I know this story is a few months old, (May 2020), but...'When you are the only cop on a Queensland beat the size of Britain, you learn to be adaptable.'
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 30, 2020
Outback pubs reopen, giving Birdsville policeman a break from pizza delivery - Worth๐or ๐๐https://t.co/G8Lm3ujQXw
Wednesday 30 September 2020
policeman on the pizza beat...
Canaima National Park...
That's a 'still existing' old that's hard to wrap the mind round... Flat-topped mountains dripping levels of waterfalls...not your stereotypical mountain in southeastern Venezuela, where the country borders Brazil and Guyana. https://t.co/YZtX7evVJ3
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 30, 2020
Byblos old and new...
Different places, not high on the tourist list, intrigue me. Byblos, 40km south of Beirut, Lebanon is c.7000 year-old city-with Phoenician, Egyptian, Roman+Persian influences, a meeting of ancient+new worlds...mosques, churches+trendy barshttps://t.co/lZq3Tj4MD7 via @Kawa_Media pic.twitter.com/kWnpIX6JEy
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 30, 2020
a muted night...
the night may seem
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 30, 2020
muted
but in the silence
a thousand eyes
watch #tanka pic.twitter.com/ljGkrD6QvG
out here...in here...
Out here, beside the geraniums, the night thickens, like gravy, like a plot.
— Tim Mallon (@PatMalo85776814) September 29, 2020
A plover cries and cuts through the dark sky.
I confer with the yard, and think of Old Amos, out in the yonder gumtree hills...
Out here... in here...
A Zen moment...connecting with the deeper being...
cockatoo checkin'...
It's a grey, chilly day, but it's always a cockatoo day... One cockatoo is dreaming of fruit yet to venture forth in my apricot tree...Jus' checkin'... pic.twitter.com/kmn3bbIKV6
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 30, 2020
the debate...
Curiosity drew me to 'the debate'... I lasted 5 minutes... The meltdown of logic and sanity was just too much...
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 30, 2020
Where's the humanity?
'Sarum' here I come... pic.twitter.com/O3rMt1tG0J
Kangaroo Valley...
Kangaroo Valley...Spent many happy hours exploring this stunning area south of Sydney...The village shopping precinct is a wonder too...Awesome fudge (hand-made) at the Fudge House and Ice Creamery...But that was long ago... https://t.co/JpVIJkUCNQ
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 30, 2020
virtual trip - Pompeii + Amalfi Coast...
Watched a brilliant virtual tour- Pompeii to the Amalfi Coast- this morning (6,000 participants) + a reference made to this incredible mural in a villa covering 4,000sq.m.
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 29, 2020
Bikini Girls – Splitting the Atom on Sicily in a Roman Villa https://t.co/LucvJ6SdVI via @cultureconcept
Interesting information on Pompeii:
1. Pliny the Younger recorded details of the Vesuvius eruption in letters to a friend.
2. Pompeii amphitheatre is 150 years older than the Roman colosseum.
3. 47 bakeries in Pompeii - bread sliced into 8 - looks like pizza
4. Thermopolia - diners - 100 or so more than bakeries.
5. 25 brothels - lupanares - phallus was a positive symbol of luck + many sculpted in stone pointing to a brothel
6. Streets featured raised sidewalks + raised stones for crosswalk
7. Graffiti carved in walls + door mats were stone mosaics...One has a message 'beware the dog'.
8. Caupona - food and wine served today - Pompeii atmosphere + food
9. Villa of the Misteries - huge estate - suburb of Pompeii - farming + stunning mural representing Bacchus cult
10. 2-3 days needed to roam Pompeii effectively
Tuesday 29 September 2020
real society levels...
PASSING THOUGHT: Could it be that there are only 2 real tiers in society...those with soul and those without. And movement between the 2 levels is fluid, dependent on will. Circumstance is a pressure, but not necessarily a reliable factor in determining status.
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 29, 2020
(Image:agsandrew) pic.twitter.com/r0VViiaMty
hurkle-durkling...
My favourite word for the day must be 'hurkle-durkling'...It sounds like the vague zone of lounging around past an alarm with a guilty wave at the bustle and hustle that should be happening...Delicious brew of sight and sound mixed messages... https://t.co/2nYTUR7yYI
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 29, 2020
mind games...
spring usually means
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 29, 2020
new life
but this year
spring seems to play
mind games #tanka pic.twitter.com/SkDDE4czVc
floating Bangladesh veggie gardens...
It is also amazing how these Bangladesh islands can be made...Aquatic weeds + mature water hyacinth or paddy straw or any organic materials such as bamboo or old rope can form a raft...The rafts are about a metre deep, 8 metres long and 2 metres wide... https://t.co/r7jRIbjJsr https://t.co/k817yGfbE2 pic.twitter.com/0OLOyKSzSn
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 28, 2020
butterfly brigade...
Glenagra Station, near Kynuna in outback Queensland, celebrates the birth of a few hundred butterflies...They are a welcome relief after experiencing years of drought, until 2019 floods, and seeing the disappearance of wildlife... https://t.co/i3Wo6EJus6 pic.twitter.com/ZAIh7Twxm0
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 28, 2020
in grudging praise of duties...
PASSING THOUGHT: Duties have a nasty habit of interfering with creative time... But then, duties can be an unexpected inspiration... A passing word, a passing thought suddenly provide a missing link you may not have realised was missing...That 'aha' moment...
