May 12, 2011

Inside of Outside

Woke at Buck. Cowboy Coffee. Yum. Morning song. Schlep. Pack-in. Grilled Sammies and French Onion soup. One of my fave lunches. Summer-ish weather today. Ran a missing person workshop w/Rob. Played Calvinball! Ha! Very fun. Deets, deets, deets. Helped plan lakeshore trip. Should be good. Played guitar with Anne. I love teaching one person, one thing, at one time. Talked w/ Sarah. She says I'm good @ helping ppl process their own thoughts. Sociopolitical environmental discussion w/ folks and to bed.

May 11, 2011

Inside of Outside

Day Run today! So tired to wake up. Good to be headed to the river though. Paddled w/AD. Sweet surf and headstand@Island. Taught WORMS. Interns are starting to get paddling Ohio and Steve ran Rifle left side creek-sneak. Post-split rock is a wash out. Ran Thread the Needle @ Rackett. Schlepped gear to camp @ Buck. Camp efficient. Felt good to sit. Did Risk Management night. Trev did most of the talking. Awesome principles in discussion. Anne acts an awesome dog. Hilarious. Chilled on point with Elle. Campfire, Euchre, and Guitar. Beautiful upstream.

May 10, 2011

Inside of Outside

Drove to Slate. Had to TL interns again. Really just their details though. Paddle training from Slate to Blue. Gus and me dumped in a back ferry demo. Interns did great. More swimming today. Blueberry Islands course is awesome. Programming stress fell off my shoulders today. 1st time I felt fully relaxed since Japan. Got huffy w/Emma over barrels and tents. Wilno Night! Saw Arthur, Pat. This BA crew likes to party. People dancing on tables. Danced a lot. Lots of good energy coming @ me from all. Went for a really nice walk w/Anne.

May 9, 2011

Inside of Outside

Early wake. Pull together last minute details for paddling days. Feel slightly unprepared. Loaf and Trev filled in lots of holes. My teaching was a bit dry. People getting it though. Got called a hard-ass today! Died laughing over that. Set up a Tyrolean @ the Ropes Course. Great practice. Started to get into the groove. Still feel like I have a bit of life to catch up on. Could really use a day off.

May 6, 2011

Inside of Outside

So good to be@BA. Great to catch up w/Joe! Sarah, Owen. Trev and Emma too. Met Ashley, Riley, Anne-Marie Caroline Phillips, Tristan. AM is great to chat to. Stranger is super fun. STeve says community buoyant w/my return. Already the whole staff has collectively mocked my laugh and chanted my name. Trying to plan while jet-lagged on 3 hours of sleep is tricky. River is HIGH. Watched some ropes. Trying to translate decades of paddling terms is also tricky.

May 5, 2011

Inside of Outside

Walk in the park w/bros, rents, sisters-in-law and nieces. Not present today. Or yesterday really. Mind already @BA. Good to spend a last few grumpy-ish hours wi/fam though. Pack-up and goodbye to Japan. Flew back @ the same rate the world spins. Gave my email to a pretty girl. Watched The Way Back and The Mechanic en francais. Grandpa went w/ U. Richard. I went to Mec. Bought Pogies and a siltarp. Met up w/Allison for coffee and a chat. Always great to see her. Great conversations always. Stayed twice as long as I meant to. Thought I saw something in her eye as I left. Sad goodbyes for another long time. Back @ BA for shower and guitar. Saw Owen!

Japan 5

Inside of Outside

Momentary ?? Directions to festival? Sachiko has them. Trek to the drum / azalea festival. Taiko cancelled. So sad. Jackie screams a mother's scream. Got ripped off for some delicious oranges. Traveling w/ 2 wheel chairs and 2 children takes a long time. Went to a park, a zoo. Saw Pygmy Hippos. Looked it in the eye. Saw sentience. Went shopping with A. Tash, Dustin, and Jackie. Tried on a lot of hats. Tempted to dress stylishly. Nap. Ramen dinner. So tired. 

Japan 4

Inside of Outside

Woke and trained, subwayed, and bussed to a nifty garden with some cool old pagodas and other buildings. Took some phots. Talked to Japanese woman about Canada. Went out for Sushi. My family ate Bluefin Tuna. I almost cried. Lots of fun with Alejandra today. Taught her about work, and money, and buying things. Wish I had a better thing to teach her. Pie with Matt, Sachiko, et. al. Dinner with the fam. Nice to get to know Sachiko a bit.

Japan 3

Inside of Outside

Slept for 3 hours. Then up to Tsukiji Fish Market. Denied entry to wholesale area and bluefin tuna auction. Wandered in 'accidentally.' So many fish and sea creatures. Saw row upon row of endangered bluefin. And whale meat! Horrible. Got kicked out. Wandered the rest of the market. Went to Akihibara, electronics central of Japan. Then Mt. Takao. Walked up. Nice to see some nature after Tokyo. Took a nap in the woods. Back to Shinjuku. Wow. So many people. So many Japanese people! Never seen a subway station so large or crowded. Density of ppl. Japanese women are beautiful. Dept Stores--Gucci, Prada, Balenciaga, blah, blah. Guard told me not allowed to sit on the ground. Maybe. Straight to the hotel and bed.

Japan 2

Inside of Outside

Slept in a little. Walked around town and found small local bkfst. Noodles and inari and egg. Delish. Lots of hotel hang time. Starbucks w/ Justin but no coffee. Wandered the streets. Dressed in a suit. Liked the look. Not comfy though. Hotel for wedding. Meet and greet in-laws and Japanese intros. Simple ceremony and gorgeous reception. Sachiko beautiful. Little children cute. Japanese-Cdn friendships. Food--amazing presentation. Braised endives, mushroom stuffed cabbage, sorbet de framboises. After party with Matt's friends.

Japan 1

Inside of Outside

Landed in Tkyo. Japanese service is amazing. Everything is small and crowded. At least buildings. Took a train to Nippori and met Mom and Dad. Subway to where ever we are now. Kanda? Alej and Rac are here! Played w/ Rac for a while. Alej fell asleep. Good to hang w/ family. Okimi aunts and uncles all-over. Great to see Justin and Shelli. Haven't since Sept. So much food! Packed gift bags w/ M & S. Poker to pass insomnia time.

