aniewilliamspix

as tall

2012-02-16T00:02:00.000-08:00

There's a giant flower growing from a sharp leaved plant

(perhaps a yucca?) beside the flagpole at the local RSL,

its as tall as the flag. I've noticed several plants that seem

to mimic a man-made artifact, like a street light~

it's very amusing.

Oh, & see that grey spot top centre? A week before I leave

my camera has developed a problem, there's no time

to get it fixed. Better now than there, I guess.

fritz henle photos

hearts

2012-02-14T00:02:00.000-08:00

I took one cloud heart today, but only to check my camera,

it's definitely developed a fault, & at an inconvenient time.

There's no time for a repair, but there

is time to do something, don't know what, yet.

These above are from other days/years.

a romantic looking event

klongs

2012-02-12T00:02:00.000-08:00

On the way to Nepal I'll have a couple of days in Bangkok.

This time I'd like to explore more of the klongs

& some of the temples on the other side of the river.

I wonder how much the old wooden houses were

damaged by the floods, some looked quite frail already.

yangtze

2012-02-10T00:03:00.000-08:00

I went down the Yangtze about 1982, there were

a few other foreigners on the boat, from Chungking to

Shanghai, & lots of chinese, it was deadly hot by Wuhan.

I'd wanted to go to Dunhuang, but couldn't face the heat

How many more people since then?

river-day 2

2012-02-08T00:02:00.000-08:00

More rocks from the Mekong..

The reason the days are too busy to do much else is

that I'm organising another trip, on fairly short notice,

which will include another great river, the Ganga..

looks like a fun show

river, day 1

2012-02-06T00:03:00.000-08:00

You can check the 2008 archives, for other photos of the

Mekong; here I was thinking about how fascinating it

would be for a geologist, every few minutes it seemed

to be a different rock formation.

Of the large rivers I've been on, this is my favourite.

anna-wili highfield

Hanoi

2012-02-04T00:02:00.000-08:00

Lovely ethnographic museum in Hanoi,

outside was mayhem, it was new year.

Here it will be busy for a while so I'll dig in my archives,

probably.

random

2012-02-02T00:32:00.000-08:00

Am busy with something else, so opened a random folder

then ditto for these photos, which are from

the Mekong delta, during a 2008 trip.

It's in between Vietnam & Cambodia.

There's 300 GB files in that external hard drive (1 of 3)

even so I may have repeated some.

ethereal soap bubbles

colour

2012-02-01T00:02:00.000-08:00

These are the other photos I converted to b/w,

Maybe the results are different if you start out

thinking in b/w ?

But there is so much colour in the world!

Even when it's mostly just one colour, I prefer it.

How about you?

the gorgeous tree hotel

changing colour

2012-01-30T00:02:00.000-08:00

While deleting some files I got distracted with seeing how

some of them would look as black & white. Above is about even,

& the faces can be seen in either

while others, to me, have to be in colour.

I'll post some more, see what you think.

I really like these photographers

celebration

2012-01-28T00:02:00.000-08:00

Many family members converged on Gympie recently to

celebrate a 90th birthday, that's him in checked shirt top right

& some of the old photos being screened behind the stage.

The horse was sold to the king, if I heard right.

Gympie was a gold town so there are some

attractive old buildings.

The countryside is pleasant too. It was raining.

Our extended family doesn't get together very often,

it was nice to celebrate with our uncle.

simply

2012-01-26T00:02:00.000-08:00

These 3 are all out of focus, yet I like them,

because I can see how I might paint each figure in a few

simple strokes.

Can see how I could use this laser gear too..

Not enough time for everything.

irawaddy

2012-01-24T00:02:00.000-08:00

The photos from the boat trip down river from

Mandalay were the least successful, due to rain, low light,

& the distant banks were a big stretch for

both cameras..

..neither are SLR's - but nor are they too heavy to carry.

