I went up to the Temple last night to celebrate The Year of the Horsewith my Chinese friends, but this year the police stopped us drivers up the road from the temple and told us that we would have to park outside the temple grounds and walk up the road.
In Logan city, where the temple is, the council have artists paint animals and Australian scenes on the telephone poles throughout the city. I never knew there were painted poles outside the temple, as I usually park the car in the temple grounds, but tonight having to walk, the first pole I encountered had a white dove painted on it, which made me think of Mike Perry and the dove stories he often posts on his blog-site that bring hope and comfort to many of the blog's readers. http://www.67notout.com/ It also made me think of the white dove that comes to bring comfort to a local jockey and his family who tragically lost their son, which I wrote about here - What's This Old Sport? An Afterlife Story in the Sport Section? What's the World Coming To?
The funny thing though was the pole's number ends in a 76, which is one of Mike's favourite number signs. And speaking of Signs, I had a watch that I had won from the the movie promotion of Mel Gibson's movie Signs. It had a broken winder and I was thinking of throwing it out at one stage, but decided to keep it even if it never worked again. Just before Christmas I took it to the jewelers to see how much it would cost to repair. At first they said $40, but later it turned out to be $85 ... ouch .... but I finally got it back and wore it last night thinking I wonder if it will produce any signs for me tonight? Well, I guess it did. And the funny thing is that Mike sent me a personal message this morning and also commented on the dove post I wrote earlier in the week, without my even mentioning this telephone pole.
The white dove, named Charlie, regularly visits the family.
Update: It didn't even occur to me when I was writing this post this morning that Scott Galloway is a jockey and that I was going up to the temple to see in the Year of the Horse.
I like watching this guy's videos as he tries to peel back the occult world of Masonic symbolism around the world, and especially Australian towns and cities, including my hometown, Brisbane, in his latest one. I can't get it to upload here... damn Masons(;-)... so you'll have to click on this link before the Masons get to that as well, if you want to see it. Occult Brisbane (Masonic interdimensional symbolism) I don't agree with everything he says in these videos... (so please just kill him and not me, if any Masons are reading this blog), but he does make some very interesting observations on his travels, real or imagined.
UPDATE: Finally got it to upload, here it is below.
I traded in my kiddes harmonica for a real one when I came home from the Woodford Folkfest, after my purchase of the adult version from the McTrustry's Cigar-box guitar tent at the festival. Nigel assured me it would be a piece of cake with the CD to teach me.
It came with a "how to" CD, which I thought would make playing one of these a piece of cake, but looking at the contents of the CD has made me wonder if I shouldn't have just purchased a cigar-box guitar instead?
I'll just have to keep practicing I guess, but at the moment I suck at blowing;-)
Happy Australia Day my follow Aussies. I like a good Australia Day celebration as much as the next fellow Aussie, but here is a thought provoking song (^) to ponder over as you sip on that relaxing beverage this Australia Day. "The Lucky Country"is a nickname for Australia, taken from the 1964 book of the same name by social critic Donald Horne.
It is generally used favorably, although the origin of the phrase was
negative. Among other things, it has been used in reference to
Australia's natural resources, weather, history, distance from problems
elsewhere in the world, and other sorts of prosperity.
Happy Australia Day.
And remember that sometimes a bit of luck is better than a lot of skill;-)
Update:26th Jan, 2014 ... still. Here is a weird and tragic news story considering it is
Australia Day and a song that is a staple of any Australia Day is Waltzing Matilda, a song about a swag-man who dies in a billabong.
Police are searching for a boy, 12, feared taken by a crocodile while swimming in a Northern Territory billabong.
