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 |   A Journal to impart knowledge and facts |
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July 22, 2015 I'm going to start today to record on a daily basis whatever happens to strike my fancy. So, it is a very cool breezy day. I just posted 5 short book reviews to The Monthly Reading Challenge. I'm suppose to put away some winter wood today from the woodpile outside but I'm playing hookey from work to write so starting this blog will get done. I'm having a daily fight with a flock of English Sparrows that are trying to take over my barn. They are making a terrible mess so they have to go. I have destroyed several nests so far they don't leave but they get out of the barn when I am around. I'm just starting the fight so I guess I don't know how far I have to go to discourage them. I'm trying not to spread myself to thin on WDC because I find so many things that are interesting here and I am trying to work on a new story. I really enjoy sitting at my desk with a cup of tea and reading blogs on WDC. |
The tour guide is so excited to have such a large group. And there's a lot of interesting places along our ride. Discuss what you've seen and what you liked thus far in Australia..  Australia Quote:“I love a sunburnt country, A land of sweeping plains, Of ragged mountain ranges, Of droughts and flooding rains. I love her far horizons, I love her jewel-sea, Her beauty and her terror – The wide brown land for me!” ― Dorothea Mackellar, The Poems of Dorothea Mackellar reference:https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/australia PERTH TODAY I took the bicycle tour. Even wearing masks the ride was spectacular. I had to center on something and I was so taken with Elizabeth Quays. The Quays are where Perth City meets the Swan River. It is considered one of the precincts designed within it's own area and use.Elizabeth Quays was named for Queen Elizabeth during her diamond jubilee. Two things put me over the top at Elizabeth Quays. Although, I saw and read about so much more these things were are the top of my attention. There are 18 bells hanging in a 271 foot high tower, which is made of copper and brass. Twelve of the bells are from St. Martin-in-the-Square church located in Trafalgar Square in London. Six of the others were recently cast by by White Chapel Bell foundry. Metal mined in Australia was used to shape these bells. One was donated by The Australian Government. The other five were underwritten by West Minister of the UK, the city of London, and British and Australian mining companies. The sound of the bells can be aimed in different directions depending on the need or time of day. The Swan Bell Tower was designed by Hames Shailey. The second thing is the Spanda sculpture by artist Christian de Vietvi. The Spanda is situated looking south toward the Swan river. It is six nested arches. The largest arch is nine stories high. The smallest arch is the size of a human being or maybe two standing together. It represents divine vibrations that united human communication with the universe. I tried to find out why the clothing of the women's sculpture changes, I've not been successful about that yet. If I was actually going to travel face to face Perth would be one of the places I would go. I would like to hear the bells and walk through the Spanda. By bicycle it was a wonderful ride with so much to see. I needed in-depth knowledge of all the places I rode to see. I could visit Australia more than once or just stay for a few months to see all the sites it exhibits. Now I am excited to visit Cambodia. A place I have never been. |
Where I spent the evening while we were at Darwin Austrailia.   Mindl Beach Market is an evening adventure. The market is here in the evening for a specific reason. It's for the sun watchers of society. The Market itself is known for a diversity of types of foods. If you are hungry this is a great place to dine. Then, of course, there is a lot of other interesting stalls rugs, painting, gems, and aboriginal items. Plus, there is the music here that is constantly playing. It's a background to the market and later continues as people wander down to the beach for the main event. When the sun starts to go down you take the walkway to the beach. Mindl Beach is one of the most beautiful beaches on the Australian Continent. The oxidation in the sand causes it to be reddish in color.There are palm trees and other plant life for greenery. The contrasting glory of the sea colors and sky colors as the sun sinks is awesome. If you know about the sun it is large, in this part of the world, as it sinks slowly down giving the sky a red, yellow, orange, and even purple light show. There is a wharf there with dining options. No one sells alcohol drinks but you can bring your own. The wharf is out over the ocean even closer to the sun. Many people are