Tuesday, November 15, 2016

On the Road Again - Queensland Bound

Hey all,

As you read this, we'll be on our way from Sydney to Brisbane.  

We're looking forward to it, since it's closer to the Great Barrier Reef and all the wonderful diving we're going to do.  We've been saving for it and hope we can do a live aboard with some friends.  Awesome.

It's the hardest part about living on tour--the constant moving--yet, we enjoy the new cities and cultures we get to visit.  Having to pack every few months is a small price to pay for all the cool places we get to see.

Anyway, after all the crazy election coverage and results, I thought today's blog should be lighter...with a bit of fun. So I found this and I'm just not sure what to think about it.  LOL From the Huffington Post...

MAN HOPES TO FINANCE HONEYMOON BY SELLING PRIZED CHEETO BALD EAGLE

Ridiculous, right?  But obviously not to him.  He found this "eagle" in a bag of spicy Cheetos and has saved it, apparently considering it an odd type of savings account. 

He's only asking a measly $5,000 dollars for this beauty. And knowing art patrons like I do, I wouldn't be surprised if he gets it.

Anyone who'd buy some of the art I've seen over the last few years would spring for a crispy piece of spicy art. *snort*  Find out more at 

By the way, due to moving cities, my Friday blog will be cancelled. I'll be back on the following Tuesday with all my fun and news.  :-)

Have a great rest of your week.

Hugs,
CJ England










Follow Your Dreams
http://www.cjengland.com/wanderingstar/badtothebone.htm

Friday, November 11, 2016

Never Mistake the Power of Influence

Hey all,

As you know, this last Tuesday in the USA we voted for our President. And while the choices--IMHO--sucked, they were who we had to choose from. And while I hate the result, I would have hated it no matter who the winner was. I despised Hilary Clinton's past behavior and was terrified of many of the politics of Donald Trump. So I believed America would lose, no matter who actually won.

When Jonathon and I were at dinner one night, we got to talking about how some voters are influenced by certain well known people, sometimes following their instructions on whom to vote for, for no other reason that they are a celebrity.

You know who I'm talking about. There are some who are VERY opinionated about what they feel, and TRY to influence their fans. And there are others who when asked their opinion, give it, and their fans take their thoughts for gospel. But why on earth do people think that being a celebrity automatically gives them some sort of special intellegence?

Does being an actor make you smarter and more politically knowledgeable? Do you know about all the issues just because you can carry a tune? Why is it that because a person is famous, we automatically assume they know more than we? Or that we should follow their lead blindly? Or even at all?

I asked Jonathon if there was a celebrity he would trust and follow about the presidental election choices, and as we discussed it, we realized neither of us would even consider following anyone's lead just because of who they are. In fact, in most cases, we'd be more apt to turn the other way BECAUSE they were using their celebrity status to try and influence people.

Probably NOT what they were going for.

Either way, this election showed a side of human nature that often made me cringe. Not just the mudslinging and backstabbing by the candidates, but the way regular people treated each other in the middle of it. Many people who were for Clinton were rabid about how horrible Trump was, and the nasty posts on FB were legion.  And it wasn't any better with the Trump supporters. I just wanted to bang my head against the wall at the ugliness I heard over and over again.

Anyway, while the election may be over, now we have to deal with the reality of our choice. And since I beleive that the next four years are going to be some of the most difficult in our history, I'm thinking that traveling out of the country may not be a bad idea at all. Maybe when we finally get back we'll have a president that I can actually be happy about.

It could happen.  Right?

*sigh*

Back on Tuesday with a note about our next move. Brisbane, here we come!!!

Hugs,
CJ England










Follow Your Dreams
http://www.cjengland.com/wanderingstar/badtothebone.htm

Tuesday, November 8, 2016

If Voting Changed Anything, They'd Make it Illegal

Hey all,

You know what today is, right? Voting Day!!!! And while the title is a humorous quote by Emma Goldman--one that we all understand--voting is still and always should be an honored privilege.

If you're an American, you've spent the last six months listening to all the campaign slogans, lies, truths, debates, history and bottom line craziness of the candidates.  All I can say is I feel for you. And I'm REALLY glad I'm overseas so I don't have to deal with it myself.  *sigh*

But as I said before, even with all the crap we've had to deal with this election, voting is a privilege many fellow Americans died to give us, so please everyone...take a few minutes and cast your vote. Even if you think it won't matter, your vote DOES count, and maybe we'll all be surprised. A candidate could rise from the depths and be one we're all happy to acknowledge as our president!

*sigh* It could happen.

Here are a few last voting memes to give you a chuckle on this horrific--I mean honorific day.  Enjoy!







Until next Friday!!!!

Hugs,
CJ England










Follow Your Dreams
http://www.cjengland.com/wanderingstar/badtothebone.htm

Friday, November 4, 2016

Once in The Blue Mountains

Hey all,

Wow! I have to say this last weeekend trip was one of the best yet. Jonathon and I went to the Blue Mountains and went hiking. We'd driven through them before--when we last lived in Dubbo--but we hadn't had a chance to really enjoy the area before.

