image: Cheesetoastie64 an Australian Jewel spider Do you ever want to just stop the world and take a time out? Retreat into solitude and isolation. Take time to just re-align with what is real in a world of unreal demands and expectations. Escape, just for a moment the horrors of the news cycle and the … Continue reading Retreat, rejuvenate and reconnecting with my wild and pagan soul.
Baiame’s Ngunnhu or the Brewarrina fish traps
I just want to acknowledge the traditional owners of the lands through which I travel and pay my respects to elders past and present. I also acknowledge the painful history of dispossession. Sovereignty was never ceded on these lands and yet despite all of the injustices of our colonial history, First Nation people have maintained … Continue reading Baiame’s Ngunnhu or the Brewarrina fish traps
Animal Migrations and Human Quests
“It has been decided by our leaders that economic growth is more important. That the extinction crisis is an acceptable trade for their greed.”― Charlotte McConaghy, Migrations image: José Eugenio Gómez Rodríguez Creative Commons I have completed my first two Gaia/nature reads for 2023 both books deal with the theme of migration or journeys, for both animals … Continue reading Animal Migrations and Human Quests
Let’s talk about taxidermy
Saw this piece on the ABC site last week: Poor taxidermy making 'fattypuses' and 'platysausages' out of Australian animals Essentially the article talks about Jack Ashby's highlighting of dodgy taxidermy around the world, especially in regards to Australian fauna. Ashby's book Platypus Matters has been reviewed here on Gumtrees and Galaxies and by May at … Continue reading Let’s talk about taxidermy
Trees
And a Christmas read When did we stop seeing the sacred in trees? When did they become nothing more than a commodity, or worse sometimes just an inconvenience? Woke up this morning thinking about trees. They seem to be haunting my subconscious at the moment. The clearing of old-growth koala habitat has been a bit … Continue reading Trees
Gorgeous new editions of nature themed novels
Just wanted to alert my fellow nature lovers to a new series of gorgeous editions of nature-themed novels from Vintage. If you are looking for a nature-themed work of fiction, this is a great place to start; the covers are just magnificent. From the Penguin site: Vintage Earth Series Discover great writing on the most … Continue reading Gorgeous new editions of nature themed novels
The Gaia/nature reading challenge in 2023???
“Reading is like thinking, like praying, like talking to a friend, like expressing your ideas, like listening to other people’s ideas, like listening to music, like looking at the view, like taking a walk on the beach.” – Roberto Bolaño Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com The Gaia/nature reading challenge has been running for a couple … Continue reading The Gaia/nature reading challenge in 2023???
Walking Landlines
“Be not inhospitable to strangers lest they be angels in disguise.” A few years ago I came across a book on the Wainwright prize short list that I absolutely loved, I would like to say it was life changing, but to be honest I think it just reinforced values I already hold dear. It was … Continue reading Walking Landlines
Gaia/Nature challenge update And Platypus Matters
First up I want to share a link to Karen's excellent post on Pearl S Buck's classic The Good Earth it is one of those classics I have always meant to read. And Curlygeek has written a great post review on How to Give Up Plastic by Will McCallum both the above make good titles … Continue reading Gaia/Nature challenge update And Platypus Matters
Things lost, amnesia and the Gaia challenge
A bit of a catch-up post on the Gaia/Nature challenge today and sharing some overdue links. Curlygeek at the excellent book blog The Book Stop has been reading for the Gaia challenge and like me, they also included Lisa See's excellent historical novel The Island of the Sea Women in reads for the challenge. And … Continue reading Things lost, amnesia and the Gaia challenge
Gum trees and Galaxies 