the little tree

And your back in the room

2010-03-06T20:20:00.002+11:00

Yep I'm back and I've been very busy in my small Canberra vegie garden. I've missed it so. Today I harvested some Pumpkins... Oh my one's a squash.

Alex in Canberra — FUSE Magazine

2009-11-07T11:43:00.019+11:00

So it's been the longest time since I've blogged. We have been in Canberra just over a year now and have been extremely busy starting a new Gay and Lesbian Magazine here. In a very short time FUSE Magazine has become very successful thanks to support of the community and hopefully because we have also created a great Magazine.

• FUSE Website
• View FUSE Online
• FUSE Facebookpage

We have moved!

2008-11-12T22:44:00.002+11:00

So our days have ended in rainy blackheath, I will miss the garden and my lovely sheep, who are staying with a friend on his property. We have moved to Canberra where new horizons await us.

In defence of mothers

2008-09-19T20:03:00.001+10:00

Our Vegetable Garden

2008-05-22T21:36:00.001+10:00

A tour of our Vegetable Garden in Blackheath Australia. We chat about everything Garden related. Check out our Organic Tomatoes Corn Potatoes Carrots.

The sadness of Sow Stalls

2008-03-04T22:18:00.007+11:00

It's a very sad image... I know. Imagine what it's like for the poor pig at this Australian factory pig farm.

People often ask me why I don't eat meat. Well it's not because I don't like the taste, I do. But the fact is so much of the meat we eat comes for animals that have been raised and treated with cruelty and lack of any respect.

These animals give up their lives for people, the least we can do is treat them with some dignity and kindness. Unfortunately with the introduction of large scale factory farming, companies don't think it's cost effective to do so.

Pigs are only one example. Sow stalls have already been outlawed in the United Kingdom and Sweden and they are being phased out in the European Union, Florida (USA) and New Zealand. I wonder why is Australia still allowing it? Do you want to eat pork or bacon that is produced is this way?

Here are some facts about Sow Stalls and the pigs that are kept in them.

• Sow stalls are so small that pregnant pigs are not able to turn around or take more than one step forward or back

• Stalls cause stereotypies,repetitive purposeless behaviour and a sign of suffering

• Some studies have shown that over 90% of stall-housed sows exhibit stereotypic behaviour.

• Pigs can spend up to half their time in stereotypic behaviour.

• Stereotypies can result in physical damage or illness.

• Sows in stalls may well be ‘clinically depressed’.

• Stalls rate the lowest of all sow housing systems in terms of welfare.

• It is widely accepted that sow welfare is better in alternative systems.

Find out more visit: www.voiceless.org.au

Your senate vote could make all the difference

2007-11-21T16:58:00.000+11:00

I don't eat meat or use animal products, but if you do please help support policies that 'RESPECT THE SACRIFICE THAT ANIMALS MAKE FOR US EVERYDAY'

Before voting in the Federal Election this Saturday, please take time to consider using your vote to bring about positive change for animals.

Whether you are voting for a Labor government or a Liberal government, remember that in the Senate, only the The Greens and The Democrats support policies that will stop cruelty to farming animals like pigs, chickens, cows and sheep.

The images of how these animals are treated in Australia and OS are so saddening that I could not even bare to post them.

Click on the link above to read Voiceless's Federal Election Survey for a quick summary of where the major parties stand on animal protection issues.

About Voiceless

"Steadily, and not so slowly any more, we are making progress. One day, not in our lifetime perhaps, but in a future that is not unforeseeable, animals of non-human species will be born into a world in which they stand a fair chance of living a life that is happy by their own standards and fulfilling.

"When that day comes, they will not look back with gratitude to the human beings who helped to make this dispensation possible, that is to say, who helped to restore a decent life to them. But that does not matter. We are a species whose nature it is to look back; other species have what they consider to be more important things to do with their time than looking back.

"Voiceless acts in the most practical of ways to fund projects across the country whose goal is to ameliorate the lives of animals. Voiceless is a small part of what has become a large and I would hope irreversible movement among human beings to make this planet a less harsh and deadly place for all those to whom it is the one and only home."

Fit for fairies

2007-11-20T16:33:00.000+11:00

So here are some photos of how the front garden is coming along. It used to be a dust bowl.... now it's fit for fairies.

Arbor

2007-11-19T20:09:00.000+11:00

ar•bor - a shady garden alcove with sides and a roof formed by trees or climbing plant trained over a wooden structure.

Christopher and I have been turning our front yard into a little forest and it's all coming along very nicely. Over the weekend we decided we needed a Arbor (Pergola) over the driveway... so off we went to see our mates at the hardware store and 6 hours later voila! I love building stuff... pretty good for X city boys.

The fastest tongs in the west

2007-10-24T09:02:00.000+10:00

A short movie we made on a sunday afternoon with the family. Our first, so we still have much to learn. An old style western movie about two brothers in love with the same girl. Had heaps of fun. Includes some fun special effects done in final cut express - shot in the backyard.

We look forward to your comments.

How to remove a tick

2007-08-28T15:27:00.000+10:00

Sometimes even with frontline a tick will attach himself to my little dog... his nose is always sniffing in the long grass.

Today I discovered a simple technique to remove a tick from your dog without pulling it out. The tick will crawl out on it's own and you won't have to deal with 'did I get it all out?'. This sounds like a magic trick and you might even think it is, I did.

When you remove ticks using tweezers you get as close to the head of the tick as you can and pull straight out, it often leaves parts of the tick behind and that can be really bad and cause infections and other problems for your dog. Ticks seem to like areas near the eyes and ears, which could also leave marks and scars that wouldn't ever go away.

So how do you do it?
Rub the tick in a circular motion and pretend you're trying to make the tick dizzy. I generally stick with one direction, clockwise. It usually takes less than a minute, so if it's not working, make sure the body of the tick is moving around. Remember you can't get dizzy unless you're actually moving in a circle, quickly. I doubt the tick actually gets dizzy, but they sure don't like something about the movement and they crawl out on their own.

I used this technique only today and it worked a charm!

Finally the Sun!

2007-08-27T19:33:00.000+10:00

I know we need rain... but damn I'm happy to see the sunshine once again. This is my Friend Rosie and me at the local lookout!

Howard’s Murray-Darling water legislation

2007-08-14T11:30:00.000+10:00

I don't normally put political stuff on my Blog.... But now I'm starting to get cranky.

Prime Minister John Howard has presented legislation to the Parliament which he plans to ram through this week, which will authorise the Federal Government to seize control of all of the water of the Murray-Darling Basin from the states, and to put it under a new Federal agency with intended dictatorial powers.

Just before Victorian Premier Steve Bracks and his Water Minister John Thwaites suddenly resigned on Friday, July 27, Bracks charged that Howard’s actual intent was to privatise all of the Basin’s water. Caught, Howard bellowed that Bracks was "desperate, stupid, inaccurate and just totally wrong."

It is Howard who is desperate. The global financial system is now crashing down, and the financial oligarchy that owns Howard is attempting to grab control over such vital assets as raw materials, food, and water, so as to maintain their political power when their paper, and even their banks vaporise.

Howard’s legislation will give his owners control over the Basin’s water, for which they will charge whatever they want, and, by possibly bankrupting most of the farmers there, in Australia’s food bowl—as this legislation assuredly will—will make us dependent on multinational agribusiness for our food.

Plant a tree!

2007-06-29T20:57:00.000+10:00

Trees are bloody marvelous things and without them our survival would not be possible.

They breath Carbon Dioxide, which we have way to much of and pump out Oxygen - which we need to live!

