A perfect day in WA.....

This is a Wedge Tailed Eagle we met up with today at Eagle's Heritage Rehabilitation center just outside Margaret River. They have about 40 birds there in huge cages. Birds that have been tortured or injured by stupid humans. We met one bird that kept crying like it was lost, we found out later that it was kept in a parrot cage and had cigarette burns all over it when these folks found it. Stupid humans. There were birds that are released each day for a big ole fly around and come back every day to their cages, to the people that help them heal. It was pretty awe inspiring to be that close to birds of prey, birds I grew up with flying around South Australia. I remember them talking about how they were pests, how they carried away baby sheep and how they needed to be culled because of that. Many wedge tail eagles are now extinct because of government mandated shooting programs. Stupid governments.

We then wound our way down Caves Road towards the tip of Western Australia where we found ourselves at Cape Leeuwin, its the most south-westerly mainland point of Western Australia and it's the point where the Southern Ocean and the Indian Ocean meet. The Southern Ocean seemed prettier today - three shades of beautiful turquoise green but a little too rough to really swim in.

We stood on the edge on the Indian Ocean side and spread a small portion of Tyler's ashes...knowing that he would have loved being here with us in person and knowing that he was here with us in Spirit. It was his birthday last week, 5 days after mine. I watched my girl scatter his ashes and felt a familar pain in my heart for her loss, for my loss and for our loss....I also felt incredibly proud of her and the fine person she is in spirit, soul, heart and body.

I marry her in two months.



From a perfect evening here in Margaret River. Our second bottle of local wine, fresh food waiting to be prepared for dinner, parrots squawking outside.

Hmm...what will tomorrow hold I wonder...

xxM

All photos (c)2010 by Dionne Ward & Martine Locke. Please don't steal them.

The Irish are Coming....

We are having a 'nanna nap' right now, getting ready for our show tonight in Perth. It should be a fun, relax show at a local irish pub. My mate Jemma is playing the show with us too and I have heard that they have the best guiness on tap...what more do you need, I ask you!? Love Irish pubs, I am yet to see a 'real' irish pub...in Ireland...but that will come soon enough as we have already started talking about doing a tour through England/Ireland. Will give the guiness report then too.

We have had a busy week of shows and family. D's dad and step mum came into town on thursday and we have been walking the city and trying to stay cool. Last night we had a family get together and they got to meet my mum and Jemma & Jane, who are family to me. It was wonderful to sit and watch them all talk and tell stories of growing up in other countries and traveling. I felt honoured to sit there and witness it and to listen.

Of course the highlight was the bbq...which is very australian, and very needed. Feel like I am getting back in touch with my Aussie roots, another dozen or so bbq's should do it.

So...what do you think the caption of this photo (taken by 42) would be then huh?

xxM

And now for something, completely different....

The English are feeling the pinch in relation to recent terrorist threats and have raised their security level from "Miffed" to "Peeved." Soon, though, security levels may be raised yet again to "Irritated" or even "A Bit Cross." The English have not been "A Bit Cross" since the blitz in
1940 when tea supplies all but ran out. Terrorists have been re-categorized from "Tiresome" to a "Bloody Nuisance." The last time the English issued a "Bloody Nuisance" warning level was during the great fire of 1666. The Scots raised their threat level from "Pissed Off" to "Let's get the Bastards" . They don't have any other levels. This is the reason they have been used on the front line in the British army for the last 300 years.

The French government announced yesterday that it has raised its terror alert level from "Run" to "Hide". The only two higher levels in France are "Collaborate" and "Surrender." The rise was precipitated by a recent fire that destroyed France 's white flag factory, effectively paralysing the country's military capability. It's not only the French who are on a heightened level of alert.

Italy has increased the alert level from "Shout loudly and excitedly" to "Elaborate Military Posturing."Two more levels remain: "Ineffective Combat Operations" and "Change Sides."

The Germans also increased their alert state from "Disdainful Arrogance" to "Dress in Uniform and Sing Marching Songs." They also have two higher levels: "Invade a Neighbour" and "Lose".

Belgians, on the other hand, are all on holiday as usual, and the only threat they are worried about is NATO pulling out of Brussels .

The Spanish are all excited to see their new submarines ready to deploy. These beautifully designed subs have glass bottoms so the new Spanish navy can get a really good look at the old Spanish navy.

Americans meanwhile are carrying out pre-emptive strikes, on all of their allies, just in case.

Meanwhile...

