Punk

by Dahni
© 2016 all rights reserved

There is a final revolution for all, in this circle of life. And the day comes when it seems that circle no longer turns. But not only does it continue to turn, it never stops turning!

It hurts, when we lose someone we love. It hurts when those we love, lose someone they love. And it hurts, when we meet loves of those we love and lose too, those we come to love as well.

To those that never have had nor may ever have a pet, you may never understand how a pet could ever become one of your family. And they may never understand how their loss could be, as one as any other member of your family. But I suspect, all can understand hurt and its opposite, wholeness and well being. We love in part because, in some measure and in some sense, someone gets under our skin, is absorbed into our bloodstream and goes directly to the heart.

I could have wanted to have written this yesterday 1/22/16. I could have grieved or shared something with those to whom this event first came to know and feel its sting, first. But it was difficult (if not impossible), for me to have done, when I was surrounded by three grandchildren, full of life and joy that were contributing to my wholeness and sense of well being, for most of that day. And now, I am mindful, not of the hurt so much as, remembering, wholeness and well-being!

Such for me was Punk, not my cat, not my care and concern, but a cat I met in Australia, just a few short years ago, that got under my skin.

He was unique in that he only had three legs and it took me an entire whole 24 hours to figure that out, that he only had three! He was unique in that he moved as well as, if not better than, most cats with four legs. He was unique in that he would just make himself at home on your lap or where you slept and right into your heart. He was unique in that I had never before or since, met a cat that loved so much to get underneath the covers! He was unique in that he loved most everyone. He was unique in that his curiosity usually always, resulted in some very imaginative and creative play. It is not always what we’ve not, but how we use what we’ve got that really matters the most!

Having Punk get under my skin the way that he did, surely could not linger because, my time with him at his home in Australia was just a month, How attached to someone could we become, in just a month? After all, he was not my cat; not my care and concern. He was there and I was here.

Then— Punk came to live with us. And he came to get under my skin, again, and into my heart for days and months. Almost daily, we’d talk about some things and often just about nothing that mattered at all. The conversation was mostly non-important, the ‘hanging out together’ was really all that mattered. While most cats love to crawl up and lay upon a blanket on your lap, Punk would crawl up and get underneath that blanket or under the covers of our bed and sleep this way through the night, under the covers, under my skin, into my bloodstream and into my heart.

Punk was a survivor! He survived the loss of one leg and thrived with three. He had a heart condition and he survived that anyway. When he came to live with us, he survived and thrived in a new country, with new people and in a new environment. He survived the many run-ins with our one and only cat, Bella. To her discredit, Bella is a scaredy cat and pretty darn anti-other-cat-social. To Punk’s credit, he usually won all arguments! 🙂

Punk even survived me! 🙂

Punk survived surgery here, for Hodgkin lymphoma. He never complained about all that was done to him, before and after his surgery.

Punk survived to be returned to his immediate family; his ‘first family,’ here, after they came home to NY.

When I first knew that Punk would be coming to live with us for awhile, his human father Jonathan, said to me, “Your’e never going to want to let him go!” My only edit to that statement is, I never will!

Cats are curios creatures, but Punk found such creative ways to enjoy his joy, from the simplest things as a ‘cat pillar,’ a box or a bag.

Punk 'sunny side up' at our home 2016 — Punk’s ‘sunny side up’ disposition, at our home 2016. Notice, Punk uses the window for the full effect! 🙂

Yesterday, Punk’s heart gave out, but not before imparting it to many others. Yesterday, Punk left a hole in many hearts when he left this life. I would have loved to have seen him one more time, but he left me some things that I’ll never forget and they remain with me still!

Love is NOT a measurement of how much, how long; how much stronger or deeper one loves over any other. It is something that either gets under your skin or it doesn’t. It survives anything and everything! It enters as a contribution to one’s wholeness and sense of well being, which are opposite of the hurt we experience, throughout our lives. Yes, it comes and gets under our skin, enters the bloodstream and goes straight to the heart. And when we feel its loss and grieve and mourn, we should be mindful that what we got under our skin, that entered our bloodstream and that got into our hearts, still remains! Memories are the token reminders of wholeness and well-being. Thank you Punk, for so entering me and for your ever reminder to—

Be WHOLE – Be WELL!

Punk – Mr. Punkle Pants – January 22, 2016

A sense of wholeness and well-being is, in the bag! :) — A sense of wholeness and well-being is, in the bag! 🙂

January 23, 2016 1

On: Jetlagging

by Donnie Hayden

Well, we made it home. We left Tokyo, Japan, Thursday, May1st, 2014, at around 11:00 AM and arrived in Chicago, IL around 9:00 AM. Huh, say what? This is messing with my head and my body! Yes, we flew from the future and then all night to get back to the past. This is called: jet lag.