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 28, 2020
all his entrepreneurial games...
all his entrepreneurial games
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 28, 2020
could not save him
a yellow canvas chair
wheeled him to
his last joy ride #tanka
Monday mentions
Thanks so much for noticing me...Appreciated...๐
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 28, 2020
Enjoy your week everyone...
Only just found I was tagged in #Monday mentions by Llewellyn-Mackenzie Communications ... Great to have my writing noticed...
Monday 28 September 2020
Sturt's Desert Pea...
Sturt's Desert Pea, floral emblem of South Australia, grows in arid central and Western Australia, often as an ephemeral after heavy rain. Some Koori groups call it the 'Flower of Blood'.
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 28, 2020
Jacob Vlatko’s Photography in Broken Hill via Gardening Australiahttps://t.co/D9QmWR0hsQ pic.twitter.com/smJsGzr5Kn
in the far mists...
in the far mists
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 28, 2020
some trees
softly crimp
rolling slopes but
autumn reds are near
#tanka
Woodblock print by Shufu Miyamoto ๅฎฎๆฌ็ง้ขจ (Japan, b. 1950) 'Autumn Leaves'. He specialises in romantic, dreamlike views of water, mist and hazy atmospheres. https://t.co/2mscFLztPD
hive of entrenched clowns...
hive of entrenched clowns in
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 28, 2020
some political sideshows
twin heads with
mouths fixed open
stinging in unison #tanka
tiny broken eggshell...
tiny broken eggshell
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 28, 2020
of palest blue
in a bed of old leaves
a sign of past life
or new #tanka pic.twitter.com/KfkK3Ago6S
some are opening...
spring blossoms
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 28, 2020
some are opening
some wait
patiently
for the right moment #tanka pic.twitter.com/x5kPdttWCr
unmown grass...
little blackbird
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 28, 2020
unmown grass can offer
a grand adventure #haiku pic.twitter.com/cgz4Rt6hBJ
when humanity panics...
PASSING THOUGHT: So sad that when humanity panics, reason and any sense of morality dies. It is then a vicious lynch mob mentality kicks in.
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 28, 2020
enforced interlude...
This is so very lovely... (Meant to comment yesterday and only just realised now I hadn't)... I too have had similar thoughts about our access to nature and nature's interlude from our ways... Also, have barely written till the last few days or so...Creativity seemed choked...
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 27, 2020
puppets... a macabre narrative...
Sometimes the extreme macabre in unexpected places can be a healthy distraction from unsavoury realities...A kind of virtual shock treatment, that at least gives pause to other dark pressures... https://t.co/cjSpFeze3x
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 27, 2020
mourning a dead tree...
A witch mourning a dead tree from behind a wire... In these times, so much seems so appropriate and so symbolic and, do I dare say, so normal... https://t.co/B8wByKwLmc
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 27, 2020
new music...
stripped back
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 27, 2020
and broken
an instrument
begs for
new music #tanka https://t.co/nryDyNHK7W
even when life hurls a lemon...
Even when life hurls a lemon, there's always the opportunity to plant the seed and grow another tree... https://t.co/t1u4T7PT7f
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 27, 2020
solitary places...
solitary places
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 27, 2020
wonders of the spirit
shine #haiku https://t.co/cLaPmVu86i
my health...
As I have grown older (and older...somewhat unwillingly), I have learnt something about my health...Lower high impact physical activity... and keep it focused to the morning hours...Increase regular visits to the mental gym any time... and ensure I try all equipment available...
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 27, 2020
Sunday 27 September 2020
old TV v. broadband...
David (ancient TV) battles Goliath (new broadband) in a Welsh village... And, as legend tells us, David wins...
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 27, 2020
'It’s not the old telly’s fault – it was just doing its buzzy thing, still fully functioning after all these years, and the new technology was too feeble to cope.' https://t.co/T9q8VjVpFL pic.twitter.com/bPTNtLCvve
Mediterranean dreaming...
Mediterranean dreaming... https://t.co/e1TPNh1kVN
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 27, 2020
Enterprise dreamscape...
My imagination is running riot...The Owl and the Pussy Cat have now grown up and decided to take another sail in the skies together in a bigger boat...This image is really beautiful... https://t.co/0WN6j1SvSp
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 27, 2020
how civilisations heal...
Toni Morrison was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 1998 and the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1993.
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 27, 2020
She 'helped transfigure a literary canon long closed to African Americans'. - https://t.co/pNLMCwlQjj https://t.co/zbAbiM1i7G pic.twitter.com/eYdnrArBSW
few grains of happiness...
From - “The Weighing” (1994) by Jane Hirshfield
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 27, 2020
So few grains of happiness
measured against all the dark
and still the scales balance.
The world asks of us
only the strength we have and we give it.
Then it asks more, and we give it. pic.twitter.com/VSvUeu2IT5
Silent Spring...
Rachel Carson's work highlights a need to value the environment... a need savvy indigenous people know only too well...Carson challenged the 1940's-50's 'progressive' deployment of pesticides, herbicides+other chemical agent. Controlling nature may have unbridled reactions. https://t.co/eGdFHx7qLj
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 27, 2020
school curriculum due for change?....
