Thoughts are like fishes

Happy centenary Bill

My grandfather would've been 100 this week and my family were sharing memories, so I wrote a few of mine

I would’ve been aged five or six when I first met my grandfather Dr William Buscombe.

I don’t recall much, aside from the gift of a Crookes radiometer.

In the mid-1990s while studying at university I began emailing Bill. It might’ve been 1996 and his replies would promptly arrive overnight, discussing largely mundane matters but clearly enjoying connecting and communicating from the other side of the world.

In 1999 at the end of my studies, I visited him in Evanston and appreciated the opportunity to accompany him on his walk from home to Northwestern University and observe him still checking his email.

By that point he was becoming increasingly frail but still following his routine and maintaining correspondence, as well as reviewing the next iteration of the star catalogue that had been a substantial part of his career as an astronomer.

One morning on that visit I asked him about his attitude toward death.

He replied that at age 79 he’d lived beyond the average for a male and that “each day is a gift”.

It was a statement that consoled me and I remember relaying it to my mother when she later learned of his death.

Another highlight of that trip to Evanston was getting a sense of Bill’s relationship with my grandmother Royal.

One morning as Bill and I ate breakfast, Royal entered the room to join us and Bill stood while she sat at the table.

When he resumed sitting and eating I could see that he’d now positioned his body to be slightly turned toward her.

After that I’d notice how attentive Bill was to Royal and it was very sweet to see the subtle displays of his love.

That visit gave me an appreciation of Bill’s good-natured grace.

Kimchi snacks?

Following on from the last couple of posts, I googled "Kimchi snacks" and they exist!

Spicy snacks

The other day I was telling my grocer how much I've enjoyed eating the snacks he's imported from India

I've posted on here about the Kurkure Mango Achaari Triangles and Chilli Chatka, which are both hot in a way that discourages most of my kids from asking for some and gives me a nice buzz.

More recently I tried these chilli and lemon flavoured potato chips, which was a combination that hadn't occurred to me but can be found in many stir-fries.

Once again it was tasty and spicy in a way not normally found in the chips sold at Australian supermarkets.

Even though we've adopted many culinary influences in this country, there is a clear segregation at work in the "international' sections of the shops.

Sure, there are some chilli and sour cream flavours available but they are, as the expression goes, weak as piss.

Or so I thought until my last visit.

While buying Pringles for a child's birthday party I spotted this promising Chilli Sambal flavour alongside the "Aussie" varieties of chicken salt and meat pie -- the latter reminds me of gravy, so it could be a Sunday roast.

Pringles Chilli Sambal has a nice amount of spice and a vinegar finish that is a bit similar to the Lays shown above for a heat and acidity combination.

I'm still hoping that the manufacturers of rice snacks will incorporate curry flavours but it's great to see increasing spice and variety in the snack section at the supermarket.

Kimchi

Another thing I'm grateful to have in my life is kimchi

I remember being attracted to this pickled cabbage for the spice, ginger and garlic.

Then I started making my own and soon found I wanted to eat it everyday.

One of my favourite lunches to pack for work is kimchi, rice, apple, capsicum and a little oil -- either sesame or olive.

More recently I asked Tania from Glam And Cheese Toasties for her recipe and she kindly directed me to Maangchi's Youtube Channel, which is delightful.

Last week I wasn't sure why there was a puddle of reddish liquid in the bottom of the fridge.

Last night I opened my jar of kimchi made using Maangchi's easy recipe and the contents started to leap out of the container.

Even though I hadn't left the kimchi out overnight to start fermentation, it was bubbling and a little fizzy to taste.

Otherwise it was great though, with the leek and carrot adding a lovely soft flavour and the fish sauce increasing the complexity.

Tulley's Hill

Just bought this beaut landscape painting by Lee Blacker-Noble, who I profiled here.

Lee's captured many scenes around Leeton, including presenting a history of the town on the walls of the Historic Hydro Hotel's bar.