Can, Ont - 17

Inside of Outside

Went to the grocery store. Not open. Waited. Nail treatment. Open! Bought 2 jumbo boxes of Shreddies to go w/ my soy milk. Met grandpa@airport. Dillon drop-off. Wheeled all around. Found A. ATash. Flight long. Watched many movies--Black Swan, A-Team, Kung Fu Panda, The Letter (great short), and my fave of the trip, You, Me, and All the People We Know.

Can, Ont - 16

Inside of Outside

Finish up last min deets and plan RM program w/ Trev. Pack-up. RJ! So good to laugh w/ her. Sad to leave. No deer leg this year. New interns for WAFA. Noel, Tony, Heather, Amanda, Mike. Played w/ Rook, hide and seek kinda and random stuff. Went to MKC and found my lost ring. Just where I thought it was. Drove to TO + slept in car near airport.

Can, Ont - 15

Inside of Outside

Put in four belay posts today. So much tamping. Done though, and ropes inspection too. Humid day. Interns arriving for WAFA. Theresa 1st. Seems nice. Kat, Mike, Zach, Ian too. Elle is back! Reminded me of conversation en route to Montréal--ok with being 2nd choice? Awesome sauna and a river jump! Ranch is beautiful@night. This place is energized w/ people.

Can, Ont - 14

Inside of Outside

Rainy. Dug more posts. Dealt w/ more details. Working as a duo is great sometimes and harder sometimes. ROb is back! UBC is getting closer. Japan more so. Justin got his job! Organized pictures and writings.

Can, Ont - 13

Inside of Outside

Dreamt of Autumn, and a bed sink, a plane to India, a little boy with internal bleeding, and KJ. Day off today. Yakked Chalet with Trev and ORCKA. Alright. Learning Naked as a Window by Josh Ritter. Finally starting to relax a bit. Facebooked Aus photos and caught up on stock research. Delicious cookies by Vince. Finished The Wire

Can, Ont - 12

Inside of Outside

Morning with ORCKA course. Learned 2x4 a new way. Back to BA. Moved rafts. Got a mission from Steve. Sunny! Spring is here. Dug two posts out and raked coals and straw@Ropes Course. Dinner. Love Vince's curry. Sauna. Hottest one yet. Registered for UBC, kinda. Ohio almost moved out on me for being an absent roommate.

Can, Ont - 11

Inside of Outside

Cleaned ropes and helmets all morning. Burger lunch and Barry's Bay with Vince. Got a watch and sharpies and sunnies. Fixed a barrel harness. Went to Steve's for a chat. Beautiful deck time and debrief Aus and Utah with Trev. Tom is here! More burgers and chill with Trev. Sign language is back.

Can, Ont - 10

Inside of Outside

People arriving! Rob! Ohio! Great to see people. ORCKA folks too. Trailers today. Tires and ropes and other stuff. Went for a paddle with Emma and Trev. Cold! Ran the middle chute. That was fun. Nearly pulled my skirt. Didn't. Donkey is here! with long hair.

Can, Ont - 9

Inside of Outside

Details, details. So many details. Inhaled lots of melted plastic. Snow all over. Beautiful. Good to see some snow. Emma! So good to see her. And Jeff too! Finished memorizing Boston. Looked for a house.

Can, Ont - 8

Inside of Outside

More boats. Look for lost boat. Not lost. Prepped Ranch. Prepped Vehicle Kits. SC Kits. Paperwork. Feel like I need to do more. So much to do. Chilled in the evening with Trev. Sauna and cooling off in the snow. Watched the Wire.

Can, Ont - 7

Inside of Outside

Office, office. Got outside! Did some physical labour. Moved lots of boats. Drove AD home. Forgot to fill gas. Had to go back. Hannah's is same. Got some choc soy milk. Sewed my fave shirt. NEY. Blog.

Can, Ont - 6

Inside of Outside

Another office day. So much office time. Got heaps done though. Manual finished. Sched finished-ish. Went for a paddle. High water. Cold! Brain freeze. Ice still on the river edge. Reorganizing stuff.

Can, Ont - 5

Inside of Outside

First Aid stuff. More paperwork. Guitar with Trev in the evening is great. Watched The Invention of Lying. Strange to work 9-5 at Boundless. My body thinks its in Australia.

Can, Ont - 4

Inside of Outside

Paperwork work. Lots of it. Planning. Prep. Living at Ranch is great when no one's around. Still trying to catch up on life.

Can, Ont - 3

Inside of Outside

1st day of work. Boundless is . . . same, different. Good to see AD, Gus, Loaf, ML. ADs for dinner. Rook is a great driver at 2 years. The addition looks great. Lots of windows.

Canada, Ontario, Day 2

Inside of Outside

Wake at a ridiculous hour. Unpack some. Pack some. Sleep. Sleep. Wake. Pack some more. Pick up car with Gramps. Stop by to see Kev and girls and F and F, and Grandma. Drive to Boundless. Always driving. See Trev! Sleep. Sleep.

Canada, Ontario, Day 1

Inside of Outside

Parents at Buffalo. Good to see them. Home drive. So tired. Start laundry and sleep. Sleep. Sleep. Wake. Do stuff. Made a ring with dad. Sleep.

Aus 81

Inside of Outside

Another early morning. To the airport. Leaving Australia. It's been good. Delayed flight. Missing hubcap. Flight attendants were matchmaking. Flew to LA. Missed connection. Flew to Chicago. Spent the night. Got to hang out with Katie! Very good to see her after several years.

Aus 80

Inside of Outside

Early, early morning goodbyes. Bittersweet. Sad to drive away from Mittagundi. Drove to Bendigo. Dropped off hired car, and went to B and C's. Very grateful.

Aus 79

Inside of Outside

Great morning. Played hide and seek with little kids. Went to the movies and arcade with the whole crew. Played video games and ate cheesecake. Drove back to Mitta. Best hot shower ever. Love wood fired showers.