standing around with cameras taking photographs as the sun falls slowly down behind the horizon. The contrast between the sky and the color of the beaches makes a beautiful show. This is where the paintings sold from the stalls at the Mindl Beach Market were born, as artist watched this sky show. I ordered a seafood platter with Iced tea and stood on the edge of the wharf taking pictures that will be a happy reminder of the trip, in times yet to come. When I thought I had enough picture taking and the food was delivered to the table I enjoyed fresh fish and shrimps with a sauce native to the area. It was so peaceful. The night quietly settled in as the sun at last made its final exit. It left a glow in the sky even as it disappeared. I was happy to acknowledge how many other people were sunset watching. The sun will always amaze you as our planet spins around it on a daily basis. |
Darwin Waterfront and Vibe Hotel: exploring Darwin and surrounding area.   Although the vibe had some bad reviews I got along really well with staff. The rooms were clean and the showers large. I liked the seating on decks to watch the sunset. Lots of different kinds of group settings. Since I spent some time on walking tours the comfort was most appreciated. I walked across the sky walk. You have to take an elevator up to the sky walk and then when you get really close to the harbor you take and elevator down. It was a stormy day with some thunder rolling in the horizon so the sky walk felt adventurous. As I exited the sky walk there were some rental bikes. A little unusual because they had a very comfortable seat. Descriptively equal to sitting in a chair with armrests and a back. It's a good thing I rented one because walking around the walk ways was a long walk. We entered a park area where we saw a small beach which had a life guard chair and a volley ball net. The walkways wandered all over the wharf. Passing the Beach markets. Lots of different views on the walkways. Saw the wave lagoon and the convention center. Also walked through some more markets and outside dining where flora and fauna surrounded the tables and dining areas, very secluded and especially peaceful. Then it was back up on the sky way walk to our starting point. One of the residents told me that in WWII there were more bombs dropped on Darwin than on Pearl Harbor. A lot of the building we see today is rebuilt from 1974 when Cyclone Tracy hit Darwin on December 24 after 10 p.m. The residents were celebrating Christmas Eve. They thought the cyclone was going to go in a different direction so they were caught unawares. The storm killed 71 people. There were winds of 135 m.p.h. 70 per cent of homes and buildings were destroyed with #837 million worth of damage. 30,000 people were evacuated many never returned. Today Darwin continues to have what is considered a low population. It is interesting that mixed in with Australian shops we find Coles, Coca Cola, and Hertz rent a car. I took Sandra Lyn and Blue Moon with me to Mindle Beach Sunset Market. They had strict instructions to keep me from spending too much. I did buy a aboriginal musical horn. There were so many things to see. Tye dye dresses, paintings of Beach Sunsets, gorgeous rugs with unusual patterns. It's a good thing today was an active day with lots of walking because the food was to good to pass up. I agree with Sandra Lyn  no moth soup or grubs of any kind. I no longer eat white tail deer at home so I'm not eating kangaroo here. We also visited Liechfield National Park. There are 20 national parks near Darwin. This one has water holes between falls areas so you can wade and swim. We walk around the termite mounds which are high and wide. Really needed rest at the end of the day. |
BCoF There are beautiful pictures in the links, your prompt is to pick one and write a poem or a story about that location. Be creative.  I shared this YouTube because it's a picture of the music Tom Curtain sings. This particular song appeals to me because it shows the specific female ability to overcome things this world can throw at them. Some one had the nerve to tell me a few years ago that Women don't run farms. This was a female who pushes the stereotype in the USA of a women knitting, sewing, wearing dresses, and saying yes sir to the man of the house. Women don't rum farms? It made me laugh. Who ran the family farm when Daniel Boone was roaming around with the Indians? When the statesmen were in Philadelphia forming and signing the Declaration of Independence. Who was running the family farm? A lot of those statesmen came from Plantations and farming communities. Someone had to build the agricultural bases that cause a country to be able to grow and expand. In this day when it takes two incomes to be able to raise the children and pay the bills. One of the two goes to work in a factory the other drives the tractors and feeds the