There has been years of diverse opinions on how the school curriculum should be a stepping stone to life beyond school. There should be some clear connection, a relevance. Is this how to do it? Consider the students, consider the region and voila! https://t.co/Xcc3Eanetf pic.twitter.com/wodINT0weA
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 26, 2020
Radical thoughts...New subject groupings?
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 26, 2020
1. Awareness of land - Land+animal management incl. Aboriginal culture esp cool burning+gardening
2. Science - Botany, geology+astronomy attract more focus
3. Creativity - Art, Poetry, Drama+Music
4. English and Maths=connector literacy
You may notice that History has no mention. History can be a focus topic in any of the above subjects, opening the door to an understanding that History is far more than events + politics. History would then help to build an understanding of where we have been in these subjects.
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 26, 2020
Geography too has no special mention. It could be a vital focus topic in the awareness of land...hand in hand with History + wherever else it could enhance an understanding of a subject. History and Geography should not be exclusive, stand-alone subjects.
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 27, 2020
grand tour of writing vineyards...
the grand tour of writing vineyards
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 26, 2020
is drawing to a close
too soon
impulse local wanders are on
a loose agenda
possible showers...
possible showers and
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 26, 2020
possible cold winds
I forecast
possible reading
rugged up #tanka
which country...
๐ฆ๐บ Australia - Victoria ๐ฆ๐บ pic.twitter.com/AvsA9ZkKRG
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 26, 2020
string...
Sometimes...unexpected seers can be found in unexpected places... https://t.co/aVuTsNxkG0
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 26, 2020
I love the quiet, paced 'footsteps' in Tim Mallon's writing...But never underestimate the depth of those footprints...
Sometimes, I feel Tim captures a W.B.Yeats experience - a dialogue with self and soul...where one mirror dares to reach out to another...
And it was grand to hear his voice, to watch his hands and see his pale eyes peer out to the gumtree hills.
— Tim Mallon (@PatMalo85776814) September 27, 2020
And make no mistake, old Amos is eternal.
Saturday 26 September 2020
snow by night...
snow by night
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 26, 2020
and golden pools
magic oasis #haiku https://t.co/jLY991KcQh
beyond the dust...
A light westerly has thinned the dust-laden haze on the other side of the Strait and for the first time in weeks, we can see the rooftops of Ceuta and the coastal foothills of northern Morocco.
— c.c. o'hanlon (@ccohanlon) September 26, 2020
Budj Bim...
Budj Bim is an ancient, volcanic landscape in south-western Victoria...It features the earliest living example of aquaculture in the world, (fish-traps, weirs and ponds) with a history of eel farming dating back over 6,000 years. Local Gunditjmara people used the volcanic rock. https://t.co/zJ6FOieqzD
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 26, 2020
seal dreaming...
A seal can dream, eh?.... https://t.co/yks0XqENOd
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 26, 2020
more neighbour's blossoms...
My neighbour's front garden blossoms continue to enchant me... May the winds not whisk them away just yet... pic.twitter.com/KmOi3WZMCD
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 26, 2020
darkness is falling...
darkness is falling
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 26, 2020
white cockatoos skim
my empty street #haiku
platform 17...
Platform 17 grows
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 26, 2020
trees between sleepers
Berlin to Lodz sign
remembers
the Holocaust trains #tanka
Lodz was the Jewish ghetto in Poland...It is believed that thousands of people died in this ghetto...Exact numbers are elusive, because many records destroyed...Berlin to Lodz is a distance of 423 km, taking just over 8½ hours...
beam of afternoon light...
beam of afternoon light
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 26, 2020
streams a hillside garden
beyond
a blurry horizon is
in shadow #tanka
afternoon army of waves...
afternoon army of waves
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 26, 2020
chipped with running froth
bay waters succumb to
the wintry will of
spring winds #tanka
free newspaper...
Last week, when I suffered my usual supermarket spree at IGA, I was offered a free 'Herald Sun' - for spending over $30. Yes. I took it. More stash of tablecloths for my furball's meal table. (I'm still wondering why the sudden freebie...)
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 26, 2020
rocky and cold times...
even in the rocky
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 26, 2020
and cold times
there is always
a flower lurking
somewhere #tanka pic.twitter.com/lEQ9knangN
pandemic longings...
These dramatic views in Kinross, Scotland fuel my longing to break free to countryside landscapes....minus the barrage of clumped buildings and choking freeways...Even stormy, intimidating skies don't lessen the longing...Let me lose these pandemic chains... please... https://t.co/tyXUoqFPk2
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 25, 2020
Wild Geese
Whoever you are, no matter how lonely,
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 25, 2020
the world offers itself to your imagination,
calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting -
over and over announcing your place
in the family of things.
- Mary Oliver - 'Wild Geese' pic.twitter.com/vWgqiBhdy4
Hunt for the Wilderpeople...
'Have some breakfast … then you can run away.'
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 25, 2020
Wild horses - “Why do they need to be ridden anyway? Why can’t they just eat grass and be happy?” Bella tells young and troubled Ricky.
And Ricky+dog Tupac meets Hec+dog Zag on his journey.
A film where a happy soul is priceless. https://t.co/OGW7eeZ1hv pic.twitter.com/kW6TZNdjCf
This movie is available on SBS on Demand till 4th October, 2020.
