Autumn catch-ups

At last the weather is turning towards coolness.   Things are going on as normal around here, though I am just getting over a crappy cold of snotness.

The chookies are having a nice life as usual. Guinevere went broody again, and since none of her fertile eggs survived the heat while she was sitting, I bought her four day olds. Three Silver-spangled Hamburgs and one white Cochin, which were what the local stockfeeder had hatching that day. I like Cochins, but I think Hamburgs might be a bit flighty for me, so we'll see how they go.

At any rate Guinevere is happy, though she only has three now because one chick died two days after arriving. It was a very hot day. I gave them an ice bottle but Guinevere isn't the smartest chook and she didn't take them over to it.  She's a sweet mama, though.

Morgana and her singleton child Mordred are still hanging out together.  Luckily she hasn't gone back to broody again!  Mordred is quite pretty, a cross of Silver-laced Wyandotte and black Australorp, and a hen thank goodness!       

 

As usual, the dogs and cat are hard at work.

You can see these two are related!  :D 

I've been playing lyre and guitar pretty much every day (till I got sick).  I'm getting a few songs up to scratch ready to join in Bardic circles when we go over to South Australia for Damh the Bard and Cerri's concerts and camp. Weeeee!

We bought a caravan and have been getting it set up to drive across the Nullabor. We've never done it, and it seems like something every Aussie should do once, so we're going to do it.  It's a Jayco penguin camper.  I really like Jaycos and it is the thing we looked at that didn't smell of outgassing plastics.
   
The biggest hassle has been trying to remove all the left over perfumes in it.  We've had to buy new foam to put in the mattress and kitchen seats because the one that was in them had some hideous chemical in it to keep it fresh.  Bleagh.  What a toxic world we are creating. The new foam is European standard and has no chemical outgassing or perfumes in it.  Thank goodness!  This chemical sensitivity drives me nuts.

Not that i had far to go to get there, as the next photo shows.

That's me embroidering my design on my ceremonial tabard.  Jarrah leaves and blossom one side, oak leaves and acorns the other, and the Awen in the middle with the colours of blue for Bard, Goldy-brown for Druid and Green for Ovate.  i love it now it's done but I will not be taking up embroidery for a hobby!  Head torch, 2.5 times glasses, and still I tired my eyeballs out.

Kitty liked to help me. Help me not embroider!  
               

Other current projects include a t-shirt design for the Druids of WA group.  We put out the call for anyone in the group to design a shirt, and i figure someone else will make a more serious one, so I let myself be as twee as i wanted, and this is the result.  Now being watercoloured.

Black swan,  black cockatoo, blue wren, and a non-gendered druid.   :)

We had a fun games night here not long before I got the snots. This pic came just before Thor crashed the Jenga pile.  We'd already played three games of Forbidden Desert by then and died every time. Apparently the five player version is very hard to win, so we didn't feel too bad.

I'll leave you with these pics of a creepy place I found when walking a local reserve I'd found in the street directory.  Turned out it was a whole big old granite quarry area, now abandoned, and it was one of those really weird moments to come upon it all out there when I'd expected just ordinary bush.

It had very odd energy and i found myself Druidly blessing the torn up land, and blessing the restless spirits of those who had laboured here, perhaps the convicts who built the railway lines in the area.    

This was the deep and black lagoon I came across.  A hole cut while chasing the dark granite into the ground, and now full of black water even so late in a dry summer.  It reminded me of nothing so much as the pool at the gates of Moria.  Brrr!   Didn't even dip a toe!   

 
  

Whoops!

See one lazy post and now I have lots to tell you!

Firstly here is my mad sis on her mad horse already. It was just a quickie, to ride him up from his paddock. and I'm sure she was partly doing it to to get that first remount over with, but still, mad.  Horses and horse people have this in common: Neither has any sense of self preservation!  :D

Fionn's leg is still not great but it is slowly healing.  It really was a very bad cut.

I saw these photos go by my facebook feed this week. Archie, my smart-arse young pony who went to be a trick horse, at his usual best, being a pain in the butt down at the beach.

 
And using a mattress for a head-rest in the gooseneck.

He was an odd horse to live with: He was truly afraid of nothing and if he saw something new, he would canter towards it.  Very unhorse-like!  He is having such an interesting life now with Louise Crosbie. It suits him far better than living here with me and one aged pony.

We had a lovely bonfire night at a Brigade friend's block on Friday night.

Although for a while it was more like Armageddon than a bonfire, because Gogs lit up all the Grass Trees.  Don't worry, it doesn't hurt them.  They quite like a bit of a tidy up of all the dead bits, and these hadn't been burned for a very long time.

This was an amazing scene:  Sun setting through a burning Grass Tree.

I was brave and played my guitar for a while while people chattered, then we ate an amazing dinner cooked by the young fellers.  I don't know, I've never met 20-year-olds like those two young blokes. They totally have their shit together, as I'm sure they would phrase it!