Jet lag, medically referred to as desynchronosis, is a physiological condition which results from alterations to the body’s circadian rhythms resulting from rapid long-distance transmeridian (east–west or west–east) travel on high-speed aircraft. It was previously classified as one of the circadian rhythm sleep disorders.

Me in the middle of tomorrow, today & yesterday

The condition of jet lag may last several days until one is fully adjusted to the new time zone, and a recovery rate of one day per time zone crossed is a suggested guideline.

Suggested one day per time zone to adjust? But we flew through around 13!! Do we need 13 whole days to get back to our normal?

Whatever, these posts are suspended until I have finished jetlagging (for whatever time this may require me). 🙂

Going to bed now around 12:45 past midnight eastern daylight savings time on May 2, 2014 or 1:45 PM tomorrow in Japan somewhere or 2:45 PM tomorrow in Australia somewhere. 🙂

Stay tuned to this channel. I’ll be back as soon as the jetlagging is over or the confusion dissipates (whichever comes first). 🙂

There is more to come, much, much more!

May 2, 2014 0

On: On Our Way Home

by Donnie Hayden

Ok, by the time you read this say 10:00 AM eastern standard time (EST), May 1st, 2014, we have already lived through that and will likely have to again, on our way back home. What we gained from going into the future, I guess we lose coming back into the past. But perhaps if we lived a day ahead of our life expectancy then came back, is it a wash? I guess we will just live as long as we’re gonna’ live. But what will ‘jet lag’ be like at home? Well, we’re on our way to finding out.

But, just in case you ask or are curious, which country did we like better, Japan or Australia? Well, the question is like comparing apples to oranges. We not only visited two counties, (4) kids (OK they are adults), two in Japan and two in Australia, but two new grand babies too. There is no comparison. They are all different and WE LOVE THEM ALL!!! 🙂

Japan - "The Land of the Rising Sun" & Australia - "The Land Down Under" — Japan – “The Land of the Rising Sun” & Australia – “The Land Down Under”

THERE IS NO COMPARISON!

'Land of the Rising Sun' - JAPAN — ‘Land of the Rising Sun’ – JAPAN

'The Land Down Under' - AUSTRAILA — ‘The Land Down Under’ – AUSTRAILA

NO COMPARISON!

Luv Yah!! :) Dahni & Susan — Luv Yah!! 🙂
Donnie & Susan

May 1, 2014 0

On: The Land of Oz

by Donnie Hayden

Today to you in the west is the 30th of April, 2014. Our last full day in Australia was on the 29th. The day before (4/28/14), we finally made it to the ocean. So for today’s post, even though we are already in Japan, spending the night and leaving for home on May 1st, I wanted to share some last minute OZ’ stuff with you. Most native Aussies pronounce Australia as, OZ- tralia.We have in many ways, felt like we have been in the land of OZ! 🙂

But Australia is not only a country comprised of six states and two territories, it is also, a continent. We have never left the huge state of New South Wales. Not only have we not seen the rest of this beautiful and interesting country, we have not even scratched the surface of New South Wales!

We spent most of our time with family at their home in Camden, NSW, Australia. I personally, fell in love with this wonderful community! We went to Sydney, NSW, a couple of times, went to the Sydney Opera House, the Harbor area, downtown Sydney, the Chinese Friendship Garden, took a ferry boat ride to Toronga Zoo, and went to Sea World. Still, all of this is located in New South Wales. We rented a cottage for the weekend in Katoomba, New South Wales, in the Blue Mountains. On and on and so forth and even though we saw and experienced a lot in just over a month’s time, what do we really know about this wonderful country, not very much! And even though I took probably 1,000’s of pictures, if they all turn out and I shared them all with you, Australia has SO MUCH MORE to offer! And the same can be said of Japan as well!

But we made it to the ocean in Australia. And do you remember a few posts back while in Katoomba, NSW, I said we saw 100 or more sulfur crested cockatoos fly overhead? Perhaps you found that hard to believe, especially since there were no photos or videos to back up that claim.

I'm so pretty! Thanks for looking! HAVE A NICE DAY! :) — I’m so pretty! Thanks for looking! HAVE A NICE DAY! 🙂

Well, at the bottom of this post are two videos. 100 or so cockatoos flew over the home where we have been staying in, Camden, NSW, Australia. It was an early foggy morning with a little light rain. It was on our last full day here on 4/29/14. The videos show these same birds, perched in a couple of gum trees, in front of the house. Incredible, beautiful and NOISY! 🙂

The day before 4/28/14, we set out to see the ocean. The following unexpected road sign was seen while in route.