But did you know we are losing over 2000 trees a minute in rain forests around the world - the worlds lungs are shriveling up at a alarming rate.

You can help! And you've heard it before... Planting a tree or a native bush can will go farther than you think. A single tree can provide enough oxygen for two people for the rest of their lives.

If you don't have a yard, you can always use a pot on deck or balcony... go ahead do it today and then encourage a friend to do the same... make a difference by doing a small thing.

Charlet the chicken

2007-06-22T17:56:00.000+10:00

I took this photo of Charlet, one of our chickens... I'm very proud of it and her of course - she's a very good layer and quite beautiful I think. So I thought I'd share it with the planet... how cool is that... sharing with the planet in like 3 minutes.

We ARE truly blessed.

2007-06-19T11:02:00.000+10:00

Photo of Christopher and myself. If you can hold someone's hand, hug them, make love, or even just touch them on the shoulder... You and I are truly blessed.

Sometimes we forget how lucky we actually are... well I do anyway. These are just a few little facts that help me remember.

If you woke up this morning with more health than illness... You are more blessed than the million who will not survive this week.

If you have never experienced the danger of battle, the loneliness of imprisonment, the agony of torture, or the pangs of starvation..... You are ahead of 500 million people in the world.

If you can attend a church or political meeting without fear of harassment, arrest, torture or death.... You are more blessed than three billion people in the world.

If you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof overhead and a place to sleep.... You are richer than 75% of the world.

If you have money in the bank, in your wallet and spare change in a dish someplace.... You are among the top 8% of the worlds wealthy.

If your parents are still alive and still married.... You are very rare.

If you hold up your head with a smile on your face and are truly thankful.... You are blessed because the majority can, but most do not.

If you can read this message, you are more blessed than over two billion people in the world that cannot read at all

Art School Comic

2007-06-15T22:41:00.000+10:00

I was going through my book shelves and I came across an old assignment I did for art school... so I put it into comic form. It was supposed to be a kids story. Probably a bit on the edgy side for the little ones though... or not.

Click on the image for a larger version.

Autumn Vegetable Garden

2007-06-14T22:13:00.000+10:00

An Autumn Vegetable Garden post, plus hints and tips on planting your own organic garlic. Self sufficiency rules!

run snail run

2007-06-03T22:34:00.000+10:00

"If you prick us do we not ooze? If you tickle us do we not curl up? If you poison us do we not die? And if you wrong us, shall we not revenge?
William Shailspeare.

(Click on the image for a larger copy)

Beautiful hungry hungry snails

2007-06-01T18:39:00.001+10:00

My new friend Lis is a murder - a mass murder actually! I read it fist hand on her Blog!!!!

Yer sure she's working harder than most of us to save the environment, she drivers slower and less to save on Carbon, she recycles like some type of mad woman with a trolley and is more community minded than... well... a really community minded person.... I mean damn she's really giving the 'lets change the world' a go.... and I'm very very very impressed.....

BUT she is a evil snail killer and admits it.... yes I hear you say 'but they are just snails and they eat all my veggies'...

But look - beautiful... how much can they possible eat Lis... why is one life worth any less than another... you know you'll come back as one don't you.... think of that when your under foot!

Oh god I have to confess now... I have been known to set beer traps too.... HYPOCRITE!!! But hey they died happy at-least.

I don't kill them anymore (reformed) and I don't bother trying to grow beans (a snails favorite dish) I go out almost every night - torch, bucket, ice cream stick and I collect them, then it's off to the paddock - their new home under a tree.

I suppose in my next life I'll end up in beer trap.... probably in Lis' grand daughters garden.

PS: Lis I think that all the other things you do are just bloody FANTASTIC by the way! Oh and maybe we can recycle the snail bodies into some kind of cardigan.

Lis' Blog

GE Corn is TOXIC

2007-03-29T12:20:00.000+10:00

Be very careful your not buying GE corn from your supermarket or fruit shop, on the cob or in a can.

Its not often labeled as GE so you should ask or buy organic if you want to be 100% sure your not eating poison and that's not just from what it's sprayed with but the chemicals and pesticides that are actually spliced into it's genetic make up. You can't wash that off!

How safe is your genetically engineered (GE) food? A GE corn product approved for human consumption in Australia has produced toxicity symptoms when fed to rats. A new study on the effects of GE corn variety, MON863, on rats concludes it can't be considered a "safe product". However, the same variety was given a big tick by Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ), our government food safety regulator, declaring it safe for humans.

Green Peace is running a campaign to remove GE Corn from Australian. For the worst thing is, sure one cob won't kill you but in about 10 or so years that cancer is not going to be much fun.

TAKE ACTION: help remove risky GE food from Australia

READ MORE: about Australia’s toxic corn

Copperhead snake

2007-03-13T11:14:00.000+11:00

So I thought I'd go down for a wonder in the backyard and spend some time with our dog Gus.

He was sleeping very soundly on the back step.

I reached down to wake him up and to my shock there was a Copperhead Snake all curled up sleeping like right next to him. If I didn't know that Copperheads where deadly I may have found this almost cute. They both seemed very content basking in the sun together.

I very (VERY) carefully woke up Gus, took him by the collar and moved him before he noticed who his napping mate was.

We put him in the house and then I stomped on the deck a bit to wake the snake from his slumber... luckily he moved off without a fuss. Most snakes are actually very timid if you don't harass, poke or tread on them.

Here is picture of him heading off down the yard and back into the bush....

Mark Sobierajski a local snake wrangler in Nowra NSW gave us this bit of information:
Austrelaps superbus is a common copperhead, very bitty but not really aggressive, it can kill you. I think about # 3 or 4th deadliest snake in Australia.

Chocolate Mousse

2007-03-09T12:58:00.000+11:00

A video of my friend Jane and I making Chocolate Mousse. Filmed by Christopher.

Fluffy

2007-01-24T17:09:00.000+11:00

Our Cat Fluffy has recently passed away. This is just a little movie to remind us of him and thank him for being in our lives, and stalking us in the middle of the night. We have lots of great memories. Fluffy 20.04.94 - 15.11.07.

Veggie Garden Video Post

2007-01-14T19:13:00.000+11:00

I thought I'd start the year with a few gardening hints and a tour of our organic vegetable patch. Please excuse the normal You Tube quality.

Wonderful Lady beetles

2006-12-09T13:17:00.000+11:00

Lady beetles are invaluable in your garden, especially if your are an organic gardener. And on that note if you don't use chemicals and insecticides in your garden you won't kill the Lady Beetles and the Spiders and you'll have less pests naturally.

Lady beetles as well as being beautiful little creatures are natural enemies of many insect pests, a single lady beetle may consume as many as 5,000 aphids in its lifetime.

Lady beetle's have a hemispherical to oval body shape. The head is covered by a hood called the pronotum. They may be white, yellow, pink, orange, red or black, and usually have spots. These spots are a warning to other animals. like many of other brightly-colored insects, ladybugs are distasteful to predators. When disturbed, they may secrete an odorous, distasteful fluid out of their joints to discourage enemies.

Adult females usually lay their clusters of eggs in the vicinity of aphid, scale, or mealybug colonies. The alligator-like larvae are also predators. They are spiny and black with bright spots. Although they look dangerous, lady beetle larvae are quite harmless to humans. After feeding on insect prey for several weeks, the larva pupates on leaves. Adults tend to move on once pests get scarce, while the larvae remain and search for more prey.

Bad Lady beetles... these are the yellow ones with black spots. Often called Mexican bean beetle and the squash beetle, you'll find them on your beans, peas and squash. They eat plants and not insects... but hey, don't kill them, I just pick them off and take them off to the bush (forest) or park, after all they have a right to exist like all life.