Music

Thought I would share one of my formative moments and reveal an unlikely influence on my music

Music has always been in my life. Thanks to being born in the late 20th Century, I've been able to access a much wider range of music than those born in earlier centuries, and it's mostly free too via radio and libraries.

We take recorded music for granted, from the range of performances to their origins in far-flung corners of the world.

There's a comparison I see while watching my kids watch a huge variety of videos on Youtube. It prompts me to think how I was limited to a handful of TV stations while growing up.

One of the first musical trends I experienced was the tail-end of the disco phenomenon and I think it has shaped my interest in BPMs that lend themselves to foot-tapping.

My earliest exposure to disco came at the release of The Empire Strikes Back.

That film was incredibly popular, so much so that I was initially unable to see it.

As a result my aunt decided that, when we couldn't get tickets, we'd go see The Village People movie.

Can't Stop The Music told the story of the formation of the band, who are now seen as gay icons.

Their sexuality isn't much of a feature I recall from the film but many of the songs remain memorable, from Steve Guttenberg rollerskating while miming singing the opening song that implores listening to the sound of the city, through to the Hollywood musical treatment of Milkshake.

I can recall there was a lot of singing and dancing that followed watching The Village People movie and I think it shaped my interest in upbeat music. This would include getting into rap and hiphop then metal and then the crossover between those different genres in the late '80s, before electronic dance music took off with rave influences in the '90s.

Being present

Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, today is a gift, which is why we call it the present

'Present' can be defined in various ways but I think it's going to be more interesting to blur those lines here.

It's a word that complements 'temporal' in how it relates to worldly affairs and time, as present exists both in space and of space.

Recent times have seen an emphasis on the notion of being 'in the present' and maintaining conscious thought directed on currently passing moments.

This temporal thought is challenged continuously in Western culture, particularly when you consider how swamped we are by advertising -- a form of communication that presents idealised futures where lives are enhanced by products.

Notions of busy-ness and other business become by-products of the process of passing through the present in pursuit of a future, withholding presence in the present as a pretense for future release.

I am grateful to be living in the present.

My dreams of having a film-editing suite and a recording studio are both examples of the virtual opportunities that arise from the digital paradigm.

In the shift to a reality that is analogous yet not analog, we've opened new dimensions in our lives.

Much of this idealised present is contradicted by idealising the present, yet recognises the benefits of balancing the temporal present with our temporary presents in fantasising.

The digital future is fantastic, both in the present and incresing presence.

Fabulous February

This month I want to focus my gratitude, so I'll be writing about subjects that I appreciate having in my life

I'm going to start with an obvious point.

My partner Jo is fantastic, a term I use to infer all the way she meets my fantasies of what attributes a person should possess.

We disagree on the memory but when she was courting me I recall her making the case that, as we're born less than two days apart, we really must be soul mates.

More recently she observed a certain emotional resonance when stating that we're hurt in similar ways.

I think it's through sharing deep feelings like cracks in our hearts that she's found ways into mine.

Reflecting on Jo's influence the other day, I imagined one of those temples carved into rock with a series of grand spaces.

These are the spaces I grow in my heart with her assistance.

Growth isn't always an easy process and I appreciate the support and guidance she provides.

Purslane is a tasty weed

Purslane might be my favourite weed, although Mugwort is another ripper

I've been increasingly eating purslane and encouraging it to replace the lawn in my backyard.

The purslane, onion and cheese combination that was remarked on recently is still very popular.

For lunch today I had purslane with potato and brie.

Happy Birthday Eden

My son Occy coordinated a selection of Pokemon to wish his younger brother a Happy Birthday this week

Free to Morrow

Had a chuckle when I spotted this sign offering "free beer to morrow" on this ABC News story

One of the earliest examples of 'free to Morrow' was nearby around a century ago outside Tango Joe's at the settlement called Bagtown.

A cemetary is all that remains of Bagtown, between Hanwood and Griffith.

'Tango' Joe Burgess sold cordials at a time when alcohol was prohibited in the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area.

However, according to an interview with a former Bagtown resident, Burgess also sold an early McWilliam's wine known as 'Pinky'.

