The Misty Mountains....

I watched "Brokeback Mountain" on DVD today. What a fabulous movie! You find that your inner feelings are brought to the surface and play a part in the movie. The Movie did not just have words to tell the Story, it was the unspoken word that spoke the loudest.

The Mountains, and lakes, and rivers were a stunning feature throughout the Movie.....one special place where an intimate inner happiness was achieved!

.... and then I walked outside to stand and look at the Mountains and the lake!!

A complete circle

It has been nearly a week since Max the Dog arrived in Tasmania. He has been an absolute delight to have around again, that happy little face looking up at you.

Last night I was sitting on the back steps listening to the rain on the roof.
(It rains a lot here in Tullah).
Max was outside on the doormat eating his dinner.
I thought to myself, how odd, yet wonderful at the same time that Max is here with Me in Tullah...

....why Odd?

Well over 6 months ago I was sitting here on these steps, or walking beside the Lake, thinking how good it would be if Max could be here too, enjoying the fresh air, and open spaces like I am right now.

And here it is now July and I have Max here enjoying the walks by the Lake, and enjoying the open spaces and fresh air.

...its like a full circle has occurred!

The newest Tasmanian......

In a previous Post, I was quoted as saying that I am hoping all goes to Schedule and that Max arrives in Tasmania on the 25th July....

Well....
MAX HAS LEFT THE MAINLAND!!!!

Yesterday Max arrived by Aircraft at 10:40am, after an hours delay leaving Melbourne due to heavy fog.

I was waiting ever so patiently on the outside, but inside I was sooooo excited, and was watching every minute tick by.

....waiting

....waiting

...waiting....

....and suddenly, there it was, His Plane, touching down on the Runway!!

My heart skipped a beat or 3!

OMG..MAX is here in Tasmania.

I watched the Plane taxi to the Terminal, the Cargo Hold door open, and then a Dog Cage was lowered to the Trolley!!!!

OMG...OMG....OMG...MAX is HERE!!!!!!!!!

(I think I was a bit excited at this stage!!)

I had not seen My Max for over 2 months now, and here he was in Tasmania. He was one very happy Dog, He spotted 'His Car', and he looked so happy. He jumped in and sat on 'his' Console like he used to back in Melbourne.

His other Daddy had accompanied Max to Tasmania for the Day, to see him settled, and to have a Day Out from all the frenentic Melb lifestyle.

Max enjoyed his day out. Running and sniffing at all the new Country smells. He had so much fun running at Table Cape, and the big long sandy beaches at Stanley.

He visited his Dog Boarding Place too, to 'view' his "Holiday" Room.

Max will stay at a Boarding Kennel whilst I am working, as I do not have the space for him to run and play in at my Unit where I stay when I am working.

But on my days off he will be taken to places far & wide to run, sniff & explore his new Home here in Tassie!!

Stay tuned for more adventures of MAX.. the Newest Tasmanian!!!

Gyuto Tibetan Monks

"Every person whose heart is moved by love and compassion, who deeply and sincerely acts for the benefit of others without concern for fame, profit, social position, or recognition expresses the activity of Chenrezig."

Chenrizig.. the Buddha of Compassion that the Dalai Lama is the reincarnation of...

When I was a Child, I had no idea where Tibet was, what a Dalai Lama was, what even a Buddhist Monk was.
I grew up on a Farm in rural South Australia. Yet these words seem to echo my own thoughts from seemingly a young age. They were strong thoughts, but as a child you never really understand why you think them, other than they are there. As one grows older, these thoughts become mixed with the teachings and experiences of "growing up". It is easy to lose them.

It was 1996 in Adelaide. I was studying Photography, a passion I was very keen on then. One day one of my fellow students asked me to assist her with photographing the daily events of The Gyuto Tibetan Monks, who were creating a Sand Mandala at the Adelaide Museum.

I was so naive.. Tibetan Who? Making a What?

So I went along for the ride, thinking... "Its a new thing, and thats why we are here.. to Learn!"

And my Life changed!


Mandala '. all who see it will be blessed'.

