Home Again

My goodness. I feel as though I have been away for ever. The house looked bigger when I walked in the door last night - the dog still remembered me though!
I guess Blogging The Artists Way is nearly over...I need to check in and see how you all went.

Away fighting fires

G'day

Finally I'm back - well sort of anyway - I spun off into a parallel universe - fighting bushfires in the Grampians National Park, Victoria (Australia).

Now I'm at my Mum's house in Queensland - she's in hospital after an operation. I'll be looking after her when they let her out.

There's plenty of artistry at fires! More about that later - I've been thinking about the AW crew and knowing I'm way behind - oh well - it happens.

What Artist's Way?

Crikey! Work has been sooooo busy I have barely had time to think of myself let alone my creative self. So far this week apart from doing my boss's job (he's on leave) and my job, I ;

1. wrote & taught my weekly yoga class (complex - with a pregnant student)
2. composed a daily yoga practice for one of my students (a new experience)
3. did an early morning talk for a local Rotary Club on banding ospreys (bird of prey) in our area
4. championed the cause of female firefighters by sticking my neck out to the BigWigs in my organisation
5. hosted an impromptu BBQ for my dear neighbour who ran out of gas for his BBQ
6. started eating differently (to gain self esteem)
7. learned all about oyster leases to deal with an issue in one of my parks at work
8. enjoyed hearing Micheal Leunig's poems on Radio National!!!!

Modern Stupid by Michael Leunig
It's much easier to be stupid these days than in previous times.
Back in the old days they had to do it all by hand. It was sheer drudgery.
Now we can do it faster and with more comfort, thanks to modern methods.
You can fit it into a busy life, it's available to everyone. It's right there at your fingertips.
Available Now From Dymocks Online

and all the normal stuff...washing, cleaning, cooking, weeding, cleaning, buoying family egos, cleaning, washing, buoying work colleagues egos, cleaning at work (probably coping strategy). Consequently the Artist's Way is relegated to the bottom of the list. Not forgotten though.

This week I saw art in:

1. an empty box of serviettes (napkins) - with a bit of work now an attractive computer CD holder...
2. the sound & sight of a Koel baby parisitising the Little Wattle bird parents...
3. the symetry of the back of my neighbour's dog Rosie (refer BBQ above)

so I am progressing along my own Artist's Way...

oh by the way... the Artist's date last week yielded jam for Ric, a hybiscus for me and an unwanted heat rash. It's all good!

Artists Way Check In

Artists Date
It was a disaster - I'm trying again today.
I was hungry and couldn't find anything decent to eat so just went home. At least I learned a couple of things...
Lesson 1. Eat first
Lesson 2. Have a plan - I just thought I'd let my Artist's Date happen but I found myself wandering along the same track I take when I head to the shops - got to turn off that auto pilot.

Oh well, I'm off to the local markets this morning so if that works out it will be my artist's date.

Morning Pages
I've missed a few days and the days I did write I found myself writing about all the things I have to do...weird. I guess I'm used to writing lists for myself. Although they weren't exactly lists - there was more explanation as to why I had to do those things, sprinkled here and there with the misdemeanours of others - and occasionally my own. I guess writing the pages is somewhat cathartic but I'd really prefer to write using the computer - not sure if that's allowed? Ow, my hand hurts doing 3 pages longhand.

Tasks
The only enemies of my creative self worth I could come up with was me.
Artists walks were good - but I didn't take my camera on one and I missed a great shot of a yellow-tailed black cockatoo in a tree that was really close. Bugger!
Easy to find champions of my creative self worth. I live with one of the best ones!

All in all I thought this week was not a bad start to my creative reinvigoration!




Me with my sister's latest work of creativity!

Diamond Python/Carpet Python Hybrid

Here's a pretty snake that spent a little time in the office at work the other day. Another ranger brought it in to show everyone since it is hybrid snake - two subspecies (Diamond Python & Carpet Python) whose distribution overlaps roughly in our area. It was very docile for a wild snake and we had fun letting it check out life out of the wild!

