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I Am a Folk Festival

This is the last in my series of National Folk Festival (the Nash) posts.  The title of this post is taken from Canberra poet, Josh Inman’s poem, ‘I Am a Folk Festival‘, that I heard him perform at the Nash last weekend.  Josh said that the moment he steps through the gate he gets a shiver, a sense of freedom.  This perfectly sums up the way I feel about the Nash.  Josh said ordinary people live ordinary lives.  But the Nash is extraordinary.  It makes everything seem possible.  We can be extraordinary.  So, he would rather be a folk festival.  That really spoke to me.  I can be a folk festival too.  Is that too corny?  I guess you had to be there. Read more

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Bollards Are Not a Smiling Matter, Unless…

WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge  — Smile

The WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge asks us to show a smile (ours or someone else’s), or a photo which makes others smile, or both.  We can also share a photo of something that has brought a moment of joy into our lives recently, or that focuses on the outcome of that joy.  Here are some photos of festive bollards that make me smile. Read more

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Stand And Deliver

You will all be thoroughly sick of me posting about about my National Folk Festival (the Australian one) soon.  I post about the Nash like a mother posts about a new baby.  All. The. Time.  Have I told you it is my favourite place in the entire world?  Anyway, this post is about my favourite place within my favourite place —  The Stock Camp.

The Australian bush and the characters that inhabit it have become the stuff of legends;  they’ve entered into our folklore.  The traits of these pioneers – an independent streak, larrikinism, mateship, egalitarianism, belief in the fair-go, toughness, stoicism and courage – immortalised by poets such as Banjo Patterson and Henry Lawson, are meant to embody the Australian spirit.  If it all sounds to be good to be true, then it probably is.  Nevertheless, this spirit oozes from the Stock Camp at the Nash, and I love it.  Read more

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Beam Me Up Folkie

WordPress Daily Prompt  —  Radiant

I’ve just returned from five days in a perfect world, my National Folk Festival (Australia).  I want to write lots about it, and I will.  But in the meantime, here are a few photos that convey the daily prompt, ‘radiant’. Read more

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Sounds of Zen – A Parody

In honour of the National Folk Festival (Australia), which opens tonight (Thursday), I have written a little parody that I thought I would test out on you, dear Readers.  I have no idea whether I will be brave enough to recite it at any of the poetry workshops.  I never have before.  It depends on your feedback.   If you are really brave, you can try to sing along to the tune of the Sounds of Then, which was written and performed by Ganggajang (you’ll have to sing over the top of their words).  I won’t be singing come performance time.  I’ve provided a link to the original song below.  Aussies may find this fun, but others will probably be completely flummoxed.  Please note there is a certain amount of hyperbole used in this poem.

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On the Road Again

WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge  – I’d Rather Be…  On the Road Again

A few years ago, I suffered from a serious depressive episode – you know, the kind where you just want to run away.  I’m not ashamed that even though I was nearly 50 years old at the time, I still needed my mum.  So I packed my bags and headed out on the road for the 1,500 kilometre trip north to mum’s.   Read more

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Snow White and the Two Coos

WordPress Daily Prompt   –  Captivating

I’ve never been much of a camper.  Until recently, I could count the number of times I’ve been camping on one hand.   For something different, and to save money, my love and I decided to take a driving/camping holiday en route to visit family in Queensland.  We had no excuses because my big boy worked in a camping store so he could kit us out.  I now realise what I’ve missed out on my whole life.  This is the story of our first night camping. Read more

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Close Encounters of a Canberra Kind

WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge  –  Out of This World

If we could visit another society in another galaxy, what would their buildings look like?  Perhaps they might look like one of my favourite buildings, the Shine Dome, which houses the Australian Academy of Science.  The Shine Dome, which was completed in 1959, was constructed when the space race was just starting to get serious.  It is an exceptional building.  I’m grateful for the assistance of my true love who kindly took these photos for me.  I subsequently applied some filters to them to achieve the otherworldly special effects.

shinedome2 Read more

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Coffee, Don’t Leave Me This Way

WordPress Daily Prompt  –  Conjure

The thing I most look forward to each year is not Christmas, birthdays, the football finals, or Mother’s Day; it’s the National Folk Festival (affectionately known as the Nash or the Folkie in our household).  The Folkie is about to roll around again and so we are dusting off our tie- dye and beanies in anticipation of four perfect days.  Every year is memorable but some are more memorable than others. Read more