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Easter Bilby

Posted in Animals, Children's stories, nature, tagged An Easter Tale, Bilby, Bringarious Bilby, Easter eggs, Frances Macaulay Forde, Long-Eared Greater Bilby, Our Australian Easter Bunny on April 21, 2014| Leave a Comment »

Easter at our house.

Last day of the Easter weekend and all eggs (except the two above) distributed.

I always buy Cadbury’s Easter Bilby for my son the Environmentalist and the Lindt Gold Bunny for my daughter the Chocolate Connoisseur.

The Bilby is an Australian marsupial under threat of extinction and environmentalists suggested a couple of years ago, the way to help would be to use the commercialization of Easter.

Meet Australia’s Easter Bunny: the Long-Eared Greater Bilby: “And there’s arguably no better way of getting our kids interested in our native wildlife than covering them in chocolate.”

Apart from having my gorgeous grandies round for tea after a family picnic in the park yesterday, I’m busy re-writing a story I wrote a few Easters ago.

Originally called ‘An Easter Tale’ or ‘How the Bilby got Easter’s job with the wrong tail’, it’s now called ‘Bringarious Bilby’ with grand ambitions to be published sometime in the not too distant future as a children’s picture book.

Hope your long weekend was all you wanted it to be – and you and yours are safe.

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March madness!

Posted in Animals, nature, Poetry, WA Writers, Writing, tagged birds, cinquain, Festivals, Frances Macaulay Forde, Hooded Robins, Mindarie Keys, Northern Suburns, Perth, poetry, Western Australia, writing on April 7, 2014| 5 Comments »

First there were two…

Then there was one..

And finally none.

Well, am I glad that’s over! March is MAD for us and our ‘day’ job.

So many festivals and working 7 days a week for the last 6 weeks has done me in – we both needed to just veg totally today, and I did!

So I apologize for not posting much lately but thank you so much for reading.

This week, I’ll catch up on your blogs and find something (hopefully) of interest to share with you.

Yesterday we were at a Food & Wine Festival in Mindarie Keys, 10 minutes up the coast from us.

Turning around to face the sea breeze, I spied two little birds sitting on a wire, behind. A bit like us this month, barely hanging on but doing what we must.

(I wrongly presumed they were winging their way back to Northern Climes but have now identified them as native Hooded Robins, who also live in Australia.)

two

little

birds paused

full-fronting the sea breeze

two wanderers grip fine wire

then gone

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New moon… New Month.

Posted in Animals, Love, nature, Romance, WA Writers, Writing, tagged Australian birds, Carnaby's Black Cockatoos, Fauna, Frances Macaulay Forde, nature, new month, new moon, Perth Daily Photo, Poem, poetry in Western Australia, Western Australia, wishing, words, writer, writing on April 2, 2014| 2 Comments »

New Moon

Last night, a sliver of silver low on the horizon, above the sea;

The moon visible through the clear sliding door of my patio

but couldn’t wish on it, not through glass – bad luck!

So eyes-down I opened the door, stepped out bare-feet on concrete

past the patio setting, minding the balls Sonja has strewn

and stood, out in the cool (now Autumn) air and wished.

Can’t tell you what I wished for or it won’t come true – it’s not for me.

I am lucky in love. My family are healthy and happy, I have you.

All that I need. So how could I possibly ask for more, for me?

If you’ve got time, read more about these magnificent Carnaby’s but also, have a look at the best photos I’ve ever seen of them, up close, taken by Grace and posted on Perth Daily Photo today.

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Diary entry ~ April 2002.

Posted in Animals, Love, nature, Other blogs, Poetry, Romance, WA Writers, tagged coots, ECU Joondalup Campus, Fauna, Frances Macaulay Forde, kanagaroos, Love, Peter Cowan Writer's Centre, poems, poetry in Western Australia, Returned Love, romance, writing on April 1, 2014| Leave a Comment »

Passport Photo: 15 years old

1990 Bali Holiday – an amazing surprise 40th birthday gift from my Brother Paddy and sister in law, Grace.

I’m sitting here next to the lake listening to the Magpie’s talk, the Wood Ducks peep, the fountains filter their water. This is the first entry into my new notebook the red (for passion) one with a teddy bear (you, of course) playing guitar on the front! I’ve also got my two passports with me and I thought I’d scan the pictures for you just for a laugh. One was taken before you, when I was 15 (British passport) and the other way after, when I was 40 for the Bali trip.

