Better days diffuse

In colors, in lights

With passing of time,

Now closing twilight.

I watch waves of parting

As the sun sets,

Recalling, clinging

Til the delicate fibers

Of better days shared

I held on so long

Slip away.

But better days hover

In places we’ve been

And things we’ve done.

I sigh driving around roads,

Enmeshed in the gossamer

Of memories

We left behind

When time knows no bounds

And deadlines;

At least, it used to be.

Genuine happiness,

Only now,

Spent in retrospection.

We had such moment

Of better days,

But wasted

To unexpected cliff

We throw ourselves off

Unguarded

Like waterfalls

Lost in endless gorges

Never to return,

Flooding ravines

With tears.

Trekking

Flowing

Streaming

Surrendering to the ebbs

Of destiny

That would empty 

Us to the ocean of fate

And bring our union

 To the same end

At the right time

Where dawn of endless lights

And lasting colors

Of better days

Await.

—–

Jeques, 2009. From his poetry collection, “A Traveler’s Soliloquies”

Over the weekend, I was at my uncles property, Adjinbilly, for the family Christmas celebrations. Christmas is fun and all, but I like going there most for the photography. The bird life there is fantastic. I’m moderately happy with the images I’m currently getting, but they can be improved. I want to buy a green tent and use it as a blind as well as either buy a telephoto prime ($$$), an 80-400mm or a teleconverter. Downside about the teleconverter is that it’ll at least times the f stop by 1.5 and that’s not cool for low light bird photography. Anyway, here are some photos.

Nikon D300, 50mm, ISO 200, f/1.8, 1/100s

Nikon D300, 18-200mm @ 120mm, ISO 800, f/5.3, 1/100s

Nikon D300, 18-200mm @ 200mm, ISO 500, f/5.6, 1/50s

Oh, and I got my OP: 7. Not that I need it anyway. BAP here I come!

]]> http://cnyana.wordpress.com/2009/12/18/pacemaker-2009-12-18-neil-quigley-gorge/ Fri, 18 Dec 2009 21:53:01 +0000 cnyana http://cnyana.wordpress.com/2009/12/18/pacemaker-2009-12-18-neil-quigley-gorge/

Download: Pacemaker 2009-12-18 – Neil Quigley, Gorge

Mirror1: Pacemaker 2009-12-18 – Neil Quigley, Gorge

Mirror2: Pacemaker 2009-12-18 – Neil Quigley, Gorge

Mirror3: Pacemaker 2009-12-18 – Neil Quigley, Gorge

Rex's b-day dinner with Liisa and Lea.

After traveling through Austria we returned to the cabin.  Liisa took me out for a nice birthday dinner complete with a piece of chocolate cake and a single birthday candle.  Happy 26^th birthday…lol.  Unfortunately, I won’t be home again to celebrate her birthday, but she wanted to ensure I had a special night.    Liisa gave me a surprise from my mother in Pennsylvania.  Prior to leaving Florida, she sent my favorite pineapple-filled and chocolate chip cookies to Liisa.  Liisa packed them in her suitcase for me.  Thanks for the cookies, Mom!   My wife also surprised me with the latest book written by Greg Mortenson “Stones to School”.  It’s a continuation of Mortenson’s “Three Cups of Tea”, a New York Times bestseller for 3 years in a row.  Mr. Mortenson is still actively building schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

After dinner we had some fun by sitting in the large Santa chair.  I also convinced my mother-in-law to do the same thing.  She was reluctant, but she gave in and I

Red leaves inside Partnach Gorge.

promised I wouldn’t publish her picture on my blog.  But that doesn’t mean I can’t email copies to her children and grandchildren.

The next morning we decided to do some more sight-seeing.  It was raining off and on and I really didn’t want to travel very far in case the roads would start to freeze.  We opted to visit a gorge in the nearby Garmisch-Partenkirchen area.  We drove out of the town and merged on to some back roads.  This road actually had some potholes.  Since it was raining intermittently, we figured the rain would drive away the crowds and we would have the gorge to ourselves.  As we expected, the parking lots were empty and it looked like an abandoned ghost

Partnach Gorge.

town.  It’s obvious during the popular summer months; this place is crowded with hikers and on-lookers.  The vertical gorge walls are several hundred feet high and tall pine trees have found a way to root into the crevasses of the solid rock.  A meandering river narrows to only a few feet wide and is responsible for cutting a path through the solid rock forming the gorge.  An entrepreneur has capitalized on its beauty and has dynamited a tunnel through parts of the gorge.  Most of the path has been naturally carved and stands about 3-4 feet above the thundering river.  Notice the red color of the leaves that have been trapped on the rocks.