Saturday morning we had Fireys.  I haven't been to my bushfire brigade for a while. The joy is somewhat lacking lately due to the nasty politics, and there's been other stuff to do. It was ok, though. A lot of my fave people were there so that was nice.  I'm sure, come the season, I'll be ready to turn out to fires, but for now a bit of a holiday doesn't hurt.       

Saturday arvo we set off our own last bonfire.

It was the last day when our shire could burn bonfires without a permit.  It's good to have it all done.  (And let's not mention the three huge ones we have up the block. They can wait till next year!)

This was a weird photo of Andyroo.  Smoke, or his natural angelic radiance?  Maybe he had toothache?   :)

Sunday we had Incident Management Training with my other brigade, the Darling Range Coms brigade.  I got to do a new job for me; placing T-cards, which means you are welcoming in, and helping keep track of, every vehicle that arrives on the fire-ground at a big fire.  It was interesting and I got to see a lot more of the big picture than you do while working the radios.

Taken from my spot at the T-card entry desk.  It is not all serious at the training. There were a lot of jokes flying around!

This was my spot, but I was out of it to take the photo.  

Some Hazard Reduction burns have begun happening but I haven't put my hand up for one yet.  I've been feeling really tired and overstretched.

It's ok, don't think it is my lyme coming back, I just need to learn to pace myself better, and it would help if I could stay out of the chemicals more, because breathing perfumes, washing powder enzymes, outgassing plastic and all the rest just creams me.

Unfortunately, people equals chemicals these days, so if I want to not breathe lots of toxic stuff, I would have to be come a hermit again, but I really don't want to do that.  Just need to find a better balance, then take my knocks as they come.  That or start wearing my fire mask everywhere!  

I'll leave you with this pic of a mud-brick shack sitting abandoned on the block near Gogs's.  I wonder what tales it could tell?

  
 
    

Fat is not a moral issue

Anyone who has followed my blog for a few years will be aware that I have lost a lot of weight in the past year or so. I don't usually post about heated topics on this blog because it is my place for sharing the stuff that affects my own life directly, mostly the good stuff.

I just want to say this, though.  I was not a bad person when I was fatter. I am not a better person now I am not so fat.

Being fat does not equate with being a criminal, being lazy, having no willpower or any other negative connotation.

Yep this is me. 

This is also me. still exactly the same me.

Being less fat does not mean you are stronger of will, more moral, or more deserving of love and respect.

I am the same person I was at either extreme and in the middle too.   

I long ago stepped off the billion dollar weight-shaming industry's carousel of suffering and decided to be happy and as well as I can be at whatever weight I am.

My current weight reflects many things, some good and some not good.  Weight gain would not be a bad thing if it happened because my gut had begun working better and I could one more eat and enjoy the foods other people take for granted.  More weight loss would be a good thing if it was because I felt so well that I could do more physical work and exercise. 

Is it easier being lighter?  Hell yes.  People treat you better. Clothes are easier to find. It's easier to walk up a hill.  If I had a job to apply for, I'd be more likely to get it.  That, my friends, is called weight privilege, and it's a thing, just like money privilege or colour privilege or gender privilege.

The best thing is not to comment on the size and shape of people's bodies at all. Any of them, and if they run themselves down, say only positive things back. Let's try not to judge people based on their size.  Let's all try to stay off the fat shaming treadmill, and that means to ourselves as well.

Much love to you all.


          
          

Liminal Space

That place where things are neither one thing nor the other.  The time of day where you go from being able to see things to when you can't, or the reverse.  Doorways, windows, holes in the ground, mirrors, moments in time.    

The spaces where you are waiting for something. The spaces you sometimes need to pass through to get to the next goal or the next fun thing.  The spaces you can use to get you deeper into the Otherworld, if you Journey.

A tree like this in your inner landscape can help you to go deeper and leave behind the ratty thoughts.  Duck under it, or go through a door or a window, duck under a rock or into a cave, or pass through the base of a hollow tree like this one, the ones I call petticoat trees.  If you need something, look and it will be there.

We are in liminal space just now for a few reasons.

We have just inoculated ourselves with human helminths.  Yes we really did!  With a cluster of auto-immune conditions for me and inflammation in Andrew's joints that leaves him in pain every day, fun remnants of our Lyme Disease, we gladly added these little guys to our biospheres.

Here I am welcoming in my new tummy pets! 

The first stage is super itchy but it soon settles.  Five dots each, for five little hookworms who will moderate our immune systems symbiotically, just as they have done for humans for thousands of years. 

Now we wait. First for the 'bounce' that they say leaves you feeling fantastic for a few days or weeks, then for the time when they have reached your intestines and your body reacts a bit, and finally for the time where you hope that all comes into balance.  Liminal space.  Waiting in a place between sickness and health.  Hoping.