Sheep Shearing

2006-12-02T21:55:00.000+11:00

This is a short movie of our two pet sheep, Blossom and Lucy, flat on their backs being sheared. Thanks to Christopher for helping with the filming and our shearers Don and his Son.

And on a side note, compared to some of the hair cuts I've had up here in Blackheath, Don the shearer is looking pretty good... and I don't mind being thrown on by back by a big muscly guy... just a trim thanks mate.

The quality is not as good as I would like - as much as I love Your Tube (check out some of my other videos) it really strips the data down to its bones. I'm getting some new software soon, so hopefully it will improve things. Anyway enjoy.

Fire update & photos

2006-11-24T16:27:00.000+11:00

The smoke is so bad I feel like we live in Beijing - The fires seem bit more under control in our area at Blackheath and its a bit cooler today. Unfortunately the misty rain prevents the backburning work from progressing but does not put the main fire out - It is still active and remains uncontained at 14000ha... that's a lot. Here are a couple more photos, taken in Blackheath where we live.

Blue Mountians Fire Update

2006-11-23T16:41:00.000+11:00

So the fires have circled out little town of Blackheath like a band of indians. There are helicopters everywhere collecting water from the local golf course in front of our house and the river just down the valley. The hoses are all out and we have made exist plans for our animals if the need arises. Here are some more photos, the first one is a satellite image and the last image is a map of the burn out areas. These are care of the NSW fire service.

Yule and Pagan Christmas

2006-11-22T12:19:00.000+11:00

Oh what to do... Christmas is so commercialised and as for the religious bits, that just to involved to go into today. We have not really celebrated Christmas for a few years, it seemed hypocritical, considering my spiritual beliefs.

But I do feel passionate about universe and honoring nature for it's gifts, especially since as a human race we treat the planet like crap. So I've been looking into a Yule and a Pagan Celebration, that's an eye opener on how the church once again manipulated things for their own need to control people.... oh I'm getting on my soap box again... down boy.

So now I'm wondering how I celebrate a winter festival in the middle of summer - we tried doing it in the middle of the year, but it just doesn't feel right - I feel festive now, there are decorations going up, christmas parties to go to - oh what to do. May be I should look into the Summer Solstice and see what happens there, do some mix up thingie. Any suggestions are welcome.

Anyway the difficult thing is Yule is celebrated in Europe as the Winter Solstice. Here is some background from Tiffany a Blog that I'm reading at the moment, she seems pretty cool.

So Tiffany says Yule is the birthday of the new Sun King, the Son of God - by whatever name you choose to call him. On this darkest of nights, the Goddess becomes the Great Mother and once again gives birth. And it makes perfect poetic sense that on the longest night of the winter, 'the dark night of our souls', there springs the new spark of hope, the Sacred Fire, the Light of the World, the Coel Coeth.

Long before the world had heard of Jesus, Pagans had been observing the season by bringing in the Yule log, wishing on it, and lighting it from the remains of last year's log. Riddles were posed and answered, magic and rituals were practiced, wild boars were sacrificed and consumed along with large quantities of liquor, corn dollies were carried from house to house while carolling, and divinations were cast for the coming Spring.

Yule (from the Anglo-Saxon 'Yula', meaning 'wheel' of the year) is usually celebrated on the actual Winter Solstice, which may vary by a few days, though it usually occurs on or around December 21st. It is a Lesser Sabbat or Lower Holiday in the modern Pagan calendar, one of the four quarter-days of the year, but a very important one. Pagan customs are still enthusiastically followed. Once, the Yule log had been the center of the celebration. It was lighted on the eve of the solstice (it should light on the first try) and must be kept burning for twelve hours, for good luck. It should be made of ash. Later, the Yule log was replaced by the Yule tree but, instead of burning it, burning candles were placed on it.

Along with the evergreen, the holly and the ivy and the mistletoe were important plants of the season, all symbolizing fertility and everlasting life. Mistletoe was especially venerated by the Celtic Druids, who cut it with a golden sickle on the sixth night of the moon, and believed it to be an aphrodisiac. (Magically -- not medicinally! It's highly toxic!) But aphrodisiacs must have been the smallest part of the Yuletide menu in ancient times, as contemporary reports indicate that the tables fairly creaked under the strain of every type of good food. And drink! The most popular of which was the 'wassail cup' deriving its name from the Anglo-Saxon term 'waes hael' (be whole or hale).

Blue Mountians Bush Fires

2006-11-20T14:24:00.000+11:00

We live in Blackheath on the top of the Mountain, at the moment the air is thick with smoke and ash falling from the sky.

The fires are still quite away from our home, but close enough to see from up the road a bit. Here are some photos. As bad as the fire is it's also quite beautiful in it's own way and some australian plants actually need fire to germinate. To bad about all that additional C02 (Greenhouse Gas) we defiantly don't need any more of.

Unfortunately though as the planet heats up, it will just get drier in Australia and that in turn means more fires and even more C02. Damn we really need to do something more serious about our coal plants (electricity), cars and other greenhouse gas producing companies.

Spring Garden

2006-11-19T19:03:00.000+11:00

Well I've been a bit of a slacker, when it comes to blogging of late! I have a good reason though - I've been in our organic veggie garden, planting, digging and building. As a reward it's growing like a crazy thing, no, like two crazy things... here are a few pictures, garden video blog to come next week.

1.
Main Picture: broccoli, kale, garlic, lettuce, endive, tomatoes, sweet peas, beetroot and chicory.
Bottom left: green house with potatoes in pots and new seedlings.
Bottom Middle: path leading to sheep and chicken paddock.
Bottom Right; More veggies.

2.
Snow peas on the left, lettuce, lemon balm on bottom right, rocket in flower - middle, asparagus and parsley in the back ground next to pine.

3.
Top left: raspberries
Top right: rabbit hutch, where Christopher keeps is little friends safe.
Bottom: looking down the yard.

Dare to be honest

2006-10-27T16:37:00.000+10:00

Asking The Question aspires to end the conflict between who you are and what you do.

There is nothing more brave than filtering out the chatter that tells you to be someone you're not. There is nothing more genuine than breaking away from the chorus to learn the sound of your own voice. Asking The Question is nothing short of an act of courage: It requires a level of commitment and clarity that is almost foreign to our working lives.

Dare to be honest with yourself, people who faced up to it, armed with only their weaknesses, equipped with only their fears.

They didn't wonder where they belonged in life.

Your calling isn't something you inherently "know," some kind of destiny. Far from it.

Most of us don't get epiphanies. We only get a whisper -- a faint urge. That's it. That's the call. It's up to you to do the work of discovery, to connect it to an answer. Of course, there's never a single right answer. At some point, it feels right enough that you choose, and the energy formerly spent casting about is now devoted to making your choice fruitful.

Is your choice something that will stimulate you for a year or something that you can be passionate about for 10 years?

The relevant question is not What will I do? but Who will I become?

You'll be a lot happier if you aren't fighting the value system around you.

Find one that enforces a set of beliefs that you can really get behind. There's a powerful transformative effect when you surround yourself with like-minded people. Peer pressure is a great thing when it helps you accomplish your goals instead of distracting you from them.

Gardening Tips and a bit of fun.

2006-10-01T14:25:00.000+10:00

Conditioning Soil with Barley Grass... What's that boy doin now!

My Box

2006-09-24T11:56:00.000+10:00

See the video!

