Recipe for Red Hot Beverage in a Pot

SWEET AS !

/New favorite Christmas drink of choice: must follow precisely!

One bottle yellow tail shiraz (that's right the high class stuff) NOTE: can subsitute with yellow tail cab/merlot mix.

One grated Eve apple (may use Adam's apple if necessary ...he he) or diced

One medium Canadian handful of raw sugar...

One small-ish/longish German handful of ground cinnamon

Combine all ingredients in above order with wine at rolling boil.

Be sure to sacrifice apple core to floor gods for proper turn out ;)

Next add finely chopped candied ginger (5 cubes give or take 6 or so)

Allow to simmer, taste test time (that's right triple T... 'totes' yo)

Next one freedom pour of raw sugar...to taste.

Voila, one fantastic warm christmas beverage: RHBIAP (that's right, Red Hot Beverage In A Pot)

Cheers and meerry freakin christmas yall! Loves ya ;)

Poetry, freakin poetry

Ok so here's what i wrote in the woods, river side, just as sleep was trying to set in

Inside my head
No words withheld
Tramping feet step along
Rhythm resounding
Outback ventures Infront of eyes
Superceeded by internal treks
Pragmatic though guides leaps
Eyes glow with continued awe
Consciousness is presence
Thoughts abound
Inconvenient truths need no escape
Offensive thoughts have no place
Nigh peace I walk

Vanquish fear
Indulge thy soul
Escape by staying
Where the sidewalk ends
Point your visions inside
Open your eyes
Include your soul
Nod to the trees
Tempt the wind


more to follow!

Back with a Pack

So in Wanaka i sit on christmas morning, had my hot coffee and today it's cloudy and cool (exactly what i asked for...see Santa likes us pho-jews as well :) Spent the last few days in the bush...and really only came out due to lack of food, damn that more berries aren't in bloom!
Me and the pack headed up to the Rob Roy Glacier Tuesday mornin early, flipping amazing...and i will try ardently today or soon to get some picture on this here crazy blog thing-a-ma-bob. The glacier was quite near Mt Aspiring and partly attached to Avalanche peak, aptly named! I heard many and saw fewer small avalanches occurring while up there.

Once at the glacier 'viewpoint' i decided to extend my venture; dropped my pack behind some rocks and rockscrambled and bush whacked up for a few hours up the slopes, twas adventure at its finest! Once the skin on my legs had bout had it (the brush here is thick and less than baby's bottom soft), i headed down and got so caught up in the joyous flow of rockhopping that i made it almost to the river before remembering that i had to cross over the hillside to the dry creek bed where i'd left my pack! oh such fun :)

From there, i headed back down and then off toward the mount aspiring hut. In New Zealand, many of the tracks are dotted with huts that have beds and cooking areas and water, seriously this country is beyond set up for trekking! Anyhow this stretch was along the river and every turn led to more waterfalls and creek crossings and new mountain views and at some point i just had to put the camera down! Reached the hut round 5:30 (although I thought it was closer to 4) and found me a nice spot by the river away from the hut and its people to set up camp. Layed out my thermarest, sleeping bag, and virgin bivvy sack and voila! A note on bivvy sacks, for those who don't know they are basically a sleeping bag condom that keeps you mostly dry and better insulated and replace a tent when you're by yourself. I've lovingly begun to refer to it as my camping condom, safety first kids!

Anyhow from there the story can only get better, but let's just say that my evening was one of personal laughter and brief moments of calamity amonst brilliant backdrop and crystal clear skies.