Road sign to the Ocean — Road sign on the way to the Ocean

We got to the ocean to Susan’s pure joy and delight! If I told you Susan loves the ocean, that would be an understatement, GREATLY UNDER-STATED!! 🙂

It was a nice drive there through some ‘bush’ of eucalyptus forests, past the koala crossing and with a gorgeous view of mountains until, we descended toward the beach. And there, was, a little sand path walk to the shore. It was a lovely cool day and a bit cloudy. It was definitely a remove-your-sandals-and-walk-barefoot-in-the-sand kind of day. There were huge barges and boats in the distance. Several surfers were out trying to, “catch some waves.” Jonathan and baby Felix, Susan and I walked and explored the beautiful beach and walked along the shoreline. But of course we rolled up our pant legs and dipped our feet in the water! It was wonderful! Susan and I collected a few shells to bring home and spied all kinds of washed-ashore plant life and a couple of little live creatures. One was a tiny hermit crab, walking with its shell still attached. There were large black rocks covered with barnacles. But after all is said and done, it’s all about the ocean!

There was some driftwood and a huge chuck of timber that I pretended to be part of some shipreck that really did occur in this area in the late 1800’s. I found a little stick and, but of course, I had to write something in the sand!

With Love from Susan & Dahni on the beach in OZ-tralia :) — With Love from Susan & Dahni on the beach in OZ-tralia , 4/28/14 🙂

As our outing ended, I came back another way, up some stairs to a play area for kids, picnic area and public restrooms. They even had showers that I took advantage of and washed the sand from my feet, before putting my Keen sandals back on (And yes, brother Richard, my Keen’s stood up to sand, shore and salt-ocean-water. Our outing at the beach was short-lived, but WE LIVED! It was an appropriate one ending to our stay in Australia. Why did I use the words, “one ending?” Why, because, the very next morning, those 100 or so cockatoos from the Blue Mountains seemed to show up in Camden, (as if they followed us) and right in front of our house, JUST FOR YOU!!!! 🙂

But before this post ends and you see the little videos, we would like to take this time to thank all the wonderful Aussies, family and all our new friends that made this such a wonderful and memorable experience! Thank you one and all! We will never forget you! Missing you already! Guhday Mates and Maties or Sheilas! 🙂

Dahni in Susan

A Cockatoo Good Morning to You – Youutube video 1

If possible, watch this full screen and crank up the volume! 🙂

A Cockatoo Good Morning to You II – Youutube video 2

If possible, watch this full screen and crank up the volume! 🙂

April 30, 2014 0

On: Pretty & Cool III

by Donnie HAyden

Pretty & Cool or Pretty Cool Part III this

By the time you get this in the west around 10:00 AM there, it is around midnight of April 30th, and in just a few hours we will take a ride by car then catch a train to Sydney International Airport and we will be on our first flight back home, starting first with an overnight in Tokyo, Japan.

And the confusion or weirdness begins. For our long travel back from the future into the past begins. I am not looking forward to the long flights, time changes and the dreaded jet lag from passing back into yesterday, sixteen hours later when we have already lived in your tomorrow. I’d love to click my heels three times and have it over.

As we leave The Land Down Under as many pronounce it here OZ-tralia, it does feel somewhat like we are not in “Kansas anymore,” like Dorothy said to Toto. Our time here has been wonderful, but as Dorothy also said to Toto…

"There's No Place Like Home!" — “There’s No Place Like Home!”

But until we get back to yesterday, today, it’s Pretty & Cool or Pretty Cool Part III! 🙂

PrettyCool30 — Realy Cool Real Plant Arrangement Three Sisters Mall Store at Echo Point, Blue Mountains, Katoomba, NSW, Australia

PrettyCool31 — Beautiful Fruit-Like Berry Blossom, Belgenny Farm, Camden Park Estate, Camden, NSW, Australia

PrettyCool32 — Pretty Blue Somewhere in Australia 🙂

PrettyCool33 — Pretty & Poisonous Toadstool under shrub at Entrance to Carrington Hotel, Katoomba, NSW, Australia

PrettyCool34 — Pretty Smiley Face Flower, Taronga Zoo, Sydney, NSW, Australia

PrettyCool35 — A Bud, Taronga Zoo, Sydney, NSW, Australia

PrettyCool36 — Delicate Texture, Taronga Zoo, Sydney, NSW, Australia

PrettyCool37 — Black Swan, Indigenous to Australia, Taronga Zoo, Sydney, NSW, Australia

PrettyCool38 — Nature’s Fractals (Fern), Taronga Zoo, Sydney, NSW, Australia

PrettyCool38b — Closeup of Nature’s Fractal (Fern), Taronga Zoo, Sydney, NSW, Australia