livestock. I know women running farms today. It's a energy sucking job with a great feeling of accomplishment at the end of the day. People running a farm, ranch, plantation sleep well at the end of a day. Bills to pay, Bad weather for hay, Time to feed livestock, Getting every chore done means, standing like an unmovable rock. Have you fed a nation? Women have for generations. Garden sowing,crop harvest, and cooking meals, have you ever heard an army moves on its stomach. There use to be large farms around here. In the last 50 years they have collapsed. The land is split up and sold in small acreages of 10 to 50 acres. Now, these people,who are investing in a few acres, are buying small tractors. They raise dairy goats, sheep, pigs, a beef cow or two, hunt for the white tail deer, and they feed their families. Women are raising chickens, collecting eggs, and grinding meat to store and freezing vegetables for winter. Factories are closing but, underneath there is a movement of people that still know that agriculture is the basis for growth in any nation. Scientists, nurses, doctors, lawyers, writers all have to eat. Who will feed the people who think and develop technology? All this study of the outback shows the importance in every nation of agricultural need. Listen to the music Tom curtain sings. He can see the need of the people. He sings about the men and women who work the land and make a difference in every way. They feed the people food, knowledge, and fill lots of daily needs, with agriculture. Music always has a picture and a message. apondia#1781748 |
| 30 day: You have choices once we land in Katherine. Discuss what you discovered and enjoyed from the links.Include your fellow bloggers to help inspire interaction.   I am very interested in the history and story telling of the Jawoyan People. Jawoyan is a term that communicates jointly 17 clans of people who are united in an association to preserve and maintain their cultural heritage. The Jawoyan Association promotes economic independence and human services for the clans. The Jawoyan people own Nitmulak Park. One of the ancient stories passed to the people is how Nabilil named Nitmulak by the sound of the Cicadas he heard as he passed through the gorges. Some of us, (WakeUpAndLive, Blue Moon, Carly, Sandra Lyn, and Prosperous Snow) decided there is safety in numbers. We banded together and walked the three mile Baruwei look out and loop trails. August is one of the best months for this kind of sight seeing in the Nitmulak Park because the humidity and heat are lower at this time of the year. We backpacked lots of water and some TimTam snacks. The view from this trail of Katherine gorge and 17 mile valley are lovely. We took pictures of native birds along the way and took our time with lots of rest stops. The guides explained to watch for the signs along the way, that would keep us on the trail, so we were careful. It was fun and not too stressful. Cicadas make their sound through the use of two cymbal like appendages. One on each side of the body. Only the males sing. They have air sacs and timpani, that act like amplifiers. As they relax and contract the cymbals they can chirp 50 times a second. Reference: by April Neander on YouTube. Later in the day I went horse back riding on the Tom Curtain ranch. Tom curtain is an award winning singer. His outback songs are known for their social messages. Two of the ones I listened to were "Speak-Up" and "We Are Still Here". On the ranch you can take lessons in horseback riding and training. The ranch trains dogs and hoses with kindness methods. If you ride they will put you on a horse that is special to your riding abilities. It was one of those wonderful full days. I crammed lots of new facts about the Jawoyn people and outback ranching into my brain. Time to take a break with some Australian cuisine. So Much To Learn. |
BCoF for August 5. 2020. BCoF prompt is about Opals:Weave us a tale about an opal heist.  Heist or Accident? Purdy had caught a ride to the mining camp one morning. He thought it would be fun just to see how the mining was done. After all, today he was just another tourist looking for information about how to mine Opals. When he arrived he realized it was not a good day for tourists. When he inquired about the mining tours and other tourist attractions he was met with suspicion and even lots of hostility.  One shop keeper called the local law enforcement who took Purdy to a little under ground office and drilled him for several hours about why he was in the mining camp. Eventually Purdy was let loose with a warning to stay away from the mines. Everywhere he went he was met with paranoia and hostility. I don't know what's going on here but it doesn't make me feel safe. In the afternoon when people were resting from the heat he left. No sense waiting for the tourist ride to come back for me. Thought Purdy.  