New Zealand has also raised its security levels - from "baaa" to "BAAAA!". Due to continuing defense cutbacks (the airforce being a squadron of spotty teenagers flying paper aeroplanes and the navy some toy boats in the Prime Minister's bath), New Zealand only has one more level of escalation, which is "Shit, I hope Australia will come and rescue us". In the event of invasion, New Zealanders will be asked to gather together in a strategic defensive position called "Bondi".

Australia, meanwhile, has raised its security level from "No Worries" to "She'll be right, mate". Three more escalation levels remain, "Crikey!', "I think we'll need to cancel the Barbie this weekend" and "The Barbie is cancelled". So far no situation has ever warranted use of the final escalation level.

Perth....

We arrived in Perth two days ago and have already hit the markets in Freo, gone for a swim at South Beach, eating breaky at the fav cafe and had a bbq. It's nice to be back and sitting in the warmth and love of my friends Jemma & Jane.

Jem and I have known each other for about 13 years and Jane and I for about 7 years and they are real 'heart' friends. I haven't seen them for 2 years and yet instantly we were sitting talking deeply about life and laughing hard over silly things that no one but us gets. And they have both welcomed Dionne into their hearts and world with open warm arms. It's yummy.

My mum flies into Perth on Tuesday and D's dad and step mum fly in on Thursday and we all all get a few days to hang out together. They haven't met each other yet and I am excited for them to do so. We are taking D's dad and step mum down south for 5 days to Margaret River - probably one of the greatest places in the world. AND in between times we have a slew of shows - both solo and Velvet Janes shows to do.

I feel very blessed....on this, my birthday.

xxM

Me mum.....

This is, of course, my mumma. For anyone who has read this blog before you have seen her before.

I love my mum a lot.

She drives me crazy sometimes but I miss her when I am away and still cry when I think about her not being on the earth anymore. The same way I cried about it when I was 12 or 13.

I think most of us have such up and down relationships with out parents. I didn't have a relationship with my dad for the last 15 years or so of his life because he wasn't a nice man at all and I just decided that I didn't want him near me. I cried when he died but it was more because my little brother cried when he told me he had died and I didn't like to hear my little brother cry.

I am so grateful for the way my relationship with my mum has grown as we have both gotten older. I realized a number of years ago the best thing I could do was to just let her be, to not try to change her but to celebrate her just the way she is...with all of her quirks, none of which I have inherited of course.

I think if I can move through this life with her sense of humor and her ability to still smile widely and truthfully, even after all that she has gone through, then I have indeed lived a successful life.

xxM

Port Pirie....

My family and I are all hanging out together all week up in a town called Port Pirie. For those who have never heard of it, its about 2 1/2 hours north of Adelaide and honestly, was never a place I would have considered coming for a family hang out. We have a mate who has a holiday house up here and it turns out, its a wonderful place with amazing views of the ocean. You can't really swim out the front, which is a bugger, because of all the rocks and HUGE blue crabs...but it's nice to sit out there and sip some wine as the sun goes down.

We have been playing board games, card games, eating, taking walks on the rocky beach and watching movies. We tried to go crabbing yesterday but ended up being either too scared to venture into the deep seaweed to flush them out or just kinda giving up in a fit of 'oh well, we tried...and didn't want to eat crab tonight anyway'. At one point my nephew Spencer and I were joking about driving up to the deli up the road and buying a dozen crabs for $17....although we couldn't quite work out how to explain to everyone why they were frozen (when, afterall, we had just spent hours catching them....ahhm).

Anyway, it's been a lot of fun to hang out and to have this time to spend with the family and for them to get to know Dionne. I am not sure if she is quite chilling with the Aussie sarcasm just yet but she definately is in there holding her own!!!

We hiked out to the end of the Port Germain jetty yesterday which is almost 2kms long but before we did, the ladies of the family got together for a quick pickie! This is three generations of our family together.....all of whom I adore and are proud of.



Now just to work out how to get them to move a little closer....hee hee

xxM

The New Moon....

This is the moon that greeted us and welcomed the new year in for us here in Adelaide. I took it as a good omen...a beautiful welcoming into a great year. I do believe this will be a big year. I am marrying my sweet love, moving into our house, creating a beautiful home filled with art and light and love, recording probably 2 new cds and continuing to develop and experience this truely creative life.

I feel very blessed. Sick of me saying that yet?! Well, I can't help it. I do.

Last show in Adelaide tonight and then a week vacation with my whole family together by the beach. Hopefully some time to write in there and to sit and soak in my family....and possibly the two will combine!!

xxM