PrettyCool39 — Blue-Red, Taronga Zoo, Sydney, NSW, Australia

PrettyCool39b — Closeup of Blue-Red, Taronga Zoo, Sydney, NSW, Australia

PrettyCool40 — Peacock, Taronga Zoo, Sydney, NSW, Australia

PrettyCool40b — Closeup of Peacock, Taronga Zoo, Sydney, NSW, Australia

PrettyCool41 — Pink Hibiscus, Taronga Zoo, Sydney, NSW, Australia

PrettyCool42 — Little Flowering Tree, The Chinese Friendship Garden, Downtown Sydney, NSW, Australia

PrettyCool43 — Lilly Pad Flower, The Chinese Friendship Garden, Downtown Sydney, NSW, Australia

PrettyCool44 — White Gardenia, The Chinese Friendship Garden, Downtown Sydney, NSW, Australia

PrettyCool45 — Beautiful Rose, The Memorial Rose Garden, Camden, NSW, Australia

PrettyCool47 — Susan, My Beautiful Rose in Front of Waterfall at, The Chinese Friendship Garden, Downtown Sydney, NSW, Australia

PrettyCool48 — Beautiful Rose Bud, The Rose Memorial Park, Camden, NSW, Australia

PrettyCool49 — Beautiful Lavender Rose, The Rose Memorial, Camden, NSW, Australia

PrettyCool50 — The Money Tree, in a Park Outside of Camden, NSW, Australia

PrettyCool51 — Pretty Little, Lily Pad Pond, The Chinese Friendship Garden, Downtown Sydney, NSW, Australai

PrettyCool52 — Pretty-Cool Whatever it is, The Blue Mountains, Katoomba, NSW, Australia

Pretty Peaceful, The Chinese Friendship Garden, Downtown Sydney, NSW, Australia

Pretty Little, Lily Pad Pond, The Chinese Friendship Garden, Downtown Sydney, NSW, Australai — Pretty Peaceful II, The Chinese Friendship Garden, Downtown Sydney, NSW, Austraila

Pretty Peaceful III, The Chinese Friendship Garden, Downtown Sydney, NSW, Austraila

April 29, 2014 2

On: Pretty & Cool II

by Donnie Hayden

Pretty & Cool or Pretty Cool Part II

By 10:00 AM in NY (eastern standard time) today,April 28, 2014 it is midnight of the next day here in Australia (April 29th. Hopefully, I am asleep, for when we arise, it’s packing day, for tomorrow morning we will be leaving the ‘Land Down Under,’ for Japan, and our trip home.

So I, like Tooter Turtle will call upon Mr. Wizard the Lizard to get us safely home.

Tooter Turtle (sometimes spelled Tudor or Tutor) was a cartoon about a turtle that first appeared on TV in 1960, as a segment, along with The Hunter a detective dog, as part of the King Leonardo and His Short Subjects program. “Tooter Turtle” debuted on NBC, on Saturday, October 15, 1960, and ran for 39 original episodes through July 22, 1961. These episodes were later rerun as backups on other cartoon shows,^[1] but no more original episodes were made.

The plots followed the same general format. Tooter (voiced by Allen Swift) calls on his friend Mr. Wizard the Lizard (voiced by Sandy Becker), an anthropomorphic lizard wearing wizard cone hat, robe, and pince-nez eyeglasses. Mr. Wizard lived in a tiny cardboard box at the base of a tall tree. The introductory segment had Tooter knocking on the cardboard box, having “another favor to ask.” From inside the box, Mr. Wizard would shrink Tooter small enough to enter through the box’s front door, and invite him in. Mr. Wizard has the magic to change Tooter’s life to some other destiny, usually sending him back in time and to various locales.

Mr. Wizard sending Tooter Turtle somewhere in the past, present or future

As Tooter is doing his destiny, Mr. Wizard narrates about it. When Tooter’s trip finally became a catastrophe, Tooter would request help with a cry of “Help me Mr. Wizard, I don’t want to be X any more!” where X was whatever destiny Tooter had entered. Mr. Wizard would then rescue Tooter with the incantation, “Twizzle, Twazzle, Twozzle, Twome; time for this one to come home.” Then, Mr. Wizard would always give Tooter the same advice:

“Be just what you is, not what you is not. Those that do this are the happiest lot.”

