weekly poetry

The Delight Song of Tsoai-talee

I am a feather on the bright sky

I am the blue horse that runs in the plain

I am the fish that rolls, shining, in the water

I am the shadow that follows a child

I am the evening light, the lustre of meadows

I am an eagle playing with the wind

I am a cluster of bright beads

I am the farthest star

I am the cold of dawn

I am the roaring of the rain

I am the glitter on the crust of the snow

I am the long track of the moon in a lake

I am a flame of four colors

I am a deer standing away in the dusk

I am a field of sumac and the pomme blanche

I am an angle of geese in the winter sky

I am the hunger of a young wolf

I am the whole dream of these things

You see, I am alive, I am alive

I stand in good relation to the earth

I stand in good relation to the gods

I stand in good relation to all that is beautiful

I stand in good relation to the daughter of Tsen-tainte

You see, I am alive, I am alive

-N. Scott Momaday

cross country

This is the second of whole school, compulsory sports events I've been to here. The first was "swimming sports" and this time it was cross country. The whole of the primary school gathers, and every kid participates in the sports. It's so odd to me, coming from a background of selective/elective sports, and I'm just amazed at the whole thing. We congregated at a field (something else strange, cross country isn't run on a track...), the kids lined up in small groups, and then off they went. I'm not sure how many laps they were required to do, but it was about 1.5-2 miles in total, meandering through the surrounding bush. The start and finish lines were up front, but the rest of the route? Who knows! Another wild, typical Australian experience to witness.
P.S. My camera's battery died promptly after we arrived, but I had my trusty iPhone to take over. Not the best quality, but still a good glimpse at the day

Pasca was already off and running by the time I got there, look at her go! Our freshly minted 11 year old

The kids who finished their races grouped in the middle of the field, chatting and playing and getting over the misery of school sports

A group of girls, including Blossom, lining up to start

And they're off!

They made me want to chase them and go for a run myself right then. Good job girls

arty didactic

Some images from the Floral series by photographer Sharon Radisch. Flowers, plants, and trees have always been a great love of mine, in real life and in art, but decaying ones are actually a huge fear. I don't like to see, smell, or, heaven forbid, handle any of it. So it was surprising to find that I found these photos really beautiful, and not at all unsettling or upsetting. Their mood feels just right for this chilly autumn we're having here. Hope you enjoy.

treat yo'self

Been feeling particularly homesick lately, think its the fact that my time here is running out so quickly now. I'm sick at the thought of leaving Daylesford, but insanely excited to be back in San Diego. Pretty tricky. Took a little time the last few days to treat myself to a few indulgences, namely- a whole slew of publications and a nice breakfast at a beautiful cafe by the fireside. I take the time to catch up on world and American news most every day, but it's nice every now and then to pick up an Australian paper. They seem so...casual? Maybe it's the small population, or the fact that major news stories discussing politics and such would get to be repetitive really quickly, but it seems like the major focus is put on local issues and people and dealings. And they're mostly short-form. I flip through them so quickly, looking for a real meaty story to spend a few minutes on, and it just doesn't happen. I find myself being caught up on what's happening in such and such suburb of Melbourne, one man's medical mishaps, little things. And I just realized what I think is missing: international news. They just don't seem to cover any. Oh well. That's what the internet is for, right? And so CNN is my bedtime ritual now.
Didn't mean for this to turn into a critique of Australia's journalism, but there it is. And I hope you can recognize the title of the post from an aspirational TV character. Everyone deserves a "treat yo'self" day every now and again!

happy birthday pasca!

Yesterday was Pasca's eleventh birthday, and boy was it a great day. Papa Brian came up from Melbourne, and friends gathered for a delicious Indian meal.

Pasca was seated outside and treated to a little pampering straight away after school. 

This included a hairdo with some colorful fall leaves by the marvelous Blossom

But once Pasca felt the crunch, it was time for them to go

Sarah was happy learning about the new barbecue Papa had brought up from Melbourne. A very appropriately named "BeefMaster" for this house full of vegetarians

Blossom started over on Pasca's hair

And this devilish look...

...resulted in this one, of a different kind, but equally odd

Loud squawking birds circled overhead

And then it was netball time! Pasca received a few netballs and a hoop to practice with for her birthday

She and Blos helped Papa put the net together

Then it was time to decide where it should go, and to get in a quick practice

Maeve arrived, and the girls snuck out front to have some fun

Before we all sat down to a delicious meal

Then it was time for the ice cream cake

And a final chat around the table. 

Happy Birthday Pasca!!

more music

Attended another orchestral performance in town, this time by the Zelman Memorial Symphony Orchestra. The program was titled "Drama, Energy and Colour" and definitely lived up to it. Featuring Mozart, Beethoven and Tchaikovsky, it was simply superb. I'm always amazed at the musical signatures of great composers such as these three, even without having learned about their compositions, it's so easy to distinguish between them. Some things just sound "so Tchaikovsky", or Beethoven, that you can't help but think of all the rest of their works. I left feeling energized, happy, and somewhat dazed. Went out for a coffee with a nice guy I met at the concert, then took a circuitous route home to enjoy all the fall colors that are appearing around town and in the gardens. Also did my fair share of stomping through crisp leaves in my official "fancy" shoes (having one of everything makes life so much simpler!), and recreated a classic picture from years ago. Don't know if it was the fact that I had my hair off my face and those favorite earrings on again, but it just seemed like the thing to do. And made me extremely excited for warm summer days at Saranac Lake. So many conflicting feelings over the current seasons here in Australia and back in the states!

Some of the very best fall colors are right at Hightor!

Even the bark on some of the trees feels festive

New version, with some fantastic refracted light...

...and the old one, a perfect summer day

                                                         

Here's the program if you'd like a listen. Classical music makes every day a little better in my humble opinion.