Aus 78

Inside of Outside

Drive to Wangaratta. Oops. Left all my stuff at Typo. Music Festival with the whole crew. Sweet walk and fun in the creek. Naked man strainer. Waited for an hour for a burrito. So nice to rest my head. Ran a relay race with Becc. Good music, but best dancing with a DJ after the bands.

Aus 77

Inside of Outside

One more Hakka. Farewell to boys. Pack up and clean. Drive to Mitta. Chill. Watch the Lion King, and a warm cold night.

Aus 76

Inside of Outside

Journey day. Across the lake. Stop at rope swing. Hike. Cross the creek. Hike some more. Lunch by the river. Made an awesome rock tower. Creek walk for some. Hakka for all. Back to creek. Back to lake. Back to swing. Back to Typo. Learned how to play Aussie Footie.

Aus 75

Inside of Outside

Joinery day and blacksmith. Boys loved them both. They made cool stuff. I made Jarrah wood guitar picks. Don't work very well. Watched a movie under the stars. Beautiful. Learned how to play Rugby.

Aus 74

Inside of Outside

Chores. Went to the lake to canoe, fish, play. Boys rangy. Group chat. Better. Started learning a Hakka. Clare told Tavale it's my birthday, so everyone shook my hand today.

Aus 73

Inside of Outside

Rode with Tavale to pick up guys. Rope? License plate? Hours later . . . Played I spy with high school boys. Ping pong all the time. Welcome chat. Swimming hole frickin' cold. Drove to Paradise Falls. Shit show. Literally.

Aus 72

Inside of Outside

Early morning hike to breakfast at Langfords. Jane, Raku and Becc all showed up. Drove to Tawonga and de-issued, then to train and best lunch ever by Raku. Spent afternoon with Bec in Albury. Went to the movies! Drove to Typo and got settled. Longest wood-fired shower ever.

Aus 71

Inside of Outside

Beautiful, beautiful high plains. Great weather. Ate lunch in a tree. Hiked / Ran to the top of Mt. Nelse. Some grumps. Camped by the Octopus tree. Played Sardines and ate couscous. End of trip chat. Took Sampson for a walk under the stars.

Aus 70

Inside of Outside

Woke guys with pterodactyl noises. Final pack-up, photo, and walk out. Another quick hike. Made camp hours before sunset. Word games by fire. Played celebration, funniest game ever. Also song wars. Sampson is good. Bec and I spent time with him in the evening.

Aus 69

Inside of Outside

Rafted with Bec, Becc, and Mike. Did safety talk. Mike wrapped a raft. Guys had a great day. Waterfights galore. Sun everywhere. Bec and Becc failed to get me out of my raft, but close. Jane gave me a beautiful rock. Learning how to juggle long skinny things. Birthday goodbye party at Ians! Blindfolded, kidnapped, and awesome food. Cake, lion suit, piano playing, and a pylon. Amazing.

Aus 68

Inside of Outside

Day out with Tavale and the Yea school guys. Rafted this time. Surfed a long raft-y thing. Tackled Kim into the river. Got tackled back. Drove back to Mitta. Tired of driving. Stargazed with Jane. Good night.

Aus 67

Inside of Outside

Day of Abseiling. Spent most of day playing mind and word games. Got the blokes hooked. Practiced twirling my stick. Getting pretty good. Awesome view of valley and river. Drove back to Alex and car slept.

Aus 66

Inside of Outside

Porridge so common now I forget to mention. Farm day! Chopped wood with blokes, then made morning tea and lunch. Spilled hot tea on my ankle. Ouch. Huge blister. Made pasta salad lunch. Afternoon in the orchard. Pokémon themed mafia.

Aus 65

Inside of Outside

Hung Becc's pack in a tree. More hiking. Jumped the creek. More silence. More stick twirling. Pack so heavy. Stopped by a stream for a water fight. Saw a cool bidirectional bug. Bread is awesome. Walked into Mitta to warm welcome. Had to run to the dunny. Dinner and relax. And mafia.

Aus 64

Inside of Outside

Chocolate chip pancakes with a stranger for breakfast. Picked up by the crew and headed to Wild Horse Creek to hike. No horse though. Stick twirling begins. Silent hikers, but fast. Lunch spot and the carrot war begins. Evening of bowl frisbee and mafia.

Aus 63

Inside of Outside

Day with Tavale and the Alex school guys. Good crew. They rafted. I canoed. Laughed. Splashed. Fun times. Stopped at OEG. Saw Laura! Had to get past the secretary though. Drove back to Mt. Beauty.

Aus 62

Inside of Outside

Prep in the morning. Most everybody left. Lunch with Jacinta by the dam. Taught Party not to follow my car past gate. Drove almost to Alexandra and slept in the car by the side of the road. So much driving.

Aus 61

Inside of Outside

Spent the day in Mt. Beauty. Chilled in the laundromat. Back to Mitta. Rode Sampson and Phil bareback. Sampson is great. Phil is stubborn.

Aus 60

Inside of Outside

Built a bridge with Raku. Used Jarrah wood by accident. Kept a piece. Cleaned the showers and drying room with Jane. Got a tour of Ian's and Sean's from Jane. Beautiful over there, esp. Ian's. Drove to Tawonga to hang out with Arby at Arby's. Awesome. Dancing, tomato sauce fights, chilling on the roof. Raku climbed a huge pine. Inspiring. Toby . . .

Aus 59

Inside of Outside

Meeting and debrief. Spent some time with Bec and the horses in the rain. Drinks at the weekender.

Aus 58

Inside of Outside

Early wake to meet Jane with creamed rice. So good. Hiking as the full moon set. Tawonga deissue. Albury drop-off. Day in town. Kind of boring. Japanese nuclear not exploded. Back for clean up and celebration with Falafel dinner. Gave Bec. W. a butterfly wing.

Aus 57

Inside of Outside

Sat on Sampson last night. He seemed interested, curious, ready. Woke cold. Started fire and drinks. Saddled Sampson. Long, beautiful walk. Good language and talk with X. Insired by G. Puzzles and riddles more. Climbed / walked up Mt. Nelse. Octopus tree is magical and beautiful. Awesome thank-you ceremony with Raku. Sat an Sampson again. Can't wait to ride him. Mentioned cool clear Mtn. streams?