I really do like to be on big rivers that are important to

the people living beside them.

do yourself a favour & watch murmuration

old & new

2012-01-22T00:02:00.000-08:00

It's only now that I am putting certain photos together,

while in Burma I just took everything that

interested or surprised me

In the interiors I glimpsed,

there was really only the essentials,

though in the markets are very bright patterns.

louis montrose

contrasts

2012-01-20T00:01:00.000-08:00

As in many parts of Asia, there are striking

contrasts in Burma. Mostly I prefer the look of

older solutions, with houses & hotels, for example.

of course it might be different if I had to live in them

guesthouse & internet places are quite often in old premises.

nina tikari ~ great photos in india

lotus pond

2012-01-18T00:02:00.000-08:00

There was a large lotus pond behind the guesthouse in

Mandalay, such big water drops after rain.

That was the lovable Peacock Lodge

highly recommended.

questions

2012-01-16T00:02:00.000-08:00

There was no one to ask what these children were doing.

They were perhaps having lessons at the monastery.

Have a stack of photos where I saw some thing/

person briefly, & have wondered for many

years since, how it is now for them.

Does that happen to you too?

hallucination study

moving

2012-01-14T00:02:00.000-08:00

There's a full range of transport in Mandalay, as in

other parts of Burma. The horse & carts are not

so comfortable, but I liked using them.

bruce jensen's alien menagerie

loaded

2012-01-12T00:02:00.000-08:00

It's only while walking that I can get photos of loads,

it doesn't often work out a vehicle window

The most amazing load I've seen is this one

on flickr from ayashok

bells

2012-01-10T00:02:00.000-08:00

Temple bells. The British helped themselves (as they did in

colonial times); one particularly large bell sank in the river,

as they were trying to load it on a ship.

They failed to raise it. Later the Burmese figured out a way

using bamboo, its now at the Shwedagon,

Tibetan singing bowls with didgeridoo

quiet

2012-01-08T00:02:00.000-08:00

Posting a few more days of Burma, this time from Mandalay.

Quiet moments.

really pleased to read this the joy of quiet

markets

2012-01-06T00:02:00.000-08:00

Boat trips on Inle Lake like to stop at some craft places,

silver, weaving, etc. It's good to see that quite a lot is still

hand crafted in Burma, possibly from necessity..

though, like everywhere else, there's large quantities of

mass produced stuff.

If only they could get the idea of not using plastic bags ~

& tourists not buy plastic bottles of water.

a treasure story ~ & it's outcome

windows

2012-01-04T00:02:00.000-08:00

I love looking out the plane window, though photos never

really work out. Many houses on Inle lake

had some interesting details.

The woven bamboo ones were striking, would like to

know how long they can last, & whether the panels are made

on the shore, or the house is made like a basket, in situ.

I like these collaged images

water

2012-01-02T00:02:00.000-08:00

The water of Inle lake.

I stayed at the Princess Garden hotel, Nyaungshwe,

charming hosts, 7 separate cottages, a really pleasant place.

oh yes, a happy year to you!

boats

2012-01-01T00:02:00.000-08:00

Still going through my Burma photos while staying quietly

at home, town is too busy with tourists.

These are from Inle Lake, went out while it was still dark,

gradually everything began to appear,

the fishermen balance at the end of their skiffs, & twist one

leg around the oar to row. I like the over-exposed shot,

it looks like he's walking on water.

friends sent this link to an eskimo hallelujuh, it's fun

flowers to 2011

2011-12-30T00:02:00.000-08:00

Some flowers from or to the past year,

& good wishes for 2012.

Read that an acre of rainforest is lost every second.

Perhaps 2012 will move towards some necessary changes.

It's urgent in many directions, isn't it?

the eden project

ornaments

2011-12-28T00:02:00.000-08:00

Found a small clear (plastic) pagoda in Burma.

Around it are several tiny glass figures - a centaur, mermaid,

minotaur etc, that I got in a miniature shop in Mexico.