Source, Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tooter_Turtle

Anyway, back to your present and ‘Pretty & Cool’ or Pretty Cool Part II

PrettyCool14 — A Pretty ibis in an habitat reserve nearby

PrettyCool15 — Another Pretty, Belgenny Farm, Camden Estate Park, Camden, NSW, Australia

PrettyCool16 — Pretty Cool flowers, Belgenny Farm, Camden Estate Park, Camden, NSW, Australia

PrettyCool16b — Closeup of prety cool flower, Belgenny Farm, Camden Estate Park, Camden, NSW, Australia

PrettyCool17 — Pretty Pink, Belgenny Farm, Camden Estate Park, Camden, NSW, Australia

PrettyCool18 — This pretty white flower looks like the tips of its petal were airbrushed pink., Belgenny Farm, Camden Estate Park, Camden, NSW, Australia

PrettyCool19 — Lime Tree, Belgenny Farm, Camden Estate Park, Camden, NSW, Australia

PrettyCool19b — Closeup of Limes, Belgenny Farm, Camden Estate Park, Camden, NSW, Australia

PrettyCool20 — Pretty Ducks, Habitat & Reserve in park, Camden, NSW, Australia

PrettyCool21 — Pretty Cool Window Display, Camden, NSW, Australia

PrettyCool22 — Pretty Cool Advice, on street outside store, Camden, NSW, Australia

PrettyCool23 — Pretty Cool Display and sculpture made out of wood, inside store, Camden, NSW, Australia

PrettyCool24 — Beautiful delicate little fragrant flower, Katoomba, NSW, Australia

PrettyCool25 — Bee and Yellow Flower, Katoomba, NSW, Australia

PrettyCool25b — Closeup of Yellow Flower, Katoomba, NSW, Australia

PrettyCool26 — Pretty Pink Flowers on Fence Line, Katoomba, NSW, Australia

PrettyCool26b — Closeup of Pretty Pink Flowers, Katoomba, NSW, Australia

PrettyCool27 — Beautiful, Downtown Sydney, NSW, Australia

PrettyCool27b — Closeup of Beautiful, Downtown Sydney, NSW, Australia

PrettyCool28 — Another Beautiful, Taronga Zoo, Sydney, NSW, Australia

April 28, 2014 0

On: Pretty & Cool

by Donnie Hayden

Pretty & Cool or Pretty Cool Part I

As you are waxing on your Sunday, our is waning in Australia. Soon it will be Monday here. We have only two days left until we leave early Wednesday for our flight to Tokyo, Japan on April 30th. After an overnight night there, we will take a flight to Chicago, IL, U.S.A. on May 1st, fly through yesterday and still arrive on May 1st, catch another plane and be in Rochester, NY around 2:15 PM est, on May 1st. Then it is about a 45 minute drive and we will be home!

This has been an incredible trip to Japan & Australia! There is so much from both countries I still want to share with you.

While still in Australia there was so much more I wanted to share, but the time fails me. I have taken thousands of pictures and many of them are acceptable to my very critical eye. But with the laptop I have been using, problems with my camera, lack of software and other issues, I have been severely limited.

But there are places we went and things we did that I want to share and will, somehow in the future. Here is just a partial list of content I have not posted yet:

• Belgenny Farm (the birthplace of Australian agriculture)

• Out N’ About Sydney, Australia

• Beautiful sunrises and sunset

• Paddy’s Market (downtown Sydney shopping district

• More about Camden, Australia

• Our ferry boat ride in Darling Harbor, past the Sydney Opera House and underneath Harbor Bridge

• Susan’s & Caitlin’s High Tea

• Sea Life Sydney Aquarium

• Taronga Zoo (truly a world class zoo in Sydney. I have so many pictures of animals and we proabably only saw 1/3 of the zoo)

• And so much more!

So, I have loaded over 60 pictures of just what I call in the post, Pretty & Cool or you could also just think of these as pretty cool! 🙂 But these are pictures taken over the month that we have been in Australia. The are pictures of flowers and plants mostly found here. Most of these I do not not know their names are really much about them other than, there are just to me, Pretty & Cool! 🙂

So I will pre-schedule 3 posts for the next three days (including today) and post about 20 or so pictures for each day with some simple captions with descriptions.

If I get an opportunity to post anymore before we get home to The Gathering Place, I may? I will try and continue posting about our trip when we get home ASAP. But, we have much to do when we get home for the month of may and June, but I will do the best that I can, when I can.

Thank You for your patience and understanding.