A piece of rock fell from the dusty rocky mountain as Purdy was stealthily moving away from the small mining village. If he could get away quickly he would be able to make good time on the camel trail that led into the desert. He stopped to pick up the rock. If he was followed it might come in handy as a weapon. Grasping the stone in his hand he trotted down the trail. The heat of the day would help cover his movements. Most people were resting until the sun went down enough to resume a scheduled work day.  Purdy was so glad he had brought lots of water. He trudged all day until he saw the greenery of the landscape as it hit the edge of the desert trail. He had fingered the rock in the palm of his hand all day. Now, he was pretty sure he would not need it. No one seemed to be following him. When he reached the wooded green section of the trail he sat down to rest and watch the desert trail that led to the mining camp. No one else was out and you could see the heat shimmer across the trail that led to this part of the landscape. Behind him he could hear the water as it fell from cool rocks into a river. All he had to do was follow the river. It would be cooler and well traveled. His escape was assured.  looked down at the rock in his hand. As he rubbed it in his palm, mountain grit and dirt began to crumble off it. In the end, pieces broke off and fell to the ground. As the mountain detritus crumbled away, it left a veined stone which caught the light and sparkled with color. Purdy held it up toward the sun. He rubbed it and exclaimed as the light danced and whirled causing him to draw in his breath as the stone produced a magical aura. "What have I found?" he exclaimed.  |
| 30 day prompt. From your morning stop at the outback outpost of Manguri, you’ll venture into the weird and wonderful opal mining township of Coober Pedy, where more than half of the residents live underground. Here, you’ll enjoy a day of discovery, and a gourmet lunch in the most unique of locations: underground. Dinner is served back on the train where you can enjoy a nightcap as your journey continues. We'e going to get dirty today. But maybe we'll score an opal.  Opal? MY favorite opals are the ones with stars in them. Some opals are more rare than others. Some are worth more than others. The Aurora Australis is valued at about $1,000,000. I started looking at the science of gemology especially as it pertained to Opals. Soon I realized that it is a very serious subject. To understand a lot about it will take hours and days of study. I gleaned these particular facts about Opals. Opals are valued by their shape of cut and size. Shape and size are a factor in the way light disperses around the stone, Overlaying light rays give the stone its magical affect. You may become fascinated by a particular stone when you see how it looks to your eye. Fiction: A piece of rock fell from the dusty rocky mountain as Purdy was stealthily moving away from the small mining village. If he could get away quickly he would be able to make good time on the camel trail that led into the desert. He stopped to pick up the rock. If he was followed it might come in handy as a weapon. Grasping the stone in his hand he trotted down the trail. The heat of the day would help cover his movements. Most people were resting until the sun went down enough to resume a scheduled work day. Purdy was so glad he had brought lots of water. He trudged all day until he saw the greenery of the landscape as it hit the edge of the desert trail. He had fingered the rock in the palm of his hand all day. Now, he was pretty sure he would not need it. No one seemed to be following him. When he reached the wooded green section of the trail he sat down to rest and watch the desert trail that led to the mining camp. No one else was out and you could see the heat shimmer across the trail that led to this part of the landscape. Behind him he could hear the water as it fell from cool rocks into a river. All he had to do was follow the river. It would be cooler and well traveled. His escape was assured. He looked down at the rock in his hand. As he rubbed it in his palm, mountain grit and dirt began to crumble off it. In the end, pieces broke off and fell to the ground. As the mountain detritus crumbled away, it left a veined stone which caught the light and sparkled with color. Purdy held it up toward the sun. He rubbed it and exclaimed as the light danced and whirled causing him to draw in his breath as the stone produced a magical aura. "What have I found?" he exclaimed. Back to the Ghan: Some of the things we experienced as a group when the Ghan stopped at telegraph station were the wonderful sights of the starry night. It has been along time since I experienced the clear vision of an immense starry sky. We ate so well at the barbecue. We had choices of sausages, burgers, steak, fresh baramundi,served with