Aus 56

Inside of Outside

Pack for hike and helped Bec get Sampson ready. Miss working with horses. Like Sampson better than Phil after hiking with him all day. He was a champ. The girls too. G. struggled a bit on the hills. Lots of riddles and good chats. Ruins is a beautiful campsite. So much food. Leading a hike might be as artful as guiding a river?

Aus 55

Inside of Outside

Rafting the Mitta. Quite small, but humbling. Realized I'm not a good as I thought @ technical maneuvers in a raft. Fun day though. Lots of splash, tackle, bump, etc. Bec W is awesome. Like her a lot. Haha. Careless and tipped us out while she was guiding.

Aus 54

Inside of Outside

Spent most of the day making a dog bed with C. Quite proud of it. Hope she is too. Spoke with Keira. Drove all the way back to Mitta. Felt like coming home. Fog in the High plans made it agonizingly slow. Found Arby sleeping on the gear shed verandah. Joined him.

Aus 53

Inside of Outside

At Typo. Good to see the crew. Bit of prep. Made all the beds colour co-ordinated. 5 girls showed up. Much different from Mitta girls. Great girls though. Breakdown, but girls sorted it themselves.

Aus 52

Inside of Outside

Worked on the Pantry. Architraves. Good times. Drove to Whitfield. High plains beautiful but foggy. Found out about Japan. Drove to Typo. Called Mom, Dad, Matthew. All's well, except nuclear possibility. Slept in the office. Listened to Sunwrae. Beautiful.

Aus 51

Inside of Outside

Love the pace at Mitta. Movement, but not frenetic. Might change with larger group. Woke. Porridge. Bowl frisbee. Stinky octo-plant. Hiked. Refreshing Mtn. Streams. Got to know Phil better today. Led him over a giant log. Fed him some carrots. Longest ever shopping game. 20 questions. Caroline-look-a-like. Arrived at Mittagundi. Warmth and friendship and food and community and music. Bec gave me a leaf from the love-heart tree. Bec gave everyone a leaf from the love-heart tree. Taught Jacinta some guitar.

Aus 50

Inside of Outside

Woke early to make porridge. Received gratitude all day. Fun to be up before everyone else. Should do more. Packed and hit the road. Started hiking before noon. Met Bec and Phil (the horse) 1st. Good to see Bec. Like her. Group is awesome. Trip is like vacation, hardly like work at all. Lots of laughter. Games. Good conversations. Sweet lunch. Oh yeah. Beautiful scenery. Snowgums and misty mountain tops and spreading valley vistas. Beautiful campsite. I love drinking straight from Earth. Jokefest around campfire and couscous. Wrong tent! All 5 girls in one. Bed to the sound of the stream.

Aus 49

Inside of Outside

Woke. Filled Barrels. Picked up K. and a coffee. Rubiks Cube! Errands! Bkfast@Early Bird. Drew some pictures. Went to the rural store for feed. Horse, chicken, dog. Train station. Met the girls for the hike. River chat and delish lunch. Drove to Tawonga. Gear up. Chill. Work. Laugh. Play. Eat. Cook. Traditions. Make fires. Good times. Yutes are awesome. So chill. Completely different pace than BA. Beautiful country. Harder to keep entries short when living life less simply. Mitta is pretty simple though. Looking forward to tomorrow.

Aus 48

Inside of Outside

Woke early. Milked Sambo the cow with Raku. Warm fresh milk straight from the cow is better than other stuff. Baked bread with Raku. Love wood-fired ovens. Met Toby. Paperwork. Packed. Drove with Bec to Mt. Beauty. Highlands are beautiful! Can't wait to hike them. God convos and cassette tapes on the drive. Passed on a hello to Laura through an OEG crew. Fun on the CB. Errands. Toured RBs house! Amazing! Huge! Beautiful! Curry and a hot tub. Turned lots of his stuff upside down! Books, microwave, stools, spices, etc. Drove to Tawonga hut. Unload, set-up, take stock, have beers, etc.

Aus 47

Inside of Outside

Drove to Mitta. Awesome valley-huge boulders above the river. Met Jane, Bec W, Raku, Jacinta. Re-met Bec B. Rafted the Mitta Mitta in tiny 2-person rafts. Helped Bec and Bec learn to guide. Awesome food! Fresh! From the garden! Slept in fresh air on gear shed verandah. Played guitar until too late. Met Jac.

Aus 46

Inside of Outside

Early morning. Drove to Dinner Plain. Toured the Alpine School. Hung out with Tiwana. Dinner of Gnocchi and veggies. Watched a movie.

Aus 45

Inside of Outside

Went to the office. Met Paul. Chatted with Andy. Biked to Ben's. Chilled. Dinner with Nez, Rolf, and Wrae. Good times. Late night.

Aus 44

Inside of Outside

Chill day. Didn't do much of anything. Vegged. Haven't done that in a while. Watched TV. Played guitar. Later, biked to Kate's with Ben and had a scrumptious birthday dinner. Ate some kumquats! right off the tree.

Aus 43

Inside of Outside

Spent the whole morning playing with Yazi, Toby, Kalika, Zoe and Emilio. Cutest kids ever. I want one. Went shopping. Bought some stuff. Locked myself out of the car. Called RACV. Sat in the parking lot eating ice cream with a stick until they arrived. Got lots of strange looks. Stayed at Ben's place. Played guitar. Learning to pick.

Aus 42

Inside of Outside

Rafting! Some tension, but nothing major. Nearly pinned a raft! Flipped it later. Blokes throwing stones. One hit in the head. Fun day. Drove Sandy, Toby and Yazi to Melbourne. Toby and Yazi are seven and awesome. Sandy too. Stayed at Sandy's parents.

Aus 41

Inside of Outside

Packed up from Gus's. Day of work. Helped a little with the gate. Worked on the frame with one of the young blokes. BBQ at the lake. Bonnie chased some kangaroos. Ran a meeting. Good idea, mediocre execution. Back to typo for Meringue and Blackberry coolie. Sang the guys to bed with Wagon Wheel and Snow is Gone. They were out by the last verse.