Dahni

A neighbor's tree on Little St., Camden, NSW, Australia — A neighbor’s tree on Little St., Camden, NSW, Australia

PrettyCool1 — A rose of many The Rose Cottage, Camden, NSW, Australia

PrettyCool4 — Bottle Brush Tree, Camden, NSW, Australia

PrettyCool4b — Closeup of Bottle Brush Tree, Camden, NSW, Australia

PrettyCool5 — Even after the colors fade, the Bottle Brush Tree is still interesting, Belgenny Farm, Camden Park Estate, Camden, NSW, Australia

PrettyCool5b — Closeup of faded Bottle Brush Tree, Belgenny Farm, Camden Park Estate, Camden, NSW, Australia

PrettyCool6 — Just another ‘Pretty,’ in Camden, NSW, Australia

PrettyCool7 — Gorgeous Rose, Somewhere in Australia

PrettyCool8 — Another ‘Pretty’ Taronga Zoo, Sydney, NSW, Australia

PrettyCool9 — Bird of Paradise, Taronga Zoo, Sydney, NSW, Australia

PrettyCool10 — Interesting hangy-downy-thingies somewhere on an Australian tree 🙂

PrettyCool11 — A pretty lorikeet eating pretty red petals, right outside our living room window on Little Street, Camden, NSW, Australia

PrettyCool12 — Closeup of pretty lorikeet eating pretty red petals, right outside our living room window on Little Street, Camden, NSW, Australia

PrettyCool13 — This cactus at the end of the street, budded shortly after we got here. There must have been over a 100 buds. Only 1-2 blooms

PrettyCool13b — Closeup of bloom and buds

PrettyCool13c — The blooms only bloom once and only two buds blossomed and as of 4/26/14 this is how the cactus now looks

PrettyCool13e — All the buds and 2 blooms disappeared. This little red I saw the morning of 4/26/14

April 27, 2014 0

On: Money

by Donnie Hayden

Money? Yes! Let’s face it, we all like it and we all need at least some! And after almost 2 months abroad, we are running out of it. 🙂

Today, I thought I would share some pictures of local currency from Japan and Australia and compare these with what in my country have been referred to as “green backs,” ever since President Abraham Lincoln basically took over the banks in 1861. Ever since then, US currency has pretty much remained the same.

Oh sure, over the years since the 1800’s (probably always), there have been issues with counterfeit money or what some refer to as, “funny money.’ It’s really not so funny if you, businesses or the banks get caught holding it, but it’s “funny,” as in odd or not real.

One of the jobs of the same people that guard the president of our country and other dignitaries (the Secret Service), is investigation of counterfeit money.

The US Mint that is responsible for printing our dollars and minting our coins have introduced many anti-counterfeit measures over the years and especially since the technology of the digital press, scanners and computer software has made counterfeiting a state of art and can produce a lot of this “funny money” so close to the original that even many experts can be fooled into thinking it’s the real deal.

But again, and despite such techniques as micro printing, the insertion of encoded magnetic strips and other measures into US currency, it still pretty much looks the same, ever since the 1800’s. Oh sure, there are some newer presidents and signatures that are used, a special commemorative coin here and there once in awhile, but the flat stuff, the paper money is still basically green. Not until very recently, has any other color been used, other than green.

With all due respect to the skill of engravers that make the printing plates from which our money is printed and the coins are minted, the US is far behind the world, at least as far as my experience has been, in Japan and Australia. In short, the currency from these two countries is beautiful. They are works of art! I do not know how safe their currency is and how much of a problem in either of these two countries have with counterfeiting, but their money is impressive!

I want to thank my wife Susan for taking all these pictures below (except the one of US money that I copied from the Internet. Even though I stole these pictures from Japan and Australia from Susan, thanks Honey! 🙂

Let’s start with some money from Japan.

Japanese dollars are beautiful works of art and contain many colors. The common name is Yen. The multiple colored item in lower left corner of the paper money is, actually a holographic image, most likely used as an anti-counterfeiting measure, but it adds to its beauty.

Various coins from Japan are easy to distinguish by design and color of metal used, including the ‘Lucky coins’ with the hole in the center. Most products for sale including the appropriate tax is in rounded numbers. No one in Japan wants to deal with the 1 yen coin which is like a 1 cent coin in the US. The 100 yen was really beneficial to me as I could get a cup of coffee most of the time for 100 yen which is about $1 in US money. In the US we have the Dollar Stores for all kinds of inexpensive (cheap as crap stores), but both Susan and I love those stores! She is not allowed to shop in one brand name dollar store during the holidays, as it is my own personal stocking-stuffer store to stuff her stocking! 🙂

In Japan, they have the same kind of stores only these are called the 100 yen stores. Yes the stuff sold in a 100 yen store is inexpensive, but it’s not crap like the dollar stores usually are in the US.

The picture above is the front an back of the Australian 5 dollar bill. It too is a very beautiful work of art and shows the Queen of England. The newer paper currency has a colored transparent plastic window in each bill making it difficult to counterfeit. In fact, all the Australian dollars (new) are made out of plastic mostly, wear longer than paper and probably float on the water if you fall out of a boat while fishing. 🙂

The coin top left is a heavy coin with cut edges. It is the Australian 50 cent piece and is used in many sporting events in Australia to “toss the coin.” The brass 2 dollar coin is very valuable and preferred in Australia over most other coins. Like Japan, Australia usually price everything including tax in whole amounts. They do not like their 1 cent coins either.