I was in the presence of the most Compassionate, Harmonious, Peaceful People I had ever experienced.
I was in awe of what a Sand Mandala and its creation, its meaning, its energy represented to all who viewed it.
I watched this daily creation of the most wonderful visual representation of Life.
When you walked into The Room where the Mandala was being created, you felt at peace with yourself, you felt absolute compassion, you felt like this room was the only thing that existed in the Universe.
When you walked outside you felt the harsh reality of Urban lifestyle, a pace so fast, a feeling of not wanting to be there. Almost stifling!

During one of my visits to the Museum, one of the Monks touched me on the Shoulder. He paused for a second, I felt this feeling of complete peace within myself. I could not explain it in words til now, for I did not understand what it was back then.
Then he spoke.
He said I am a "Master of my Own Destiny!"
"You are a deep soul, Remember who you are, never forget!"

I understand what he meant now.

A few months later I was invited by a Friend to a House in Second Valley, a Place that was called 'Namaste'.
Here I discovered that the Tibetan Monks had stayed a week earlier.
Was this by chance or by divine intervention I was in the same place as the Monks.
I will never know really, but this Place was one of Peace & Beauty. Tucked away in the rolling Hills south of Adelaide, with views of the bright blue sea.
It is from the Gyuto Monks Website that I have discovered the Monks now have an Australian Base called "Gyuto House" in Second Valley, not far from this House of Peace & Beauty.
Second Valley is a magic place, it has an energy that is so difficult to describe in words, but so very easy to describe in thoughts.

I have pondered.
I have thought long & hard.
I have wondered for years What the Monks words meant.
It was a turning point in my life, but I just didn't take understand back then.

Now I do!

And an Awakening is a wonderous feeling to experience.

"The Gyuto Monks are masters of Tibetan Buddhist tantric ritual and their lives are dedicated to practicing tantric ideals. To be with them, to observe and be touched by their humanity, is to see kindness in action."

Chocolat

I am watching a DVD called "Chocolat".

I love this movie.

It stars Juliette Binoche, and Dame Judy Dench.

It is a story of a Free-spitited Wanderer, roaming wherever the Winds take her, to places many will never see.
She arrives in a French Village where change has not occured for over 100 years. Everyone has no individality, no free spirit. One person decides how one behaves in this Village, for to challenge this way, you are no longer welcome. The collective mind is a hard barrier to cross.
One day the Winds of Change arrive in this Village, and the lives of many are changed forever. An awakening comes!!

I so enjoy this Movie. It shows great passion, of a Person who dares challenge the collective thinking, to dare speak ones own voice, to show an individual spirit in a society where thinking is forbidden, and your lifestyle is decided by so few.

It seems to represent the journey that we are all on, that we are all free spirits, free to roam wherever the Winds of Change take us. To be Ones own Self!

There is a line in the movie that I was so moved by....
"Humanity...
to show Kindness....
Tolerance...
We cannot Measure our goodness by what we don't do, by what we deny ourselves, what we resist, and who we exclude......
We measure goodness by what we embrace, what we create, and who we include!"

It just moves me so much! For they are words I have always had within!
Amen!

The Clouds are moody....

It is early evening, the daylight is almost gone, there are storm clouds slowly moving overhead, and the air is so still. The Mists are forming over the mountains, silently, creating a very moody picture. I was walking by the Lake, the silence... no sound could be heard, but the air was alive! The whole scene was one of watching....waiting.... wondering what Nature's Beauty was to perform next.

..... then I heard it!

Distant Thunder.....

low, deep Rumbling....

rolling through the Valleys of the Mountains...

as if the Mountains were expressing their mood.

Deep, dark, heavy Rumbles...

Yes.... I hear it!

These plants are in the Rainforests on the Gordon River in SW Tasmania. Nature that has been relatively untouched for Centuries. Here you can feel the deep hum of nature in its purest form.

Listen,

then listen again....

The Silence of Man is at its loudest!