(I make little tableaus that I fiddle with while on the phone)

Right is a piece of coral with hand-like ends.

I didn't have a christmas tree etc ~ how about you?

podcast about rainforests

all that

2011-12-26T00:02:00.000-08:00

All that glitters is probably gold, at Shwedagon pagoda,

there are lots of shiny & reflective surfaces as well.

The halo has flashing neon spot lights, for instance.

& the mirrors are cut with subtle angle changes.

Sunrise & sunset work their magic.

I think the place can be enjoyed on so many levels,

& doesn't demand a religious mind set.

Wouldn't you like to go as gently as a dandelion, into 2012

happy holiday

2011-12-24T00:02:00.000-08:00

There seem to be several kinds of devotional practices

at Burmese temples

apart from sitting, meditating, praying, chanting..

It also looked like there were people who truly enjoyed just

being there, in a beautiful temple where this aspect of

consciousness had been the focus for ages.

The polished marble floors reflect it all, there are multiple

perspectives: everything adds to the experience.

Enjoy the holidays wherever you find your self!

eat some chocolate

photos

2011-12-22T00:02:00.000-08:00

At some temples in Burma there were professional

photographers; groups & families would line up, clearly not

used to the idea. I love to get them too.. innocent.

Cameras & mobile phones are not as

widespread as elsewhere.

hearts

tons of gold

2011-12-20T00:02:00.000-08:00

They say there is 5 tons of gold in the very large

central pagoda at Shwedagon .

It's so strong.

Could be the relics it's said to contain.

Adyashanti on the concept of spiritual awakening

tons

2011-12-18T00:02:00.000-08:00

Thai temples have lots of gold too, but this one in Yangon

has really a lot. It's not all gold leaf.

When it's real gold you know it: a really pure effect

despite all the stuff associated with the getting of it,

historically speaking ~ greed, avarice, envy et al.

The pigeons have their own take on it.

Hiroshi Sugimoto

I saw these statues in Kyoto, but cameras were forbidden.

It was like being in one of the heaven worlds.

blue then grey

2011-12-17T00:02:00.000-08:00

One day it's blue & hot, then it's cool again, & I notice

how the fences on my walk into town go greener,

get more moss, or is it lichens?

My friend's beautiful blue-eyed boy

is a model for being in the moment.

a bbc podcast with an impressive young woman

two

2011-12-16T00:02:00.000-08:00

Joined two files left to make a large buddha,

& took at least two shots of many.. many .. many.

Like the two right, because a couple of steps makes

a big difference. The halo's are usually zipping around in

multi colours, I like how they don't hide the mechanics of it.

there's lots of good stuff on coilhouse, I just enjoyed the

dotty portrait by miguel endara

looking

2011-12-14T00:02:00.000-08:00

As you'd know, I love reflections, & Shwedagon is also

so shiny that there are truly amazing parts that you can

fall into for hours, as left. (It's really good large...)

The people are at the top of the entrance stairs at Shwedagon.

I took the curtains at my hotel because I thought them

dead ugly, yet I like them as a photo.

Strange how that happens.

sarah moon at coilhouse

animals

2011-12-12T00:10:00.000-08:00

Found that with some distance, the first days photos

from my Burma trip looked better than I'd thought. Chose

gold ones for next few days. The dragon is from KL, the other

creatures can be found at Shwedagon pagoda in Yangon.

not animals, more mythical or metaphorical creatures,

wouldn't you say?

a wonderful short animated film at the animalarium

changes

2011-12-10T00:02:00.000-08:00

There are a few hot days, followed by cold damp ones,

the trees & my garden can't quite figure it out.

I quite like the unpredictability.

Mostly.

details

2011-12-08T00:01:00.000-08:00

Edges & details that caught my eye in Yangon.

The end of the year has me running out of words...

mix

2011-12-06T00:02:00.000-08:00

Probably have enough photos from Burma to run for a year,

but won't.. It can often seem an indecipherable mix there:

religious artifacts alongside rubbish, for example.