So camp is set up, i thank my knees for making the long trek and still being able to pop a squat in the grass without complaint. As feelings of relief 'pour' from me, an eerie sound presents itself, or shall i say lack of sound. Yes, that's right, after years and years of peeing in the woods, i finally peed on my shorts...and I will even admit it on the internet ;) Luckily, with a stream nearby and no one around but the sandflys to puruse me in my undies, i had clean shorts ASAP...granted they were wet (and continued to be so through the next morning...doh!) Later that evening i managed to spill soup on myself (this happens when you drink soup out of its can for lack of spoonage), lick my fingers after applying loads of lemon eucalyptus bug repellent (tasty), and then spray my nice new blister with bug spray (also tasty). Then i learned what they meant by sandflies...I have heard stories of these buggers sending tourists running out of trailheads with bloody legs from the immense bites they've received, but really it wasn't so bad; granted i was more than happy for any and all skin cover and the everything "tube" (thank you Heather!) once again came in handy when i had no idea i'd need it (picture to follow...hopefully:)

That said, i had a fantastic evening watching the sunset, reading Herman Hesse's Magister Ludi and the Glass Bead Game, and journaling bit. That evening I wrote some elementary poetry that i thought i'd post. The idea was to use basically the first line to come to mind, no flow necessary, what fun! Y'all in ptown should try it seeing as how you're mostly snowed in anyhows! Gotta say, slightly I am jealous ;)

Anyhow, next morning up with the sun...and the sandflys. I layed there looking at them all landing and hovering on the mesh of my bivvy and laughed thinking 'ha you little bastards, you're so close but you can't get me' and also laughed thinkin 'i'm gonna have to climb out of here soon and then they're all gonna have christmas feast.'

So another day of hiking along the river and then back to the trailhead, once again, waterfalls, mountains, glacier....rewind, repeat, rerun. seriously, the sheep here have got it made. On the way out, became more visually enthralled with the rock formation. The mountains here are quite rugged and dramatic (due to glacial creation..as is everything here in Kiwiland). The rock has intense angle and sheeted layers of "schist"...so apparently, schist happens :) in fact, the mountains are really just a load of schist, but really who gives a schist?

Anyhow, back in wanaka, i stopped for tea at the home of the fellow i'd hitched a ride. He and his wife are in their mid 60s/early 70s and are in town for the holidays with family, spent a few hours with them having a fabulous time! Must say, as a general theme, the people i've found myself having the most fun with are kids and older adults, more free and fun and spirited i'd say.

By the way, merry christmas to all! Hope you guys pull out the sled and make a few snow angels (or snow devils knowin some of you blokes!)

Cheers!

PS

I've ALSO had a request/suggestion to blog in poetry (thank you snapper :)
brilliant!

but i will reserve such for more aptly conscious and intuitively insightful moments in time...otherswise i'll simply have to resort to rhyming

happy solstice! enjoy your lack of sun...you northern hemisphere folks! mwaaaaAA!

I cry little silver beet tears

it has been a few days. pardon.
i sit now at a computer in wanaka once again day after the solstice (the sunlight faded round 10:32...and 1/2...here.......suckers!) just kiddin. anyhow, today i left my lovely farm and family in small town edievale (tear) and hitched back north to wanaka. the last week/days with my family on the farm were amazing (go figure right?)
my biggest project was scavenging down starts of a particular tree and transplanting them along the fence line to create a wind break (uber necessary) to protect everything fromn the intense gusts that doth blow fiercely! also we had a visit from some family friends, i went for a tramp up through the blue mountains, and i got to tend to the bees with paul! fantastic how intensely smart and perceptive those critters are, i could hear the pitch of their buzz/hummm change as they became more perceptive of our presence! super rad.
as for now, i'm poooooped. and am heading to rob roy glacier tomorrow and will spend the night in the hills. freakin finally!

however, i've had a request (thank you jen!) to explain WTF (that's what the fuck for you non-acronym folks) i'm doing on these farms! good idea jen.

for those that i haven't had the chance to explain my new zealand intentions, part of the time i'm in this fantastic country i'll be WWOOFing (another acronym of course: Willing Workers On Organic Farms). Its a program that allows travellers to put in a good chunk of work on farms (of all types from small family productions to large corporate wineries) in exchange for room and board. it's beyond grand. if you enjoy hard work outdoors and want a REAL piece of new zealand life and understanding, i highly recommend it! google it y'all, the web site says all.
anyhows, i must to bed, i'm spent ( must be the hitchin, my thumb's tired)
bugger off ;)

and happy sleddin and snow angelin in ptown!

