Tuesday, 04 November 2008

Christmas Bear

With the publication out and me not being so busy I end up doing a whole lot of smaller projects or tasks for the company, Like this Christmas polar bear Cartoon I did which I’ve added to our letter head for all correspondence going out around Christmas. Getting to do little things like this lightens up my day.

I'm still here


It has been an extremely long while since I’ve posted anything on my blog and there are many reasons why though none of them on their own a huge factor. Up until recently I’ve been really busy with work, getting out our annual publication, this one has been a lot of work, mainly because we’ve changed the name and a few other things on it, but overall I’m really happy with the final printed product. As a designer you always get a great feeling of accomplishment when you hold something you designed and created as a finished piece.

So what else has been up?? Just the usual run of life and the ebb and flow, with a couple happenstances – my lovely lady is away in Madagascar with a research group doing research on the white collard brown lemur, she’s there for just over 3 months, though she’s already worked a month and a half of that, so I’ve been missing her loads.
Then my very good friend and drummer for our band recently immigrated to Majorca, which has also been a shift in life, while myself and my brother are going to continue on with the band he’s been busy with studies so we haven’t really worked on much recently.

So I’ve been caught up in life and my thoughts and reflections, much is changing in the world at the moment, a global recession that has seemed to have stabilized but which has thrown many people into a state of chaos, I’m sure it’s not over yet but emotions seemed to have calmed people have seemed to accept it and readied themselves to weather the storm. My message to anyone out there who is feeling the pressure and the stress of the current world situation, is to look within and take stock of where and who you are you may not be able to afford many of the items you’d like to or believe you need, but if it were all to collapse inside of you there is a strength to survive and make it through. Don’t let the stress of financial wealth get you down, look to the wealth of love you have with your friends and loved ones and realize that is far more valuable than financial wealth could ever be.

Wednesday, 07 May 2008

Parrots, Sunsets & Sunrises

I spent the weekend with my lovely woman up in the Ilangeni forest counting Cape Parrots with her varsity group – which was just one of many groups spread throughout the areas these parrots inhabit on the two day national birding weekend.

We journeyed up in a well traveled Bakkie with my lady driving, and met up with another of the groups that was doing a count in the area. After finding out where and what was expected of us first timers, we split our group into smaller groups and were allocated strategically placed points above the indigenous forest to watch for our feather friends.

The weather was cold but the scenery was beautiful, and though our group didn’t see any of the parrots on the first day, we could still appreciate our surroundings as the sun dipped below the mountains bathing us in its golden glow.

Back at camp there was talk over who had seen what as we munched happily on our much needed supper – most groups had spotted at least one parrot, so we weren’t feeling so good about not spotting any. It was off to bed early and up earlier, we were up in the darkness at four in the morning so we could get to our posts before the sun rose, as the Parrots are most active in the morning and the afternoon.

Tired cold bodies climbed into the bakkie and we headed up the rocky drive to our vantage point, then making the last hundred meters on foot our over the rough terrain by torchlight. Our fearless team leader (my lady) decided we should change our position as where we were originally positioned didn’t offer us a good view over the forest below. We settled ourselves in against the cold wind (great excuse for me to cuddle closer) and awaited the dawn and the Parrots. I think the parrots decided to cuddle up as well because at about 7:30am they hadn’t made an appearance, getting restless I convinced our fearless leader to join me on a walk into the forest, hoping maybe we’d be able to spot some parrots close up… …we didn’t we did come across a pair of Knysna Louries though, very beautiful brightly coloured birds, and they were perched not three meters away from us.

After our excursion we regioned our fellow group, to continue our vigil, not long after we had our first spotting, and postioned in a better spot to view the group, we watched the parrots until about midmorning, before we headed back to camp to make breakfast up camp and return home.
Tired but happy I climbed into my warm bed on Sunday night ready to dream of Parrots, susets and sunrises, in the company of someone you love.

http://www.ukzn.ac.za/Biology/CapeParrot242.aspx


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Wednesday, 16 April 2008

Morning drive


I love mornings in winter, invariably the sky is clear and the low sun gives everything a golden glow, even on the way to work there’s a certain peace to a morning like this. Cars are driving by, but somehow it seems quite definitely a lot more quiet than the afternoon rush when everything seems a clamor of noise. People are tired and grumpy from a long tiring day at work, but in the morning they're fresh - or tired, but tired ‘cause they just woken up. I love watching my golden world rush by outside the window, and you get a small look into other people’s worlds as you see them pass you in their car.