NT
police and park rangers are searching for the boy, who was swimming
with friends at the Mudginberri Billabong, 20 kilometres west of Jabiru. A second boy was reportedly bitten on the arm by the crocodile. "It
is believed the 12-year-old boy was taken by a crocodile as he and a
number of other young boys were swimming in the billabong," Acting
Commander Michael White said. "One other boy, also aged 12, was
bitten on the arm by the crocodile and has received medical treatment
from attending St John Ambulance members." Police say they are searching the area where a teenager narrowly escaped a five-metre crocodile last year. Jabiru is located 200 kilometres east of Darwin. I don't recall ever seeing a news story about someone dying in a billabong, least of all being taken by a crocodile in a billabong. Also in the book I'm currently reading Lights Out in Wonderland [SPOILER ALERT]the main player tries to drown himself in a lake.
I also just saw that Daft Punk are performing Get Lucky at the Grammys tonight in LA which is the 26th Jan(Australia Day) over there, but it will be the 27th in Australia.
The funny thing is Daft Punk's album was launched in the
Outback of Australia earlier last year.
"A severe housefire on the Kamilaroi highway into Wee Waa delayed the
start of the much-hyped global launch of Daft Punk’s album, Random
Access Memories. But one of the most ingenious - if misleading - music
marketing campaigns of recent times eventually culminated in a
spectacular dance music party on an under-lit circular outdoor
dancefloor, apparently the biggest in Australia. Hundreds of carloads of fans had to be diverted around
Narrabri after the fire closed the highway into Wee Waa because of
concerns over asbestos inside. The album “launch” was considered misleading by many because
the songs were available on the internet earlier this week. And optimism
that the two Frenchmen who make up Daft Punk, Thomas Bangalter and
Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo, might make an unscheduled appearance came
to nothing, although few fans complained. The set and lighting, designed by Daft Punk offshoot ‘Daft Art’, was
consistent with the standard of the house music duo’s usual live act,
given the remote location. Four giant speaker towers and 16 floodlights,
aimed skywards, encircled the dancefloor, above which hung a seven
tonne disco ball. Lighting timed with the beats ranged from red to pink
to green and white.
Although the crowd fell short of the 4000 tickets sold, they got into
the celebratory spirit on a cold night expected to drop to two degrees. Many came in classic music festival garb, wearing anything from jungle
book character outfits to rabbit suits, American Indian headresses and
of course Daft Punk’s trademark robot helmets." Daft Punk a no-show as album 'launched'
Gold Coast jockey Scott Galloway
with his family, Lisa, William, 5, Jarred Cowie, 13, and a picture
and
ashes of his late son Charlie, who was killed in a car accident in 2012. Picture:Jerad WilliamsSource:News Limited
My English friend Mike Perry often blogs about these kinds of stories at his 67 Not Outblogsite, so I was stunned to pick up the paper and turn to the sport section and find a story that wasn't about smashing the English at cricket again, but a story of a
Gold Coast jockey who believes a dove is a sign from his son who was tragically killed when a car struck him down.
"IT was two days after his young son Charlie's tragic death when Scott Galloway first noticed it.
Hearing cries to come quickly to the other side of the house, Galloway feared the worst. "I thought (my partner) Lisa was having another breakdown," he recalls. "I ran up the side of the house on the stones and it would have scared any bird away. "But there he was with Lisa. "She
was sitting out the back and a white dove flew in and landed right on
the chair right next to her shoulder and she fed him and caressed him
like only a mother could. "It was just before (Charlie's) funeral
and it was a priceless and a truly symbolic moment we never forget as he
came to say he is OK and in God's care and not to worry." Before this point jockey Galloway had never seen a white dove on the Gold Coast. But this white dove, named Charlie, has been a regular at the
Galloways' Benowa property since 20-month-old Charlie was tragically
killed when hit by a car outside a house at Hope Island in late November
2012. "The first day I rode since Charlie's death I won on a
horse called Betican with my first ride back (in February)," Galloway
said. "We did some photos in the park a couple days later for a
story in the newspaper and as we came back from the park he flew in just
to say hi. "He has only been here about four or five times but he just turns up here as a signal to say he is around. "The boys have played with him and I've got to pat him as well. "It's the same bird and he has a little black mark on the back of his neck." Such moments have helped the Galloway family get through the past 14 months. Losing a son is never easy but as Galloway put it,
"we are doing the best we can". "The
thing we miss most is our family not being complete and not being able
to watch our angel Charlie grow up and become a big boy," he said. "We miss him every day and love him so much and the pain is indescribable without him here with us."