I loved the large trees lower left with long graceful stems.

colour

2011-12-04T00:02:00.000-08:00

These were all in Yangon. I did pounce on the colour, as

the monsoon really wrecks a lot of surfaces.

The leather bound book top right has

The Accountants Magazine 1909 on it's spine.

The story of it's survival is surely more fun than the contents!

carved

2011-12-03T00:02:00.000-08:00

A friend just showed me how to retrieve 'bad' shots

in Bridge. It's a bit time consuming for all those shot in

dark & cavernous ruins, but amazing what is there.

These remind me of the style at Angkor Wat,

one of these days I'll look it up, possibly it's similar dates.

Artisans, craftsmen & artists moved around a lot more

than you'd think. Also along the silk road.

I love to imagine it.

football

2011-12-02T00:02:00.000-08:00

In Yangon one day I came round a corner, saw all these

guys staring up.. at a large screen mounted on an

overhead foot bridge: football. There seems to be a lot

of interest in soccer in Burma ~ the monks were playing an

informal game ~ though the big match was rugby.

Seems to be small signs of change in Burma, in last few

weeks, it would be so good if it's for real.

scenes

2011-12-01T00:02:00.000-08:00

While travelling, there are times I feel invisible.

& others when everyone turns around & is fine with being

photographed. No telling when that will be, except

that after a while a camera feels less intrusive ~

or, probably, I'm more comfortable..

whatever..

food

2011-11-30T00:02:00.000-08:00

The man top left is selling grain for bird food, also

hanging right in front of small bird houses in Yangon,

where the street food is too.

daily

2011-11-29T00:02:00.000-08:00

After a few weeks somewhere new, I usually have a series

like these, (not all in focus) which seem later to evoke

still lives or daily life..

By the way, am not roaming the web much lately,

so I'm not adding links I've visited.

bamboo

2011-11-28T00:02:00.000-08:00

The most astonishing plant in my friends' garden

was the bamboo. I'd planted some at Bangalow so knew

how eager it is to spread, but theirs has also doubled in height,

at least. Straight lines contrast well with the

tropical exuberance. Or maybe it just gives a (false)sense

that you wont be taken over.

Might post some more Burma photos in a few days.

old friends

2011-11-27T00:02:00.000-08:00

Visited some old friends, hadn't seen their garden for

years, it's a great spot in the hinterland with

bromeliads on tree branches, flowers & ferns..

mature trees, lotus & papyrus in the dam

& a lovely creek, the kind that platypus might enjoy.

only men

2011-11-26T00:02:00.000-08:00

Many paya have an area of shops close by, this one has

cool marble floored walkways. Only men can add gold leaf

to the the large buddha. I don't recall ever reading that

in what the buddha taught, although he did supposedly say

that women could not be enlightened.

Well, who could be?

The head of this buddha is wonderfully beautiful,

though the body is lumpy with gold.

Possibly could have been more of a shopper in Burma, except

the overwhelming feeling was 'we have too much stuff already'.

If I go again, I'll stay longer in the Mandalay area,

& countryside.

palace

2011-11-25T00:02:00.000-08:00

The city palace in Mandalay is a reconstruction, not

very sympathetic, the old one burnt down. The island it's on is

used as an army base (tatmadaw). I liked the tower design, & there's

a small museum with a few artifacts & some antique

photos, not supposed to take photos.

monastery

2011-11-24T00:02:00.000-08:00

It's really impossible to give a sense of these places: at first there

is the fairy tale silhouette, then you see more of the detail,

(flying elephants & horses!) plus the surrounding trees;

there's the solidity of a large timber building,

& then into the dark interior where the gleam of gold

gradually becomes buddhas, ornaments, doors, pillars...

it's superb.

folk art

2011-11-23T00:02:00.000-08:00

Most of the paintings like these that I noticed were in difficult

positions for photos, & flash was useless. Often there were

interesting family photos in offices, restaurants etc, I felt a bit

awkward photographing them, there were quizzical looks

when I asked.

orphanage

2011-11-22T00:02:00.000-08:00

In Mandalay I visited an orphanage within a monastery complex.