"Good night Uncle"
— Sam Neill (@TwoPaddocks) September 25, 2020
"Good night mate"#Huntforthewilderpeople #watchwiththeacademy pic.twitter.com/G3ewYxy9Uj
some humble razzle-dazzles...
some humble razzle-dazzles
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 25, 2020
aspire to be
proud merry-go-rounds
where time's circle becomes
the circle of love #tanka pic.twitter.com/f3dMkjgYfz
chance of showers...
chance of showers
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 25, 2020
and possible hail
little blossom
sips
some stray sunshine#tanka pic.twitter.com/xDubQzeKci
Friday 25 September 2020
Wynne Prize winner...
All those dusky red tones enhance the sparse spread of greens...But the character in the twines clasping the tree trunk win the spotlight...(The Wynne Prize is an Australian landscape painting or figure sculpture art prize established in 1897). https://t.co/SUp3VuUJHt
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 25, 2020
remembering Sydney's Olympics 2000...
On this day - Cathy Freeman - first Aboriginal to win Olympic gold in an individual event, the 400metres...right on the turn of the century...She also lit the torch that opened the 2000 Olympics in Sydney... https://t.co/oI7RcdQU8J
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 25, 2020
Daylesford walkway, sunlight + leaves...
A meandering walkway and feeling sunlight through leaves... So heavenly... I still haven't been to Daylesford... It's on the list... https://t.co/8T9inBz0yl
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 25, 2020
snow and a kangaroo...
Snow and a kangaroo in Mount Macedon Regional Park, Victoria today...https://t.co/ppsX8MFLVR pic.twitter.com/nt9e3v5YbK
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 25, 2020
Melbourne is quite a character...
Melbourne is quite a character...
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 25, 2020
Mid-afternoon today, in spring,
she offered us 5 degrees centigrade + rain...
Now, it is 5:32pm.
The sun shines - though bleakly,
and the temperature has risen to
10 degrees centigrade...
Aaah Melbourne... you are...
ummmmm....
Melbourne...
Australia's snow record...South Australia...
Australia's longest weather record reveals snow in surprising places... https://t.co/J5RJXeZ9dw
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 25, 2020
Ballarat spring snow...
Ballarat, 102km north west of Melbourne, enjoyed some spring snow today... (Meanwhile, outside my Melbourne window, I see heavy, misty, endless rain...And it's a cold 5 degrees mid-afternoon)... https://t.co/Og9rA2rywS
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 25, 2020
Snowtime, in Ballarat today, is cuddle time... https://t.co/yap2qputZ8
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 25, 2020
Snow-capped palm tree today in Lucas, Ballarat...
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 25, 2020
Photo: Michelle Johnston https://t.co/MayW5zvg6H pic.twitter.com/wR7reM0QN6
spike of oxymorons...
the spike of
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 25, 2020
oxymorons
spice perspectives of
understanding
spring snow #tanka https://t.co/uivz2SqmrA
Pismo Beach...
Down, down, down - 100 steps - to Pismo Beach, (between Los Angeles and San Francisco) California...The beach features intricate sea caves...https://t.co/Sp4kMuUNzp pic.twitter.com/ppnnfVRCdg
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 25, 2020
stone house fragments...
Remains of an old stone house near the shores of Willow Lake, Prescott, Arizona...
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 24, 2020
Weathered and broken homes intrigue me...I always wonder where their stories finally drifted...https://t.co/vorZfV6ukm pic.twitter.com/vNWS3fEwPy
Roxaboxen...
A sign in Yuma, Arizona supporting imagination... Love it...
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 24, 2020
'Roxaboxen' is a book written for children by Alice Mclerran. The site inspired the book - based on events in the author's mother's life.https://t.co/6tusG2LgM2 pic.twitter.com/1816wxNu3n
more rains...
more rains
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 24, 2020
mother blackbird
anxious to distract
a butcher bird
more rains #tanka
huddled days...
I think I like these huddled days
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 24, 2020
when the winds moan
and the skies cry
I board a ship to unknown lands
where no one else can pry
where a market place of stories
parade their heart and soul
and I can choose to feel a life
unfettered by a toll#micropoetry
cormorant and a stingray...
So even a stingray can be a tasty bite for some feathered ones?....Add the cormorant to the stingray predator list of sharks, seals and sea lions? https://t.co/vpIRpqtUiq
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 24, 2020
orcas ram boats...
Pods of orcas are ramming boats off Spain and Portugal + scientists don't know why...
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 24, 2020
'They really just were going for us,' says sailor Victoria Morris. 'There was definitely no playing'...
And then there's been the incident of beached whales on Tasmania's west coast recently... https://t.co/ogYyUeqqy6 pic.twitter.com/eaB66dr4Fo
in the zone...
in the zone
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 24, 2020
of a spring's
wintry morning
yesterday's tears
are still drying #tanka pic.twitter.com/dZWYr2Xruw
Thursday 24 September 2020
black barn owl...
it is possible
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 24, 2020
the eyes
of a night sky
may visit
on silent wings #tanka https://t.co/gekDMarYAI
curtain call...
spring's on stage
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 24, 2020
but tonight
winter demands
a gutsy
curtain call #tanka
cute stuff during lockdown...
I've printed up little copies of our kids bird guide for a few parents desperate for distractions. We've received lovely care packaged (random chips, books, little craft projects) from all over. Been leaning on @alidogood's flower delivery a fair bit for pals.