As for the sign, legend has it that one day a bloke asked 'Tango' Joe for a drink and, because the bloke's name was Morrow, free drinks were supplied.

A replica of 'Tango' Joe's store housing actual cordial-making equipment owned by Burgess can be seen at Griffith Pioneer Park Museum.

Wild at art

David Lynch first came to my attention via a profile in The Weekend Australian ahead of the release of Wild At Heart

It spoke of his interest in settings of urban decay, as well as the mix of brutal realism and surreal fairy tale-like moments in his films.

A few months later I was a 16- or 17-year old at the cinema using a borrowed ID to buy a ticket to the R-rated film.

It didn't change my life but I think it did change how I see the world, at least a little.

Wild At Heart remains a favourite film and I like the way it presents romantic love as an antidote to all the evils of the modern wold.

It's a theme that continued in Twin Peaks but became complicated in films Lost Highway and Mulholland Drive, where unreliable narrators use romantic love to try and keep a handle on their increasingly unbalanced lives.

I like the way Lynch keeps audiences unsettled and, while there are many aspects to his storytelling that are remarkable, there's something about the way that he reconciles all the varying viewpoints without compromising their individuality.

It's not without judgment but it recognises the richness they add.

It's a richness that I think distinguishes David Lynch's work.

Hung trolley

Some curators say that hanging a piece can change the context in which it is viewed

Found myself admiring this particular shopping trolley more than any other I've known.

How to Avoid Mixing Your Metaphors

Securing an open relationship

I’m noticing a theme in my reflective posts: they often start with the phrase “a friend posted on Facebook…”

It’s a statement that much of our interactions are undertaken in that highly-managed medium.

Obviously much of my reflection happens here and recently I’ve been pondering the increased interest in polygamy.

It’s surprising who likes the posts about open relationships that I share and I’m also surprised who shares posts of their own.

Yesterday a friend commented on how she’d decided an open relationship wasn’t for her while growing up with a view of her unhappy parents’ open relationship.

Now she’s just entered an open relationships and was explaining that polyamory isn’t the same as polygamy.

Her point was that being open to being more than a couple isn’t the same as being open to everything that could be a part of that relationship.

It brought to my mind recent conversations with my partner and how the notion of an open relationship isn’t a notion like open borders.

Our relationship is probably a bit more like I imagine it is in the European Union, where passports are checked prior to crossing boundaries.

Self-portrait

Donuts at Leeton Pool

Neve's new canvas

Yesterday I noticed this strange design on my daughter's ankle

She began drawing a wristwatch on her arm last year and has been branching out onto other limbs with various images and logos.

This one wasn't obvious to me but I later heard her explain that it's a diamond.

"Everyone needs their diamond in the rough," she said.

The way she said it made it sound like the rough was a place, either mental or physical.

So I began imagining it like 'sleeping rough' to mean outdoors.

Like one might paint a diamond on their ankle when camping to avoid mosquito bites.

Anyway, I'm going to encourage Neve to consider a career as a tattooist.

Tracking The Seven Sisters

Last year I had an idea to photograph the stars one morning and noticed a clump of stars to the north.

My partner saw this picture I’d taken and identified them as the Peliedes.

She later directed me to an article that discussed how in various parts of the world these were known for being a group of women (sometimes a mother with daughters) fleeing the Orion group of stars, viewed in places as a man but elsewhere as a bear.

It was fascinating to learn a similar story seemed to be told all around the world about the same cluster of stars. This Nexus article argued the story appeared in Denisovan societies, which places it very early in human migration around the world.

So when the National Museum of Australia started promoting their Songlines exhibition, I was curious to learn how various Australian Aboriginal groups shared similar stories.

The exhibition builds on the stories from the lands of the Anangu, Pitjantjatjara, Yankunytjatjara and Ngaanyatjarra peoples, which cover three deserts in an area of 600,000sq km.

The story of the Seven Sisters fleeing a shape-shifting male character varies in different parts of the continent but there is a unifying theme in recognising the threat men pose for women and girls.

