An eBike goes to Wombat
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Author Archives: seanatbogie
Winter Haiku 2 for #06
Winter grass lies flat Colour leached, dull and squat On the cold wet plains Winter's hair lies flat Old follicles grey sparse lost From my cold wet pate Strathbogie poetry #strathbogiepoetry
Hades begets Persephone
She awoke with a raw sense of dread
A cold sweat soaked the sheets of her bed
The sounds that night were not nighttime’s she knew
A hint of smoke contradicted the dew
Shadows danced on the bedroom wall
Where dancing shadows should not be at all
The normal still off white of the paint
Was lively with movement and firelight feint
She fumbled with billowing robe and nightclothes
Tying her robe up tight as she rose
Into a world of self doubt and fright
She stumbled out into the cold of the night
She touched the back of the door to sense any heat Realised she’d no shoes put on her feet Sidestepped and slipped into a pair of sandals As her hand reached out for the frightful handle
When she dared to look through the gap in the door Using light flickering lively onto the floor From her half awake hazy sleep deprived daze She wondered if the place was already ablaze
Further she pushed open the portal
Considered precious life and all that was mortal
Within her tiny flat B number 144
She wondered if she could take the fear anymore
And she listened alert for other clues
Thought about the price of paying her dues
She heard the crackle and pop of combusting wood
Her only thought now to get out if she could
She peered out into a reddish early morning gloom
To an apparently deserted yet eerie lounge room
But there at the side a large shape sat in a chair
Exuding an oppressive weight of despair
The wood fire aglow had strangely been lit It certainly was not her who lit it A monstrous head turned to look into her face An inhuman form by nature disgraced
He had discreetly followed her around town for weeks In peripheral vision never seen when he seeks Creating acute nervousness from endless teases A cat playing with a mouse its tormenting pleases
She knew instantly her time had come
It was not to be as life had begun
No comfort from her mother’s caress
No strength to be found on father’s chest
Hades stood to meet her towering ominously above Leering and smug antithesis of love She resigned herself to the monster’s arms Wishing after horror would come blessed dead calm
In this d’verse challenge https://dversepoets.com/2021/08/03/poetics-persephone/ Sarah asked us to take inspiration from the myth of the abduction of Persephone by Hades. I saw ancient (and not so ancient) patriarchal rituals and modern parallels as I read Sarah’s summation of the story.
Hills Road, Strathbogie Tableland
Walking anytime is great. Walking during lockdown is even better! As we continue our quest to walk all the roads, tracks and trails of the Tableland, we continue to enjoy the pleasures and surprises of the task. Hills Road made for another pleasant local walk.
Falling birds
All those birds falling from the sky Some birds live More birds die So consider Why oh why? We poison food chains and nature deny We pave We divert We scrape the sky We take too much don’t comply heat the planet watch it dry Then only crocodile tears do we cry As our legacy becomes the worlds biggest lie That we care action says we deny
Tableland Talk, August 2021
A new edition of the local newsletter.
Fernhills Rd, Shean’s Creek / Strathbogie Tableland
A pleasing 5km return walk along a rural dirt road to an unexpected roadside tower and back.
Strathbogie Cycling: Avenel – Mangalore Aerodrome Loop
This can be a fast, flat road ride or a comfy cruise. The cropping and grazing plains surrounding Avenel are backdropped by the Strathbogie Tablelands. The township itself is worth taking your time to investigate for its many historic features and amenities. There is an excellent Avenel Heritage Walk (see link below).
Hub & Spoke Cycling Route Route Name: Avenel: Mangalore Aerodrome Loop Mode: Road cycling (or any other mode) Start / Finish locations: Avenel Railway Station Difficulty: Easy Distance: 23km Elevation: 136 – 155mm Topography: Flat Surfaces: Bitumen (smooth) Description & Features: A loop out west past Mangalore aerodrome then back through this historic town ship • River Red Gum agricultural plains country for cropping, grazing and horse studs. • The route skirts Kestrel Helicopter Emergency Services and Mangalore Aerodrome. • Runs parallel to Goulburn Valley Freeway for a short distance. • Transits the historic Avenel Township. Riding conditions: The terrain is flat and exposed. Options: Clockwise or anti clockwise Amenities (Avenel) Car parking BBQ Fuel Shops Seating Parkland Playground Picnic tables Public toilets Potable water Accommodation Historic features Sports Reserves Swimming Pool Railway station Cautions: Snakes may be active Mobile reception may be unreliable Carry food, water, First Aid, be SunSmart Be equipped for self-reliant riding Anticlockwise Cues: Start Avenel-Nagambie Rd at Avenel Railway Station Left Doherty St Left Aerodrome Rd Straight Hughes St Left Old Hume Hwy (Henry St) Left Livingstone St Left Watson St Right Shelton St Left Jubilee Crescent Right Queen St Left Avenel-Nagambie Rd Avenel Railway Station Strathbogie cycling #strathbogiecycling Strathbogie photography #strathbogiephotography VictoriaWalks Avenel Heritage Walk: https://walkingmaps.com.au/walk/4516
What I said to the other animal on my journey to the end of the world
I think you might eat me
I‘m scared that you will