— Michael L (@wtb_Michael) September 24, 2020
We got new neighbours a couple of months ago so I left a note in their letterbox welcoming them to the neighbourhood because it must be so tough moving in the middle of lockdown and they left a note in return and now we have chats over the back fence, it’s really nice.
— Harry Saddler (@MondayStory) September 24, 2020
Someone anonymously put a block of caramilk in our letterbox. I love you, beautiful stranger.
— Van Badham (@vanbadham) September 24, 2020
Our street established a collective tab at the local cafe so the paramedics at the ambulance station here eat free. Putting a tenner on the till for the ambos has become a community habit.
— Mat Larkin (@matchtrick) September 24, 2020
For my first Father’s Day my wife projected a film onto the brick wall beside the car park behind our apartment building. We sat in the car, bluetoothed the audio and ate malteasers and pop corn. It was v nice.
— J.P. Pomare (@JPPomare) September 24, 2020
Book swaps - a number of my neighbours have been leaving stacks of books at their gates. Books that they’ve done reading free for anyone to borrow pic.twitter.com/wFaPEwJ1lw
— Lauri King (@LauriKing15) September 24, 2020
A cute family of local kids are convinced I’m Rapunzel. This has been going since April! They leave flowers on my doorstep and I have a makeshift pulley system to lower down, smarties etc pic.twitter.com/zNZm5p6CfB
— emma koster (@Hey_Koster) September 24, 2020
blustery night winds...
blustery night winds
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 24, 2020
windows and doors
embroiled
in sharp
conversation#tanka
sea stack...
This grizzly, intriguing shape is like a rebirth of an old ship...The intense reflection adds to the dramatic appeal... https://t.co/cGFBjf7wuT
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 24, 2020
storm clouds in Northern Territory...
These clouds are clearly on a mission in the Northern Territory... Stunning scene of light on dry earth and dramatic sky... https://t.co/nf8b38U6Jq
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 24, 2020
Cass...
SBS' programme tonight, 'The World's Most Scenic Railway Journeys', introduced me to the paintings of New Zealander, Rita Angus (1908-70). Her painting below is of Cass railway station (1936) in inland Canterbury. pic.twitter.com/FlCJcg0qJM
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 24, 2020
spring wisteria...
So beautiful...Always think of wisteria as the weeping 'cousins' of lavender... https://t.co/G0X8PkEdbI
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 24, 2020
my furball and remote learning...
My little furball has been involved with my remote learning lessons...Students love it when they hear her argue with me...The students try to work out what she is trying to say...what all her different sounds mean...They are amazed at her repertoire...She's a teaching gamechanger
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 24, 2020
blossoms in evening light...
Even in the blur of evening light, these spring blossoms in my neighbour's front garden are so enchanting... pic.twitter.com/wGeiGDSTq7
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 24, 2020
Lina Attalah...
Lina Attalah is a journalist who stirs 'good trouble'+is dedicated to honest journalism.' Lina leads 'Mada Masr', (in Arabic + English), which covers national, regional, + international news, + stories on politics, economics, arts and culture. 'New Generation Leader' - says Time. https://t.co/MGXrqxaHtA
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 24, 2020
remembering Thirroul...
It seems that many lifetimes ago I wandered the beautiful NSW coastal views of Thirroul, Austinmer and Bulli...Thirroul is where famed English writer, D.H. Lawrence, wrote much of his novel 'Kangaroo' in 1922. https://t.co/SisUwNHdYv
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 24, 2020
and now there are 4 ducks...
The ducks are back again today... My driveway has been getting a once over... And now there are 4 ducks... pic.twitter.com/yAqsPEnPQO
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 24, 2020
Shaddie's amusement...
My furball creating her own amusement...followed by 'Now what can I do?'... pic.twitter.com/mzp9Pj33r9
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 24, 2020
walk our solar system...
Solar System Trail on Port Phillip Bay is a unique experience. In 2008, artists and scientists constructed a model of our solar system to a scale of one to one billion over a 5.9km route. It starts with the Sun, located at Marina Reserve in St Kilda + ends in Port Melbourne. https://t.co/OGKqJDSktQ pic.twitter.com/vpX8tWcU5r
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 24, 2020
my chip...
Melbourne's grey clouds
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 24, 2020
seem to be stalking me
my debit card chip
spasmodically displays
an error message #tanka
pieced together...
once discarded
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 23, 2020
pointless stories
alone
but together ensure
their narrative purpose #tanka https://t.co/7rhmyjKfUs
Wednesday 23 September 2020
a little fantasy, a little magic...
This stunning fantasy art is by Jonas Jรถdicke, aka JoJoe, a digital artist from Berlin, Germany. 'My paintings are known for their portrayal of majestic animals and magical sceneries, mixed with bold colours and spiritual themes - especially the interplay of Yin and Yang.' https://t.co/cwZiukfGb1
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 23, 2020
fluffy grey clouds...
fluffy grey clouds
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 23, 2020
patched with sunlight
blend sadly with sounds of
Erich Korngold's
Dead City #tanka
emu chicks...
Maybe I am stretching my imagination a bit far, but these emu chicks look like 'cousins' to bush curlews...The outback desert tones round these chicks frame them so beautifully... https://t.co/yaz37JNC6L
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 23, 2020
time out for puzzles and lego...
wait, does this mean he's resigned pic.twitter.com/HrsWyRBJhB
— casey briggs (@CaseyBriggs) September 23, 2020
If there's a cute, human side to the political tides of the pandemic, this response must be it...Love it...