Remind me never to pee my pants in a small town

It rains again, and again...and, y'all guessed it...again. however this bodes well for my blogging as sunny days (and those with light rain) are predisposed toward playin outdoors. Also, it is fantastic for the farm, as later this season it will inevitably get hotter and drier. From a growing standpoint, the more the merrier...the christmas lyrics here should be: let it rain, let it rain, let it rain!

Life on the farm has been swimming right along. i've learned more about specific herbs, weeds, and native plants than most sane people could ask for (which may insinuate something about me...) The other day Paul took me for a wee (that's little to you crazy Americans:) nature walk and identified all the native plants, trees, ferns. It was super rad to nerd out with someone over how insanely amazing plants are and I can feel that Paul has the same appreciation, wonder, and bewilderment for the super structure of nature and its intricacy as i do! Think we spent the better part of an hour gasping at the huge misteltoe high in the beech trees and getting giddy at the symmetrically lined spores of the back sides of the crown fern leaves. Nerds...100% certified. The other night we picked elder flowers which are currently in bloom on the trees all around and used them to start making elder flower brandy and wine, Michelle has told me these flowers are also quite scrumptious as fritters! Can't wait till McD's starts serving those up hot :P

This past weekend was quite fun and an interesting social study in small towns. It all began with Georgia's piano recital Friday night, in which she performed amazingly well with her renditions of a few christmas carols in both solo and duet fashion. Between feelings of nonstalgia as learners plunked out classic piano tunes and pure amazement at proficient performances of complicated pieces...let's just say I had bout the cheesiest of grins across my face the entire show.

The family took me to Garston (pronounced Gaw-stunn), where they used to live, for a friend's birthday party. Although we arrived late, the excitement had just begun! Let's just say, the night didn't end till the wee hourse of the morning (and that's only if you count 4am as wee) and the finishing touch of the evening was African dancing, which is more like high bouncing aerobics with hand clapping when performed by kiwi women late at night...now i see how Michelle stays in such good shape...actually that's more the morning yoga at which she schooled my poor hamstrings, oy!

The next day was beautiful and we spent the day playing socialites and visiting the family's friends in the area and having tea (which really means having snacks...and usually tea or coffee as well). Learned a lot about Garston and its inhabitants that day, more than would be smart to post on any internet site i'd think. After that weekend, i think i could write a short novel about the going-ons in the lives of those in the area, from weddings that shouldn't be and whose land has the best water to unbeknownst children and which son ran the family farm into the ground. Let's just say, not only American small towns have their town character, town drunk, and all other labeled appointments.

What WAS quite interesting was to be a semi fly-on-the-wall during most of these conversations; able to listen and observe all participants and reactions without having to be ready with any additional input; also to observe what types of people could discuss topics, life events, world issues...and who was completely stuck to the topic of outright gossip and only able to discuss the lives of others, whether in judgemental ways or not. But ALSO, wondering at how much of gossip is functional in small towns; how much is avoidance of learning the hard way who will poison your water if you get on their bad side...Think on that one why don't ya ;)

I also spoke with one of the "town characters" at a BBQ, a rather ragged older gentleman with crazy white hair and beard and intense look about him, probably from spending most of the time in the bush hunting and completely separate from people; our discussion turned to the states and he told me how many states, such as california and parts of the west coast, have been under the watchful eye of many new zealanders (weird to not just say kiwis, but i'll give it a go:)and influential in their environmental laws and attempts at breaking from national government standards. huh, i thought, really small town garston dwellers are aware of The Terminators legislative moves? Good on ya mate!

In other news, the weekend also involved a magnificient mountain/river drive up the Roberts range and a bit of river play, where i swear i found the world's hidden supply of the best skipping rocks ever shaped by flowing water...ever. seriously. no really i mean it.

We also snagged a smart little doug fir amidst a wee thunderclump (that's a 'small quick downpour' to you non kiwi speakin folk ;) so i've got my fair bit of christmas cheer...and the grand smell of fir needles, mmmm fantastic.