Nature..feel it everywhere

Today as I watched the Frosty ice melt off the plants and trees this morning, it made me think just how resilient and hardy plants are to survive in this Environment of Western Tasmania. Heavy Frosts, Ice, Snow, and Rain are ever present in this wet place. But still the plants survive, and flourish, and live to grow strong & healthy day by day here.
Nature has set a very fine balance here between its ever present and changing weather patterns, and the Plants that live on this Island. Sit by a Lake edge, listen to the sounds of Nature around you. It is a sound that is ever present, but rarely heard. It has a buzz that those who are tuned in can hear, and it is a pure sound, a harmonious sound, from deep within the soils, from the Rivers, The leaves of trees, and the air that breathes life into the Wilderness.

Sit!

Listen!

...and enjoy the Music.

Mates!

Myself & Rhuari on Flinders Island














Myself & Marc on Flinders Island

Let me introduce you to 2 of my Dear Friends. They are 2 of the most loyal mates a person can have in this Life. I treasure their friendship and value their honesty, which is far more valuable than any material object on this Earth. When I was in need of their help, they were there, whether in person, or by phone or Internet, they were there, listening, without judgement or hindrance. I felt valued, and worthy once again.

My Tassie backyard

My old South Yarra backyard

Mt Murchison from Lake Rosebery in Tullah

Backyards

Who would have thought that 6 months ago I would have swapped my Melbourne Inner City enclosed paved backyard, to now having the Tasmanian widerness as my backyard. It goes to show you that change is forever happening with us, for us, and around us every second of our lives.


I loved my South Yarra Backyard for it had trees and I planted a lot of plants to create a green inner sanctuary, far removed from the urban concrete City just outside the Gate.
But even that was beginning to feel "small". My time for change was approaching, and the feeling of wide open spaces in fresh air was too strong to ignore. So now I look out my windows and I see Mountains, Lakes, Rivers, and Wilderness as my backyard.
I wouldn't swap it for the world!

Hello..My Name is Max..woooof!

"Hello, my Name is Max, I live in Melbourne. I live in a lovely house in South Yarra. I used to have a Big Brother here too, but he went away suddenly one day and I haven't seen him since. He was my friend.
My Daddy took me to a Doggy Doctor recently and he gave me some medicine that he said will make me safe from nasty things in another place down south. I have no idea what this place down south is, but my Daddy is packing my Bag and said I am going on a holiday soon to see my Other Daddy.
I am Max, and I have a bone to devour.. wooofs for now..love Max"

I have now introduced you to Max, he is a 2 year old Jack Russell X Shih Tzu. He is a very loveable energetic little fella. Yes its true, his other Daddy took him to a Vet recently to have all his booster shots and extra meds for his Trip to Tasmania. As I write this, it is planned that Max arrives in Tasmania for me to Babysit whilst his Other Daddy packs up the South Yarra house and makes preparations for the move to Tasmania.

I will be honest and say I am extrememly excited Max is coming to visit. I have missed my little mate for over 2 months now.
My last image I have of Max is him standing up at the back window of the Hatchback Car as it drove off from Tullamarine Airport, pawing frantically at the glass, and howling! My heart broke and I was in tears at that image. It was all I could see when I was flying down to Burnie that night. Max at the Window.
But since then I get regular updates that he has been a happy dog in South Yarra, going on his daily walks, and being loved, and spoilt by his Daddy there.

But I am soooo excited he is coming to visit!!
Must remember to hide the socks, he loves socks!! Typical Terrier!

Time Out!!

The Front yard at South Yarra.

When I made the decision to move to Tasmania, I could not have imagined the sudden unexpected events to happen. I knew that moving to a new State, a new Home, a new Job is a challenge in itself. I had already done that when I moved from Adelaide to Melbourne in 2002. I had already resigned and was on my last few days at Work, I had packed up most of my possessions, organised transport to get me and my "stuff" to Tassie, and generally saying Goodbye to places, faces, and habits of old.
I was so not prepared for teh sudden loss of my beloved pets, Olly & Mikey. I was preparing my self for teh final Goodbye to Max, our Dog who was to stay in Melbourne, which I knew would be a hard enough time. But to suddenly lose my Pets so close to each other.
I was in deep sadness for my Olly, then heartbroken again when my Mikey also died suddenly. I was taken back to a time when I made the decision to leave the Farm, to create a new Life for myself. On that day my Old faithful Companion, Ben, Half Kelpie half Beagle Dog, died in my Room. I buried my beloved Companion and then drove off to my new life. What a day that was, a huge range of emotions was experienced from excitement, to deep sadness.
Now I had those same feelings again in South Yarra a few days before I left for Tasmania. All those questions come forth again, Am I doing the right thing? IS this a mistake? Should I stay? Was my decision to leave upset Olly?
I decided to go for a long walk with Max, and let all these questions be answered!



