Saturday 12 May 2012

ontrack in the wide brown land

it's been a while, but
i have been enjoying gentle wanderings in very good company in this beautiful Wide Brown Land


along with my friend r
who kindly spent two days stoking the fire under this marvellous cauldron


and who took the photo below as proof of the pudding [the workshop was held in the building second from the right in the distance]


the group shared splendid lunches [** a hint of turnip/swede in one of the delicious soups took me straight back to a similarly warm and friendly workshop at Gore NZ some years back. KiaOra in case any of you are reading this!!]

we enjoyed much laughter and story-telling, joyful singing and lots of bundling

wonderful colours were produced




and did i mention the Prickly Bears? sometimes Cochineal insects can be found on them...


on a less pleasant note...short-sighted politicians and mining companies have a plan to dig up this magnificent piece of country, literally the food bowl for the region, in order to flog the coal for short-term gain. sure there might be a few jobs for the next decade or so, but after that it will be a desert. the soil here is like chocolate cake. it's been built up over millions of years and will not easily be restored if the carnage goes ahead.


lastly for those of you nibbled from your sleep by kittens at dawn on Sunday May 13 and in need of something to put you back to sleep
a link to Radio National's small soundbite from yours truly

5 comments:

  1. .... in my bed its more 'pummeled by fat pusses' than 'nibbled by kittens'... lets see if they do their thing tomorrow morn (would love to catch the broadcast)

    ahh your post is a very rich mine of pics and info - I had no idea that cochineal critters lived on oz pricklies! there you go!


    I am however quite aware and completely %&$# deeesgusted about what mining (of all stripes) is doing to too many of our special places.

    LOCK THE GATE (and throw away the key)

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  2. nice views and warmth.
    sad for the possible future of that
    beautiful wilderness.

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  3. oh beauty, and oh what we do to it...

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  4. Thanks India, for the link. It's great to hear your voice again describing so eloquently the dyeing process and so much more. You probably said these things in the Blue Mts workshop you gave but it's wonderful to hear today and be inspired all over again. I do re-read sections of your books and learn more as my dyeing experience progresses. It's a fabulous journey.
    Claudia

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  5. nibbled by kittens...

    send me back over 25 year to when there was one... twanging the elastic band on my wrist forgotten about till 6am...

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