Then there’s the city driving in the morning, with the vendors and the News Paper sellers, and people walking the sidewalks making their way to work. I don’t often drive through town on the way to work, I work on the outskirts but today I was dropping Mom at her work. The Newspaper seller (mom sees him everyday) had a friendly comment to share while trying to get her to buy a paper (we had one) and always a big smile. That’s’ the difference in South Africa the streets are filled with people going there way, but they notice you, and know you’re there, you don’t feel overwhelmed by the sense of just being another unknown in a large city. If you smile at someone they’ll invariably smile back.

Africans bye and large have relied on their neighbors for hundreds of years and many still do, with so many things, so each person is treated as a neighbor, “I might not know you but someday I might” resounds through their smiles. Not saying there aren’t many problems with crime and Violence, but being made to feel part of something and recognized by and large, goes a long way to recompense the negatives. I look into the faces of those that pass me by the middle class, struggling to make his payments, the man trying to start something for himself selling what wares he can, and young entrepreneur. They all hold hope, there’s no defeat there, and they know that things will be hard they’ve experienced it before – they also know that they are surrounded by like people who refuse to be beaten down by fate and circumstances and while there is still life in their bones they will make something of it. This is Africa our feet are rooted in its soil and its rain feeds our soul and cleanses our wounds and makes us strong again – this is our home, and we feel sick away from it.

Mmmmm …. I love mornings like this, they energize me and give me hope.

Wednesday, 26 March 2008

Splashy'd in mud


It all started in the Mud and the rain… but then the sun came out to play again.
Wow what a weekend – I’m just starting to feel a little more normal again two days back from Splashy Fen, getting in was a bit of a nightmare after sitting behind 2 km’s of cars on a muddy road I realized that leaving the evening before would have been a good thing.
As it turned out though we managed to avoid such a long wait, and ended up driving into Splashy in a 4x4 instead of our beat up old 1300 corolla (she’s been to many Splashy’s – about 10) which was a good thing because I don’t think we’d have made it in otherwise with the condition of the roads.
The Rain that was pouring down on Friday very generously stopped long enough for us to set up a hasty camp, make a quick meal and open up a drink to ease away the stresses we’d just endured getting to our little camp on the hill, before opening her taps again, by then though we were attired in boots and waterproofs and didn’t mind so much.
Unfortunately there were a few Bands I missed, that I would have liked to have seen, but the new ones I saw made up for it.
We stepped into the Music tent in time to hear Don Clarke’s starting an encore of his Splashy song which set the key for the weekend, time to sit back and enjoy the music and soak up the atmosphere. Friday night we were wowed by “Zoe and Somebody’s child” “Dan Patlanski” (the dude can play) and “Goldfish”.
Saturday we woke a little fuzzy from the night before, but with the sun shining, so decided to take advantage of the weather and take a swim in the river – Trudging along in our Gumboots the morning was spent wandering around stalls and visiting friends camps and generally passing time. The Line up for Saturday was looking Good, and we knew we needed to be at the one Stage when “Roly Struckmeyer” (love his stuff) he was followed by “Cabins in the Forest” “Vana” “Guy Buttery” and then “Josie Field” All awesome. Then in the evening we were blown away by “The Arrows”, “The Rudimentals” “Southern Gypsey Queen” and “Tree 63” (Who really are an amazing world act).
Sunday was a day mostly spent relaxing for us as we were playing that afternoon, so I didn’t spend too much time watching Bands. The Nerves were running freely when the band stepped onto the stage, but that’s whay you reherse, so instinct takes over, as usual the set passed by rather quickly for us, but we had a lot of great feedback, and earned ourselves some new fans. The songs went down really well, especially “Splashy Fen’s coming Back Around” which we were asked to do an encore for.
Sunday evening was a time for us to kick back and relax one final time before the long haul home on Monday, Fortunately on Saturday And Sundday there’s been enough Sun to dry out the roads, leaving us with a clear run. I got home took a long hot Shower and cuddled up next to my already sleeping lady for a restful nap… ...and joined her in her dreams of music and people dancing.