Well, I am in Tasmania now, and if I had listened to myself, I would not be here today, relieved that I had made the right decision.

Life & death are a part of our Journey, we are on this Wheel of Life and everything that is created, will end at some stage, and that includes our Animals, and us mere Mortals. We are only here for as long as our Journey lasts.

"Mikey"

This is Mikey.
He was a Miniature Fox Terrier, and he lived for 15 years.

This is his story.
Well it was 15 years ago, that I brought home this tiny little bundle of wriggling puppy that fitted snugly in the palm of your hand. Now this is the first time I had bought a dog that wasn't a farm Dog. I lived on the Family Farm at this stage, and all the dogs we had over the years were Kelpie breeds of some description.
Why did I buy a small dog that seemed so out of place on a Farm? I have no idea really other than this tiny little puppy was just too cute to pass me by.
So off Home we went to a Big Farm with even Bigger dogs!
Mikey lived on the Farm for around 10 to 11 years, creating a name and a character for himself and trying to be One of the BIG DOGS. He would ride on the Tractor, the 4-wheeled Bike, the Cars, and generally behaving like a Big Dog trapped in a little Dog's body. He was ya Mate! He went everywhere with you, even on trips into Town, and even on bigger trips to Adelaide. He loved to ride in the Car, seeing what out beyond the Front Gate.
Eventually My parents sold their Farm and moved into Town. Mikey came too. It wasn't long before he was the Boss of his new House and had Mum & Dad wrappd around his little Paw!
I had, by this time, moved to Adelaide and Melbourne. Mikey stayed at Home with Mum & Dad, it was better that he stay in his Home environment, and not be cooped up in a Big City with no space to run free.
Dad would refer to him as "Boss!".. and he became Dad's companion. When my Dad had his Stroke some years ago, the first thing My Dad said was that he had to get home so that Mikey wouldn't be lonely. Mikey was a pivotal key in Dad's recovery, being there all the time and giving my Dad a focus when he was at his lowest ebb.
Mikey's character had bossomed over the years, and when he would go on his Trips to Adelaide, or be cared for by the Neighbours, they all stated he is a Character, not a Dog.
I believe all our Pets have a distinct Character, and thats how we get so much love and fun from our beloved Pets.

But as time went on, Mikey aged, and years of hard running and falling off tractors, and Bikes, and laps, took its toll on his poor joints. Arthritis set in, and on each visit Home I would see poor Miky hobble around. He still had a strong will, and no stiff joint would stop him from going outside when he wanted to, or a ride in the Car. You could almost hear him speak, "No stiff old bones will stop me mate!!".

But on a day after I was mourning the sudden loss of my Cat, Olly, I received a Phone Call from my Mum, to say that Mikey had died suddenly from Heart Failure in her arms!!

First my Cat, then my Dog, what next I thought?
My heart was so empty!

This is Olly in his favourite spot in the garden in South Yarra.

This is "Olly".

Olly was my beloved Cat that I had for 12 years. I don't know what made me think of him, but his presence today seemed quite strong around me.

This is his Life!

Olly came into my life as a kitten around 12 years ago. He gingerly crept into the House I lived in, in Mitcham, Adelaide one evening. He must have liked the warmth of the Roaring log fire and the real sheepskin on the Lounge because he stayed the night. This little cute Black & White kitten curled up on the Lounge all snug & purring happily! A very happy Kitty!!