Three tourists walked by obviously looking for something. So I said, ‘The kangaroos are over there’ (pointing) behind Cowan House, ‘lying around in the shade.’ Well, this lovely lady replied, ‘Oh thEnk you!’ in a broad South African accent. Small world hey? She and her husband Gordon have ‘…jEst arrIIEEyeved thus morning at 5am from Jo’burg for 5 dayZZ. He and Pete ‘aff bin frEEnds since grade 5. We’re goin’ out to dEEnar tonight.’ She can’t believe how clean it all is… Anyway, they’re having a good look at our lawn mowers, who aren’t actually doing much. Just lying back, torsos-twisted, scratching their bellies. Totally unconcerned wild, Grey Kangaroos – and these tourists, just a couple of yards from them.

I’m obviously early for the poetry workshop. My watch has stopped again – it needs a service (another thing on my long list!). Wonder what we’ll tackle this afternoon. I have no idea of today’s subject – haven’t been for while, far too distracted by you! Hope you’re having a lovely day. I’m being good and giving you ‘space’ (in the nicest possible way). I hope it’s helping with the study. Hmmmmm – poetry – erotic poetry for you. I wonder if I can do it? First drafts only My Love:

1. Coots

Lakeside, I watch

the Coots bouncing

on top of the water.

They throw their heads

with intention and abandon.

Plunging – immersing themselves.

I want to bounce,

immerse myself.

Plunge into you…

2. Soixante-Neuf

Normally,

I wouldn’t want you

to look at my bum

at that angle…

But then,

you’re not doing

much looking,

N’est pa?

3. Your reward…

… is access.

Complete access.

Although the years

have worn – you can see!

I will allow you ~

only you, this viewing,

this exposure

to my most secret self.

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Boxing Kangaroos

Posted in Animals, Music, nature, WA Writers, tagged Boxing Kangaroos, Fauna, FordeDOTPaddy, Frances Macaulay Forde, G.Forde, Joondalup, kangaroos, nature, Perth Daily Photo, Yellagonga, Yellagonga Regional Park on March 31, 2014| 3 Comments »

My very clever brother has written some more music to his videos of Kangaroos Boxing in the early morning, taken at a nearby park and blogged on Perth Daily Photo.

Western Australia has preserved ‘green belts’ so kangaroos (and other fauna) can roam from one feeding ground to another.

Those areas usually include a lake, providing natural habitats for our native flora and fauna – particularly in my region near Yellagonga Regional Park. (Also the subject of a Picture Book I’m working on.)

We’re used to seeing kangaroos around but know not to go near as they are deceptively cute and can be very dangerous.

Those strong back legs are used to rip open the stomach of their opponent while they rest on that ‘third leg’ – their extremely strong tail!

Driving from the city, just before turning off the freeway for home at sunset, we often see a ‘mob’ feeding near the access tracks on the left.

While studying at University I sometimes attended lectures at our local ECU campus here in Joondalup which also was regularly visited by a local ‘mob’.

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Cockatoo Chorus

Posted in Animals, Children's stories, Hidden Capacity, nature, Poetry, WA Writers, tagged birds, Carnaby's Black Cockatoo, Fauna, Frances Macaulay Forde, Hidden Capacity ~ a poet's journey, nature, Peace & Freedom Magaine, Poem, poetry in Western Australia, Western Asutralia, words, writing on March 30, 2014| 5 Comments »

Although actually written at university and included in my chapbook ‘Return of Rainbows’, this poem was first published in ‘Peace & Freedom’ Magazine, in London, 2001 with my daughter’s artwork.

Carnaby’s Black Cockatoos are a highly endangered species of native birds only found in Western Australia. Because of us, these noisy birds who possibly mate for life and can live 40 – 50 years, are in great danger.

Later the poem was included in my first book ‘Hidden Capacity ~ a poet’s journey’ published in Cork, Ireland in 2003.

COCKATOO CHORUS

“We’ll meet in the eucalypts down by the lake.

Discussion is needed – you have to partake!”

Black clouds flew from the oval, park and golf club

to raucously weigh down trees out in the scrub.

“Juicy larvae and insects prove harder to find

all the spraying and logging – ground being mined

has taken our homes, our gathering sites.

Together, in numbers we’ll fly up for our rights.”

From once sacred ground now suburbs, they flew.

From gum-tree nesting hollows, so precious and few

hundreds gathered early, in loud morning debate –

the Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo parrot’s fate.

Discussed at great length in the eucalypt trees

for young; less food, meant less ability to feed.

“Stop clearing, spraying – playing with our lives!

