No Tamboritha Camp for 2007

I have been going to Tamboritha for our school camp every year since I began teaching 7 years ago. I've experienced all types of weather there. It has snowed and been sunny, freezing cold, windy, yet always felt close to nature and refreshing for my spirit. This year, due to flood damage that occurred earlier in the year we are off to the Mornington Penninsula for our year 9 camp tomorrow.

Licola and the surrounding area has suffered from bushfire's, floods and mudslides in the past 12 months. We were on bushfire alert last year and always have to work around this when we are planning our camps up there. It is a beautiful part of the world and I feel sad we are not able to access it this year.

One of the things I love about camp, is students are removed from mobile phone access, electricity (for some of the time - there are generators at night for cooking and lighting), but no televisions or other gadgets. It's a real experience for many of them, but surprisingly it doesn't really bother them. They sit around and chat, play cards, we go for long walks, ride horses and just be with each other.

Sometimes on the way home someone will mention something about what they've missed on TV. A message will come though on a mobile and they will have to search for it, having almost forgotten about their 'life support system' - they don't believe they can do without them before we leave.

Most kids look forward to seeing their families and the comfort and luxury of their homes. They appreciate them anew.

I am attending this camp with my homeroom. This class is a fantastic group and I expect to have a very enjoyable time. I hope we can still capture that spirit of enjoying nature and each others company. Now I best go and pack!

Cow Dung Power

As mentioned earlier in the week, it seems the whole concept of cow poo power is becoming more and more mentioned. I seriously thought it was a joke!

Cow Poo

In 1983 when I was doing year 12 or the HSC as it was called in Victoria then, we were studying a theme of 'The Future'. Interestingly many of the books I read at that time and things I learnt have had big impacts on my life. We had to write an essay on what would happen if the oil ran out. One of my friends came up with what I thought was an amusing story about using methane gas from cow poo. We all cracked up and thought this was an amazing joke. I saw this a couple of months ago and wondered whether Greg was perhaps just a bit ahead of his time.
inhabitat: Poo Power:Could Cow Poo Power Your Home?



Snoskred recently wrote a very informative post on cows also, which reminded me of this Habitat article I'd saved. She asks "Everybody Loves Cows, Don't They?" Well here's yet another reason to be grateful for all that cows can offer the world. Read the comments as there are lots of interesting links.

Planting Trees

It feels so great to do something practical. We took 50 kids from our school out to a park today and planted 900 trees. I am exhausted tonight, but I feel satisfied. The kids really threw themselves into it. When we asked for volunteers, my entire class immediately volunteered and brought their forms back the next day to ensure they got to go. There were plenty of kids in the school who wanted to go, so we had to make it a first in best dressed arrangement. Kids were rushing into the office before school to try to be the first and the cut off occurred before homeroom started.

If you were cynical, you could say it was just about having a day out of the classroom. I believe 80% at least though want to do the right thing. They want to make a difference and are quick to jump to opportunities to do so. I see many kids doing amazing volunteer work in my community and I will tell you more about some of the things they do soon. Today it's the tree planters day.

We could harness this enthusiasm and good will more often. If only we had the energy to keep up and keep it safe!

Williamstown

Whilst I was in Melbourne, I visited Williamstown for an afternoon. It was busy, yet the landscape and housing are quite different from other areas of inner city Melbourne. This is a little video I took from the point.

Tamboritha 06 - 1st trip

It's almost a week since I've got the moment or ten that it takes to write a post. I have been to Tamboritha and it was great. We rode horses up past Licola and walked, as well of spending lots of time laughing and eating and just being away from it all. It was great. I enjoyed sitting in the creek in this video, whilst the water rushed by, however much slower and lower than it has been in the past. It is dry up there. As we walked across the snow plains there was very little squelch that makes it a big challenge. I love it up there though.
It is so refreshing to be away from it all. We had heaps of laughs and challenges and always when I return to school, it is tough.

Sculptures at Botanical Garden, Ballarat

When I was at Ballarat on the weekend we visited the Botanical Gardens and I got lots of little clips of the sculptures and statues there. I was really saddened by the ones that had to be housed in the greenhouse building and had been vandalised. I don't understand why people would destroy public property that is so beautiful and a gift for everyone. This photo may need to be enlarged to read the history of the statues. I will be adding to the revver collection of Ballarat Sculptures so if you are interested check back.

sunset birdsong

If you think your neighbours are noisy, listen to this....

The View

We went to Jeeralang after work today to look at some land that is for sale up there. We didn't want it but the view was pretty. It was a long drive though. I know I wouldn't want to drive all the way up there every day. It is nice to go and check out places. Today was just ok. It was another day of countless little chores and tasks and I am looking forward to the Easter break. People around me are looking frazzled to be honest and in some weird way that makes me feel not as bad as they look, so I feel semi relaxed. I found behaviours from students today annoying and irritating and mostly because they are the things I would normally ignore. I guess it is me and that's what annoys me.

Dark Mornings

Over our back fence there are chooks and a rooster. It gives a nice farm like soundtrack to our lives. This morning the rooster was making a big racket and I got to see him.

Due to Daylight Savings being extended it is really dark in the mornings. Whilst I like it a lot, it is going to be a real bonus to have that extra hour in the morning next week.

Today was better. I visited my pa, who has started his chemo and is feeling ok so far. I got lots of stuff done and I feel pretty happy.

Not going to the Park

Earlier in my life, I lived in the Berwick area on and off for around 10 years. I must have driven past Wilson Botanical Park literally 100s of times and never took the opportunity to visit. Today I was visiting old friends in that part of the world and my best friend and partner had an appointment there. It has changed heaps. I don't know why but I decided we should go to Wilson B. P. for a check out. It was amazing. A really beautiful space in the heart of the hustle and bustle of an overgrown village. If you live in that area you really should check it out and spend some time there.
You can see forever. It is refreshing to be out of the rat race and it is just delightful.
We shouldn't take these things for granted because our wild spaces are shrinking. There were very few people there, which is amazing considering how busy the rest of Berwick is. I hope that it always remains a sanctuary for the wildlife and people who do need to see nature.

Happy Chinese New Year - Year of the Fire Dog

We start back at work tomorrow. It will be the start of a new year indeed. The holidays have been awesome. These ones really lasted; like they used to when I was a kid. I think I am becoming more present in each moment. My mind is not always off doing something else making time slip away too quickly because it is not fully felt. I feel really healthy too. The small changes to my eating and exercise habits over the last 12 months have paid off more than any short term diet I have tried. I haven't meditated as much these holidays as I usually do, but I have spent a lot of time in nature and I reckon that's as good meditation as you can get.
I have barely given a thought to work these weeks away. I hope for a fresh start and avoid getting carried away with the politics and pain of the place. I want to focus on learning and the young people in my care. I know who my friends are now, so it should be easier. The rest I will handle. I expect to have more of a relaxing time without the leadership responsibilities. I am not going to be putting my hand up for anything!

The Weir

The weir has extended my holidays now that we have returned home. The weather has been warm and each afternoon we have driven out and had a swim. I've enjoyed the water this year like no other since I was a kid. These holidays have lasted longer and been more pleasurable.

The first day we were there, a family of kids was in the water where we were swimming and it was fun listening to the kids conversations. One kid (a girl I think) jumped in and said "oooh seaweed." The boy replied "It's not seaweed, you goose, it's weir weed." It was funny. The weed put me off a little at first, but the rest was too good to be skittish about that. After all I walk through grass to get there, what's the big deal?