We found a decent hotel--nothing special, just a place to lay our heads--in Katoomba.  It's the main gateway town for the area and where the biggest tourist attraction is.  The Three Sisters is set of rock formations that has a really cool legend attached.  Here is a picture, along with the legend...

Three sisters, Meenhi, Wimlah and Gunnedoo had a father who was a witch doctor. His name was Tyawan.

Long ago there was a Bunyip who lived in a deep hole who was feared by all.
Passing the hole was considered very dangerous, therefore whenever Tyawan had to pass the hole in search for food, he would leave his daughters safely on the cliff behind a rocky wall.

One fateful day, Tyawan waved goodbye to his daughters and descended down the cliff steps into the valley.

Meanwhile at the top of the cliff, Meenhi was frightened by a large centipede which suddenly appeared before her. Meenhi took a stone and threw it at the centipede. The stone continued on its journey and rolled over the cliff, crashing into the valley below which angered the Bunyip.

The rocky wall behind Meenhi, Wimlah and Gunnedoo then began to split open and the three sisters were left stranded on a thin ledge at the top of the cliff. All the birds, animals and fairies stopped still as the Bunyip emerged to see the terrified girls.

As the Bunyip began to approach the girls, to protect them from harm, their father Tyawan used his magic bone to turn them into stone.

Angered by this, the Bunyip then began to chase Tyawan. Becoming trapped, in order to flee from the Bunyip, Tyawan changed into a magnificent Lyre Bird, yet in the process dropped his magic bone. Tyawan and his three daughters were now safe from the Bunyip.

Once the Bunyip had disappeared, Tyawan returned in search of his magic bone, yet this was never to be found.

The Lyre Bird has been searching for this magic bone ever since. Remaining in rock formation, The Three Sisters stand silently overlooking the valley hoping that one day he'll find the bone and turn them back to former selves.


-->
When visiting The Three Sisters, if you listen carefully you may be able to hear the Lyre Bird, Tyawan, as he continues his quest for his lost magic bone.

I love reading about the Dreamtime and legends of Australia. Like this one, there are so many awesome story ideas I can pull from them.

We hiked both days. The first day, we did the Prince Henry Cliff Walk--a four hour walk that traverses the cliffside from The Three Sisters to Gordon Falls.  There were so many amazing viewpoints, I can't even count them all. And each perspective was a little different--enough that each picture I took was just beautiful.  Here's a selection...






The next day we went down the Giant Staircase, almost 900 steps from a viewpoint at the top of The Three Sisters to the forest floor. There were some more amazing viewpoints as you head down. And then the walk--called Federal Pass--is a three hour walk through the rainforest to the way back up the mountain.  It was a funicular, the steepest one in the world and that was a pretty hairy ride, I have to tell you. It has a 52* grade, which was pretty awesome and it was fast, so when it made that last little whoosh up the hill, you were almost standing on your head!










We ended our day with some amazing chocolates at Josophan's Fine Chocolates and then spent the rest of the afternoon driving through the northern Blue Mountains and enjoying the scenery. All in all, it was a great weekend with beautiful views, and a relaxing road trip that refreshed as well as informed.

Makes me wonder where we'll wind up next time?  Who knows????

See you on Tuesday!

Hugs,
CJ England










Follow Your Dreams
http://www.cjengland.com/wanderingstar/badtothebone.htm

Tuesday, November 1, 2016

Out of the Country Doesn't Mean Out of Mind

Hey all,

As you read this, we'll be hiking in the Blue Mountains. Last week it was the Royal Forest...more of a Bush type of fauna (except for the small Forest Path rainforest) but the Blue Mountains are supposed to be very different. I'll try and share those pics on Friday.

But today I wanted to share about what I'm seeing as an American living outside the United States. It's really funny how things have changed in the last ten years. While every once in a while we'd run into someone who disliked the United States and Americans, most people we're very curious about our country and longed to visit someday.

Well, I have to admit, that's changed. These last few months, people aren't nodding their heads and wishing they could be Americans. Instead, they're shaking their heads and telling me they are sorry that our country is going to Hell in a handbasket. They don't ask who I'm voting for, most believe the two main choices are so bad, they can't imagine me voting for either of them.

And since I agree with them, it's kinda hard to defend the whole situation.

As I mentioned in a previous blog, the only thing I like about the upcoing election are the humorous memes and cartoons I find online.  What is it they say? If I didn't laugh, I'd cry?




I'm really glad I don't have to turn on the TV and watch the USA news. Honestly, I'd rather watch the latest rugby scores or whatever the breaking news is here in New South Wales. I find that the most horrific news is still less painful than the idea that Clinton or Trump may be our next president.

Anyway, since this blog will go live so close to election day, I wanted to take the time to say to all Americans that no matter how BAD you think things are, voting IS a privledge that people died to make sure we all had, so do it. VOTE!!!

Have a great rest of your week!!!

Hugs,
CJ England










Follow Your Dreams
http://www.cjengland.com/wanderingstar/badtothebone.htm