Although I appreciate the pictures of our favorite and famous presidents, the skill of the engravers, the anti-counterfeit measures installed on and within the bills and even the attempt at adding some color, come on US, get with the world! Update your designs, add colors and make some beautiful works of art like the world has been doing or is and perhaps has been, for a very long time!

In fact, if you search online for the most beautiful currency and the safest currency (hardest to counterfeit), the US is not on any of the top lists! Why is this? Get with the world and quit making and thinking and charging in terms of cents. WE the people don’t like the 1 cent penny either. Round or make everything for sale including tax, in whole amounts.

April 26, 2014 0

On: A Cockatoo Good Morning to You

by Donnie Hayden

On Friday April 11, 2014, after we checked in at our cottage in Katoomba, NSW, Australia in the Blue Mountains, Susan and Jonathan and I went to town to find some food for super. Caitlin, baby Felix and Fritz the dog stayed behind at the cottage.

The cottage had a large open space for the living, dining and breakfast area, with a high cathedral ceiling. The west wall was all glass and outside was a large wooden deck. Two large cedar trees were on each side of the deck.

The view of the Blue Mountains towards the frot of the deck or due west was incredible! It was the perfect place to view the sunrise, sunset, moon-rise, moon-fall and the many coolabah (eucalyptus or gum) trees rising mysteriously in the distance. These trees hosted many cockatoos and other birds. Throughout our weekend, we could see them fly over and sunset and sunrise and perch in the trees. And, outside on the deck was a wonderful place to hear the cacophony of sounds and breathe the fresh clean mountain air and reflect on life, chill or just be at peace.

But as we three, on our first evening here, crossed the street from our cottage, at least 100 cockatoos flew overhead, just around sunset. We we brought food home for Caitlin and told her about this, she let us know that she saw the same group of birds fly overhead and land in the trees, in front of the deck of our cottage!

Personally, I’ve only ever seen any of these beautiful birds in zoos and as pets back home in the United States, but and never so many and flying-living free in Australia!!! 🙂

Although I was not able to capture this extraordinary sight with my camera, four cockatoos showed up the morning we left for home. One in particular, seemed more than willing to pose just for you! So I share this ‘Cockatoo Good Morning with You!’

Good Morning from our cottage deck in the Blue Mountains

Four Cockatoos

Sure I'll pose for you! — Sure I’ll pose for you!

April 24, 2014 0

On: Aussie Beverages

by Donnie Hayden

Guhday Mates, from Donnie your Aussie beverage guide

In a previous post, we tasted some wonderful Australian food and their butter. See Butter from this blog here.

While out and about on our Saturday here, we came upon a store called the Epicure which means, “one that enjoys fine food and drink” or simply, “the good life.” This is the same store where we enjoyed that marvelous butter from two posts back. After going on and on and drooling from the memory of this, the lady asked if we would like to taste the milk that is used to make this butter? Would I, would we? There was no hesitation, of course we would and did.

When I was a young boy, we had an Aunt Gladys & an Uncle Al. We loved to visit them! Right across the road from them was a dairy farm. One dog would round up all the cows and bring them to the barn for milking. They had mechanical milking machines even 50 years ago or so. But the milk went into this stainless steel tank that was somehow cooled instantly it seemed to just above freezing or 32° F. (Fahrenheit). I don’t to this day know how they did it, but when I say “ice cold,” it was ICE COLD!

A side note: 100’s of cats all seemed to show up out of nowhere at milking time! 🙂

Anyway, since those times, I could never drink milk unless it had ice in it, but I drank this milk from Australia that was the same milk used to make the awesome butter we had and it WAS DELICIOUS!!! 🙂

Well, this post really is about beverages from Australia or that I have tried here. You have already seen the following picture in another post, but here it is again. After the milk, it’s GINger time. In a bit you will understand why, I capitalized GIN in GINger. 🙂

Ginger Beer, Ginger Ade, Dark & Stormy (Giner beer, lime and rum) and Ginger Wine — Ginger Beer, Ginger Ade, Dark & Stormy (Ginger beer, lime and rum) and Ginger Wine

Then there was this ginger suprize that you have also seen before.

Next, what was the capitals of GIN in the GINger for?

