For some people Christmas is a sad and a lonely time, for others it's possibly a drama; full of obligatory chores and spending money. To others it's nothing more than a few days off work and a well stocked beer fridge...
~~Wherever you are I hope it is something better than just that. I wish you well for Christmas.~~ Merry Christmas.

Sun and Rain and Moon

2010-12-23T11:41:00.001+09:30

School holidays - a craft program

2010-12-13T22:52:00.002+09:30

Today was officially the first day of School Holidays at our house.

With two very active kids home life during school holidays can be somewhat stressful! If things get out of hand the whole atmosphere can become totally unbearable. If you happen to visit at the wrong time you might find yourself making excuses for why you have to suddenly leave or desperately scratching at the wire security door pleading for the neighbors to let you out!

Yes it may be true that on some unfortunate occasions one or both of the responsible adults of the household have been known to stand in a corner banging their head against the wall and pleading to be taken to the Tower of Mordor for respite! But today was not one of those days...

Today the mother of the house decided to get crafty and turned her hand to model making. The results were quite impressive.

(City village - of cereal boxes)
I think the kids really enjoyed this, I certainly did. I also brought home a rather large box which kept them busy for the rest of the night! Who know's what amazing architecture I will return home to tomorrow.

Riding the cox peninsular road (couple of years ago)

2010-12-13T08:33:00.000+09:30

I just re-discovered this video I made after a ride a couple of years ago.
Cycling adventures are fairly thin on the ground for me lately and with Christmas approaching I am inclined to reminisce.

Cycling the Cox Pen Rd from David F on Vimeo.

We'll be doing another group ride along the Cox Peninsular Road some time in January... See you there!

How's the weather?

2010-12-09T23:02:00.003+09:30

Some people make a profession of reading, interpreting, understanding and then predicting weather patterns, others study the weather for practical reasons like when to plant their crops or whether or not it is wise to go to sea... and others listen intently to weather forcasts so they will have something boring to talk about at picnics and dinner parties... Personally I am none of these and tend to just enjoy what the weather dishes up to me when I step out the door each day.
Even as a postie I was only ever mildly interested in weather forecasts... Don't get me wrong I am not disinterested in weather; I just don't see the point in studying up on it as though I can have some influence on the outcome! OK if someone tells me it's going to rain I'll dress accordingly... But don't try to start a conversation with me about how the weather is going to be over the next 12 months because I've had one too many of them... (After a few years of living in Darwin you will understand why conversations about extreme weather events can become a bit droll!)

Apparently we are currently experiencing a La nina weather phenomenon. That is pretty interesting actually. Most of Australia has received so much rain that it has caused major flooding in areas that have been dry for more than a decade! Dams are full to overflowing and people are now beginning to wish they hadn't wished so hard for rain.

Here in Darwin we've had exceptionally high rainfall for this time of year and have also been blessed with regular thunderstorms. It's quite wonderful to experience the Tropical thunderstorms we get here, but there is always an element of danger. There are some things a person should avoid doing. Things that might increase the chances of being struck by lightning... Things like playing golf, riding your bike or talking on a conventional telephone (you know the ones that still use a wire).

So after a storm had just passed I was reading my boy a children's story about the rain thinking it would be kind of fun and keeping in theme with the current weather.. I was kind of shocked to find that apparently for the sake of staying true to a rhyme the book gave some very dangerous advice!

(...Umbrellas up and all get under?) - Click on image for clearer text

What is wrong with this picture?

Are they CRAZY?

A film to watch

2010-12-03T22:55:00.002+09:30

A pre-release nearly completed version of The film 'Our Generation' was screened in Nightcliff back in March. With only a few days notice well over 100 people turned up to see the film and take part in a public discussion relating to the Federal Intervention in Aboriginal Communities.

The film has since been officially released and the producers have taken it on tour along with guest speakers such as Rev. Dr. Djiniyini Gondarra who expresses his views throughout the film. This film questions the motives behind Federal Intervention and challenges Australia's treatment of Aboriginal people.

I haven't seen the film on the shelves at the video library, it may never appear in the mainstream but you can purchase a copy via the Our Generation Website It's well worth watching.

Bicycle apparel for the Top End

2010-12-03T00:19:00.001+09:30

Darwin Bicycle Chic
Several months ago while visiting one of the very trendy bicycle shops in town I allowed myself to drift across the shop into the area where they sell all that fancy licra stuff. I'd been reading the Fat Cyclist blog and was half sucked in to buying one of his stylized Fat Cyclist skivvy, skin tight top things. I like the name and thought it would be a laugh... I couldn't believe how much of that stuff they have for sale or how expensive it is!

Having read one or Too Many bicycle blogs I have noticed that some cyclists are really into their gear.

Whether people are into road riding, racing or just hanging out being cool on the street there's a lot of people out there who really want to look cool. Apparently what you wear is important. Whether the intention is to help you go faster or just look good cycling clobber is basically deigned with the idea that it is functional while riding a bicycle. There appears to be a whole world of fashion surrounding bicycle culture so I thought I'd contribute some of my personal preferences to the discussion of appropriate cycling apparel.