Christopher Bunnies

2006-08-11T18:06:00.000+10:00

Yep, they sure are cute. These are Chrisophers Bunnies. Sam in the hay, Charlie eating and Curly with his toys. As far as pets go Rabbits are probably number one in our books. They are very affectionate and loving and don't bark unlike our dog... he's cute too but can be a bit naughty. Sam and Charlie live outside in this amazing hutch Christopher build them with a big out door area for during the day... Photo to come... Little Curly lives inside as we rescued him when he was still a tiny kitten and he became a house rabbit,. I don't think he would have it any other way.

Alex's Pottery

2006-07-27T14:17:00.000+10:00

Thought I'd start posting regular photos of my finished pottery. Everybody keeps saying that they have not seen any of my work, so here ya go. I do sell my pottery so leave a comment and your details if your interested in anything.

Pottery Garden Urn

2006-07-26T21:26:00.000+10:00

So I've been had building a Garden Urn, fancy name for plant pot really. Anyway its made from coils of earthenware clay, which I then pinched together. I had added feet.... yes feet (see detail) I'm really pleased with them and now I have applied an black oxide.

I'm very excited about the first bisque firing coming up. Jane and I are planning a wood firing in the backyard for the final stage, so that's going to be heaps of fun....

Our chooks

2006-07-25T15:41:00.000+10:00

So the new new chickens 'chooks' are all laying now and very happy scratching around the backyard, bottom of the property and in the little creek.

Some chook lingo:
A baby is called a chicken or chick.
A male under 12 months is called a cockerel.
A female under 12 months is a called pullet.
A male over 12 months is called a rooster or a cock.
A female over 12 months is called a hen.
Poultry is the word to describe domestic birds such as chickens, ducks, and turkeys as a group.
The word 'chook' is Australian & New Zealand slang for chicken!
A bantam is a very small chicken that produces smaller eggs.

Covered garden boxes

2006-07-15T15:46:00.000+10:00

It can be hard to get vegies to grow in the winter frost, hale, and cold winds. Last year we built these covered boxes for our plants over winter, they where cheap to make and are really effective. We used fence palings, plastic and tacks.

Gus our wooly dog

2006-07-10T09:31:00.000+10:00

So I have not done much blogging over the last few weeks, its been a crazy old time, big computer crash, works been busy - late nights so I have not really felt sitting in front of a computer for any longer than I had too. I also find winter a bit depressing so its hard to get motivated. Anyway I'm feeling a bit better about things and I have a little more time, so here goes.... any eazy post to start with.

In winter our little spaniel 'Gus' gets very thick, long wooly fur and is very cute - you just want to hug him all the time. 'Wooly' is also his nick name, he normally gets called that in winter, he seems to know both names. These are photos of him in the paddock playing soccer and against the fence asleep in the dirt. It seems the longer his fur gets the more he likes mud and dirt. Its a dog thing I suppose.

I think he looks like 'Wokie' from 'Star Wars' in this photo.

The Truth about Pigs

2006-06-24T15:18:00.000+10:00

"I like pigs. Dogs look up to us. Cats look down on us. Pigs treat us as equals."
British politician and Nobel Prize Laureate Winston Churchill.

Most people don't have the privilege of getting to know a pig. For most of us, the thought of pigs conjure images of dirty, greedy animals living in their own waste. We couldn't be more wrong! Pigs don't perspire, and so wallow in mud to keep themselves cool. They are naturally very clean animals and, if given the choice, they prefer to cool themselves down in fresh water. When in a natural environment, pigs build communal nests and toilet areas away from their sleeping area.

Smarter than Dogs?
Pigs are remarkably intelligent creatures thought by many to be smarter than dogs. They can be trained to respond to simple voice commands, and are easily toilet trained. Studies have revealed that pigs have a long memory and are able to focus on specific tasks even better than some primates... read more click here!

Left over tomatoes

2006-06-18T17:55:00.000+10:00

We had a pile of left over Tomatoes and Herbs from our garden, so I have been busy in the kitchen making sure nothing went to waste. We died our herbs, made Green Tomato Pickles from the un-ripened fruit and Pasta Sauce from all the red ones. The Green Tomato Pickles recipe comes from my grand mother, they are really tasty and never last long. This is a photo of the jars still left. Click here for the recipes

Snow Garden

2006-06-14T13:24:00.000+10:00

So as you may have already figured out its been quite cold and snowy this year in Blackheath. The only vegies that are doing much good are the seedlings in our new covered garden bed. So glad we made it and will probably have a few more built for next winter.

Where we live

2006-05-29T08:27:00.000+10:00

We live on the top of the Great Dividing Range and our part in New South Wales (Australia) is called the 'Blue Mountains'. Its about 1.5 hours from Syndey CBD. (Central Business District). The photo shows our town 'Blackheath' on the plateau.

The range comprises a well-dissected sandstone plateau that rises from an eastern escarpment. Its slopes are generally precipitous and scary. Blackheath is 1100m (3600 feet) from sea level and sits pretty much on the very top - its kinda cool.

In 1788 the Blue Mountains were originally named "Carmarthen Hills" and "Landsdowne Hills" by Governor Phillip, (really bad names). The Blue Mountains is densely populated by oil bearing Eucalyptus trees. The atmosphere is filled with finely dispersed droplets of oil, which, in combination with dust particles and water vapour, scatter short-wave length rays of light which are predominantly blue in colour. It wasn't long after 1788 that the distinctive blue haze saw the change in name to the Blue Mountains.

The first Europeans to cross the range were the explorers Gregory Blaxland, William C. Wentworth, and William Lawson in 1813. We have towns named after them.

Snow Dog

2006-05-22T19:27:00.000+10:00

Well it's not the most exciting podcast in the world, but we only get a few days snow a year, so to us its pretty exciting!

Chicken Cam

2006-05-21T10:10:00.000+10:00

Yes its a little Podcast / Chicken Cam so you can see our new new girls. Its all a bit silly really, but I had fun doing it.

The Chronicles of Narnia

2006-05-12T20:33:00.000+10:00

We went out and brought the DVD 'The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe' last week. I had just finished reading the books and was keen to see the movie. Although it has a stolen story line from the bible, I enjoyed it anyway - the messages are still positive ones, even if you are a non beliver.

Anyway as for the movie, I was more disappointed than a disappointed thing is disappointed.

I'm not a big fan of talking animals movies, but the talking animals where probably the best part of this movie and the kids where pretty good too. I liked William Moseley as Peter the best. The CGI was really bad in places and the story line dragged. I did not get that feeling of magic, excitement and wonder that I got from the book. My biggest gripe is probably with Tilda Swinton as the White Witch - she was so not scary at all and I thought her acting was dreadful in this movie and as for her castle, talk about dull. I expected something more imposing like Mordor but with ice instead of fire.

Maybe I was just expecting too much. I give it a 'luke warm' rating, It was just too disney.

Chicken x 3

2006-05-01T21:09:00.000+10:00

Yep we have some new chooks (3). The Black one is Charlotte, the Red one in the middle is Veronica but the other girl, who looks like really expensive wood grain, on the left, still has no name.... If any one has suggestions please leave a comment, I would love to hear them....

PS: Chicken Video Podcast coming very soon.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

2006-04-21T11:01:00.000+10:00

Robbie Swan is a good friend of ours and is always fighting the good fight, this is a letter he recently sent to the The Mercury, Hobart (Sat 15 Apr 2006).

And violence?

Senator Guy Barnett's push to block children from having access to explicit sexual material and extreme violence in libraries (Letters, April 11) is laudable but will not work, mostly because he does not believe his own rhetoric.

For sure, he has sex in his sights and he will pursue erotica and pornography with the zeal of the morals campaigner.