On the last night of the Camden Show, Jonathan and I popped in to a local pub, for a night cap or two. 🙂

I ordered an Australian beer with Jonathan’s recommendation and he ordered a GIN and tonic. I have never liked gin because it smells if not like a pine tree which I do like the smell, but it reminds me of mineral spirits which I used to use for many years, in cleaning out my paint brushes used for, oil-based or alkyd paint. I’ve sometimes wondered why so many older painters drank a lot? Was it to cut the taste of the mineral spirits out of their nostrils? Well anyway, something came over me and I asked Jonathan if I could try his drink? I think I was thinking that I used to not like tonic water until it was put together with rum, fresh lime and fresh ground nutmeg that our friend and former neighbors (still friends) made for many-a-happy-hour. We affectionately refer to this as, ‘Lou’s Pirate Punch!’ So I perhaps thought, maybe GIN, with fresh lime and tonic water might be OK? Jonathan said, “Sure you can taste it!” I did. I loved it and ordered myself one. This experience set the stage for what was to come later, when we stopped in to ‘The Custom’s House’ reaturant and bar in Sydney for a drink after our return from the Toranga Zoo. The Zoo post is coming, hang on! 🙂

The Customs House is or was indeed that, for Customs. But on one of the upper floors was the Customs House Bar & Restaurant. It was a fancy beautiful place with a great view of Darling Harbor and the Harbor Bridge.

Lighted table for our drinks. Very Cool! :) — Lighted table for our drinks. Very Cool! 🙂

Anyway, on their drink menu was a ‘Gin Gin Mule.’ I was curious. It sounded like a Moscow Mule which is ginger beer, fresh lime and vodka that I already like, so I tried this and? I loved it! 🙂

A Gin Gin Mule is served in a tall glass with ginger beer, a spicy ginger syrup, fresh lime, GIN and a sprig of mint and ice.

A Moscow Mule is basically the same, but with vodka, and traditionally served in a copper mug (lined of course, with stainless steel).

A Dark & Stormy is also, basically the same only it uses, a dark (more molasses flavored) rum and served in whatever kind of glass you desire.

All of these drinks made with ginger beer are fantastic. Thank you Australia for introducing me to Gin, Gin & Tonic, and the Gin Gin Mule!

Now for something regular, only from Australia, beer (actually it’s pale ale)! How does the name Fat Yak grab you? Well this is its name and it is made in Matilda Bay in Australia. Sure it will give your Matilda something to waltz about! 🙂

Fat Yak starts with hops and they finish it with hops. Normally, I don’t care for hoppy beer and ales etc., but this has a wonderful blend, a bit of fruit in its flavor and it just has a nice and lovely taste!

Are you ready for something really unusual? Here it comes. While we were in the Blue Mountains, the girls popped in to a little liquor store to pick up a nice bottle of Riesling wine for our night’s meal. Just outside the shop was a little sandwich board with the following message:

“Try Our Hot Chilly Wine”

This is exactly what the sign said and it is spelled exactly as I saw it. But I wondered what that meant, So I went into the store and asked. Now I don’t know if whoever wrote the sign cannot spell or it was intentional. If it was the latter, well it worked because, I wanted to know what it meant! 🙂

But I suppose the wine was chilly and it was hot and it was wine and it was made out of chili! So welcome one and all to world of Hot Chilly Chili Wine!

Hot Chili Wine cloese up of rear label) — Hot Chili Wine (close up of rear label)

Disaster Bay Chillies produce this sweet hot wine without grapes whatsoever! It is made from 100% chili peppers.

The proprietor gave me a sample and there are just no words to describe what was beyond anything I could imagine!

Disaster Bay Chillies is a partnership between Stuart Meagher and John Wentworth. John has been an organic market gardener for more than a decade and Stuart has been a chilli fanatic for at least as long.

Stuart and John combined their passions in 1999 to grow chillies on the Far South Coast of NSW to produce what they believe is the world’s first commercially available wine made from chillies. They used a recipe from a mate of Stuarts, known as Old Didler, as a starting point. Then, after much experimentation – and a little luck – they struck upon a workable method to produce the wine.

Disaster Bay Chillies is from Eden, a coastal town in the South Coast region of New South Wales, Australia. The town is 478 kilometres (or about 297 miles) south of the state capital Sydney and is the most southerly town in New South Wales.

This sweet and hot (spicy hot) wine was absolutely incredible and unlike anything we four had ever tried. It is great with cheese and crackers which is what we had it with. I think it would be awesome with fresh oysters too! What ever you serve it with, do yourself , your guests, friends and families a favor and TRY IT!!!

We intended to bring this home, but we opened it up and drank most of it that night! We finished it off the next night when we returned home to Camden. Oh NO, what to do???? “No worries mates, you can order it online!”

http://disasterbaychillies.com/

April 23, 2014 0

Tag: Australia

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