Although my mother-in-law is still an

View from outside Partnach Gorge.

avid walker, since it was still raining, she had no desire to climb the switchbacks and path leading to the top of the gorge walls.  So we went back through the gorge to our waiting car and drove to see the Eibsee Lake positioned at the bottom of the Zugspitze mountain peak.  Many of these lakes are remnants from the glacier period thousands of years ago.  The lake was a bit of a disappointment and it was too cloudy to see the highest peak in all of Germany.  The Zugspitze peak is over 2962 meters (9700 feet) above sea level.

My best solution for Holiday gift giving during a recession? Make those hard-earned duckets count.

Here are some high impact gifts for under $100.00!

For the Product Whore:

Philosophy Gift of Beautiful Skin $85.00

Philosophy is amazing and this set includes all the heavy hitters.

Philosophy Skincare Basics $31.58

A cheaper, less well stocked version of the above. A great introductory set.

Bare Escentuals RareMinerals Miracle Remedies $35.00

This is perfect for the sensitive skinned product slave on your list!

bareMinerals Sweet Obsessions Eye Color Collection $43.68

Gorgeous, highly pigmented mineral shadows in a host of beautiful colors. Cute box, too.

BeneFit Tinted Love $38.00

The best. BeneTint is the multi-tasking product every make up slut should own.

Urban Decay 24/7 Super Stash $36.00

Just look at all the pretty colors. So preetttty.

Caudalie Spa in a Bag $30.00

Caudalie is very French and very potent.

Rosebud Perfume Co. Lip Balms $16.00

Must have. Bottom line. No excuses.

Thriven Overnight Conditioner $52.00

My best friend. Without Thriven my hair would be a nightmare. The $52 dollar tub should last 5-6 months depending.

The Jewelry Hound:

Amrita Singh Sterling Silver Cocktail Ring $60.00

Everyone should have a gigantic cocktail ring!

Fascinator Comb $38.00

The easiest way to fancy up an outfit.

Tiffany Alphabet Disc Charm $100.00

Classic romance.

From O'Keeffe Necklace $48.00

Why am I not wearing this right now? Seriously?

Cashmerrily Comfy:

Lightwieght Cashmere Wrap $72.99

Affordable luxury.

Webalina Couture Cashmere Fingerless Gloves $35.99

Adorable luxury.

Easy Cashmere Scarf $68.00

Even more affordable luxury.

Easy Cashmere Cap $58.00

Jaunty luxury.

The Always Appreciated:

La Petit Gift Tower $56.00

French chocolate. It is amazing. Trust me on this.

Engraved Silver Plate Purse Mirror $24.95

Useful and special. When given the option to engrave, I always do.

Art Nouveau Diffuser Set $90.00

Beautiful to look at and functional. Perfect.

Natori Shangri-La Robe $98.00

Natori is amazing. This incredibly comfortable robe comes in sizes up to 2x. The 1x offerings are even more staggeringly fantastic.

Blue Diadem Jewelry Box $98.00

A good jewelry box is essential.

Merry Spirits Scarf $88.00

Must have. Right now.

Day 6 – Wednesday, 21st October 2009

After breakfast we left Machha Khola for our next camping destination. We were to spend the next night near a village called Yaru Khola. The path continued to follow the Buri Gandaki, which name means ‘the old river’. The trail ran right above the rapid waters of the river, so we had to watch each step if we wanted to avoid any unpleasant surprises. The scenery around us was wonderful and it felt like being in a jungle. Everything was so vividly green, we passed palm trees and bamboo, cicadas were playing their usual concert. It’s unbelievable how such small creatures can make so much noise! We often wondered how they produce those shrill droning sounds. Apparently it is the male cicada, which vibrates two membranes on its abdomen, creating that amazing racket. The sun was scorching as we were crossing one ridge after another, up and down. We admired our porters, who seemed to have no problem at all with climbing up the path with heavy loads on their backs. Every day they would tie up two heavy kit bags (just to remind you, I could barely walk a few metres with mine) plus a bundle of sleeping mats and walk with that load for hours and hours. Their trick was to stop for very short breaks, but frequently.