But when it comes to pursuing "extreme violence" it's amazing how often this aspect of his crusade seems to fall off the agenda. If he is serious about stopping access to extreme violence then he will have to include about 3000 gruesome R-rated films that show people being decapitated, disembowelled, raped, murdered and tortured that are displayed on the websites of the nation's major film distributors.

He'll also have to filter news broadcasts which show people blown to pieces in car bombs in the Middle East, extreme right-wing hate speech sites and a host of other extreme violence sites of varying shades.

Oh, and while he's about it will he have the courage of his convictions to ban children's eyes from Mel Gibson's gruesome religious spectacle, The Passion of the Christ? Or does he see this as "religious instruction" and quite OK for 15-year-olds in the local library? Pornography, like violence, is often in the eye of the beholder.

Robbie Swan
Eros Association inc

Diggin!

2006-04-20T20:41:00.000+10:00

Alex diggin
So the Summers over and the chill is in the air. I've been busy digging up all the old garden beds for our winter crops. Broccoli, Brussel Sprouts, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Beans, Spinach, Rocket, Garlic and Onions.

Christopher screwing on the roof panels
We also build ourselves a new garden box over the weekend with a roof to keep the frost and snow off the lettuce.

Bunny!

2006-04-17T13:24:00.000+10:00

Well I hope you all had a nice Easter and did not eat toooo much chocolate. Its been real quite up here on the mountain top, I'm a bit borrrred today and not really sure what to do with myself, I get like that sometimes... to much quite. This is one of Christopher's bunnies, his name is Charlie cute ay!

Sky

2006-04-13T12:14:00.000+10:00

I was laying in the park yesterday under a lamp post and noticed just how beautiful the sky was, so I took a heap of photos, here are three. If you would like a larger copy for your desk top send me an email or leave a comment. Alexxx

Simon and Lee

2006-04-06T20:08:00.000+10:00

Pictured Jeff, Me, Lee, Simon and in the middle Sheba the dog - Winter 1972

When I was a little kid I had a best mate Simon, we lived across from each other on Calander Street. Our dad's where in the same navy squadron at the base in Nowra - HMAS Albatross, and our mums being navy wives became best friends... and still are.

When I was about 15 his family moved away to Queensland and I had not seen Simon since.

I saw his mum Michele and bother Lee in 1986, we had a picnic at Moony Monny Creek... (do remember that Lee?) I have warm memories of that day, most of my strongest memories include days at the beach.

Pictured above Lee, Michele, Arna and Barry - Summer 1986 - Moony Monny Creek

I finally got to catch up with Simon after these many years and it was really great to see him. It felt like a blind date at first, neither of us knowing what to expect after all this time.

Simon stayed with us for 3 days and I'm happy to report he's a cool guy and was a great house guest. He's actually very similar to my child hood memories of him. I'm sure we will be both much closer again.

Simon With our dog Gus Blackheath NSW 2006

Vegitable Garden

2006-03-30T22:36:00.000+11:00

Today's photo of the vegie garden, looking through the arbour.

Why cows hate snow!

2006-03-26T15:22:00.000+11:00

Buffy

2006-03-23T18:00:00.000+11:00

It was a hot summers day. Christopher, Gus (our dog) and myself where in town to have coffee. We dropped into the real estate where our friend Sue works. We brought Gus in as Sue and everybody else thinks he's adorable - he gets very spoilt and laps up every bit.

So there we where having a lovely chat to Sue about pretty much nothing, as ya do - when a old lady wonders into the office, she was wearing a knee length floral dress and has big hair that's a lovely shade of light purple and kinda on the thin side - that's the hair not the lady, she was quite ample - No, not the breasts, (I try not too look at old ladies breasts) more like her thighs.

Anyway I call Gus so he's close, as he can be a bit boisterous with the ladies. This lady walks up to the front desk and very properly asks to see so and so about something or rather. 'Just a moment, take a seat, she'll be right with you.' She took a seat - and a bit. Damn it was hot, and so was she, that's all I'm going to say on that subject, I doubt you need extra details and my memory is already too vivid. Anyway there we all where.

Gus being Gus and extremely excited by the site of this not so little old lady, now sitting, legs slightly apart, well it was hot, did I say that.... Anyway Gus gets away from me, runs and jumps - nose right into her 'special spot', sniff, sniff, sniff.... We all froze horrified! 'Oh my lord, he can smell my buffy' the old lady exclaimed!. Yes he could, I had to use all my strength to pull Gus out of the depths of her giant panties. Sniff, sniff.

We where all doing the best to keep a straight faces, not so well I might add, but I don't think the lady noticed. Sue quietly mentioned, Buffys' her dog boys... Yer we knew that.

We quickly said goodbye to Sue and stepped out of the real estate office, dragging Gus along with us. Burst out laughing and keep laughing for about an hour.

Video Blog

2006-03-18T18:58:00.000+11:00

A cute and funny tour of our hobbie farm and animals, plus a big hello to my Friends Deb and Matt in NZ!

Our Summer Garden

2006-03-14T18:30:00.000+11:00

Well summer has just ended and we've had a pretty good season. (although the excess rain has made it a bit difficult for some of our vegetables, like Squash which mostly rotted... sad.) Heaps done in the yard though, new sleeper steps and paths, fixed up the grass (dust bowl), put in some new fences and gates, added onto the vegie patch and done heaps of planting.

This year we managed to grow our selves a good supply of organic vegies - very tasty - and as you can see from the photo the gardens still bursting at the seams. We are now eating our own potatoes, onions, garlic, chilies, tomatoes, lettuce, beetroot, corn, zucchini and a variety of lettuce and other greens. Winter seedings will be going in over the next few weeks.

I just loving being in it, so quite and peaceful I spend hours just walking around planting, digging, pruning and harvesting... Its my gym as welll as my retreat. Such a change of life from a few years ago when we lived in a city apartment on Oxford Street Sydney.

a little furry friend

2006-03-02T20:49:00.000+11:00

I have had a new little friend for a while now.... a beautiful possum. She/he always comes down from the tree when I come down into the garden to visit the chickens and sheep. Yesterday I found her in the chook house sleeping and today just looking out the window, like she was in an apartment. It seems I'm so trusted now I can just pick her up and put her back in the tree when its time for the chickens to go to bed. How wonderful is that.

Christopher

2006-03-02T20:35:00.000+11:00

Christopher sure does love his bunny 'Curly' and our cat 'Fluffy'... is this cute or what!

Hi Rosie

2006-02-22T00:48:00.000+11:00

Hi Ya Rosie. Thought I'd do a little and very silly video online to say Hi this morning, thought it might just make your work day that little bit cheerer... and yes that's actually our house from Satellite... Its amazing what you can find on the internet.
Love Ya heaps, Alexxx

First online movie

2006-02-16T15:04:00.000+11:00

This was a little movie we shot when we first brought our house in the Blue Mountains. Its a bit low resolution because I did on our old camera last year, it's short but cute all the same. The first of the movies on this blog, but just the beginning now I have my fancy new digital camera that Christopher brought me for my Birthday.

Valentine's Day

2006-02-14T16:45:00.000+11:00

I've been reading a lot about Valentine's Day today. It seems to be a resounding we 'Bah' from the single quarter.

My boyfriend (Christopher) and I decided a long time ago not to celebrate it. Valentine's Day is basically one big marketing strategy working away on your emotions and your wallet... "If you don't buy the person you love some stuff' today, then you obviously don't love them" what crap.

Gifts don't = love but it does seem that guilt does = revenue.

That does not mean we don't give each other little gifts of go for romantic dinners, we do, but not today!