The children were from all over Burma, some from the

deadly Nargis cyclone, others with only one parent who could

not otherwise send them to school, as well as some ethnic

minorities from the far north.

gold teak

2011-11-21T00:02:00.000-08:00

At this teak monastery I had the sense of finding the

gold heart of a teak forest.. it was almost deserted, quiet but

for the floor boards; while the exuberant exterior has

faded with time, the interior glimmers with gold.

It may not all be gold leaf, & in fact the space is lit only

by doors & small windows, I saw more detail from the flash,

though that never gives the true look of dim shine, does it?

I wonder whether it produced wood carving monks, or

was it all built before they came? There was a series of

panels with jataka tales. A really uplifting space

amarapura

2011-11-20T00:02:00.000-08:00

At the sunset end of the day we went to the bridge

at Amarapura: Ducks being herded home, people fishing

in the lake ~ standing chest high ~ lots of movement

on the old teak bridge yet a quietness too,

it was gorgeous.

across the river

2011-11-19T00:02:00.000-08:00

More extravagantly carved teak. Sometimes, inside, it's gilded.

Outside the carving is weather worn, still fine inside

The posts & pillars are whole trees.

Two other places (maybe Mingun), I loved the leaning tower.

Now & again there's an unexplained detail: I don't know the

meaning of the creatures with double hind quarters,

maybe they are Nats, though they decorate Buddhist pagodas too.

ruins

2011-11-18T00:02:00.000-08:00

The names won't mean much if you've not been there: more

interesting sites around Mandalay. Some were small, &

it gave a slight sense of stumbling upon them by chance

in the jungle..

Whenever there was a hill you could see that

the forests & fields are studded with pagodas,

& other buddhist ruins

full moon

2011-11-17T00:02:00.000-08:00

Still there were full moon celebrations, the lion had a part.

The icecream cones were luminous pink & lime, the bullocks

were resting beside their taxi carts, at the river. There was a big

earthquake in Turkey while I was in Burma, sobering to

see earlier remains of seismic activity.

carved forests

2011-11-16T00:02:00.000-08:00

We saw parts of the 'ancient cities' via the taxi/tuk-tuk,

boat, & horse cart, passing many small villages & compounds

of bamboo cottages, & some great trees, all interesting.

One pagoda aimed to be the tallest, but an earthquake,

or king's death intervened.. I forget which.

The teak monasteries were astonishing, carved all over,

inside too, except it was so dark, hard to see.

Whole forests of teak, but such a memorable use of it.

mandalay

2011-11-15T00:02:00.000-08:00

From Inle lake I flew to Mandalay, & stayed at the delightful

Peacock Lodge, it reminded me happily of the old

raj places in India that I rented or stayed at, lovely hosts too.

One day I shared the GH taxi with another guest, we

visited several interesting sites up hills, & further away.

A long climb (for me) to the top for this paya at Sagaing, a splendid

view of the Irrawaddy. The city is big & kind of messy,

the trick is to get up early, before it all starts up,

& the light is at an angle

treasure

2011-11-14T00:01:00.000-08:00

Many sites at Bagan had dim mysterious interiors,

&, in October, lots of big old green trees

There were intriguing paths off through the greenery,

nearly always someone selling quite interesting stuff, which

I didn't see in other towns, & occasional gilded treasures.

I might go back one day, I really liked it.

Of course the real treasure is the Burmese people.

chance

2011-11-13T00:02:00.000-08:00

The chance of being somewhere just as the light

changes, don't you love it? There was heavy rain between me

& the large pagoda. In the village this lady right

was a Burmese Vermeer.

laid back

2011-11-12T00:02:00.000-08:00

At Inle lake I stayed at a small hotel with separate cottages,

so pleasant, & not cut off from the village nearby, a laid back

place. The Princess Garden hotel.