If we die, what hope have you got, to survive?”

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Recycled

Posted in Africa, Animals, nature, Poetry, WA Writers, tagged Africa, Frances Macaulay Forde, Inspiration, new writing, Photo blog, Poem, poems, poetry in Western Australia, words, writer, writing on March 6, 2014| Leave a Comment »

I saw this photo by on the net and was immediately inspired: nature + telephone pole = home.

(http://www.thisiscolossal.com/2013/02/massive-bird-nests-built-on-telephone-poles-in-southern-africa/ )

RECYCLED

Sociable weaver

birds gather Kalahari

sticks, grass, cotton to

construct home-trees for hundreds.

Out-dated rest-points built to

carry distance wires become

capsules recycled for

mobile families.

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Maestro Paddy!

Posted in Animals, Music, nature, Sounds, Uncategorized, tagged birds, FordeDOTPaddy, Frances Macaulay Forde, kookaburra, Music, nature, new writing, original music, songwriter, Western Australia on February 28, 2014| Leave a Comment »

So proud of my brother Paddy who’s just released his first album of original songs called “Avartarian Summer”

He’s also made a video with one of the soundtracks of our beautiful South West forest featuring one of our iconic birds, a Kookaburra!

Please let him know if you enjoy his sounds and pictures.

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Ladies of the Laundry

Posted in Animals, Books, Ireland, MOVIES, Poetry, Writing, tagged Cliffs of Moher, Co Clare, Doolin, Frances Macaulay Forde, Jessie Lendennie, poetry, publishing, Salmon Poetry, Stonecutter's Kitchen, writing on February 3, 2014| 2 Comments »

Two things; ‘Philomena’ is a truly wonderful film offering insight into the ‘Ladies of the Laundry’ also known as the ‘Magdalene Sisters’ presented with humor underlined with the awful truth and William Wall well-known writer and member of the Munster Literature Centre who recently wrote of the McAleese Report, have stirred a memory.

The girls/women have fascinated me since my 14 months in Ireland when I actually met a ‘Lady of the Laundry’ during a lunch break from an inspiring workshop weekend meeting with Jessie Lendennie of Salmon Poetry fame.

Cliffs of Moher with Jessie Lendennie and her beautiful dogs.

Jessie took me to a favorite haunt, a little coffee shop called ‘Stonecutter’s Kitchen’, up near the Cliffs of Moher in Co. Clare, just down the road from her place.

On a beautiful sunny day, with a brisk breeze blowing off the cliffs, we chose to sit outside in the small sheltered garden, crammed with tables and others who wanted to soak up the sunshine. Jessie and I are ‘pet’ people and when a sweet little dog came over to say hello we both made a fuss before her 40+ owner (we’ll call Mary) came to apologize for the delightful intrusion. Naturally, we started chatting.

When ‘Mary’ found out we were writer and publisher, she told us she loved poetry having recently learnt to read and write. My curiosity and writer-ly instincts kicked in and I probed wanting to know why this woman had only recently acquired this skill, but Mary didn’t mind and willingly told us she was a ex Laundry girl with a dream to one day have something published.

Gobsmacked, I fell silent suppressing the lump in my throat which threatened tears. Although Jessie kept talking a bit longer, I could find no more to ‘chat’ about. The sun seemed to go behind a cloud and I was consumed with what I’d heard and seen on film and busy mentally equating those impressions with the reality, standing so seemingly innocent in front of me.

‘Mary’ must have thought me so rude… I remember wishing her luck with her dream but wish I’d asked her name so I could look out for the book.

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“Santa’s Swim”

Posted in Animals, Books, Children's stories, Christmas, Writing, tagged Avon Valley Writers Festival, Children's book, Children's stories, Christmas Story, Frances Macaulay Forde, Octopus, Picture Book, Santa, Santa's Swim, Sharks, Western Australia on December 13, 2013| 1 Comment »

Last year I was a guest of the Avon Valley Writers Festival held over two days in Northam and Toodyay. What a wonderful experience, the staff from both libraries made us very welcome.

My handsome son drove me way out in the country and made me feel safe – wish we could do that sort of thing more often.

One of the books I took with me for sale was my Christmas story ‘Santa’s Swim’ – if you’d like a copy, I still have them for sale here.

‘Santa’s Swim’ hardcover version (not available)

I also ran a coloring competition which was very popular – both winners loved their prizes of a copy of the book ‘Santa’s Swim’, a little Santa statue of their very own and a certificate to frame.