And just so no one feels left out of the farm gossip loop, we are down one rooster on this farm. After misbehaving repeatedly, he was no longer a surviver, got kicked off the island...by means of a 22...Like Paul says, 'where there's livestock, there's dead stock.'

cheers!

Muchas lechuga en el suela!

who said i wasn't going to practice my spanish in new zealand? that's lotsa lettuce in the ground, and boy is there! yesterday i planted oodles of lettuce starts in an area that i dug up a few days ago, all while listening to my itouch tunes (what am i straight out of an apple/mac commercial). of course, since i was rockin out i decided i'd sing to the chickens for a while to both my entertainment...and probably theirs as well. i'm sure they totally enjoyed my out of tune renditions of billy joel. the funny thing is, that night Georgia (the youngest of our small farm clan) noticed that the baby chicks had finally hatched! interesting indeed. and not to be terribly standard in my response, but damn those little chicks are cute!

yesterday, went for a forever run through the hills, flippin fantastic. in 90 minutes i did not see a single human being on the dirt roads i was runnin, unless you count from afar sittin atop a tractor. however that is not to say i was alone. plenty of overgrown sheep in need of a good shearing kept me company. my current location is not terrribly mountainous at all, but the rolling hills (mini mountains perhaps) are spring green right now, spotted with trees in the gulleys (and some planted in rows as windbreaks). i hate to keep using the word idyllic (since variety is the spice of life ya know) but honestly that is the word best suiting or my surroundings. i tried to swing yesterday only to find that my ass is too big...damn, double damn :) luckily my feet aren't as overgrown as my middle and i can easily stand of the swing and frolick; gotta say it's just not quite the same!

in other news, road a bike into the town where michelle teaches to see my first naitivity play...performed by 3 and 4 year olds nonetheless! freakin hysterical, the group songs with overly dramatic out of sync hand motions were my favorite! especially during "we wish you a merry christmas" all the kids would thrust a hand out in an offerring gesture, but it looked more to me like they were doing the 'heil Hitler!' motion and i just thought that was good old fashioned irony for the jew at the christmas play, like they were ordering me to have a merry christmas in a passive aggressive 'wishing' manner ;) but the kids were flipping ADOREABLE, as were the costumes that michelle worked quite hard on!

spent last night learning a bit about natural health food creations and will definitely try some of these once home. one that michelle uses is called kefir. it combines whole milk with kefir grains to create a super yogurt basically with loads of acidophylus (or however you spell it) and also uber amounts of acetic, lactic, and glucuronic acid (an important one produced by your liver to detoxify you from life:) it tastes like a slightly sour yogurt and provides your body with tons of good bacteria, just like yogurt but less processed and times 15 on the goodness for you scale, plus quite easy to make.

also of interest, kombucha, kamboocha? which has become popular in the US in little overpriced bottles...but hell, it's supposed to cure cancer right? anyhow i've learned to make that and now understand why it's so expensive...b/c it takes like 8 days of sitting in the dark and the secret is in the kamboocha mushroom that has to sit nicely on top to act as the catalyst for the fermentation process! but i must say it tastes yummy and also acts as a grand detoxifying agent.

alright, the rain looks a bit on the lighter side. i'm off to dethistle and chop wood...and probably i'll sing to the chooks as well ;)

Green Acres

following the rainy day last week i hiked up to the summit of ben lomond peak and had one of the more fantastic views of my 27 years of sight; 360 degrees of mountain ranges and ocean-lakes (deemed so by me for being so big;) granted i was almost blown off the side of the mountain and temperatures were so cold that i was bundled up so only me eyes were showin (even though i was in shorts and tshirt on the initial ascent) craziness! i love it ;)