A close up of the scales... imagine knitting a jumper with this pattern...

I'm headed off for my Artist's Date today!

Inspiration

Lyrebird Musings

Here's a Lyrebird feather I found at work the other day. It's very precious to me... absolutely magnificent - not functional (in a flying sense) but spectacularly beautiful. A gift from the Gods perhaps ? - to help me on my creative exploration.

There's an artist in me ...somewhere...

Well I've decided to find the artist within. I've joined a web based group undertaking "The Artist's Way" together.

Just what I need to jump start this new year!

Not the Attack of the Killer Bees

A swarm of bees were heard before they were seen over our neighbours tree....pretty loud for such small beasties...

Goodbye Chickadees

I missed seeing the first chick leave the nest and fledge although I can hear it begging for food from the parents in our backyard. There's been a kookaburra hanging around so at first I thought one of the chicks had been eaten.

The smaller of the two is taking it's time to get flying under it's belt. They grow up so quickly!

The Chickens are Getting Bigger

The Little Wattlebirds are feathering up nicely - soon it will be time to leave the nest. It happens quickly!

One parent sat stoicly on the nest in the rain the other day, beak raised with the water running down it's back, the babies well protected. Feathers are amazing!

Our Family's Newest Angel

I've been away up the coast... my sister had a baby last Thursday! Talk about the model pregnancy - she positively glowed, no sickness, very fit and healthy...
and then the model birth - a 5 hour labour! No drugs! The baby is just gorgeous!
REUBEN Alan - His Dad is very keen on getting the spelling right!

My Mum and I were meant to have been an integral part of the birthing team, but due to the short labour and the distances involved for us to travel neither of us made it in time. Luckily my sister's best friend was staying and gave them both the extra help they needed. Thanks Rachel!
Isn't he beautiful????

Lucky Lizard

This Eastern Water Dragon got chased up the road by our neighbour's dog Rose. She is a lovely dog and I'm sure she would have got a shock if she caught the poor bugger but I had to intervene and catch her.

I've never seen a Water Dragon move so fast on dry land - they're pretty quick in the water. It stood up on it's hind legs and ran full pelt with the dog running at full tilt after it. The lizard was actually faster. Amazing. Anyway here the lucky lizard is after the race resting in our driveway!

We often see Water Dragons at the creek right down the back of our block - it's the first one I've seen out the front on the road though.

Baby Little Wattlebirds

Check out these little babies - Little Wattlebirds (aka Brush Wattlebirds).
Mum & Dad have nested in a hybiscus right where I can check them out from a corner of our verandah.

The parents have a loud call that some people find annoying especially early in the morning.

The Nature of Sentient Beings

Koala boy is still out the back in the tree, still advertising himself as an eligible male in the broad daylight (we usually hear him at night). Things must be getting desperate. I guess it's hard for any sentient being to deny their nature.

Oh yes... apologies for the mess I've made of this page. (That's what happens when you tinker with things you just don't understand - maybe it's my nature) I'm hoping someone will help me return it to some semblence of order soon...I certainly can't do it myself.

Stop Press - I just fixed it myself - YAY!

Koala Poo on the Driveway

Last night we could hear a male koala calling out, (really grunting) to find a mate. It's a scary noise if you haven't heard it before, kinda like a cross between a pig and motorbike! He kept going for hours. What stamina!
We've got an amazing Spotted Gum in our backyard - it's about 40 metres high and he was sitting up there announcing his presence to the world.
Anyway when we went to go to work we found his poo all over the driveway - so I took a photo.

A Golden Flash

I just saw a male Regent Bowerbird in the bird bath. The glossy black and gawdy gold plumage, topped off with a little red flash just above the bill is a sight that never fails to take my breath away.

The female is not quite as striking, although she has a black skull cap that makes her instantly recognisable.
Usually she visits the birdbath with her friends, the female satin bowerbirds that are much larger and splash double the amount of water out of the birdbath than any other bird.