Denial denied

“You don’t have to deny yourself to find yourself’, my friend L said. We’d got to this earth-shattering point after some time at a table of nourishments provided by the local, the Duck Hotel. Outside the night was cool, the rain giving a background dusting off to the night air – you know, one of those Sydney nights when you can live forever. (Got to... Read More

What is joy?

Joy is swimming in the early dark, Looking up at the winter stars as I turn my head to breathe in, Feeling the simple animal pleasure of my body growing stronger as I flow through the water, That moment deliciously alone, a sentient thing, Then, after, going home, the cool air on my cheeks, the grass as I walk on it watery, too, and endless in the early mists as forever, That’s... Read More

Smaller Aussie bees pollinate more than introduced bees

A friend, Maryanne, has let me know that Aussie native bees are more effective at pollinating than the feral introduced bees used mostly for the commercial honey market, and says:   ‘www.aussiebee.com… The main thing they mention is the smaller size (Presumably can get inside smaller spaces). Some native species , though not the one you have, can also do a different... Read More

Cool streets to cool cities on ABC TV 730 WA

  On Friday 20 on ABC TV 730WA  Fremantle Mayor Brad Pettit, Michael Mobbs and Shani of Hulbert St – where I stayed in The Painted Fish – show how cool streets cool cities: www.abc.net… Citizens; let’s cool our cities by 1 degree by 2020 and take power stations off line; we can do this. M  Read More

Being human is messy

Bowl, Lombok Villa Talking to my friend, Lesley, tonight at the bar at the end of a blank, empty lane where the door, when opened, beckons one inside to Freda’s, a bar on Regent Street with music, old timbers, raw old bricks and freshly opened oysters, and beans that’ve been kind of curdled, and much more, she said, “Being human is messy”. I agreed. Lesley... Read More

Free in Freo

Flew with the dawning sun as it raced the plane from Sydney to Perth yesterday.  A beautiful, thing, flying across high up like that; first flight I’ve just completely enjoyed – ever.  Don’t know why.  But has to be mixed up with the way I’m travelling lighter and lighter these days n nights.   Anyway, to Fremantle where the rest of the day was a... Read More

What a difference a photographer makes

There’s something about a shovel Double click on each photo and you’ll see it at high resolution . . . Bloke, shovel and a hole-in-the-making Jay, esky and a dream Literacy in the street – a dream worth sharing, yes? From the Guttenberg Press to a roadside library in Chippendale Eat your heart out, Ozymandias Photographer’s friend and hole digger, shovel... Read More

Share library built today in our road garden

Library with signs and Coco’s books Jay, Macquarie, Coco and I built a free road library today.   Coco and her book donation in the library Well, Jay and the others, really, I just dug the hole for the pole   Coco and Macquarie paint the library A recycled esky, a bamboo pole set in cement in the ground, one side of the esky turned into a door, and Coco donated... Read More

Live in my sustainable house

lounge and dining room Would you like to live in Sydney’s Sustainable House? Get your water and energy from the sun and the rain? Well, you can. Would you like to rent my room for six months while I’m overseas? It’s the main bedroom, sunlit, two french doors, furnished. Pay no water or electricity bills.  Gas bills do need to be paid; about $70 a quarter.  Rent... Read More

How to laugh and garden at the same time

We’ve had so much good feedback on the lovely vid that Ash Berd did that I’m posting it here for those who may have missed it.     vimeo.com…   Now tell me if you think I’m seeing things – don’t we look like we’re having fun? Join us gardening, walking the labyrinth, and in our next enterprise: making public libraries in our... Read More