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 23, 2020
neglected child still has hope...
To read a 5-year-old child's story of severe neglect like this is heart-breaking...But the child has hope: 'And school is a word that excites Mandiro. “I will top the class if I’m taken to school,” he said smiling.' https://t.co/V3l2ednfVi pic.twitter.com/kJuzTWJSGi
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 22, 2020
stranded whales...
And there remain 2 big questions...HOW? + WHY? + Part of the why question...Why is Macquarie Harbour a hot spot?
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 22, 2020
a 'Sarum' day...
Today's spotlight is on 'Sarum'...too long neglected...(only a few days, but it seems longer)....
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 22, 2020
Page 492 - 'The castle towered over the place where the five rivers met. It was far higher, and more terrible, than any building Sarum had seen before...'
Lead on Edward Rutherfurd..
our smoky days...
there will come a time
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 22, 2020
when we remember
our smoky days and
wonder why we didn't drown
our first fires #tanka https://t.co/kT5XARn60t
pandemic philosophy...
pandemic philosophy
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 22, 2020
footprints and
fingerprints are
signposts and
seals #tanka
Tuesday 22 September 2020
a formica table and a fan...
Today, I saw the vague reflection of a white ceiling fan in a white formica table.
— Tim Mallon (@PatMalo85776814) September 21, 2020
It was whirring and pulsing; pale and indistinct above my left elbow, which cupped my tired chin and jaw.
I strained my eyes to hear it talking to me, and I heard old Amos on its blunt blades...
stonemason and a robin...
There are times when the simplest photography shares the most magnetically beautiful, unforgettable, soulful moments... https://t.co/TcIBCX6147
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 22, 2020
Melbourne weather...
Melbourne weather today has certainly been a lucky dip of sight and sound... fostering our art and skills of keeping pace with the weather clock... https://t.co/GEhWYpegox
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 22, 2020
puggle...
Just discovered my favourite word for today...(Yesterday it was 'pobblebonk' - frog)... And today's word is 'puggle'... Strange that both words begin with 'p'... Another possible real critter to add to 'Jabberwocky'... https://t.co/nWO24gXnnr
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 22, 2020
demonic winds...
demonic winds and
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 22, 2020
unforgiving rains
unleash the ultimate test
of earth's desperate
lockdown #tanka
disheveled seascape canvas...
over a disheveled
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 22, 2020
seascape canvas
weighty clouds
scarred with grey
hang #tanka
courtesy blankets...
Love the courtesy blankets...What a grand idea....
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 21, 2020
let's ride this out together...
Let's ride this out together...Love how the falcon's gaze looks ahead, aligned with the man's... https://t.co/z5l0RVmbl5
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 21, 2020
boat names...
Remembering other days...again...I used to love wandering the Hastings foreshore on Westernport Bay... Viewing all the boats lined up in the harbour was a treat... Some entertaining boat names... pic.twitter.com/tj14PD51EB
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 21, 2020
rock and sand...
Remembering other days... I have always been intrigued by beach worlds...far more than endless stretches of sand... Balnarring Beach on the Mornington Peninsula is a wonderland of rock and sand art... pic.twitter.com/EA3d3aOanw
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 21, 2020
blossoms face the wind...
It's very windy this morning in the Dromana Hills...But these blossoms are hanging in, protected by understanding greens... pic.twitter.com/t22l9rEdy0
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 21, 2020
bursting white peaks...
bursting white peaks and
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 21, 2020
restless blue valleys
waves
hustle and jostle in
the morning winds #tanka
Monday 21 September 2020
a good news pandemic story...
These are pandemic stories I love to hear...Bring them on...More... https://t.co/fRzFMu1Tvi
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 21, 2020
magical art of stained glass...
Magical, stained glass art... Flowing lines generate so much creative energy... https://t.co/mgXggLa2PW
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 21, 2020
Spring zing...
There is a beautiful 'Spring zing' in Melbourne's air today...You can see it...You can feel it... Love the radiant blue of skies in your photo...
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 21, 2020
flooding rains...
Broken Hill, NSW is not the only one enjoying recent 'flooding rains'... Outback, in the north of South Australia, has wallowed in some glorious mud too...It's been about 4 years coming... https://t.co/ZLeLWo0FSF
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 21, 2020
This view is of Marree in South Australia. They recorded more rain in one day last weekend than rain recorded for 2018 and 2019 combined...
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 21, 2020
The above scene is at the Danthonia Bruderhof community on the Gwydir Highway at Elsmore in northern NSW.One storm after the other moving through - giving thanks for the gift of rain, and hoping it falls where it's needed most. pic.twitter.com/tdLeXjahFv
— Norann Voll at Bruderhof (@NorannV) September 21, 2020
remote learning is a place to learn...
REMOTE LEARNING's been tough...BUT...Rec'd the best gift from a Year 8 student this morning...
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 21, 2020
'Thank you for teaching me this term, you have taught me a lot about Medieval history and I really appreciate it. I will see you next term and happy holidays!'
Marking now with a ๐๐
simmering stew...
a simmering stew of
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 20, 2020
questions and
challenges and
wonderment
the Monday morning
cooking class#tanka
Sunday 20 September 2020
Sunday night...