There are markets around the lake, in 5-day rotation,

the ladies were there, & the boys with their snazzy haircuts.

& a teak monastery.

Here are more during the festival - didn't I see those faces

in Mexico, or Guatemala? You can see how they balance

at the back of their skiffs, & row with one leg.

The rattan houses use different patterns in their weave.

Depending on your interests, it would be easy to spend more

time here, & at Bagan. It's really quite different at other

times of the year, too.

Not all places in Burma are open to foreigners.

eleven

2011-11-11T00:02:00.001-08:00

Back in the here & now, it's the supposed 'big' date,

though it's not 11/11/11 everywhere on the globe..

'the end of the world as we know it'.. that gives quite a lot

of wriggle room, though am happy if the more optimistic

meanings come to pass.

The Petrea vine is flowering in my garden.

inle lake

2011-11-10T00:02:00.000-08:00

More from the festival at Inle lake, in Burma; I took a lot.

north

2011-11-09T00:02:00.000-08:00

I flew to Inle Lake after a few days in Yangon, there was

a big annual festival happening ~ boat races the

day I was on the lake, a great spectacle: the misty mountains

all around, the sunrise, the stilt houses, the amazing balance

of the leg rowing, & of course the colourful boats, one or more for

each village. Boats full of villagers too.

Our boatman took us to his house, made from woven bamboo

on stilts, the lake is not so deep. A simple place with

zero excess. The water looks clear, & there are floating

gardens in another area, I saw very healthy looking tomatoes.

horse and cart

2011-11-08T00:02:00.000-08:00

Was fortunate to find a horse cart driver via my friends,

such a sweet & easy-going man. He took me one afternoon

to his village to meet his family top left, & to see their

festival. His horse was well cared for. I thought their

children so good looking, especially the girl, right.

If you stay near old Bagan, ask for cart number 173.

The extra drive to my hotel, near New Bagan

was a bit too far, 6 kilometres, though he did it.

Stayed at the Kumudara, a good place, great staff,

surroundings dotted with pagodas, even a pool.

One night there was a cloudburst, accompanied by

an extremely loud & scary noise like an alarm,

it took me an hour to realise it was about

5 million frogs, it continued for 6 hours,

but gradually became more melodic.

by horse

2011-11-07T00:02:00.000-08:00

My lovely horse cart driver in Bagan top left.

There's about 250 in the area I think. Life must get very

sparse in the off season. If they are from the same village

they all know each other, & shout greetings as they pass.

It was very wet one day, which made it bumpier - water

quickly covered the holes in the road, not so good for

photos, though generally it was easier to stop.

vistas

2011-11-06T00:01:00.000-07:00

I went to some of the main pagodas & temples, but

there are thousands, each with it's own charm &

half sensed history. It was still raining a lot.

Though not the most sophisticated, these were

my favourite buddhas, beatific smiles ~ & twins!

& yes, these are still the small files..drat.

art history

2011-11-05T00:02:00.000-07:00

Still with the small photo 'mistakes', these are from

Bagan, where I stayed for several days, taking a horse & cart

sometimes to get around the amazing profusion of

pagodas & ruins.

Some are extremely old, nearly all have been shaken

by strong earthquakes (a big one in 1975), many have been

partially restored by Unesco or local artisans.

Some must have been superb in their day, with extensive

wall frescoes, it's an amazing art history museum, really,

with distinctively different styles, influence from all

directions. Its wonderful to get an extensive view & realise

just how huge this centre of Buddhist culture was.

mirrors

2011-11-04T00:03:00.000-07:00

Mirrors are frequently used to decorate walls

at Shwedagon & many other paya, I love them

almost as much as the gold-leafed Buddhas.

Hopefully I took enough large ones to play with.

I was several days in Yangon, then to the 'usual'

Inle lake, Mandalay, & Bagan. Had to cancel the

Bangkok sector at the end of October because

of their awful floods. It was an unusually heavy

& long monsoon across Asia.