Aus 40

Inside of Outside

Guys wanted to wake up early to do a workout with a personal trainer. Confused everyone. I set my alarm for 30 min before official wake time. Lots of questions about Canada. My office day. Did lots of little jobs. Started a frame, but didn't finish. Answered phone a lot. Went for a swim with the guys, then to Thomas and Gabbi's. Beautiful place with beautiful food forest. Fruits, veggies, herbs, grains, goats, pigs, etc. Have a beautiful little house, hutch, hut, thingy that made me really want to build something to live in. Pub with Claire. Faith and Cecilia showed up. Pool. Home. Watched the Green Hornet.

Aus 39

Inside of Outside

Chill day. Second group of guys arrived. Much different. Eagerer to work. Older. Open up more. Good guys. Played Das Boot with them. Overview of the work to be done. Liked it. Gave them an idea of what they were doing. Suze is a great facilitator. Gus is awesome witih the blokes. Claire is a super organizer. Everybody loves Kate. Steve is great at details.

Aus 38

Inside of Outside

Back to work. Meetings, meetings, meetings.

Aus 37

Inside of Outside

Up and at 'em again. River meet at 1030. Borrowed Gus's yak. Frankie quite nervous. Ben, Kate, Claire all showed up too, plus bunch of people from the Valley. One six person raft and five kayakers. Took lots of photos and videos. Practiced back deck roll. Gracebrook for eats and photo swap, then to Typo to sort out some scheduling. Back to Gus's for peanut sauce pasta and stir fry.

Aus 36

Inside of Outside

Early up and meet at 845. Ben, Kate, Gus, Frankie, Me. Gather gear. Divvy gear. Load gear. Drive troopies to Lake Cobbler. Wowed by view of Dandongadale Falls. Hate driving near precipices. Bush bashed for an hour plus. Gorgeous mountain views. Got to top of waterfall. Drank all day straight from crystal clear cool mountain streams. Nothing better. Rappelled / Abseiled off several cliffs. Best one - 45 meter drop with a giant overhang, so no wall nearby, with a waterfall beside. Swore when I went over the cliff. Then rock-hopped, bush-bashed, creek-walked for a couple of hours back to troopie. Quick gear clean, and rush to Community Dinner. Had some great venison stew. Amazing event. Everything free, just so the community can come together. Wood-fired pizza. Apple pastries, mixed berry cobbler, polenta, coleslaw, potato salad. Ate too much. Drank some grown in the valley wine. Danced a lot. Combo made me sick, but not enough to stop dancing.

Aus 35

Inside of Outside

Rafting today! So fun. Loved it. Small water compared to Ottawa, but still fun, especially for the guys. Still some frustrations, but much better. Guys had a great time swimming, splashing, and catching lizards. Occasional arguments and disagreements. Played throw rocks at rocks. Debrief at the Whitfield Pub. Lots of feedback and suggestions. Dinner with Faith and Frankie.

Aus Day 34

Inside of Outside

Morning routine. Breakfast. I hate porridge. Brown sugar makes it bearable. Spent all day moving, splitting wood. Great work out. Had good chats with young blokes. Frustrating when they choose to slack. Stayed back from swimming and played pool, ping-pong, guitar. Young guys think my rendition of Miss Ohio is best song ever. They even sang along. Evening meet at the fire pit the guys built.

Aus Day 33

Inside of Outside

Today was my day to do office work. Made some certificates. Put laces in boots. Talked to Ben about Boundless systems. Went swimming with the blokes again. Decided to stay the night. Trying to be bold. Called Matthew for his birthday. Slept in the office. Cold.

Aus Day 32

Inside of Outside

Young blokes showed up today. Nice to be on program again. Went to Jimmy's and split wood and stacked it. Pretty good fun. Then swimming by the bridge. Narrative approach is tricky. Fine for individual conversations. Haven't figured out how to apply it to group management. Beat Revenge of the Titans today.

Aus Day 31

Inside of Outside

Lost my headphone. Helped Fran with guitar in the morning. She's good. Ate Nutella for breakfast. And lunch. Plus a can of lentils. Cold today. Wore a toque and three layers. Lots of talking in prep for tomorrow. Blokes coming. Excited. Listening to The Omnivore's Dilmma. Corn, corn, corn, everywhere. Slightly disgusted.

Aus Day 30

Inside of Outside

Woke to sunshine and breezes. Beautiful. Breakfast of tea and lentils and grapefruit. Abluted myself in bathroom sink. Then! More music! Awesome Bands. Hussy Hicks. Nicky Bomba. Can't remember the rest. Bought a CD. Haven't done that in years. Danced more. Chatted with an American girl. Drove home. Tired. Stayed at Claire's. Started to learn The Cave by Mumford.

Aus Day 29

Inside of Outside

Woke to downpour. Sat in car slightly drenched to eat breakfast. Went to café. Read the paper, did a crossword, relaxed. So nice. Fran and Claire are backseat drivers, but probably needed it. Went to music. Music and dancing from noon til 2am. So good. Danced so much knees hurt at end of night. Heard some great bands. Met some really great people. Can't spell their names. Many stories. Cooked dinner on camp stove behind building. Ate with chopsticks made from sticks. Suze and Faith showed up. Tried to pick up a girl, but no luck.

Aus Day 28

Inside of Outside

Keep getting tireder. Lots of meetings. Helped Mav shorten whiteboard. Actually, handed Mav tools, while he shortened it, but learned 100 carpentry related things. Used a hand powered drill! And a nail punch. Torn between music festival and paddling. Tried to do both, but didn't work. Not choosing doesn't work very well. Went to music festival! Had a blast with Claire and Fran in the car. Laughed a lot. Drive was tense. Dark, rainy, foggy, windy mountain road, windshield wipers smeared the window. Survived. Music was good. Should have danced more. Met some Mittagundi folk. Set up tent in rain. Not so good. Should be good tomorrow.

Aus Day 27

Inside of Outside

Rafting! Risk management documents in morning. Rafting all the rest. Ben's birthday. Two sporty rafts. I guided one. Lower than when we kayaked. Lots of fun. Two hours to take a strainer out of river. Hand saw and Z-Drag. Lots of play, raft-flipping, boarding, pirating, wrestling, etc. Nice to run river with professional outdoor adventure people. Afterwards, hung out at Claire's, ate fruit and crackers, and enjoyed company.

