Breaking away from the norm...

The Millerkar in the Malfon Valley

(Arlberg, Austria)

off-piste - (awf-peest) - adverb, adjective meaning skiing away from regular ski runs.

Back country skiing is skiing in a sparsely inhabited rural region over ungroomed or unmarked slopes or pistes, including skiing in unmarked or patrolled areas, either within the ski resort's boundaries or in the backcountry, frequently amongst trees ('glade skiing'), usually in pursuit of fresh, fallen snow, known as powder snow. 


Hazards: Backcountry skiing can be highly dangerous due to avalanche danger, exhaustion and mountain weather.  Other hazards include cliffs, rock fall and tree wells.  Source: Wikipedia.

I'd never heard of the term 'off-piste' (not being a skier) until I read an article on our very own 'singing budgie', Kylie Minogue.  Recently she's been turning up at the odd venue, unannounced, for an impromptu performance.

  

Rufus Wainwright and Kylie Minogue

Kylie recently performed with Rufus Wainwright (who?) at the Watermill Centre Concert in New York and was quoted as saying, "I absolutely adore doing these types of one-off gigs.  To share these moments with fellow artists, to be able to go off-piste and perform different songs and different styles is like food for the creative soul."

I've also read that it can refer to parenting - 'consciously choosing to parent your children different to the way you were parented - off-piste parenting'.  

So, apparently 'off-piste' can relate to anything that is apart from the norm.

"Come gentle Spring! ethereal mildness, come"

Winter is hanging around today

luckily, I took some shots

on the sunnier weekend just past

"Sitting quietly, doing nothing,

spring comes and the grass

grows by itself" - Zen saying

Title: James Thomson

The hollow tree...

Earlier this Winter, June 13th to be precise, I took a walk up the side lane;

heading towards the large eucalypt on the left

I'd passed it so often but hadn't thought to look inside

It is completely hollow, 

right through to a 'door' the other side.

When I was lining up this shot

my little dog walked through that opening

and I screamed at him to get out.

I wish I'd clicked as he walked in!

But I was afraid he'd disappear down the void;

a huge wombat hole

that our neighbour has stuffed with wire.
There was also fresh evidence
that a 'wommy' had been there earlier.

I didn't think to look up inside
to see how far up the space went.
Next time.

On this little path there are
many majestic eucalypts

It's obvious why they're a favourite subject
for many an Aussie artist

There's another one
with a 'wommy' hole

but I wasn't about to crawl through a fence
and walk across boggy land to get to it.

"A tree whose hungry mouth is prest
against the earth's sweet flowing breast."


Excerpt from Joyce Kilmer's "Trees"

Grandfather's Cufflinks....

Over the years, since my Mother's passing in 1987, I've opened her jewellery box and fondly handled the beads, purls and brooches, remembering her wearing them.  Sunday was her day to shine, usually in a beautiful tailored suit she'd made herself, accessorising with a brooch, earrings and necklace, never overdone for church.

I'd seen these cufflinks with an engraved pattern several times but they didn't really interest me as I was admiring prettier things.

  1908

It wasn't until I took this photo of my Grandparents down to scan for my brother, that I noticed Grandfather was wearing the cufflinks.  I found them and on closer examination, saw that they were engraved with Grandma's maiden name initials, MC (May Crouch) and JH (John Hewish).  I'd like to think that they were Grandma's wedding gift to her Jack. 

I believe the black lacy mittens

belonged to Grandma

They were married 19 years.  May lost her Jack to pneumonia; a widow with three teenagers and times were tough in 1927.  

Scruff No. 2...

Scruff #2, second from left

In less than two months, after we lost Scruff #1 (click to read the story), we have another 'Scruff'' suffering from the same disease, Psittacine Beak and Feather Disease.  It most likely caught PBFD from the first Scruff, as it's highly contagious.  

Scruff knows where to come for TLC and comes in on his/her own.

Here we go again...

waiting for this gentle bird to show up

and knowing that one morning it won't

Lady and the Tramp....er, Treadmill...

I don't know why I keep calling it a trampoline; perhaps because I tramp on it!  We've had rain and lots more to come, so my exercise is all sorted with my buddy, that tells me to "make it happen!".  I haven't been on a trampoline since teen years at youth club, hee!

I can even conserve energy 

walking in the dark

with the lights on the dashboard

My walking friend, Marj, moved a couple of weeks ago across state. We used to walk three times a week around the local Pondage; a 4km trek that kept mind happy and body mobilised.  Happily, I've been asked to join another walking group, dogs in tow.

With this wintry outlook, a documentary or my favourite Pavarotti DVD playing, my thirty minutes of daily exercise passes pleasantly.

Please free the World from nuclear weapons...

www.millionpleas.com