Shwedagon

2011-11-03T00:01:00.000-07:00

The Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon is breathtaking.

I went several times, there was always more to see

& something different happening.

As well as a place for devotion, people use it as a

place to meet, rest, meditate: it gives a wonderfully

complete sense of how alive Buddhism is there.

If you plan a trip to Burma, find a hotel nearby, the

downtown area is another story.

home again

2011-11-02T00:30:00.000-07:00

The plane landed a few days ago, am nearly back in the body..

Took many photos in Burma, still sorting them.

These 2 are from the wondrous Shwedagon pagoda.

Dismayed to find that I fixed a setting in the smaller camera

incorrectly, so a lot are too small for what I'd planned.

Guess I'll have to figure another way to use them.

Or not.

Am still thinking what to say about the experience;

The people are beautiful. It also felt like my heart

was breaking several times a day.

a while

2011-10-03T00:01:00.000-07:00

Imagine how long it might take to grind that hole!

Please come back in a month or so, I'll be away, no posts.

lensculture

away

2011-10-02T00:02:00.000-07:00

Waving goodbye for a month.

Vik Muniz

trip

2011-10-01T00:02:00.000-07:00

A big month coming up!

Only wish I could get to Burma without the flying..

biosphere-hyperborea

Via my friend Kiki: a great interview

a scientist with a wonderful empathy with trees.

waving

2011-09-30T00:02:00.000-07:00

I can spend a very long time gazing at the sea,

& love how the camera can see faster. & you?

buddhist cave temples

floating

2011-09-28T00:02:00.000-07:00

In Australia, we more often than not

live near the ocean, or at least have holidays nearby.

Coming from the outback, as kids, we would wait for

that first salty breeze to know we were nearly there.

butdoesitfloat

a favourite site

figure

2011-09-26T00:02:00.000-07:00

A tiny figure in the sea.

john martin

whale

2011-09-24T00:02:00.000-07:00

Click to enlarge, there's a whale spouting centre top,

that's as close as I've seen them this year. I'll be away

for a while soon, & busy now

so over next days there's just some waves.

the intelligence of crows

here too

2011-09-22T00:02:00.000-07:00

This was twin heaven ~ we both love stones & rocks,

these are worn smooth from rolling against each other ~

it's Boulder Beach.

Tao Dance Theatre

idyllic

2011-09-20T00:02:00.000-07:00

Had a lovely weekend: my sister visited, the weather was

perfect, we went to a area called Broken Head, &

walked on the headland which looks down to a small beach

& over rocks. The aboriginal story attached is probably

to warn children against swimming there.

drawings into dance

the Aware

2011-09-18T00:03:00.000-07:00

Busy on other things; this is in the folder of files I keep

for this blog, I don't recall if I've posted it before.

I used some plug ins for the effects on the lettering

which is one of the names of God.

calligraphy in motion

wings

2011-09-16T00:02:00.000-07:00

Found the dragonfly wings above, & recalled saving one

in a journal I kept while travelling top,

where I'd written out haiku I liked.

That one was by Ho-o:

The rice fields spread their flooded terracing

Of mirrors: segments in a beetles wing.

a nice idea, & video via the Guardian,

lost photos restored & retur ned after the tsunami

surfing

2011-09-14T00:01:00.000-07:00

Walked at the Pass in Byron, hoping to see some good

surf from above. Saw whales too, though they appear

only as a distant smudge in photos.

Summer is on it's way, with, some days,

a chill overtone from the south.

Jean Michel Jarre ~ Oxygene

a flower

2011-09-13T01:21:00.000-07:00

A flower for a dear friend, who died yesterday.

We worked together long ago: he was the best boss,

as well as being an understanding & funny friend.

A big, generous heart, he had difficult times

of late. I salute your brave spirit, Z.