Sunday night
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 20, 2020
a strange place
between
favourite music and
new sounds #tanka
pobblebonk...
I've now discovered my favourite word for the day - 'pobblebonk'. The sound I have heard before, but never knew the source...I am quite sure that the pobblebonk would fit right in comfortably with Lewis Carroll's 'Jabberwocky'...with one difference...This critter is reality... https://t.co/eTTRl41M1J
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 20, 2020
inner landscapes...
inner landscapes
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 20, 2020
clouds dream
on glassy seas and
seagulls sleep
in harmony #tanka https://t.co/rPjmyjqSol
cockatoo games...
it's a hide-and-seek
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 20, 2020
cockatoo games kinda
Sunday afternoon#haiku pic.twitter.com/hAEY117qrZ
dark fears of unknowns...
dark fears of unknowns
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 20, 2020
relentlessly investigate
the scope of your databank
and the whereabouts
of your soul #tanka pic.twitter.com/W8OSp7NYIN
rabbit fences...
So Australia had the rabbit-proof fence, symbolizing the division between English culture and the Aboriginal world (film 2002) but is indeed a long fence to deter rabbits from crops + pasture in WA . Berlin had the real division between East and West, but rabbits were welcome. https://t.co/h1kDVeu3zM pic.twitter.com/4z0S4cuU1z
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 20, 2020
drenching at Broken Hill...
Never did rushing water and mud look so gloriously ochre-red together... The blue sky seems to be a smiling observer...
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 20, 2020
+ Broken Hill cops a drenching with half of all last year's rainfall falling in just 20 minutes https://t.co/pL1s1SjDlt https://t.co/94E4CLxzYv
past Sunday rituals...
Some Sunday rituals may not be practised any more, but many remember with nostalgic respect+maybe a twinge of loss...the morning church service, the Sunday roast for lunch (cooked by a Mum), the afternoon lazing usu. reading+in my case, the boiled egg+vegemite on toast for tea... https://t.co/PEHkLtGnnX
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 19, 2020
books for sail...
Stockholm’s archipelago is the largest group of islands in Sweden and the second-largest in the Baltic Sea.Books for sail, but not for sale... https://t.co/oAhgi0IaH7 pic.twitter.com/u620JfCVbv
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 19, 2020
Twice a year, the Stockholm Library Service rents a boat for a week and brings books to 23 inhabited islands. Each spring and fall, the boat is packed with approximately 3,000 books.
Sweden’s book boat (bokbรฅten) began serving the community in 1953.
magic solution?...
Is this a magic solution for freshening up the troubled Murray-Darling River system? Or does the solution generate more problems? Predators of freshwater turtles increase in number when food source increases? https://t.co/cXftR5QQbX pic.twitter.com/Gw3WWQ2lj1
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 19, 2020
industry in a remote place...
Not all industry needs to be in a big city... Bed linen, tableware and bags are emerging from remote Arnhem Land... https://t.co/3q3Dz4iZIy pic.twitter.com/aLnfr6OnWT
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 19, 2020
sleepy beauty...
The sleepy beauty of peace in the nightlights... https://t.co/MIafTADu6u
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 19, 2020
art of wine...
artThe art of wine reaches a whole new level of perspective in this one... https://t.co/cKbWKAq712
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 19, 2020
slightly windy...
slightly windy
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 19, 2020
slightly cloudy
muddled morning
the options depend on
a coffee or two #tanka pic.twitter.com/DiHozwMleq
Saturday 19 September 2020
online shopping night...
Saturday night must be online shopping night... I just found this on the Target website... pic.twitter.com/egIM6aLSLB
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 19, 2020
from a student perspective...
Australia - My concern is the view held by my H.S. students. They see Trump as a bad joke, a source of ridicule. They know more about Trump's day to day antics than they know of Australia's PM (some can't name the latter). So, the future? How will these students view future US?
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 19, 2020
different protests...
Sidetracks like this one are sweet laughs in this crazy world... My little furball is currently giving me 'the backside' because she is far from keen on her dinner tonight... At least her protest is a little quieter than your Riley's...
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 19, 2020
a Seawinds wander...
Sighing a little for wanders through Seawinds, Arthurs Seat in September... a traditional wander for me each spring and autumn... But this year... only maybe... It's nearby, but nearby enough for my 5km lockdown limit???? pic.twitter.com/KL2NhC97KN
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 19, 2020
aboriginal owned ground station and space research...
Australia's first Aboriginal-owned ground station could be vital for space research https://t.co/7NOB2edBbb via @SBSNews
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 19, 2020
a green village and more...
Mother Nature in firm control of her own little 'village'...Empty, maybe, of physical humanity but certainly not empty of soul...Amazing sight... https://t.co/ZoJ3rosvbw pic.twitter.com/0Vly4Lpysh
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 19, 2020
And then there is this old piano tree in California...https://t.co/vj8nlYOU0f pic.twitter.com/YDfzZikPbP
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 19, 2020
Perhaps one of the strangest examples of Mother Nature in control must be mangroves growing on an abandoned ship in Homebush Bay, Sydney... (This is explained in the above article...) pic.twitter.com/GiLYRy5sK9
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 19, 2020
where the clouds come down...
Where the clouds come down from the sky... https://t.co/n0GXztTwDe
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 19, 2020
smile...happiness...