barbecue sauces, beet root, avocado, tomatoes and breads. By the way, baramundi means large scaled silver fish, it is a sea bass. I wonder if you can get this in Canada or the North East parts of the USA coast? I was surprised by the fact that I like Vegemite since it has a reputation about its flavor not being sweet. I like salty foods. I ate it on bread with avocado. One thing I was surprised about and very happy with is the use of beet root in sandwiches. I think I might try this at home since I really like beet root. I use to go out into my grandmothers garden and pull the young beets, clean the dirt off and munch on one. Not a favorite thing to do when grandad was around but grandmother did not mind. Pickled beets are pretty good too. I like coconut but I'm not fond of it slivered. Nevertheless, I had lamington for desert with a cup of green tea. It's like a sponge cake covered in chocolate or raspberry sauce coated with coconut shavings. They served a big bowl of TIMTAMS and encouraged us to take a few with us for the journey so now I have a stash of them in my backpack for the rest of the journey. TIMTAMS are a packaged chocolate biscuit made by Arnotts. I'm especially amazed by the underground society at Coober Pedy. I really admire the inoventive ways to keep cool. The rooms are remarkable. Back on The Ghan and away we go. I'm going to sleep awhile need to catch up. |
| BCoF:Day 2818: August 4, 2020 Day 4 we catch a Ghan train in Adelaide. Have you ever ridden a train? What was it like? If you haven't ridden a train what do you think it would be like?  *flower*Trains K and I were celebrating one year and we rode the Oil Creek Railroad. It is a refurbished train that was running when Oil was discovered in Titusville, Pennsylvania. The train ride is accompanied by lots of history about the area. It goes through a park that has walking trails and bicycle trails and the train will stop in one place to pick up bike riders with their bikes to transport them back to the trail head. You can stop and tour through a museum then pick up the train when it comes back through. There is a lot of scenery. I took pictures with my camera. I believe there are pictures of some fisherman standing in French Creek casting his pole. The train also follows French Creek for a long time. There is a lot of wildlife to see. White tail deer are plentiful in the region. The ride is about 3 hours long. As a tourist attraction the train sticks to its real heritage. There is a conductor dressed in period clothing complete with a big pocket watch and chain hanging from a pocket in his vest. There is a open air car at the end of the train with out seats where people with cameras can stand to take pictures. At one point there is a curve where both the Engine and end car are both visible at the same time because of the deepness of the curve. The seats on the cars can be opened to face each other if you are traveling in a group. Travelers are cautioned to wear warm clothing and bring blankets since the cars are open air and do not have heat. You can bring picnic baskets of food and drink but there is a car where sandwiches, coffee, and soft drinks can be obtained. In the fall they have a mystery train ride. It includes actors who play out a murder scene and passengers try to help solve the murder. I always thought that would be a fun one to go on. I 'm not sure but, I think there is a Christmas ride but maybe that one isn't run depending on the weather because the train is not available in the winter months. Another feature is the train car motel that is on the tracks for tourists who want to spend the night. They are real train cars outfitted for over night stays near the gift shop. Of course there is also a great gift shop where I bought a crochet piece of lacy fluff that is mounted on a circular metal ring. I found a large green butterfly and mounted it in the center. It's very pretty hanging near my desk. Today's virtual train ride was nice. Lots to see. Happy Train riding. Woo woo chuga chuga.  |
We're hoping on The Ghan for one of the world's great train journeys. Travel through the heart of Australia in luxury while enjoying the all-inclusive food and beverages, well-appointed cabins and the Off Train Excursions that allow you to get a feel for the places the train travels through.  