Bicycle Clobber Review

Here is my preferred outfit for Cycling in Darwin during the months January - May ..... August - December (June and July get a bit cool so I occasionally wear a T-shirt or even something with long sleeves.)

Helmet - $20 Bought brand new about 5 years ago. The padding has fallen out which caused me to improvise. I now wear a back to front baseball cap under the helmet which provides both padding to my scon and shade to the back of my neck...
Vest - $2 These are pretty easy to find in Darwin oppshops and at the tip. This one is actually an ex Anset Airlines vest! (A classic!)It is highly visible in both day and night, loose fitting and has a small pocket just the right size for my music playing thingie.
Cammo Shorts - $2 Opp Shop special. I love these shorts but unfortunately the synthetic doesn't stretch to match my rapidly expanding middle. Lots of pockets, cool cammo colour scheme and groovy tie up fly with valcro backup... (OK They don't look great when they're tight or with jelly like flesh hanging over the edges!)
Imitation Crocs - $? My mum bought them for me 3 years ago... She thought I liked them... I never really liked them I don't know why she thought I did. I have to admit that I've finally gotten used to wearing them since I accidentally left my thongs somewhere! It is handy to have something on your feet especially if you've got sharp peddles. When I first started wearing these the rubber was really grippy and I kept catching my toe nails on them! It's taken a while to wear them in but I've finally gotten used to them so they will do until I find another pair of thongs.

(See the reflective tape really does shine when there's is a light on it!)

This is by far my favorite cycle gear. It's all synthetic so it's not the 'nicest' stuff to wear but once the sweat starts to flow I don't particularly like wearing wet clingy T-Shirts or having sweaty wet patches in the front or rear of my cotton shorts!

Shoes
Besides the usual divisions between the 'licra clad' and 'Street-wear crowds, helmeted or non helmeted and so on and so forth etc... etc... I've never quite understood the debate over clipless or non clipless footwear.

What's the deal with that? When my cycle shoes were new they had some clip-on straps across the heal. I used to strap them on but the plastic rivets got bashed off as they brushed against the crank of my bike, so ended up riding without them... I was clipless I suppose.... For goodness sake! It hardly made any difference! but try riding shoeless on Bear Trap peddles!

I don't particularly like riding barefoot, at least not on the peddles that I am currently using. It's a bit like wearing masseur sandals, made of rusty nails!

Although I prefer to wear thongs I have become used to wearing the rubber clogs. When I ride my road bike I can get them to stick in the toe-clips and I can slide my feet in and out of them when I dismount.

Quite a good cycle shoe.

Planting

2010-11-30T23:49:00.001+09:30

Apparently Darwin has seen it's highest November rainfall in 15 years!
Everything has turned green again and life is sprouting from every nook and cranny.

(Raised garden beds at a local school)

(Cantaloupe growing in a raised bed at local school)

I thought I'd end the month with some pictures of the green that is all around us now as we enjoy some lovely coolish days, amazing thunder heads, dark ominous skies proceeded by a rush of cool air and fairly regular thunder storms. (Power outages and blackouts too)
The gardens are enjoying a hefty splash of rain!

(New council planting along Mc Millans Service Rd)

There have been a series of community tree plantings over the past couple of weeks and more that I know of which have been planned for this coming weekend. Now must be the right time to plant wet season crops, but what's really great is that there are heaps of trees being put in the ground. Down at the Mulch Pit the holes have already been dug (with that cool hole digger tool) and a variety of fruit trees are waiting to be stuck in the ground. I've also heard that some friends of Rapid Creek are planning some re-vegetation work that will include tree planting.

The most surprising thing is that it looks like the council has gone bananas planting trees along McMillans Rd! (Or maybe it was the State Government's department of Roads Planning and Infrastructure)
I'd been cursing them all dry season for being heavy handed with their pruning and tree removal but now I am very pleased to see that they have planted heaps of trees. Some of them exotic but I have noticed quite a few Milkwoods going in which is great to see.

The frogs love this unusually wet weather! They seem to have been much more vocal this year than I have ever heard them... well at this time of year anyway! This afternoon we discovered frogs eggs in a bucket full of rainwater at our back door. The kids are so excited.

Life seems full of new beginnings at the moment.

It just looks different

2010-11-30T00:11:00.002+09:30

I thought the blog was looking pretty crappy so I jazzed up the template a bit and threw an image into the Title header.

~~(Yes I know the word Dilettante is missing an e!)~~

After stuffing around with GIMP for way too long I decided to quit on that and went back to using the basic image editing software that came with the scanner I bought about 5 years ago! At least I can use that!

Now I've run out of time to post something really interesting...

Where can we ride our bikes?

2010-11-28T11:02:00.016+09:30

Recently I read a blog article about cycling culture in Darwin. The author of the blog, who was visiting from interstate, commented on a variety of aspects of Darwin culture that differs from that in other states. The most significant difference is the fact that we have exemptions from helmet laws requiring cyclists to wear helmets at all times. This has inspired me to try and post more on this subject in future. One of the features mentioned was what the author considdered an impressinve network of bicycle paths.