I am in the odd, still space between novels just now, too.  I've finally finished the proofread on the print copy of Land of Giants, and am not quite ready to start writing my next novel.  Oh, before I forget, starting tomorrow there is a half price deal on the kindle version of Land of Fire for one week, so if you want to buy the first book of the Norse World Tales at a bargain price, now is your chance!  


The AGM for our brigade has been put back two months and now we must all wait to see what happens to the leadership next year.  Liminal, and stressful. In the meantime, the dry autumn and a new idiot of a firebug has meant more fires.  This week Andrew and I got to crew the 1.4 on our own, and it was a lot of fun to be Team Merrybard.

 

That's Angus and Andy all the way back there.  They were in the Light Tanker. 
 

  
We all got a bit lost going for water to refill the tanks.  It's not surprising. There is a bloody lot of both native forest and pine plantation out there.

Nothing but trees and tracks for miles!

We ended up following another brigade, who also couldn't find the water, but they came over a rock in the rough track at one point while getting turned around, and it was a fun sight to see them up so high above us.  They make the fire vehicles tough for a good reason!

 

 
We blacked out a 20m edge around the smouldering remains and were stood down, and home we came through a stunning sunset.

Coming in to refuel the truck on the way home, and the mundane is made beautiful.
 

It rained a little today, so perhaps that is the last fire call-out we will get this season.  We'll be waiting just in case. Liminal space.

   
       

Rats!

I'm sick again.  Not moving fast enough on lowering my stresses to suit my stomach, I guess.  There is a thing called Cyclical Vomiting Syndrome.  Think that might be what I have, and am currently unfortunately in a cycle.  That or the Porphyria acting in a new ways.  Or the multiple chemical sensitivity.  Maybe it's all the same thing.  Whatever it is, I lost the will to live some time late on Saturday night, but my usual resilience is working hard to spring me back.  I'm improving but not feeling very bloggy today.

I've still found a little energy for music, mostly very low key practicing of my new Anglo-Saxon Harp song about the messages of the trees.  It's coming along really well.

Oh yes it is!  Or the right notes in the case of the lyre!   Thank goddess for music!   

I've also used some of my down time to get further onto that final proof-read on the print copy of Land of Giants.  I know that my covers aren't very in vogue, what with all the blended photo-shopped images they use currently, but oh how I do love this cover.   It is such a joy to pick up. The swirling blues of it delight my eyes. 

  
What doesn't delight my eyes is all these folded corners.

Yep, every one of those is a typoe, at least one.  All I can say is, never do a proof-read when you have just had an operation!  Can't believe what I missed!  Yikes!

Ah well, there is a reason why I like to do my final proof-read on a printed copy; you can definitely see more in print.  It just usually isn't this scary!

Speaking of scary, I was worried that our local bees in the big Marri tree might move out when the smoke from our burn blew across their hive.  It got pretty smoky at times! 

Great pic by Phil.  Thanks Phil! 

Luckily they seem fine.

Can you see the yellow combs in the black area high up in the tree?  I could see bees flying in and out, but had to blow up the pic to see the bees en mass, still gathering at the base of the exposed combs.

There are so many!  Wonder if they are planning a swarm soon?  Seems very late in the summer for it, but the season has been so odd.  Rain and cooler temps have allowed many spring plants to flower again in autumn, so perhaps it is a very flush year for them.  Good luck on your journey if so, you brave bees!

At least here in Oz, winter is a good time for feeding because of all the Wattles and such that flower then.  They won't do badly as long as they can find good shelter.  Still can't believe that this hive has done so well exposed on the outside of the branch like that.



  

       

       

A Very Kitty Kind of Week

Cyrano is extra snuggly this week.  I think it is the cooling weather and no fire going yet, or is that too cynical?

He is a very large cat, which you only really realise when he is on your chest and you can't move one of your arms any more.

It's hard to capture this giant armful of purring kitty in photos when you are trying to take one yourself, but I tried.

Ahh, yes this one kind of covers it.  Mr Kitty not impressed by unflattering photo angle, however!

He likes this one better, as we all would.  :D

I've pulled my finger out and been working on the Amigurumi baby Buckbeak I've had half-finished for ages.  Kitty loves crochet time, and he is irresistible when he is being cute, even if he doesn't have his claws in your yarn.

Apart from kitty time, I can't say too much about this week. Some tidying work up at the fire station. Lots of guitar and lyre (harp!) practice. One huge reaction to some unknown chemical at drumming that left me weak as a rag.  (Bummer.)  One very nice night of messing with music with my friend Dowal.

I met Dowal over twenty years ago at a local theatre production of Camelot.  He was acting in it and I was helping with sets and working backstage (and singing my head off with the chorus). We both agree it was the most fun play we ever did.


Dowal plays a mean piano!  We're hoping to meet up a bit more to work up some songs together.  I'll try to get a pic or do some recording of us then.

Tomorrow we have a big brekky planned with another local Bushfire Brigade, so that will be fun!