In some versions the male Wati Nyiru tries to ingratiate himself to the women but is unable to control his lustful impulses. For example, in one telling the penis has other ideas and tries to interest the women by pretending to be a carpet python so they will eat him.

Other parts of the story vary in the details of which waterholes the women dug in their travels, or where the water course becomes hidden. In this way the story serves to instruct on how to survive in the outback.

In some places some women are interested in the man pursuing them, elsewhere they are frightened. In some stories they trick him and at least one telling involves them weeing on him. It was interesting to sense how the tone shifted but unclear whether that was a result of particular storytellers or the cultural traditions they recounted.

The exhibition illustrates the story of the seven sisters in a variety of ways, including video of dances and animations, as well as paintings, pottery and woodcarving.

It demonstrates the complex nature of representation in Aboriginal art, which combines symbolic and geographic representation to link nature and culture.

Songlines embody the stories of the ancestors’ creation of country itself. They are a belief system. But they are also akin to maps – stories about the land that, understood, spoken or sung, can be used to navigate on foot or even by vehicle. Given that this continent’s Indigenous populations represent the oldest continuous civilisations on earth, the songlines can even be seen as foundation stories of the cosmos.

The central role of art in this exhibition makes it feel as though it might be better placed in the National Gallery than the National Museum. I understand the exhibition developed from an Anangu initiative and the result doesn’t attempt to draw too many connections or boundaries in each telling of the seven sisters story, which frustrated me a bit as I didn’t have the time to compare and contrast them while shepherding my kids through in under an hour.

My kids had mixed reactions but when I began to joke about the magical penis, they became more interested. This fantastic phallus is acknowledged in varying tones by the different artists and elders involved and, again, is interesting to sense the different morals and sensitivities involved.

In hindsight I can see that my expectations for the exhibition were somewhat shaped by the cross-cultural comparison in the Nexus article. Songlines is fascinating for the glimpses into various cultural traditions and was a bit surprising in how it uses contemporary art to show these, but it left me hungry to learn more -- which isn't such a bad outcome.

Image above shows Seven Sisters Songline (1994) by Josephine Mick, from the APY region

Grandy Dawn shows grandkids her photos

Old landscape

You might've noticed I've returned to keeping a sketchbook diary

It was interesting that when I grabbed an old sketchbook, I was surprised to see recognise a landscape on the pages.

It's an old quarry site opposite Pindari. You can recognise the S-curved track on the hill.

Reunited

After a week away, it was back to normal for my family

Relief in release

Lying in the bath

Smack addicts

Market research on Youtube would suggest there's an audience for spanking videos

When I uploaded the six-second video below, I never thought it'd be the most popular thing I've shared online.

In 2018 I want to upload something that will make smack addicts clap for joy.

Kurkure Mango Achaari Triangles

Some months ago I wrote about Kurkure's snacks and recently I procured their chips

These Mango chutney-flavoured triangles have a beaut flavour combining lime, fruit and pepper.

Aside from the tannin-like bite, they taste a bit like lime and pepper crisps except it's a white pepper-like spice.

Hilltop holiday

One of the highlights of Christmas for me is spending time with my outlaws and seeing the landscape outside of Wagga

I've photographed sunrises and sunsets, as well as many blossoming plants. The Kurrajong trees, for example, were flowering like I've never seen before.

I was also surprised to hear a Grey Butcherbird among the more familiar birdsong, such as willy wagtail and magpie and crow.

I also saw this brown eagle, which was hanging around the chicken carcasses from Christmas lunch.

As I wandered about the land I saw lots of lizards and wondered whether they were, like the blossoming plants, having a good year for breeding.

I'd grabbed my camera to try and get a picture of this big skink, when I heard a rustle in the bushes and realised I wasn't the only spectator as the lizard basked in the afternoon light.

There was a brown snake -- which was a thrill to say the least!

You can see more pictures of wildlife that I've encountered on my Shotwildlife blog.