It is true Darwin does have some nice examples of shared cycle/foot paths but I don't believe we live in a cyclists Utopia. There is much wrong in Darwin when it comes to infrastructure and planning for bicycles. There also appears to be growing hostility between drivers and cyclists on our roads.

I'm not too sure about the state of Bicycle Advocacy in Darwin at the moment, I am aware of a few bicycle clubs but there is only a small group actively involved in our bicycle advocacy network 'Bicycle NT', which must make it quite difficult to form an active or effective advocacy group that is able to influence decision makers in Government.

Lately I've noticed a few changes to some of our bicycle paths but they don't appear to be following any coordinated plan or design. I am sure bicycle path or lane planning in Darwin is an add hock opporation that doesn't refer to any standard of design and I would be very surprised if decisions have been made in cooperation with informed representatives from our cycling community.

Examples of recent works include the new path along Vanderlyn Drive which joins McMillans Rd to the Stuart Highway. Some sections of this path virtually merge the cycle path with the road when there are open fields of open space available on the other side of the path. 20kmh speed limits in areas where there are children's playgrounds and many pedestrians, bicycle paths merging onto main roads at busy intersections and the most pathetic attempt at widening Lee Point Rd after Vanderly. This particular piece of roadwork should be the case in point for bicycle advocacy in Darwin. This is a single lane road with a speed limit recently reduced from Open to 80kmh (People still treat it as if it has an open limit) The road leads to a boat ramp, a popular coastal reserve and a caravan park that houses 1,000s of tourists during the dry season. Many of theis used by fishermen with boatsspeed limit, where drA road leading twhich is relied on the.

I am hoping to blog some of this stuff over the coming weeks, not to bring you down but just as a means of showing how things are here and maybe questioning the logic.

One of my favorite bicycle blogs 'A View from the cycle path' written by David Hembrow often discusses issues of design and planning with the objective of creating a much more bicycle friendly universe. David produces some great video documentaries.

The latest post David's blog contains a video tour along a Dutch cycle path with text added to indicate various virtues of a dedicated cycle path.
Reality-vs myth dangers of dutch cycle

Although this model would not be practable for a place like Darwin where we have a much smaller population and far greater distances it still offers some basic principals that can be applied with regard to right of way, distance from roads, merging traffic and dealing with intersections.

If we want to create a safe cycling environment in Darwin I believe planners need to give propper considderation to these basic design principals rather than consrtucting cycle paths that channel riders into hazardous situations.

Book of the week

2010-11-26T00:00:00.000+09:30

WE ARE ALL BORN FREE

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights in Pictures
(Amnesty International UK section 2008)

(We Are All Born Free)

Yep... just as the title suggests, it is a pictorial presentation of the UN Declaration of Human Rights.
This is a Children's book which presents a 'Simplified Version' of Thirty Human Rights Articles, The book is full of great drawing paintings and various other forms of cool images produced by 22 esteemed illustrators and artists.

Human Rights are not complicated. They are basic... Fundamental expectations that we would hope could be applied to all people regardless of where they are from, regardless of ethnicity, religion etc... etc...

Having attended the Federal Government’s round table discussion on human rights last year I was dismayed to learn that the overwhelmingly supported recommendation for an Australian Bill of Rights has been completely sidestepped.

Here in the NT most people are acutely aware of the fact that the Federal Government suspended the Racial Discrimination Act in order to impose their “Northern Territory National Emergency Response” better known as “The Intervention”.

We have also witnessed the arbitrary axing of Bilingual Education for Indigenous children which, if the decision referred to any actual evidence at all, it was based on erroneous data and nonsense.

Article 26 (part of) “...Our parents have the right to choose how and what we learn...”

Of course if our country has such little regard for the rights of it’s own citizens it should be expected that we would have little concern for the welfare of Asylum seekers or refugees! For those unfortunate enough to have had to flee their own country they may find insult and contempt added to their list of injuries when seek refuge in this Country!

Although most asylum seekers will be granted refugee status and be allowed to stay once they have endured the interminable wait for processing. They’ll enjoy very few basic rights while they are waiting! Here in Darwin Children have been detained for months with very little opportunity or space for play. Although it had been intended for children under 16 to attend school, it has taken months for them to actually have the opportunity. Now we hear that children will be released from detention while awaiting acceptance, but they’ll likely be a year older before that happens... Apparently they may finally taste freedom in June next year!

Article 14 “If we are frightened of being badly treated in our own country, we all have the right to run away to another country to be safe”

A couple of months ago I drove by some Asylum seekers who'd jumped the razor wire fence of the detention center, just so they could stand by the road and hold signs begging for justice and compassion... They cried as drivers abused them for slowing the traffic and making them late for work... I heard that they were taken away soon after that... Who knows where they are now.

Additional Links related to this book

http://www.franelessac.com/docs/teachersnotes/We%20Are%20All%20Born%20Free.pdf