so i spent one last night in queenstown, city of tourista insanity, and then headed to wanaka the next morning...and almost wished i had come sooner! not as dramatic of mountains and surroundings as lord of the rings queenstown, but spectacular and waaaayyy more laid back, thank goodness! took a kayak around the lake for a few hours to a small island and got my first taste of kiwi sun...AKA i'm slightly on the redder side, easy to forget my skin has been in winter and my UV absorption skills are currently dormant :)

the hostel i stayed at in wanaka was amazing! i met so many people from around the world! travellers from germany, israel, scottland, london...people there to skydive, train for iron man, figure out there lives, play! the works.
next morning, mountain biking with a friend from the hostel, explored the saturday arts market in town and then caught a bus south to begin my WWOOFing on a farm. wanaka... i will return!
interestin how travelin you meet and easily bond with people over such short periods of time and then simply move on without always holdin on; it is a good lesson in the impermanence of things and enjoyment of people and relations in the moment without attachment.

After a bit of a drive on the bus with mr.less than talkative driver man (my last guy was fantastic and knew everything about new zealand so i'm jaded :) i was dropped off in raes junction AKA the sticks. Here i met paul of edeivale perma-organics farm, wearing gum boots, shorts and an old undescript tshirt...i knew instantly we'd get on fantastically.
drivin up to the farm, i see a swing hangin in the branches of an oak tree...seriously could it be more idyllic? paul and his wife michelle started this farm about a year ago with their daughter (10 year old georgia) and know soooo much about mulitple uses of everything! after just one evening i've already learned more uses of comfrey and garlic and silver nitrate...all elements/plants that grow easily in ptown, not to mention heard some stories that make me think paul should write his memoirs....seriously!

so this morning we all awoke to rain and roosters; i'm headed out to clear out some rhizomous invasive grass, plant some basil and lavender and explore till evening when i've promised i'll cook up a storm! cheers~

summer...is it?

Just wanted yall to know i woke to rain and 45-50 degree weather this am
...remind me, did i fly half way around the world? or am i secretly still in portland?
i will continue to muse these things....
none the less it is still spring here and everything is blooming and smelling fantabulous! and really a little wet never hurt nobody.
headin to wanaka day after tomora to seek fewer tourists (in a way it's like i'm running away from myself isn't it?)

cheers!

Feet onground in queesnstown

i freakin made it!
great adventure just getting here really; after a forever long plane ride (during which i blogged minus posting while i was in cannot sleep mode which is way more fun to say than insomnia...and which i'll post later)
so, back on track, following loooOONG plane ride and no catastrophes in customs (cleary they know nothing) i got on a short plane ride. flying into queenstown it was clear i was entering LORD OF THE RINGS territory. it's flippin amazing! upon arriving i managed to phenagle a ride with a few israelis..and then ended up hanging with them and they're friends for the first few hours of my trip down by the shotover river! gorgeous and surrounded by hebrew and real good coffee ;) funny to suddenly in a foreign country and yet amongst people speakin a foreign language...yet not the one of the country you're in... odd indeed!
So i've found a lovely hostel and some friends i'm rooming with and have explored queenstown and then some; small city very european feeling built into a hillside and looking over the beautiful lake! it's quite the adventure tourist hub and i will move on soon to get away from the tourists...like me ...

today i rented a mountain bike and went riding...woohooo!! so much fun. let's just say i'm glad i don't have to tune that bike up following my ride ;) don't worry mom, i was safe....enough...

the flora and fauna and riding are very similar to portland, spring plants like lupines and foxglove and butterfly bush are all bloomin here, however there are also drier plants like palms and juniper and lots i haven't a clue about, but i'm workin on it!

all in all, my 30ish hours in queenstown have made me understand why people compare it to ptown and oregon. lookin out now makes me think of the gorge only more dramatic (and filled with hobbits) and the people are fantastic!

don't worry yall, haven't given up my citizenship just yet :)

cheers!

10 days...

in 10 days i will be on a plane for longer than i have ever been still in my life. 

perhaps i will meditate, focus on increasing the temperature of my hands as those amazing monks do, or simply get a blood clot. i tell ya, the possibilities (and hopefully the complimentary beverages) are already endless...