Contrapposto

Staircase Stunts

Snake tears

Grey Butcherbird melody

One of the recent Disquiet Junto activities was to recreate a favourite sound from memory

I chose the song of the Grey Butcherbird because it reminds me of waking up at Burning Seed.

This morning, Christmas 2017, I awoke to peachy colours and arose to collect my camera to photograph the sunrise.

It was nice to hear the Grey Butcherbird's taunt among the morning birdsong.

Hope you're enjoying the festive season.

Postscript: I've learned the bird is actually a gerygone.

Christmas lights outside Wagga

This display is nestled in a rural mailbox

Brian started the Athol Street display of Christmas lights, then downsized with his move out of the city.

That's no moon

“Unreasonable Threat of a Contemplative” by Riccardo Mayr

Naan for you

Some months ago a Disquiet Junto project introduced me to a cache of Sri Lankan music

The folder of grainy recordings from old records contained a mix of sounds, particularly traditional instruments and some rock and roll influences.

It made me want to make a song that could be used for a toasted curry naan video.

For a while I'd listen through the tracks, picking samples and finding myself frustrated at the short loops.

Then the other week I saw a pack of naan on special at Woolies and knew I needed to realise the idea.

This week there was leftover curry and then, after the purslane sandwich, my partner suggested I might want to try a weed called Fat Hen that she'd spotted at the local park.

Purslane? Yes, please!

Common purslane turns out to be exceedingly tasty in a toasted sandwich

I'm starting to encourage this Australian weed to replace the kikuyu grass in my yard, which I've been killing with tarps during summer.

Recently read in the excellent Bush Foods and Survival Plants that purslane is rich in Omega fatty acids.

Hits of 2017

My Mum encouraged me to reflect on the year, which has offered many opportunities for the pursuit and development of creative endeavours.

The year opened with a resolution to write a haiku poem each day, a practise that I've maintained and published on my Whimsy blog. In hindsight I can see this decision contributed to the development of an exhibition in Narrandera.

In January I saw my video projections on Wagga Wagga City Council Chambers. It was the second piece I've developed for them and greatly improved from attending a workshop with Yandell Walton they'd run in 2016.

In March I acquitted my second CASP project with a series of workshops at Griffith Pioneer Park Museum's annual Action Day.

In April I was accepted onto the Western Riverina Arts Board and it's great to continue my relationship with the organisation, which began in 2009 when I wrote a letter supporting its establishment and continued when I worked as Project and Communications Officer.

In June I began an international collaboration with UK-based Naviar Records, with a series of workshops to encourage haiku poems for the Crossing Streams exhibition. It wasn't a good start as no one attended but I was able to generate almost a couple of dozen haiku with five of these being distributed by Naviar and also the Disquiet Junto, generating around five hours of original recordings.

This year I continued contributing to Cyclic Defrost and interviewed both Marco from Naviar and Marc from Disquiet, which were opportunities to learn about them and their work. I really appreciate and admire the creative prompts they share, as well as like writing for Cyclic for the platform it provides for my investigations.

The most popular video I uploaded to Youtube this year was the song above that was made from a toy that has survived my three children.

The Crossing Streams exhibition wasn't the first I've curated but was the first time I'd organised an opening, which generated some anxiety but ended up being a great experience. I am grateful for the support of Kelly Leonard, who ran a workshop and brought an exhibition to the other room in the Narrandera Arts and Community Centre, and also to Peita Vincent and Greg Pritchard for their contributions and workshops.

One of the surprising outcomes this year was a recording I made at Poison Waterholes Creek in response to Peita's haiku. The idea to have the wind play my guitar came from an earlier collaboration with Garlo Jo when he sought contributions to his Vent de Guitares website.

My recording at the site was going to be part of Crossing Streams but didn't end up in the exhibition. It did appear in the Land. Home. Country. exhibition at Griffith Regional Art Gallery, who invited me to talk about it at an event, as well as being part of the soundtrack to Nomad Films' contribution to the ABC's Createability series.