We stopped for a moment in a village called Tatopani. It was very pleasant, with a string of guest houses and a few little shops, where we could buy drinks and a Mars bar to get some energy. The main attraction, however, were hot springs, which come out from a stone wall placed in the village centre. The word ‘tato’ means ‘hot’ and ‘pani’ is a word for ‘water’, hence the name of the village. It’s a good opportunity for a trekker to wash some clothes or even have a quick shower. That, however, requires some degree of imagination and a bit of cunning, as the springs are exposed to public view.

We had lunch by the river, in a small clearing by the side of the trail. A few children showed up out of nowhere and ran towards us. They were looking after their goats, which were grazing close by in the shrubs. Some of the children were quite cheeky, asking us for treats and posing in front of the cameras. There was one girl, however, who was rather shy and wary of this crowd of strangers. She just sat nearby on a stone and observed what we were doing. She had a very serious face.

Our cooks were amazing, carrying all of the kitchen appliances and food on their backs every day. And each day on the trek they would set up everything again for lunch. They usually placed a huge plastic blue sheet on the ground, on which we could sit and eat. The boys always prepared delicious and nutritious meals for us and they were supervised by the head cook, Tenzing.

The cooks made us some lovely paratha, which is traditional Indian pan fired flat-bread. It can be stuffed with vegetables or cheese. The paratha can be round, square or triangular. We had the last version, which is made from a ball of dough, then flattened into a circle and closed like an envelope. It’s really good and makes a great accompaniment for other things we had, such as spicy potatoes, beans in tomato sauce and canned meat.

Suddenly, as we were enjoying lunch, a goat decided it wanted to join in, thinking it might get a snack. It jumped on our blue mat and refused to go away. Nothing you could say or do would make her leave. Then Matt, our team leader, just grabbed it by one of its horns and dragged the animal off the mat, leading it towards some shrubs. The goat was very stubborn, however, and soon came back, but this time observed us from the safety of a nearby rock. It was very sociable and a great model too!

After lunch we continued our trek to Yaru Khola. The walk was at times strenuous, as we were gradually gaining height and there were more up-hill bits. The track, however, was well marked and maintained, so it was like walking up stairs most of the time. One of our Sherpa guides told us that the paths in this area were actually made in the 1960s, when the government of Nepal tried to resettle people from Kathmandu to the country, giving them free land.

Luckily, we didn’t meet any Maoists carried away by their revolutionary zeal and demanding money from us. We could peacefully continue walking towards our next camp.

At the end of our walk we entered an enormous gorge, with the Yaru Khola River running right through it. Great steep rocky cliffs were majestically surrounding the river. I suddenly felt very small in comparison to this spectacular ravine. It was the first time I actually realised the enormity and strength of the mountains. It was a magical place to camp in and somehow scenes from ‘The Lord of the Ring’ crossed my mind the moment we entered the gorge.

Before we got to our campsite, we passed a tiny villages with just a few houses and two shops, one next to the other. We sat down for a drink, as these shops, like any other we encountered on our way, were fully supplied with soft drinks such as Pepsi or Mirinda. Enjoying our dose of sugar and various strange substances hidden in these sweet beverages, we watched a little show put on by a couple of cute children. They were brother and sister and their parents owned one of the shops. It was a charming sight. The little ones were dancing to a traditional Nepalese song that was on the radio, twirling with their hands in the air. It was such a nice sight and the children were having so much fun.

When we finally got to our camp the Sherpas and our team leader Matt started putting up the tents. Rafael was enthusiastic about helping out, I was more enthusiastic about walking around and enjoying the view. It was spectacular! We were on a plateau, yet surrounded by magnificent cliffs. It was peaceful and quite around, no people apart from our group. The only sound was the gentle noise made by the river. This was definitely my favourite camp so far!