Aus Day 26

Inside of Outside

Fixed the Ping Pong Table some more today. Did some other stuff. Can't remember. Probably had a meeting. Created a list of Possibilities of Things to Maybe Perchance Put Tentatively onto the Wish List for newsletter. Ears still itchy. Went to Suze's place for dinner with the rest of the crew. Jammed on the guitar and on Claire's charango.

Aus Day 25

Inside of Outside

Sharpened tools this morning. Learned how to use a plane, a draw knife, an adze, a spoke-shave, and a wood auger. Later, practiced by making a decorative dowel to hold the paper towels in the outhouse. Also got started on fixing the ping-pong table. Drove to Wangaretta for groceries. Bought a big bottle of Nutella.

Aus Day 24

Inside of Outside

Wake and on to work. Been a while since I've kept regular hours. Kind of nice. Rode in to station with Gus. Spent much of day cleaning and organizing sports equipment and games, rest on writing a letter to young folks. Aired and folded some blankets. Answered some phone calls. Brian, expert in pioneer woodworking came, showed off some wares. Beautiful chairs and stools crafted with simple tools. Looking forward to getting into the forge and joinery to learn some stuff.

Aus Day 23

Inside of Outside

Planned things. Handed out responsibilities. Made lists. Crossed things off lists. Did random jobs.

Aus Day 22

Inside of Outside

Met Kate's parents. Spoke to her dad about Helmeted Honey-eaters. Drove wildly following Ben and Kate to work. Stuffed envelopes. Learned about Evolve's marketing. Drove with Fran and Claire to Typo. Stopped at an organic shop for bread. Swam in the King River. Typo dinner. Met Al the Wattle-man and others from the King Valley. Twenty kids running around. I ran around with them. Stayed at Typo.

Aus Day 21

Inside of Outside

Went to the river today to do practical training conversations. Was beautiful. Chatted with Claire. Good practice. Met up with Fran, Gus, Denno, and Claire for dinner at Thaila Thai. Awesome food. Drove to Kate's, late. Entering a silent, unfamiliar house late at night and getting into a bed, without 100% confirmation that you're at the right house is unnerving.

Aus Day 20

Inside of Outside

Same as yesterday.

Australia Day 19

Inside of Outside

Training! More training. Lots of great info. Great people. Becoming more practical, less theoretical. Dealing with hassle of Working with Children Check. Back to John and Melindas. Great food. Chill. Bed

Australia Day 18

Inside of Outside

Woke up. Played some ping-pong with Amy and Kate. Was good. Haven't played for a while. Didn't do much else today. Drove back to Melbourne to John and Melinda's. Stopped at a park nearby. Surprised by bats! Thousands of them. Grey-headed Flying Foxes hanging in the trees like black and brown furry fruit. Swaying in the breeze and wings riffling in the wind. So many. Listened to Folk Bloodbath by Josh Ritter about 10 times. Like it. Spent the rest of the afternoon online catching up with email, facebook, chat, online banking, etc.

Australia Day 17

Inside of Outside

Woke up early to maybe go surfing. Got there. The wave was nice, but no one else was around, so I didn't. In hindsight, I should have. Oh well. Went for a run on the beach instead and then a swim. Later, walked barefoot to Mariner's Falls. Was beautiful and peaceful. Saw some picturesque sheep. People look at you funny when you walk around barefoot. Drove back to Geelong. Stopped at another waterfall on the way. Lots of blackberries. Wanted to eat some, but signs said they had just been sprayed with pesticides. Met up with Kate and Amy. Went to see The Last 3 Days with them.

Australia Day 16

Inside of Outside

First day of training! Woke up this morning and it was raining! Hadn't accounted for that possibility. Walked 45 minutes to my car and then to the training site. Was very wet by then. Lots of great new ideas. Learning about narrative therapy. Actually, learning about therapy in general. Awesome people. Felt like I had found my people here in Australia. Look forward to getting to know them better and joining their community for a little while. Hung out with Ben, Kate, Kate, and Dee for a bit, then drove the Great Ocean Road again. Still beautiful. Went to Apollo Bay. Stayed with Jessie. Played guitar again. Miss my guitar. Watched District 9. Finished Season 2 of the Wire.

Australia Day 15

Inside of Outside

Another day of driving. Drove the inland route this time. Not as beautiful as the Great Ocean Road, but still a great drive. Much faster. Got back to Melbourne in the early afternoon. Spent the time looking for a hostel, because I needed an Australian address to apply for a Working with Children's Check. Found one. Tired. Parked about 45 minutes walk away. Didn't have soap, so I had to spend 30 minutes hunting down a shop that sold soap. Showered, finally. So tired. Watched an episode of 'The Wire.' Cooked up some of my kumara. Delicious. 1st day of training tomorrow. Even ironed my clothes. Haven't ironed anything in years.

Australia Day 14

Inside of Outside

Lots of driving today. Woke up to another beautiful sunrise, but then went back to bed. Drove, and drove. All the way to Adelaide. Took quite a while. Didn't get there until probably 9 or 10. Went downtown looking for a hostel. Many were closed, or booked. Or expensive. Or charged more if you were Australian.  Was gonna stay the night or grab some food, but was just too tired. Dropped Brooke off at a park, and drove out of Adelaide to a rest stop. Slept in my car. Got hot. Opened the windows. Got chewed by mosquitos.

Australia Day 13

Inside of Outside

Woke up. Stretched on the beach at sunrise. So pink! Beautiful. Went for a swim. Ate bread and peanut butter. Took a nap. Started to drive out of the park, but Brooke saw a koala. Stopped and watched it. Found 20+ more koalas all sleeping in the trees. So cool. Walked a bit in the woods and startled a koala sitting on the ground. It jumped up the tree, but then came back down and didn't move. Got within 6 inches of it! Drove some more. Saw the 12 Apostles! Big free standing rock formations. Beautiful. Took a nap on the cliffs above the ocean. Was mostly peaceful, except for the helicopters passing by overhead giving aerial tours of the coast. Went dumpster diving for the 1st time! Got some kumara (sweet potatoes from New Zealand), garlic, a load of onions, squash, garlic, beans, potatoes, and a bunch of bread. Feast! Camped on the side of the highway at a rest stop.