Well, he stayed more than the night, he permanently adopted his new Home and its owners. And that was how I came to have Olly as my Beloved Cat, although I do think that Olly had this idea that he was in charge and it was his House, with me as his personal Servant!

Olly was a tough Cat, he lived in 5 Homes in 2 Cities, Adelaide & Melbourne. He even flew Qantas to Melbourne, that was his BIG move, as his "Servants" aka Owners were moving to Melbourne. Olly adapted well to his new surroundings wherever he was, whether he lived in Mitcham, Bowden, Hawthorn, Albert Park & lastly South Yarra. He was his own Boss, never one for being stuck indoors, always wanting to get Outside and explore his world that only cats can do. One year he went missing for 2 weeks, and it was thought that he would never come home again. The untouched food dish, the empty spot on the bed where he would have been curled up next to your feet on cold nights, remembering the moments in the morning when he would sit on your chest and purr loudly whilst smacking you in the face with his clawless paw as if to say "GET UP!"

During the petless period, a cute little bundle of Puppy fluff was brought into the Home to fill the void left by Olly. This Puppy was named Max, and I will tell you more of Max later.

One sunday evening around 6pm, I was at the Kitchen window, Max running under my feet, when I heard this Bone-chilling Cat meowing coming from the roof outside....

OH MY GOD! It's OLLY!!!!!!!!

After 2 weeks absent, and having resigned myself to never seeing Olly again, I was gobsmacked, my Beloved Olly had returned. What a Happy, joyous occassion that day ended up being. We think Olly had taken refuge in a garage nearby, and had been locked in for 2 weeks. He was a tough cat, and this only proved it even more.

Olly was around for quite some time after that little episode.

But life and events can change suddenly. I made the decision to move to Tasmania a few months ago, and that meant leaving Olly with Max and his Other Owner in Melbourne. There was a plan that they might also move to Tasmania at some later stage but for the time being Olly was better to be with his Family and at Home.

Just a week before my last day in Melbourne, There was a knock on the Front Door one Sunday Morning, it was the Greek Neighbour. She was looking sad. She said in her broken English, that our beloved Cat was on the Footpath dead.

I went outside and there in front of me was Olly laying so very still, as if sleeping, on the footpath, not a few steps from the Front gate.

He had been hit by a car in the street that night. He hardly had any visual injuries, as he just looked like he was sleeping peacefuly.

My heart sank to a level so low that I was in deep shock. My Beloved Olly was dead.

I wrapped my Dear Olly in one of his favourite rugs and I buried him in his beloved Garden.

After having my Olly around me for 12 years, not only was I leaving Melbounre, and all I had known for 4 years, I no longer had Olly with me. No More purrs, and cuddling up on my lap or my shoulders. His death left a huge empty space in my World.

My only solace to this event was that now Olly is free to roam his world, and be around me no matter where I am for eternity. That makes me content.

I hate losing my loving Pets, it is a real challenge to be without a companion that loves you unconditonaly.

I miss you Olly!!

This is me on Flinders island. I am on Vinegar Hill, near Lady Barren, over looking the islands towards Cape Barren Island to the South.

I am a Solitary Light.

My Blog title... "A Solitary Light on the Highway of Life".. is one that came to me one day after driving back to Tullah from Burnie one dark rainy night. I had finished work in Burnie and it was afer 11:30pm. I was about halfway down the Murchison Highway, it was very dark, it was raining heavily, the Car lights were doing their best to pierce the night, and this thought came to me out of the Blue.... I am alone out here, its just Me, a single solitary light on this lonely Highway. It then came to me that this is what my Life is.. a Journey! I am a Solitary Light, I am travelling on my own Personal Highway on this Planet. Where is the end of the Road? I do not know, for the horizon is endless. Our Highway through Life is what we make of it, what direction we take with it, and how far we wish to travel on any given Day!
Thats why I called this Blog.. "A Solitary Light on the Highway of Life".
WE are but the only one in charge of our life, no one else is. Other people are but fellow Travellers whom we meet along the way.

"A Star is but a single light out there in the Universe, but together they make a wonderful picture!"