William Galloway with the dove that has been with the family since Charlie was killed.
Galloway's partner has been a pillar of strength too, not just for him but also sons William, 5, and Jarred, 13. But Lisa admits she still struggles with Charlie's death every day. "There
is not a day that goes by when I don't cry and we all continue to seek
counselling and we find strength through each other, family and
friends," she said. "Nobody, not even a parent, can imagine the
pain and anguish we feel each and every day unless they have suffered
the loss of a little one and I wish they never have to. "We have been working closely with lots of charities to do with children's safety, not only driveway safety.
The white dove, named Charlie, regularly visits the family.
"It is heartbreaking to say the least, especially with all the
statistics but if we can help another family from not having to feel
this hurt then it's all worth it in the end. "Charlie is forever
in our hearts and we have been blessed to have had him in our lives.
Though short, it was magical and will never be forgotten." Galloway is likely to make his latest return to riding at the Gold Coast on Saturday week. Knee surgery has kept him sidelined since last April and at the age of 44, he could have walked away from the sport. But he knew Charlie would expect more from his dad. "I know it's what Charlie and my other kids want for me, to get back doing what I do best," he said.
"It's such a physical and mental game being a jockey and for me to
get back to where I was before Charlie's accident, it was very hard to
get back on the horse. "But once I was able to get back on a horse
it is just like getting back on a bike again, and it's good therapy to
get back doing what I love." The Group 1-winning jockey, who is looking for a new manager, will not lack any motivation on his return. He openly admits he rides for Charlie these days and always wants to make his son proud. Regardless of the result next weekend, don't be surprised if Charlie, the white dove, flies in for another visit. "
I bought this mini painting on a day trip years ago from Scott Alexander-King'sByron Bay shop "Animal Dreaming" (which no longer exists). I wrote about that day here - Animal Dreaming in Byron on Sunday I bought it because it reminded me of the blue bird that hit my window and started me blogging, although that bird was a kingfisher and the bird in the painting is a fairy wren... a bird I had never seen in real life at the time.
I finally spotted one of these in the wild just the other day outside of my new place of employment. I tried to snap a photo of it with my cell phone camera, but the fence got in the way.
Click to make picture bigger
I like my new job, even though it can be tiring sometimes. But it is way better than the last job I had for 24 years for a Swedish furniture store. The hours are great (Mon-Fri 8.30am-5.00pm) with no night or weekend work, which is a big change from my last job. And while I would still like to win the lotto and quit my job (who doesn't?) at least I'm happy here, so far anyway. I think this little bird's message is that you are as happy as you make up your mind to be at any given moment and that moment only lasts as long as you let it. I'll keep an eye out for this bird at work and try and get a better photo and place it here.
ABOUT THE ARTIST I was born an artist and decided to stay one. When I was growing up,
art was a huge part of my life. I was constantly drawing and painting. I
left home and started working in jobs that meant nothing to me, always
longing for something else. One day I finally snapped, quit my job, and
me and my husband at the time put names of towns we wanted to live into
a hat, and we picked out Byron Bay. So after 23 years of growing up in
Melbourne, I was off to live in Byron. I left with a car full of my
china tea cups and teapots, my paints, my art, and other little
treasures. At the time I was working on Mermaid Dolphin- Angels of the sea. We stayed a couple of months in Byron and then moved to Nimbin for a little while. One day we were having a picnic near the bottom of Springbrook
Mountain, and I looked up and decided that those beautiful mountains
needed to be my home! I have lived here nearly 18 years now and have had
two little girls named Freya and Lillith who live with me on the
mountain in the cutest little cottage with running springs and creeks,
veggie patches, old trees, and magic around us everyday. My surroundings
inspire me to create my art.