We should not need marketing and advertising to tell us when we should show someone we love them. I'm sure that roses would mean more if you thought of the idea yourself.

So I say 'SAY NO TO VALENTINES DAY'. Go for dinner, send a card, buy a gift, MAKE a gift, ring a friend to tell them how important they are too you... but do it when it comes from YOUR heart not a poster.

Oh and that goes for Mothers day, Fathers day.

Happy Tuesday.

My two favorite boys

2006-02-12T12:32:00.000+11:00

Our Dog Gus got a Hair cut yesterday, he gets a bit hot in summer as he's usually very wooly. These are photos of Gus sleeping with Christopher on the deck (so cute) and Gus after his shave.

Its a quite day up here on top of the mountain, not much to tell. Today I'll probably read a little, write a little, plant some veggies we just brought from the markets and lay in the sun... if it comes out again.

Gay Union - a natural right

2006-02-08T13:20:00.000+11:00

I say the heterosexual community can have marriage, personally don't want it... Bah! - I'm tired of the churches religious rhetoric, they have lost their way spiritually. I don't need organized religion to recognize my commitment, which is based on love, understanding, trust and compassion. Something organized religion don't seem to be able to muster. I know I'm not perfect and sometimes I fail on some of these pillars, but at least I try because I know how important they are. Always striving to have a open heart and open mind.

Want I do want is civil unions or a form of legal recognition for gay couples... as any other couple who have committed themselves to a loving relationship might want. It's a natural right ALL people should have. I can understand religious reasons against gay marriage (all though I disagree) but I can't understand why civil unions/ legal recognition seems such a threat to some people, fear it seems travels deep.

If only people could open their hearts... and that's a all inclusive comment.

Our Prime Minister Mr Howard (he makes me soooo cranky) is also totally against this concept as well. John Howard yesterday branded civil unions for homosexual couples a "cop-out", putting a stop for a push by Liberal backbenchers to follow Britain's lead and legally recognize gay relationships.

The Age reported:
Liberal MP Warren Entsch, a rough-edged, Harley-riding former crocodile farmer from far north Queensland, yesterday ignored the disapproval of some of his colleagues in the Coalition party room and argued it was time they tackled the "long overdue" issue of equity for same-sex couples.

But Mr Howard told the meeting he disagreed, saying a civil union was a "cop-out" and that would remain his view.

Mr Entsch, who opposed the Government's ban on same-sex marriages in the lead-up to the 2004 election, vowed to pursue his push for Australia to follow nations such as New Zealand, Britain and Canada in allowing civil unions for gay couples.

"A lot of people would probably not expect anyone with my background as an ex-crocodile farmer and Cape York grazier would be supporting this cause," Mr Entsch told The Age.

"I've got no issue with my own sexuality - I'm fiercely heterosexual - but I will defend (homosexual couples') rights to any extent to ensure people in that situation are fairly treated."

While he views marriage as for heterosexuals, Mr Entsch said he believed the Government should allow civil unions or some other form of legal recognition for gay couples. His stance is backed by other Liberal backbenchers including Victorian Petro Georgiou and West Australian Mal Washer.

"Most of the gay people I talk to, all they want is to have an opportunity to formalise a commitment to each other and get the same sort of recognition . . . as any other couple who have committed themselves to a relationship," Mr Entsch said.

Dr Washer said he did not disagree that marriage was for heterosexuals, but he felt there was a place for some form of civil union for gays.

Mr Howard said in December that he was opposed to recognition of such civil unions and that marriage was for men and women.

He makes me soooo cranky... did I say that all ready!!

Just like a gay boy

2006-02-07T11:46:00.000+11:00

Our little dog is just like a gay boy. Young. Knows he's cute. Is a major flirt and when he over it, he's over it!

Bush and Monkeys

2006-02-06T13:12:00.000+11:00

So what does Bush and Monkeys have in common... well a lot apparently, mind you monkeys are a great deal smarter.
> Clink on the image for a larger view.

Howard

2006-02-06T13:03:00.000+11:00

Such a photogenic prime minister, no wonder he's so attacted to Bush, he's a looker to. Ha!

Crappy Job

2006-02-02T21:08:00.000+11:00

Next time you think what a crappy job you got, think of this guy.

Sealord and Whaling

2006-01-27T12:08:00.000+11:00

Before you buy that next box of frozen fish at the supermarket, you might like consider whether the company is involved in commercial whaling.

Take the battle from the high seas to supermarket shelves. You will find Sealord frozen, canned and fresh fish products in Australian supermarkets, fast food outlets and restaurants. Sealord's parent company Nissui is directly linked to Japans commercial whaling, as it is a major shareholder of the company which owns Japan's whaling fleet. They also market and sell the whale meat throughout Japan.

So next time you shop send a message and don't buy Sealord products until they stop participating the needless killing of the whales... Consumer power really works.

What else can you do? Ask Sealord's boss Doug McKay to persuade their parent company Nissui to end the whale hunt.

Green Peace email action form

The Village 'Movie'

2006-01-25T18:11:00.000+11:00

We seem to be having a good run of movies at the moment, this one has actually been out a while, but if you have not seen it, its so worth a evening infront of the box. Its NOT a slasher movie, just really really suspensful and scarrrrry.

At first glance this late nineteenth century village seems picture perfect. However, this close-knit community lives with the frightening knowledge that a race of creatures resides in the woods around them. The villagers share the fear of the evil and foreboding force that lurks outside.

So frightening that one dare not venture beyond "The Village" and into the woods. Despite the advice of his elders, a curious and determined Lucius Hunt has a burning desire to step beyond the boundaries of the town into the unknown.

The ominous presence of the unknown boils over into chaos for the town, with one's bravery being the only thing that can save them. The truce between "The Village" and the creatures is ending.... find someone to hold your hand for this one. You'll probably find it in the weekly section under thriller in your local Video Shop.... you'd think we call them DVD shops now! Go Figure.

Its all about Jane

2006-01-15T12:48:00.000+11:00

A little History first. I met Jane when she moved to Nowra from Canberra, she was 13 and I was 16 and we went to Nowra High School. We where school friends and she was my first girl friend - we used to talk on the phone for hours and I was scared of her dad (still am a bit) she dropped me for my best friend Alan at Rosies' (aka Lee) 14th birthday party... If you know me and remember that party, I was not happy, but hey I SO deserved it. Anyway Jane and I have been friends ever since. I have a few friends from high school, a lot of great memories and they are all pretty damn special - I'm a lucky boy to have them.

Jane came to visit us for a week to hang out in the pottery studio, make candles, drink beer and eat yummy organic food and a bit of light shopping... and we did just that!

Tackie Christmas Dinner

2006-01-07T12:52:00.000+11:00

Well it was a bit late this year, but hey whatever. For those who don't know, each year we have a big fancy dinner with our friends for 'Tackie Christmas'. You have to bring along a tackie gift under $10 and the winner get a trophy - the person who recipes the winning gift has to display it in there home for a year - lucky them. This years theme was string and as usual the gifts where of exceptional quality. This years winner was Jane and the gift was received by our friend Spence, we secretly think he liked it.

Photo 1: Jane receives trophy form Christopher
Photo 2: Spence and Jess with there lovely gifts
Photo 3: The winning tackie gift... nice.
Photo 4: Alex and his gift - what ever that's suppose to be

The Workout

2006-01-05T13:05:00.000+11:00

This is a very funny little movie about a polar bear and a tread mill.

Shirley

2006-01-03T21:24:00.000+11:00

Photo: Me and our new little chicks 'Peep & Shirley' when we first got them in April 2004.