Happiness is to see a wonderful young smile... https://t.co/QVsvqfMd0e
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 19, 2020
I-Chid-You-Not....
SOME SMILEY NEWS...
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 19, 2020
10 Mega artworks in WA's Ravensthorpe's Farm Gate Art Trail - with giant echidna ("I-Chid-You-Not" ), massive bull https://t.co/w4VbrHrMv1
fire and rain...
At times, I wonder if we live in a world of Nature's own war - a clash of fire and rain...Survival of the fittest...The BIG question is...WHY...
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 19, 2020
Record rain has South Australian outback stations rejoicing as SES warns of flash flooding https://t.co/mdLgR0NZUo
what makes us happy...
PASSING THOUGHT: Perhaps this covid event has done us all a favour. It has peeled back our unstable, 'civilised' veneer of what makes us happy, and challenges us to dig deep, to fly high and really know what our happiness should be all about. pic.twitter.com/a2PUcCu8bb
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 18, 2020
I have noticed that a pair of doves visit my world regularly...They like to groom for the day on my verandah railing...That suggests to me that they feel at home here...so comforting...to me... pic.twitter.com/OmN1kKHGRH
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 18, 2020
There has been an outbreak of chalk messages and even poetry on footpaths in Melbourne... Could this be ongoing?
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 19, 2020
Chalk messages and drawings on streets are bringing hope during the coronavirus pandemic https://t.co/HWI9m3qEKH
Creativity, imagination and practicality working in tandem...That's progress... Would this have happened without covid?
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 19, 2020
Laneways set to light city's path to reopening and recovery https://t.co/zi3g7vkXEi
fortune cookie...
fortune cookie
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 18, 2020
a fun game of
serious hope #haiku
my quest for meaning...
my quest for meaning
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 18, 2020
I seek
my higher vibrations
in the midnight hours
subconsciously #tanka
in the milky glow...
in the milky glow of
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 18, 2020
a misty morning
seagulls queue
on a seawall
impatiently #tanka
Friday 18 September 2020
Red Tailed Hawk...
This beautiful bird seems so peacefully centred and alert...Love the golden glow haloing round bird and twiggy branches... https://t.co/4v6xJHbjmz
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 18, 2020
politician's new normal...
Senator for QueenslandThis is priceless... What a delightful new perspective of 'lockdown normal'... https://t.co/vrcsbeLdFx
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 18, 2020
Chair of Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee
Deputy Chair of Legal and Constitutional Affairs References Committee
Liberal Party of Australia
Senate
I've survived...
Can't believe I've survived a term of remote learning+made it to school holidays! Yay! Celebrated with delivered meal+glass of wine tonight. The relief! But grateful to have had work at least, no matter how tiring. Tomorrow's another day- school planning+rest+planning+rest etc...
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 18, 2020
Seldom do I check wine history. The bottle I opened tonight is a Pinot Grigio, from Devil's Corner, Tasmania. Connection 1- Didn't realise this was Tassie wine. (Tas.=my soul place) 2. Didn't realise this winery's connected with Brown Brothers (my fav wines). It's a good night.❤️ pic.twitter.com/jfHfQFF5ds
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 18, 2020
From the 'Devil's Corner' website:
You can taste the wind in your cheeks. At Devil’s Corner, every day we face difficult choices. In our wild corner of Tasmania we are at the mercy of nature. Here, the difference of a second, minute, hour or day, can mean the difference between greatness and devastation. Discover how our team have learnt not to fight the elements, but to harness them in order to make the highest quality cool climate wines.ready, set...
Boundless energy all waiting to be activated...What a great pose... https://t.co/3RgLmvr22D
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 18, 2020
go Cath Andrews...
I'm an older hs teacher (should've retired but can't. Love teaching, even remotely - though it's exhausting.) Many teachers check on me. But it's the students who've surprised me - thanking me for lessons+asking if I'm OK. One student played his guitar for me at a Google Meet. ๐
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 18, 2020
My wife installed a blackboard on the front fence during the first lockdown to tell a joke a day to cheer up the neighbourhood. 150+ jokes later, people leave jokes in the letterbox, share with relatives overseas & a Principal takes a photo to share it with his students each day. pic.twitter.com/asVXJenEK9
— Ade (@BillieHill64) September 18, 2020
Amazing just how many little acts of kindness there are around right now...Often all you need are open eyes (or ears) ...or...at worst/best...create one... @CathLAndrews https://t.co/4GNAlZ5b9A
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 18, 2020
music lives on...
When the random clutter of life fades away...it's the music of life that lives on...This is so beautiful... https://t.co/7MvLBt3hN5
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 18, 2020
spiritual hygiene...
https://t.co/NUOYBsUgl3 pic.twitter.com/nEFoKPeCYF
— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 18, 2020
Melbourne is down to covid 'spotfires'...
Thanks City of Casey! ๐ก
— Alyson Williams (@Alywill59) September 17, 2020
What are the people of Hallam doing wrong?
— Elizabeth Post (@WeAreAllVIPs) September 17, 2020
Fountain Gate is a problem.
— Elizabeth Post (@WeAreAllVIPs) September 18, 2020
Geez, it’s so slow to go down. Why? It should go down much more rapidly now if contact tracing and isolation were targeted. Omg just target the sources now. It shouldn’t be so difficult at this point.
— Sonny Day (@Sandy_Beech1) September 17, 2020
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