]]> http://nightmarecrew.wordpress.com/2009/11/27/hope-drowns/ Fri, 27 Nov 2009 22:49:36 +0000 Monkey http://nightmarecrew.wordpress.com/2009/11/27/hope-drowns/

So yeah, I was going to write this blog and it was going to be dark and not at all funny and sort of bleak or emo or something…in some versions it ended on an uplifting point…kinda…other drafts, not so much. The thoughts had been bouncing around inside my skull for awhile now and I thought they were ready to be spilled out of my brain onto paper…ok,virtual paper,who uses paper anymore?…Luddites and terrorists that’s who!

So I wrote it and it seemed almost done, just a tweak here and a turn there but when I’d change one thing it would throw off something else and when I fixed that, 4 other things would fall out of line. I wrestled with it and kicked it and then made it watch Will Smith movies. But nothing worked, the damnable thing just would not work itself out. After some pondering…and soul searching…and turkey…and Left4Dead 2…I realized that it wasn’t working because deep down I didn’t believe it…or maybe I just believed parts of it…or believed different parts at different times…whatever the case may be, it just didn’t ring true.

So I trashed it, set fire to it and watched it burn…again virtually…who burns real paper anymore? Screw it I thought, I’ll just jump to some other random tangent in my head, Loki knows there are more than enough of them. But then I couldn’t get the thought out of my head still, somewhere amongst all of what I had written there was truth, I had just let my own feelings and where I’m at in my existence…and my own cleverness get in the way of the thought. It happens…a lot. So I figured instead of trying to make it this big amazingly written, dramatic piece I’d just say what was in my head and not dress it up…too much…Lol

My blog was going to be about hope and how it was a trap and how it kept people from moving on with their lives and experiencing new things while they waited for something that more than likely was never even remotely going to happen. I even had a cool example explaining my thought involving a gorge, spontaneous evolution and ropes and pulleys…it was neat…and clever. But I hope for things…we all do…I think, looking at it now, that hope isn’t the problem. Some of the things and people we choose to put our hope in is. Often we hope for things that are just never going to happen, not being pessimistic or anything, that’s just how life works. Some things and some people, you just can’t have and instead of dealing with that and moving on to other things, we use hope to excuse us staying in one place and waiting for something when we should really be getting on with it already and seeing what’s over the next horizon…or at the bottom of a gorge(seriously, it was a cool example).

I think…or maybe I know…either way…hope is too often used as crutch these days to keep from doing something scary and painful. Moving on, letting go, giving up…what have you. Thing is, this is supposed to be scary and painful…wouldn’t be life if it wasn’t. So, I’m not saying give up all hope. I’m saying really think about the things you hope for and the people you put your hope in and don’t be afraid to let go of things sometimes….don’t be afraid to just live.

~Monkey

Hi Lovelies!

It’s about to be the Holidays, so I thought I would show you a few of my favorite purchases in case you find yourself wanting for a femme/fun gift.

Very Thin Gold Rings

I wear one of these everyday. It never comes off. It’s tiny, elegant and durable. It also looks beautiful on. Available in white, yellow and rose gold. (Personally, I want one in every metal.)

Vintage Luggage

Antique Engagement Rings

If you’re after something a little pricier with a lot more wow factor, go check out Fay Cullen. Amazing, amazing selection on vintage jewelry (especially Deco and Edwardian.) Vintage jewelry is instantly romantic and precious.

Fuck Off Necklace

I love this necklace. The charm is tiny so your bad mood will only be known to those closest. It’s the perfect thing to wear on a day when stress/annoyance is expected.

Two Five Train Case

LOVE. No really. LOVE. Anytime I leave town this little baby goes with me. It has amazing amounts of room for all your jewelry, lingerie, scarves, etc. I use mine as my make-up safe. It’s perfectly sized and lockable.

Stuffed Unicorn, Yes?

I do not have this. But I WANT this. It’s $1,000, so no. But, maybe one day? Yes?

The book has a long title that I don’t want to put in the title of this blog.  The full title is “Wild Beauty: Photographs of the Columbia River Gorge, 1867 – 1957″.  It is by Terry Toedtemeier and John Laursen and is a 6-year-long process of finding photos, digital editing them to restore them to an estimation of their original condition, and categorizing them in a book.  Before I talk about the book, I will talk about the event at the library.Last Tuesday, John Laursen talked about his book at the Harney County Library.  He talked about some of the research that went into the book.  Then he picked several pictures from the book and talked in depth about them.  It was very interesting.