I'm very sad today. One of our chickens 'Shirley' has gone missing - we think we had a visit from a fox, it was very foggy yesterday and they become quite brave. There is no sign of feathers or any kind of struggle. So Shirley either escaped over the fence and has become lost in the bush or has become dinner for a fox or dog. She was a bit of a crazy girl, a good layer and had quite a personality - I'll miss her. I become very bonded to all the animals, so any loss is difficult for me.

Blessed be little chicken.

Ken comes out!

2006-01-02T16:38:00.000+11:00

I was cruising the net, checking out some cute guys, reading some blogs, when I came across Ken and Ken. Well its about time he came out and ditched Barbie, his much too cute and anatomically correct for her... I sure this photographer and Blogger has probably upset a few people, but I love it - very funny! This is his story... Ken Loves Ken

Hot day

2006-01-01T17:48:00.000+11:00

MOOD: Hot

Yep its a hot dry windy day, I'm still loving it by the way - not the wind so much and its is really dry so bush fires can be a bit of a worry. I feel for our little animals, especially the sheep, they seem to be really uncomfortable, lucky they have only recently had their hair cuts. Gus (the dog) he eazy - I just take him off for a swim in the creek... he loves it :) Not much else to say today, just a quite day playing sim city and doing a bit of gardening.

We watched a really great movie last night, 'Donnie Darko' I was hesitant at first as I thought I'd would be really dark and it was a bit but also funny and had a great story line....

Donnie Darko is a disturbed adolescent (a bit cute by the way) from a semi-functional upper-middle-class family. After escaping from death when a jet engine that falls on his house, he follows the voice of a 6-foot-tall bunny (not the cute furry type) Donnie is led by the bunny to create havoc that is both destructive and creative. Bazaar yes, but a really fantastic story. I highly recommend it.

New Years Eve

2005-12-31T16:04:00.000+11:00

Well its going to be a quite one this year.

That's Ok though, its not that much fun out with all the hoards anyway. Been there, hated that. Plus I just don't think I could ever top the fun Chris and I used to have at the hand in hand dance parties we used to go to when we where in Sydney and took drugs (not that you need to take drugs to have fun kiddies)... so why be disappointed I say.

We have a good life here and we have little animals that need our love and attention. I've got a few good DVD's and some beer in the fridge and my boy friend who will always be hot no matter where we are. At least I know I'll get a new years kiss and probably laid too :)

So happy new years all, have a good one. This is a photo of Chrisopher and I in our city apartment just about to go off to a dance party at fox studios in Sydney 2002.

Fence Building

2005-12-30T09:00:00.000+11:00

Yep even a ex-city gay boys can build fences, in fact we are positively butch now-a-days.

This fence replaced the old wire one and doubled the size of our veggie garden and our little orchard. The sheep had started to push one old one down, they do love fruit trees.... yum.

We still have a bit to go yet but its looking good so far.

Weather

2005-12-29T16:42:00.000+11:00

Well its finally warm in our little mountain village. and I'm a very happy camper. Shorts, no shirt, sandal's, warm nights, its great.

Have you every noticed how people love to talk about the weather (look I'm even doing it) of course the middle aged and elderly are complaining and can't help but ask you "is it hot enough for you" or "oh its going to be a hot one" or " oh its just so humid, couldn't sleep it was so hot".... well I LOVE IT. Its the cold I hate, and by the way its not really that hot here, max of about 32 degrees c, and we only get a couple of days that warm, down the mountain in Penrith its like 43 - that's a bit warm I must admit. Anyway if one more person mentions how hot it is, I think I'll just scream or maybe just burst into flames...

Photo of the day

2005-12-21T14:56:00.000+11:00

ADSL been down, lightening stuck us in the middle of the night and fried the modem... Scarred the fu8k out of me.... anyway brought a new modem today and its all good again. This is my favorite photo I took this week.

Pottery Studio

2005-12-14T17:00:00.000+11:00

Have not blogged for about 2 weeks now... too much bad stuff happening in the world and race riots in Sydney - I though writing about it would only get me more upset and pissed off then I already am about the whole state of affairs. What are we doing people... for fu*k sake get over it and get along... Violence achieves NOTHING, never has never will. I feel a great sadness wash over me when ever I turn on the news now-a-days... might have to stop watching.

Anyway enough of that... up here on our mountain top everything seems calm and we are very blessed to have a safe place live. Christopher and I have been very busy doing up the pottery studio in our back yard. We have painted it yellow and blue, very beachy and happy. Put in a work space for the pottery wheel and lots of shelving + fixed the roof and connected the power. I'm a very happy camper, it looks really great - thanks Chris for helping me. Its a really nice space and is demanding me to use it - I'm feeling very creative.

Universal pain

2005-12-01T21:45:00.000+11:00

It is never ok to take another life, never.
Each and every one of us is a product of the society that we live in. We must take responsibility for every soul.

24-year-old Nguyen Tuong Van from Melbourne will be put to death by hanging tomorrow at sunrise for drug trafficking.

We'll probably still be asleep, warm in our beds - safe.

How do we know he's not capable of becoming a better person, how do we know that he's not already a better person than you and me. We all make mistakes, especially when we are young.

Is he not a product of our own culture and if so then surly we all stand responsible. Taking Nguyen Tuong Van's life will not fix the drug problem. Killing has never fixed anything, it only brings more pain.

We need to find the root of our problems. Why are people driven to drugs to crime to hate. I belief its a universal pain. Something that's deep inside us all, It seems that man is the only animal that does not know his place in this universe. We have become lost.

While in my garden I was thinking about the times I have taken recreational drugs. At first I thought - well I just did it because it was fun and as a young city guy - especially a gay one - its almost a right of passage - massive dance parties, sex and ecstasy. I had some great times.

But was I doing it just for fun? When you take drugs like that at a dance party, everybody's your brother and sister, you feel loved, you feel joy... the universal pain is masked by the drug. And that's it, the pain is temporarily gone - everyone feels free of it. And that's why the come down is so bad and that why it can be additive.

We spend our whole lives hiding from the pain deep inside us all. Masking it with drinking, with drugs, with busy-ness. No body wants to really look at it - not even me.

unfortunately I have no answers today. But I do know this, we are all connected and the pain won't go away until we stop and listen to our hearts, let go of our fears, our distrust our hate.

I am your brother, I'm not perfect, but I love you because we are all one.

Nguyen Tuong Van is our brother, his life is yours and its mine and tomorrow we'll have to try harder to mask that pain deep inside us all.

Blessed be.

SUN SUN SUN

2005-12-01T11:12:00.000+11:00

The Sun finally shines again and my mood has lifted with the dark sky's and all is good again on the Alex show. I was going fu#king stir crazy indoors... Oh and Gus (the dog) is much happier too... outside laying the sunshine :)
Below is my photo of the day of our Broad Beans and Lupins in flower.

6 days of rain

2005-11-29T05:26:00.000+11:00

Some days I feel so restless.
Become bored with everything.
A problem that has always haunted me.
Sometimes I get a strong urge to do bad things.
There not so bad really.
Contentment with my life fades away.

Other people are starving.
Other people are facing death.
Other people are lost.

How dare I complain.
About nothing really.
Just feelings.
Gone tomorrow.

A million thoughts in my head.
So many creative ideas.
So many stories.
It's hard for me to keep track of them all.
Am I crazy?

My life is so blessed.
I have all I could want.
Why want more.
Be happy Alex.
People love you.

Ten dollars and it's art

2005-11-28T16:47:00.000+11:00

Went to the local markets. Picked up this really cool pot. Handed over $10. Put it on an old stump amongst the ivy. Filled it with water and whalla it's art!