Decasia

walk

2011-09-12T00:01:00.000-07:00

The best place to walk here is at a beach.

The main beach has a long thin lagoon along the land side,

at present, with a kind of grass growing left.

Was thinking today about Brother David Steindl Rast,

who spent time with us on one of Stan Grof's wonderful

month long intensives. This youtube video has Rick Tarnis

speaking about Stan's chart. Rick gave me a really

in depth & useful reading while I was at Esalen.

So grateful for the memorable people we met there

& the ideas we were exposed to !

fruit

2011-09-10T00:01:00.000-07:00

Top is the fruit of a pandanus,

& that's a Drongo almost hiding in the tree below.

cute

2011-09-08T00:01:00.000-07:00

Cute !!

sophie blackall

byron bay

2011-09-06T00:01:00.000-07:00

Two more from the other day, looking

east, then south from the lighthouse.

cricket choir

virtual choir

lighthouse

2011-09-04T00:01:00.000-07:00

Went to the lighthouse: it's the most easterly point

in Australia, great views from there,

& a perfect day to visit.

The whales, dolphins & turtles thought so too.

michael pajon

pastoral

2011-09-02T00:04:00.000-07:00

Last week I went to Murwillumbah

to see the travelling exhibition of the Archibald

(portrait) prize. From strategically placed windows

were lush pastoral scenes of hills & farms.

The winning painting was wonderfully confident !

With all the rain, there has been lots of cloud

- of course -

I always like this kind, regular & smudgy.

Tweed River Art Gallery

tapestry

2011-08-30T00:03:00.000-07:00

A painting I did years ago, it lives in a house with

lots of glass, I think it faded due to sun,

or it could be my memory that's faded..

& two ends of a tapestry I designed & had made

in Kashmir, which has lost some colour.

It was supposed to look like a mat with cushions;

they kept so closely to my painting, that they even rendered

how the paint had flaked off, in transit. I was living

in Dalhousie then, a hill station in northern India.

& I knew a lovely woman who ran a womens' handicraft

centre in Srinagar.

Interesting patterns: Sara Haraigue

warm fires

2011-08-28T00:02:00.000-07:00

Was away at another beach: big wild seas,

warm fires at night, & favourite company.

kahn & selesnick, so clever

ferry

2011-08-23T01:23:00.000-07:00

Photos from an Istanbul ferry ride across to the Asian side,

love playing around with moving the camera, it's so

unpredictable. No posts for a few days.

Amazing what can be found on You Tube:

one of my favourite sounds, Zoviet France interview

& another They're eating the Passengers

mango

2011-08-22T00:01:00.000-07:00

Some days it's sunny, & warm. The mango tree left

is covered in blossoms, I think that's unusual for August,

maybe not.. if even a 1/4 set, it will be a time of

mango puris

dragons

2011-08-20T01:04:00.000-07:00

The first water dragon top I've seen

for months. Went out with a friend, we had

to stop for a while, it was raining so hard, this

is through the windscreen, towards the sea.

dragon bones

storied

2011-08-18T00:13:00.000-07:00

While looking for a particular photo from the end of

my stay in Istanbul, I was reminded of the fantastic

old buildings in that part of the city; the arch is dated 1904,

& a lot appear to be from that era, though the

decoration top left resembles an Assyrian Vampire palace..

Of course 1904 is relatively new, for Istanbul.

turbine free wind power

sounds like a great idea

unique

2011-08-16T00:02:00.000-07:00

From a bush in my garden, every leaf is different,

it seems such an elegant & understated

originality.

pollination

I read this article today, about a unique scholar

seal

2011-08-14T00:02:00.000-07:00

Bought this old seal in Istanbul, but could not discover

the meaning of the calligraphy.

If you have a clue, please let me know?

peter beard

old one

2011-08-12T00:01:00.000-07:00

It was my birthday yesterday, getting older..

Went to the beach for a while, it was more like winter,

a navy sky & silver beach, & tiramisu with a friend.

find the octopus!