I jolly well know that Australia is large with a lot of outback land area. A fleet of seventy seven airplanes are covering the whole country. RFD medical is up to date about covid 19 and flies patients in and out of hospitals. I watched them put together some of the aircraft needed to maintain this service. Really it is so cool that they take the medical service right to the patient. The Ghan takes us through the blue mountains and shows us the depth of the country as we view wheat fields and plains. I really like seeing the red and beige earth tones contrasting with green plants as the train rolls along. There is such a culinary choice from the chef. Did anyone try the aborigine dish of kangaroo and bush chutney? When we rolled through the national park we saw how the termite mounds align north to south as an environmental action caused by exposure. Sandra and I compared notes with a Canada train ride we took on one trip. A train ride gives me the best views of landscape from the comfort of a room and a window. By the way the word Ghan is defined as an Afghan or as a persistent person. It came from the fact that the first trekkers on this trail were camels driven by afghan managers who persisted in taking needed goods to people along this route. We are definitely riding in more comfort than a camel train would give. The train let us wander around Alice Springs desert park. Prosperous Snow, Sandra Lynn, Blue Moon and several others gathered for food and refreshment later and compared notes on what we saw. So many beautiful birds. There were little parrots I see for sale in local stores at home. The love birds were hatched and raised for the pet trade at home; it is nice to see them flying free in their natural habitat. There was a barking spider, a barn owl (i think barn owls are in every country), and of course dingos. Beautiful plants abound fox tail, desert petunia, and bush banana to name a few. Another place we could spend a lot more than one day just looking at what lives here if there was time. I guess that is the downside to being a tourist. Once again we come into contact with the Aboriginal people who own this place. Their knowledge of the environment and how to control it to the best advantage is something else. Some of their ideas are something to take home with us. Until tomorrow time for rest. K had a Dr. appointment yesterday so I am behind in commenting on everyone's blogs. I'll be around to comment even if it is catch up on other dates. See Ya. |
| BCoF August 3, 2020 BCoF Let this quote inspire your entry: Sydney in general is eclectic. You can be on that brilliant blue ocean walk in the morning and then within 20 minutes you can be in a completely vast suburban sprawl or an Italian or Asian suburb, and it's that mix of people, it's that melting pot of people that give it its vital personality. Baz Luhrmann The diversity of society in Sydney is so obvious as you walk through Paddy's Market or Darling Square to the Harbor. It's a place where you get lots of encouragement knowing so many different people who originated in different parts of the earth find a place to live together. in cooperation. Even during pandemic there is a sense of busy people meeting the day with a busy sense of importance. If you look you can find wonderful people of all races helping each other. One time when I lived in Texas we were transporting two horses to a horse show in a two horse trailer. A tire blew out on the trailer as we rounded a curve. The horse trailer with horses inside tip over on its side. This was before cell phones. We were on a stretch of road far from any towns. The truck we used to haul horses was instantly incapacitated. No one was injured. The horses were frantic. An older model truck with Mexican workers aboard stopped as soon as they saw the problem. One young boy sprawled across the top of the horses still stuck and laying on their sides struggling and kicking. The horses calmed immediately. Another worker brought out medal cutting tools from the truck. They and my husband went to work on the top of the trailer to cut it off.. When the top was removed as a group they rolled each horse over and out of the trailer onto their feet. It was done with such speed and flexibility. Such efficiency of mental process. The hoses were bruised but not broken. The men jumped back in their truck and drove away. No one even caught their names or destinations it was done so quickly. When I was in the Panama Canal Zone in the 60's riots broke out in Panama City. My 9 month old son and I were in a rental apartment. My husband had reported earlier in the morning to the Airbase for work. We had a black landlady. She came to the apartment door to take my son and I to her apartment for safety. she hid us there for 2 days until the Guadia National could take us out in safety. I could name other numerous times when I was helped in some way by someone from another ethnic group. Because of my life experiences I'm startled by all the news of so many murders perpetuated on black people in the USA. Startled by the media that makes it seem as if people in the USA cannot abide each other. I just don't think the news tells the real story often enough. The truth that people are people. Some good experiences, some bad but, not all bad, and not all inadequate under stressful situations. I guess I like what Ellen De Generes says, "Be Kind To One Another." |
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