Our Pet Sheep

2005-11-16T20:22:00.000+11:00

Today we had our pet sheep Blossom and Lucy shawn. This is there second date with the shearer and they are not big fans of the whole shearing day thing. They did a awful lot of squirming and kicking when Don the shearer was giving them their hair cuts.

Don said most sheep run a mile when they see him coming, so from today's excitement Blossom and Lucy will probably do the same next year... we'll see.

They will be much cooler now though as I'm sure they get very hot in those big wolly jumpers now summers on it way.

They transform from great big wooly balls into thin little vulnerable waifs. I love our sheep, they are so sweet.

Growing potatoes in a bag

2005-11-10T13:51:00.000+11:00

It can be difficult to find a new place to grow potatoes each year in a small garden. You can't use the last spot you grew them for another 2 years.

This year I'm trying some Toolangi potatoes in a large bag from a tree we brought at the Nursery. (you could also use a large pot) I figure this way I can change the soil each year, they will be really eazy to harvest and there is no chance of damage from the shovel which I won't even need. They seem to be going great, in fact they are twice the size as those in the normal garden beds.

You could use this method in the smallest of gardens or even on a balcony and you can't beat home grown organic potatoes.

HINT: Start with only a small amount of soil - just enough to cover the seed potatoes about 10cm deep. Every couple of weeks add more soil, covering the bottom leaves but leaving the tops to poke out of the soil. This way you'll get heaps more potatoes come harvesting time.

Make a bush star

2005-11-08T15:51:00.000+11:00

I had some much fun making this bush star for our house, I though I'd inspire others to get out in the wild and be creative too.... It's really eazy and you can do it in an hour.

Materials:
12 branches about 70cm long similar thickness.
Thinner branches for decoration
Pruners & some reel wire

STEP 1
Trim branches to the same length
STEP2
Make 2 triangles, joining ends with wire
STEP 3
Place the 2 triangles on top of each other to form a star, wire together at all points of intersections
STEP 4
Twine lengths of smaller leaved branches around star to decorate

Fractal Romanesque broccoli

2005-11-07T20:14:00.000+11:00

It's amazing the beauty that I find in our humble vegie garden... my old maths teacher would be very pleased with my current observation about our Romanesque Broccoli we have growing. Its is exquisitely symmetrical, sporting dozens of knobbly florets, each a miniature version of the entire structure, and each built from even smaller copies of the whole its just so cool. I showed my boyfriend Christopher and he had just one simple word... Fractals.

Government denies climate change

2005-11-02T11:07:00.000+11:00

The Howard government says it is committed to reducing greenhouse pollution to tackle climate change. But, in a recent Queensland court case, the federal environment minister stated that climate change doesn't exist, isn't caused by human activities and just isn't important enough. Call me crazy but I just can't see how an intelligence person can actually think this.

The Liberal government seems to have an all important quest for wealth at the expense of people and environment... It's a bloody crime, I wonder what history will say about it.

Vegies in the Rain

2005-10-20T14:27:00.000+10:00

I know we need the rain, with the drought and all... but would it stop already! I so desperately want to get out into the garden, I'm going stir crazy cooped up in the house! I feel a bit like a poor old battery chicken, over fed, bored and just a bit cranky. Its true the vegies are all growing into huge monsters, but I fear soon they will be water logged if the sun does not show its face soon, its been almost 2 weeks of constant rain.

We harvested the first of our Turnips this week... never really had them before, not a fan we've decided. They actually taste better raw, the same as radish, the leaves are good in stir fries and spring rolls but all the same I think I'll save the space next season for something else.... (Hey Maria, I'll send you some in the mail, I know you love them.)

Power of change in your wallet

2005-10-16T11:53:00.000+10:00

Did you know that it takes 90 years to grow a box of Kleenex? That's right, every time you use a Kleenex tissue, you are blowing away ancient forests. That's because Kimberly-Clark, maker of Kleenex and other toilet and tissue products, all but refuses to use recycled paper in its products. Instead, Kimberly-Clark is clearcutting some of the rarest and oldest forests on Earth - just to create disposable paper products.... Is there any alternative you can buy.... we have a great power for change in our wallets.

Happy Birthday to me

2005-10-13T13:04:00.000+10:00

Just like to say a BIG thankyou to all of you who traveled from all over the country and overseas to come along to my Birthday Bash. I had a great time and it was so cool that some many people came along.

A special thanks for Maria who helped out in the kitchen (as she does) and made the brownie Birthday cake with all the little farm animals on it - we are still eating it. Your Fabulous Maria :)

Deb and Matt for coming from New Zealand.... how cool was that!. Mum and Dad for leaving all their farm animals for a couple of days, I know Mum worries when she's not there to watch over them all.

And every body else... (Sounds like I'm accepting a MTV award)... anyway thanks I love you all, I'm so lucky to have so many beautiful people in my life.

Its kinda funny

2005-10-12T21:12:00.000+10:00

Kim Jongs Shoes. For the first time, Kim Jongs “Heightening Shoes” of which there have been many rumors, have been caught in photographs. Kim Jongs height is known to be around 165cm but many assume thats with his shoes on... a probably overstated.

President George W. Bush in his presidential boots... good for stomping on the evil ones.

SOAP BOX May those without sin cast the first stone

2005-10-12T18:36:00.000+10:00

Which brings me to my first SOAP BOX session, they may be a few of these... but its my soap box and I'll stand on it as much as I like....

I was reading some Blogs and I came across this little gem from one of our loving Christian friends.

(Since PM Lee announced that our Gay/homosexual/steretypically up the butt friends would also be hired in SG's Civil Service Sectors, there has been an outcry of disapproval/rage/anger amongst many in Singapore. (Yes, at church I have heard this mentioned many times, comparing SG to Sodom and Gomorrah - a city where doing it up the butt was a norm...) i-love-eclipse

Its certainly not the worst thing I've read about Christian views on the Gay community, at least he doesn't want me dead. (see godhatesfags) But still it never ceases to amaze me how hypocritical Christians can be, note the blog name... i-love-eclipse... then love dude. (*9. Love thy neighbor.) You know if we all show each other some compassion and love we just might leave some room to understanding each other. Give me some guidance, a caring word, lets try to understand each other - don't just say I'm a stereotypically up the butt friend, because I'm not and they aren't either. Don't throw that stone - are you without sin?

10 Commandments lets just recap shall we:

1. Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
2. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.
3. Thou shalt not worship fake gods
4. Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
5. Honor thy father and thy mother
6. Thou shalt not kill. (note the words 'if' or 'but' do not appear)
7. Thou shalt not commit adultery.
8. Thou shalt not steal.
9. Love thy neighbor.
10. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house, wife, ox, ass, nor anything that is thy neighbor's.

My boy friend Christopher always says he won't preach what he believes until he is living it. (he says some cool stuff). It might be nice if we all did that, myself included. There endeth the lesson.

So this is my first Blog.

2005-10-12T11:00:00.000+10:00

Its a rainy day and I'm staring out my window, as I do. Our front yard always looks so lovely to me no matter what the weather. I have a million thoughts running through my head, but thats not unusual for me. It can be difficult when there is so much stuff in your head, I end up so distracted jumping for one thought to another I often end up with nothing or I just miss the moment. Something to work on.

I've been really inspired by lots of other Blogs I've been reading... Ethan Grey brought me to tears 3 times in just an hour. I've found myself curled up on the couch 3 nights in a row just reading his stuff... I'm a sucker for a love story. So much talent in the world, you'd think we'd be doing a better job.