2017 has been a good year. I recorded over 100 videos and you can see snippets from 60 of them in one minute above. I also shared a mix of my recordings from 2016 on Cyclic Defrost and now wonder if I should attempt this again.

One regret is that I still haven't started compiling new albums of music. I have a lot of material to draw on but need to commit to revisiting it.

I have some ambitious ideas for 2018 but, until then, all the best to you.

2017 with Murrumbidgee Landcare

Here's a reflection as I end 2017 as the Local Landcare Coordinator for the Irrigation areas north and south of the Murrumbidgee River – specifically the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area and the Coleambally Irrigation Area

It’s a region that stretches from Coly up to Rankin Springs, and from Narrandera to somewhere west of Griffith.

Much like you I expect, the start of a new year is greeted with a sense of disbelief and a few of those awkward moments when writing the date requires a correction.

It’s also a time of reflection as I’ve been in this role for less than a year.

My first day with Landcare was spent at the Riverina Field Days in Griffith, where I found familiar faces from my time with the Murrumbidgee CMA as well as an opportunity to hear about the interests of landholders in the region.

It was heartening to hear from those wanting to establish native gardens, as well as those sharing their observations of the native birds they knew from their gardens and farms.

These themes continued when I attended the Henty Field Days more recently.

There in the Landcare shed I hung posters to promote the various groups I support, while taking the opportunity to research ideas from my colleagues and, again, hearing all you switched-on and passionate community members discuss the achievements and challenges across the region.

It really is inspiring to meet and hear your enthusiasm to improve our landscapes.

Another part of my role has been convening the Landcare Irrigation Area Collective, which is an informal gathering held a few times a year where various stakeholders share news of their programs, network and brainstorm ideas based on their shared responsibilities in the region.

Our most recent Collective meeting, for example, revealed many synergies in ideas for programs to develop for the Smart Farming funding round.

It will be exciting to see these come to fruition in 2018.

Another part of my role has been acquitting projects developed by my predecessor Kerri-Anne, including speaking as a sponsor of the Drone and Technology Day held in Yenda. In the picture by Hannah Higgins I am with Regional Landcare Facilitator Julie Bellato.

She ran a couple of well-attended events for World Wetlands Day around Leeton, including attracting over 70 people for a breakfast at Fivebough.http://showcasejase.blogspot.com/2017/10/jewel-of-riverina.html

If you haven’t visited that internationally recognised spot, you’re missing out on seeing the jewel in the Riverina’s crown when it comes to bird-watching.

Kerri-Anne’s background as an educator made it natural to develop programs with schools, however I confess that it left me with some dread when I stepped into the role.

This turned out to be unfounded as my ‘Hollows As Homes’ visits were characterised by exciting conversations with primary school-aged kids, including identifying local bird colonies and emphasising the time required for gums to develop habitat for native fauna.

Another project this year will be workshops to combat Sliverleaf Nightshade, a poisonous weed that poses a threat to livestock.

2018 looks to be another beaut year in the Western Riverina, so keep listening at this time in weeks to come as our plans develop.

And, if you’re short of something to read, have a look at the wonderful newsletters produced by the Murrumbidgee Field Naturalists.

Knitted octopus

Had to buy this knitted octopus when I spotted it sitting on a shelf at a local opp shop

Oscar's self-portrait

Oscar produced this self-portrait during his art classes at high school this year

Apparently it was his idea to use only straight lines and it's a distinct result.

Bad Horsie Billy by Neve

Clearly Neve is signifying Billy is bad because he smokes a pipe

Get The Right Mindset

Mona Lisa remix by Neve

From the school work Neve has brought home at the end of the year

Double double entendre

Most writers can manage a double entendre but it's exceptional to slip two into a single headline

Visit to Lake Cowal

It was exciting to visit the "heartland" of the Wiradjuri Nation today, which required driving through water over the unsealed road.

I'd been interested in seeing Lake Cowal after meeting Uncle Neville "Chappy" Williams at Burning Seed and hearing about his efforts to stop mining at the site.