Australia Day 12

Inside of Outside

Monday. Was waiting to hear from Evolve, the place I'll be working with for the next little while. Found out I wouldn't be meeting with anyone until Friday. Took off! Decided to drive the Great Ocean Road. Drove to Torquay, southwest of Melbourne. Stopped and checked out the beach. Not much surf there today. Supposed to be a good place to surf. Kept going. Picked up a hitchhiker. Named Brooke. Nice girl. Good chats. Ate my first ever passion fruit. So tasty! And slurpy! Picked up two more hitchhikers, but only needed a ride a few km down the road. Climbed a tree, and spent time on the playground swings. Didn't have a plan, so drove Brooke to Cape Otway, and camped there. Saw Orion tonight! But it was upside down! Australians call it the Saucepan or the Pot.

Australia Day 11

Inside of Outside

Woke up and went for a run with Andrew along the beach. Phew. Haven't done that in a while. Swam after. Colder than expected. Later, went with Andrew and U. Allan and watched a cricket match. Thanks to U. Allan, I finally understand the game of cricket. Not all the intricacies, but I understand the basics now, and can watch a match and know what's going on. Then went and flew Andrew's kiteboarding training kite. That was fun. Went to St. Kilda, looking for the St. Kilda market unsuccessfully. Drove to John and Melinda's, but took me about three hours, because I got lost, and was too stubborn to call and ask for help. Got there. Was good.

Australia Day 10

Inside of Outside

Went into Bendigo to the mall. Got a lady to cut off my ponytail. Saved it. Might sell it later. Kinda like having short hair again. Drove to Loristown. Had a family gathering with U. Allan, A. Ruth, Andrew and company, U. Barrie, A. Claribel, Eleanor, John and Mindy, Nigel, and Jeanne and Ian. Was great. Sooo much food. Delicious. Veggie curry puffs, corn, bbq, fruit, fish, cheese, and much more. A feast. Also good to catch up with fam. Had a sewing party with Melinda, since my pants had ripped. Saw a sulphur-crested cockatoo. Went to Andrew's place and spent the night in Williamstown.

Australia Day 9

Inside of Outside

Picked up the car today. Wow. I opened the wrong door every time I went to get in the car. Driving on the other side of the road takes some adjustment. Every time I tried to put the blinkers on, I put the wipers on instead. It's a manual. Love driving stick! Learned something about cricket today, U. Barrie explained a little bit about it. Went over to Jenny's place. Drove Jayden and his friend to Tennis.

Australia Day 8

Inside of Outside

Woke up early to go and see some Kangaroos. Drove just down the road and saw them in a field. Tried to get close. They look so funny when they jump. It's just such an unfamiliar motion for an animal. Went and took a tour of the Gold Mine in Bendigo. Went 150 feet or something like that, underground. That was level two. Some of the mines go down like 30 levels or something like that. The network of mines in this area is huge! U. Barrie took me to see his friend how sells/rents cars. Rented a car! Gonna pick it up tomorrow. Freedom. Now I have a place to sleep when I need it, and can get away from the city and go see some things. Awesome.

Australia Day 7

Inside of Outside

Took the train to Bendigo today. Train went through Kangaroo Flat, but I didn't see any. U. Barrie met me at the train station. I tried to get into the driver's seat, instead of the passenger's seat. Met up with A. Claribel and Eleanor too. Met Jenny and Jayden too. Great to get to know family that I haven't seen in a long time. Or ever. U. Barrie took me around and gave me a historical tour of the beginnings of Bendigo, during the Gold Rush Era, and the beginnings of his family history. Was very interesting.

Australia Day 6

Inside of Outside

Went back to the Queen Victoria Market today. Saw Opals! Beautiful. Expensive though. Bought and ate an organic peach. Was so delicious, I walked back and bought another one. Didn't do much else today. Played guitar for a couple of hours. Went to a shisha bar with Christian. That was pretty cool. Really want to get out of the city. Too much city is making me crazy.

Australia Day 5

Inside of Outside

Went and met up with Christian, my next host, host number 3. He was busy working on his thesis, so his roomie Joanne went with me out to a market where I got some fresh veggies. Came back. Ate a million plums from the tree in their backyard, and mowed their grass, which was about two feet high. Played Joanne's guitar! Felt good to play. Christian made Somali Tea, which was delicious. I need to look up a recipe for that.

Australia Day 4

Inside of Outside

Went to the Prahran Market for Breakfast with Wei. Had the best yogurt ever and a chocolate muffin. Walked to Fed Square and met with Wei's friend. Came back and watched some Tennis.

Australia Day 3

Inside of Outside

Talked to Wei this morning, my next host. Wanted to meet in the morning, so I packed up and took the tram to his place in St. Kilda, south of the Yarra River. Hung out for a bit. Got some lunch. Had some great conversations about poverty and other stuff. Then he went to watch the Australian Open, and I borrowed his bike to go and look at cars. Didn't get a car. Went with Wei and a potential new roommate to the Australia Open. Watched some Men's Doubles, and then sat on the lawn and watched a match on the big screen.

Australia Day 2

Inside of Outside

Woke up and went to the Queen Victoria Market. Huge outdoor market. Oldest in Victoria, I think. Every kind of souvenir available. Bought some bread and cheese and dip, and some slightly bruised fruit. And 8 avocados. Also got a phone. Walked in the Botanical Gardens along the river. Went to the Salvation Army and bought a tshirt for $2. Read in the park, and then went back to my hosts place.

Australia Day 1

Inside of Outside

Phew. Long flights. Left from Buffalo on the 17th, arrived in Australia on the 19th. Didn't do much today. Read some on the flights. When I got here, I found a local bus, and took it into downtown, and then learned how to use the public transit system, to get to the house of my first couch surfing host. Was very tired. Got there. Hung out for a bit, and then slept. Oh so good.

Ten Days

Inside of Outside

Here's some journal notes I kept, while I was camping for ten days solo, in November and December, 2010.