Friday, 22 February 2008

TGIF


Flying mind - right …. No sorry wrong….. Okay I’m loosing it just a little, been hunched over my computer the last couple days drawing strip Maps for our publication, and right now my mind feels a little stripped. Staring at this computer screen has burned a big blank white space onto my brain.
My eyes just want to roll themselves up in my eyelids and hibernate – hot summer days are NOT meant to be spent staring at a computer screen, jumping Jiminy cricket!
Okay all’s not lost it is Friday – it is Friday - ohmmmmmmm … concentrate on your inn… concentrate… no don’t concentrate its Friday, no concentration, we’re having a concentration strike over here. Click your mouse and pretend, click your mouse and pretend, and hum yourself a happy tune…. mmmmmmm

Monday, 18 February 2008

Favourite songwriters No.8


It has been ages since I’ve posted anything I know, just out of it and getting caught up in different things, so thought I’d make up for it my doing three posts today. Okay they’re not all interesting or informative but hey I’m trying. Riiiight so this ones supposed to be the next in my line of Favorite songwriters – I was introduced
To this Newton Faulkner's music by my brother on our recent UK visit, since then myself and younger brother have been loving the music the more we listened to it – I can’t profees to know a great deal about the man, other than he has an amazing talent, so a copied a bit of his Bio from his website, click the link through to get a taste of what he sounds like – I love “Gone in the Morning”

“Newton Faulkner is a 22 year old English singer songwriter with a wistful smile and phenomenal dreadlocks. But you’ll already know him as one of 2007’s most striking musical arrivals, clocking up a Number One platinum album, sell-out UK tours and a growing legion of passionate fans. This is an old fashioned word-of-mouth success story from an artist with simply stunning songs and an astonishing virtuoso guitar technique.

So just what is that Faulkner sound? It’s acoustic guitar like we’ve never heard it before. It’s things done to six strings that will boggle the ears and eyes. It’s a throaty but gentle blues croon that speaks of backwoods, beaches and the badlands of, ah, Surrey. It’s t*u*n*e*s, the likes of which have become a word-of-myspace cult across the Cornwall surf scene and landed prestigious support slots with Jack Johnson’s cult buddy Donavon Frankenreiter.

It’s a genius cover of Massive Attack’s Teardrop dropped into a set to silence a rowdy crowd whilst supporting Paulo Nutini during the World Cup or the Python-esque wit with which Newton Faulkner is fast winning over audiences across the UK.It’s this inventiveness – this esprit de gig – that made this 22-year-old from just outside London one of the most buzzed-about DIY artists of 2006. With no promotion and bugger-all money his first release, last spring’s Full Fat EP, reached Number One on Amazon’s singles chart. The shuffling beats; Faulkner’s laidback scat singing and gutsy holler; the chewy blues riffs; the ‘tapping’ of strings – these had (pardon the pun) struck a chord with anyone who had stumbled across his shows in the south-west, causing the low-key release to sell-out its 3000 copies. With his wonderfully dexterous approach to guitar, Faulkner is as exciting to watch as he is to hear.”
Okay I’ve been tagged by noodle – the big problem is I don’t have seven people left to tag. So the question is this do I just tag the one solitary blogger left for me to tag or do I ignor and carry on – alright I’ll play along

7 random or weird things about yourself

The rules are as follows:

1 Link to the person who tagged you
2 Post the rules on your blog.
3 Share seven random and/or weird facts about yourself on your blog.
4 Tag seven random people at the end of your post, and include links to their blogs.
5 Leave a comment on their blogs so that they know they have been tagged.

7 Random Facts About Liam

  1. I have a weird fear of swimming in Deep Water, where I can’t see what’s beneath me, but I confront it at every chance I get.
  2. I am burnt to a crisp after this weekend
  3. I’m a closet philosopher
  4. I’m right handed, but left eyed, this means if I’m aiming a bow and arrow or paintball gun I suddenly become left handed.
  5. I have a fertile imagination, and when I was younger (and sometimes still now) I used to spend most my days living in my own completely different world, Kinda like Calivin form Calvin and hobbes.
  6. Somedays there’ nothing I like more than to be completely covered in Mud or Soaked by the Rain.
  7. I still watch Saturday morning Cartoons, and plan to for the rest of my life.

I'm Going to tag…

Caroline

Yougs

Drink Deeply the light


The world is grey without the light, to cast into contrast the shadows and darkness
We are limp flaccid forms without our life that cast into contrasts our emotions.
We live and breathe, sigh and heave, toil and trample our days away.

Let cascade the musical light, which gives life and makes all things bright.
Let Laugh and dance and play, let love and hold and pray
This sad and beautiful song, that tugs and draws us along.
And the rest won’t come, but enrichment can flow from an unending tap and let overflow your cup.

Drink deeply, but not in excess, for this mead like all is best shared with our fellow men.