There was also a few good questions asked about how the pair found information about the pictures.  I think part of the answer was sometimes it was luck because one album was for engineering purposes.  Therefore, the pictures were predominated with rock and supplies for building the road.  The very last picture in the album was one that the authors decided was worthy of entering into the book.

Then the co-author gave a book to the library.  There was also books for sell, but for 400 dollars!  And it was nonprofit too!  There was some organization that donated money so that they could donate a book to every library.  From what I’ve seen from the PowerPoint, I wanted to check it out.  With my mom being a librarian, I was able to get the library’s copy quickly.

The book has five different picture parts.  The first section is the best.  It is by Carleton Watkins, who is a very gifted photographer.  However, there are amazing photos throughout the book.  Perhaps the pictures that I didn’t enjoy as much were in section three, which featured Lily White and Sarah Ladd who had a houseboat.  They focused more on light and texture than particular things.  So some I really enjoyed and some I really didn’t enjoy as much.

The book has good notes on most but not all of the pictures.  Also, it has a general introduction and introductions to each section, which were both informative and interesting.  However, the acknowledgments are worth reading.  After I read it, I appreciate the book much more because the acknowledgments tell about all the work that others spent to make the book possible.  Sure I knew that the authors spent a lot of time gathering pictures, but I wasn’t aware of the Photoshop experts fixing the images to bring them to as close to their original beauty as possible.  I did think about the research of finding the location of each picture, but not of the cartographer who made the two custom-made maps in the book.  Obviously there are editors but the acknowledgments go on for a few pages!

This is an amazing book.  Maybe I should look at picture books more often.

GORGE ‘09 is a bold and interactive mini fest of performance and spoken word – and it’s not for the jelly-hearted!

Each night offers a new theatrical world, Different writer. Different script. Different performers.

It’s raw, it’s immediate and dramatically different. Live dangerously and immerse yourself in the process of making live performance.

Writers Nicki Bloom, Matthew Cormack and Alirio Zavarce have each penned a ten minute script, commissioned especially for GORGE ‘09, and are now waiting to see what is served up between 19-21 November by the GORGE ‘09 performance companies: Daniel Clarke, Aidan Munn, Stone/Castro, Real Time Collaborators, TheimaGen and Unreasonable Adults.

GORGE ‘09 isn’t one of those theatrical experiences where you sit back and wait to be entertained. You have to engage and enGORGE!

GORGE ‘09 is loud and gets louder. Your voice is vital to the fun and laughter each night as you are serenaded by the sassy songbird, Libby O’Donovan, mellifluous Mistress of Ceremonies, accompanied by the incomparable king of the keyboard, Matthew Carey

And, yes, it’s more fun if you come on all 3 nights…

You’ll meet the artists, engage in conversation with them and watch the stage transform again and again in a series of different interpretations. We’ll open up the floor to questions and debate, challenge the writers’ intention and question the performers’ interpretation. Or simply sing their praises!

Join us and be GORGEd!

THREE NIGHTS ONLY! 19-21 November 2009Space Theatre7.30pm

WRITERS Nicki Bloom, Matthew Cormack & Alirio Zavarce PERFORMANCE COMPANIES Aidan Munn, Daniel Clarke, Real Time Collaborators, Stoone/Castro, TheimaGen & Unreasonable Adults MISTRESS OF CEREMONIES Libby 0′Donovan PIANIST Matthew Carey ARTISTIC DIRECTORS Daisy Brown & Chris Drummond PRODUCER Kay Jamieson

Book at BASS on 131 246 or www.bass.net.au

Season Pass for all three nights: $67.50 or $61.50 for Brink Privilege Card Holders.
Or buy single tickets to attend 1 or 2 nights Adult: $30 P/S/U and Fringe Benefits: $25 Brink Privilege Card Holders: $23.50 Green Room $19.95

Gorge is an original concept by Daisy Brown [The Misery Children]

You’ve seen it before…  or you haven’t.  But here it is.  I was thinking about that whole law of attraction thing, and I thought this was a perfect example.  Enjoy!