Nov 28
Started hiking prob around 9ish. Hiked for maybe 1.5-2 hours. Camped on flat spot on rocks by lake. Can hear waves. Need to turn off light to save batteries.

Nov 29
Woke late morning. No time keeping device is wonderful. Cooked cereal. Packed up. Walked. Gorgeous views. Sunset grand, but view blocked. Passed a large animal. Deer? Stopped for lunch at cove. Spaghetti, mushrooms, tbits, and green curry sauce. Stretched. Need to stretch more. Earlier to bed today. Maybe 2 hours or 3 after dark. Read some. Figured 60-65 pages a day. Maybe I'll write a letter.

Nov 30
Woke up to rain. Packed slowly. Checked 4 phone message from park. None. Ate granola. Hiked. Cool checkerboard rocks. Walked through the swamp. Thought I'd be caught by the storm. Got to the beach. Made camp. Dried stuff. Cooked. Stretched. Laughed for joy. Huge blocks of cliff in the lake. Dreamt last night that the cliff I was on fell into the lake. Think I'll stay here a day or two. Depends on weather.

Dec 1
Rabbit! Rabbit! Didn't move today. Stayed @ beach. So beautiful. Snowed! Awed. Made a rain catch out of birch bark, balsam? bark, and a found H20 bottle. Made a fire. Dry birchbark is sooooo handy. Hope it's sunny tomorrow. Want to bathe. I stink. Left the sauces outside. Oops. Saw a mouse and a crow / raven. Gotta learn the difference. Ate asparagus today. All dehydrated veggies working great so far. Not as lonely as I thought I'd be. More prepared for it this time? 6 nights still to go though.

Dec 2
Stayed at the beach again. Oh my goodness. Snow on stones took my breath away this morn. Bathed. Frigid! Stayed in for maybe 60 seconds. Standing in snow while dressing was the worst. Sun helped. Ate lots of snow today. Walked for 3 hours. Followed a fox trail and a coyote trail. Texted Mom and Dad. Said all's well. Made a poetry word mix. Ate mock duck and rice / broccoli. Rodents got to one of the sauces. Hung food tonight.

Dec 3
Moved. Camping by a couple of small inland lakes. Frozen! Yesterday no ice on them. So many tracks in the fresh snow--squirrel, mouse, fox? Saw a hawk yesterday. Packing and moving takes a long time. Made snow and cedar tea tonight. Good. Also couscous. Delicious. Listened to the muffled silence of the woods. Loved it. Hugged a tree. Felt really good to hold something like that. Water pump froze. Not so great for winter. Waves are natural washing machine for ziplocs. Need a new sleeping bag. This one has lost lots of loft. Almost finished 1st fuel bottle.

Dec 4
Stayed by the lake. Found the trail. Right in front of me. So much snow on this beach. Walked to Cypress Lake. Yesterday, 1000s of little black bugs (1mm long 0.1 mm wide) falling from the sy. Greatest concentration under a browned cedar. White pine needle tea tonight. Finished my book. Made a fire. Tried to dry some stuff. Didn't really work. Weird flat trail in the woods. Beaver? About 1 foot wide, like someone dragged a box. Peanut sauce delish.

My phone has sudoku! It's amazing when one's world is focused, the things that become interesting. Every thing I do from pissing to walking to admiring the snow takes on a greater meaning somehow and becomes more memorable. I mean, the highlight of a couple of days ago was hugging a tree. Weird?

Dec 5
It's been cold the past couple of days. I've started eating 4 times a day. Glad I brought extra food. Tried carving today. Made a mimikake. Simple, but I'm proud of it. Some firs have this green algae or something growing on them. Makes their trunks bright green. Startling @ 1st, but cool. Ice formations on the rocks by the lake are amazing. So delicate, intricate, transient. Rival any cave stalactite. Imagine a thousand trees all made of glass, their tops scrunched together like a cauliflower, their trunks extending downwards, but not touching the ground, just floating in air. That's what some of them looked like. I'm eager to get out of here. Starting to get lonely. I looked at myself in my pot lid yesterday. 1st human face I'd seen in a week. Saw a woodpecker today, and saw 2 ravens. Know they're ravens cause they quorked.

Dec 6
Woked up to a raven in the tree above me. Making all sorts of strange calls. Sounded like a hen @ 1st, then I don't know what for 10 min. Then quork, quork, and flew away. Hiked maybe 10-11 k today. Probably my longest day. Beautiful views of course. Found a spring! I think. Drank from it. Wasn't very cold, but that may be because I was eating snow just before. Ate a lot of snow today, since my pump won't work. It's fun stuffing your face into a mound of fluffy snow. Next time I should bring some sugar crystals. Saw some cool trees. A birch with a beautiful gnarly split in the trunk. A birch and a fir that looked like they were dancing, a birch covered in some psychedelic bright orange fungus, and a lot of cedars with this cool light green lichen and dark green moss. Really wish I had my camera today. Texted mom and dad. Hiked until after dark. Probably shouldn't have. Was getting sketchy. Kept slipping, but wanted to get to next beach. Made it. Wish I hadn't--too windy here. 1 more day. Looking forward to seeing some faces soon. Oh! HIked a little side trail to a sink hole. A collapsed cave. Just looked like a big depression in the ground. Wasn't very impressed. Knees hurt a little at the end of today. Forgot to stretch tonight.

Dec 7 (Written several months later)
Woke. Packed up. Hiked for a few hours. Stopped at a fox den and watched for an hour. Didn't see anything, except a vole nearby. Finished all the chocolate covered almonds. Carved again today, while watching the sunset. Made a snake out of a cedar branch. Thought a snake would be easiest. Rested much of the day. Hiked until about 8 or 9 to get back to near the station, then rested. Hiked another 2 hours around a loop trail. Very cool. Trees bent nearly horizontal by wind. Spent most of the night napping in a hollow near the ranger's station.

Dec 8
Woke up very early and headed to the car. Iced over. Cleared it. Packed up. Saw another human. A ranger sitting in the office. Didn't talk to him though. Drove to Paddlefoot for my First Aid course. Saw lots of people there. Was very nice.