If I run you beat me
No light on the hill
In the hope of appeasement
Still desperate to run
I appeal for lenience
For my trashing your home
So I’ll say I’m sorry
That we humans are dumb
I’ll say we forgot
Where we’ve been and come from
You don’t need to eat me
Because we’ll eat ourselves
Let me go quietly
From the home where you dwell
Humans all will be leaving
It’s our destiny
There will be no grieving
And your world will be free
Goulburn Broken Cycling: Graytown – Mt Black Quarry Loop
Bump & Grind Cycling Route Route Name: Graytown – Mt Black Quarry Loop Heathcote – Graytown National Park Start: Graytown Prisoner of War Camp Heathcote – Graytown Rd., Graytown 3608 Mode: Gravel, Mountain Bike, Hybrid, eBike Start / Finish locations: Graytown Historic Prisoner of War Camp Map: -36.815797, 144.949878 Difficulty: Intermediate Distance: 17km Elevation: Between 168 and 232m Topography: Gravelly, undulating hills, with some short steepish climbs Surfaces: Loose gravel, dirt, clay with patches of dust in summer and mud in winter, some short rough rocky sections. Ruts and erosion in places. Description and Features: The dirt tracks and roads through Heathcote – Graytown National Park Box Ironbark Forest are dirt and in regular use. Very dry and hot in summer and can be very cold in winter. Riding conditions vary with the seasons and over time. This ride passes significant historic sites and lookouts you may choose to explore along the way including: Graytown POW Camp, Cemetery and diggings, Mt Black, Mt Black Quarry and Melville’s Lookout. See the walking track links below. Riding conditions: Dirt tracks shared with occasional vehicles and motorbikes. Alternatives: 1. Start anywhere either direction. 2. You can choose to reduce or increase the distance. There are several dirt roads or tracks for various alternative routes. 3. Return via Surface Hill Rd and Graytown Cemetery Rd to avoid the 1.8km of Heathcote – Nagambie Rd bitumen. Clockwise Cues: Start Graytown Historic POW Camp East on the dirt track below and parallel with Heathcote – Nagambie Rd Left Graytown Cemetery Rd Left Surface Hill Rd Right Ballieston Rd Roght Mt Black Quarry Rd Right Tin Hut Track Right Heathcote – Nagambie Rd back to start. Amenities: Car parking Historic features Road and track signage Alternative routes Flora and fauna habitat Cautions: Open water Mine shafts Steep climbs Soft shoulders Rocks may fall Limbs may fall Embankments Uneven ground No potable water Slippery surfaces Subject to flooding Road surfaces vary Snakes may be active Beware of vehicle traffic Mobile reception may be unreliable Be mindful to keep within the Reserve Carry food, water, First Aid, be SunSmart Be equipped for self-reliant riding Restrictions No dogs No firearms No hunting No camping Take rubbish with you No rubbish dumping No firewood collection Do not remove soil or rock No theft of forest produce Historic relics are protected Native flora and fauna are protected Do not remove timber from standing trees No fires in the open Closed on days of total fire ban No 4WD or bike use of walking tracks Drivers/motorbike riders must: use formed roads only, be licensed, be registered Heathcote - Graytown National Park camping at Dargile (Heathcote-Graytown National Park) Camping & Picnic Ground, Plantation Track, Mt Camel 3523 Goulburn Broken Cycling #goulburnbrokencycling For some excellent walks along this cycling route check out the links below ..... VictoriaWalks Mt Black walk: https://walkingmaps.com.au/walk/4573 VictoriaWalks Melville's Lookout Walk: https://walkingmaps.com.au/walk/4513 VictoriaWalks POW Camp, Gold Diggings and Cemetery Walk, Graytown:https://walkingmaps.com.au/walk/4572
Tableland Talk, July 2021
Strathbogie Cycling: Euroa – Arboretum Loop
Hub & Spoke / Bump & Grind Cycling Route Route Name Euroa – Arboretum Loop Mode: Gravel Grinder, mountain bike, hybrid, eBike Start / Finish locations: Euroa Railway Station Railway St., Euroa 3666 • Straight off the train, start at the station • Arriving by car, park in Railway St. to start Map: GPS -36.749156, 145.568173 Difficulty: Easy – intermediate (not for road bikes) Distance and time: 17km plus a couple extra if you include the Arboretum. 1 – 2hrs. Elevation: 163 – 202m Topography: Flat with one small rise. Surfaces: • Good condition bitumen, with a nice wide shoulder on the Euroa – Main Rd return section • Good condition gravel. • Airstrip and Earnshaw Roads are two wheel dirt tracks which may be rutted. They have some dust drifts in summer, muddy in the wet. Description and Features: A ride from the sedate, urban areas of rural Euroa Township into the surrounding plains country. Flat expanses of cropping and grazing lands, with Strathbogie Tablelands as a backdrop. Wooded roadside vegetation. Many fine rural properties. A sad looking local airstrip. Large scale free range chicken farms. Take a break at the excellent locally indigenous Arboretum. There are a few Km extra of intertwining bushland tracks to enjoy. Other amenities include shelter, picnic facilities, public art, wetlands, a bird hide, a small lake and the site supplied nursery is well worth your perusal. Riding conditions: Minimal gradients. Very little traffic. Exposed to the elements. Options: It is about 3.5km (7km return) to the Euroa Arboretum via the Euroa – Main Rd. Anti or clockwise Anticlockwise Cues: From the Euroa Railway Station Right Scott St Left Elliot St Right De Boos St Straight Branjee Rd Right Cowells Lane Left Wood Rd Left Airstrip Rd Straight Earnshaw Rd Left Angle Rd Opposite Euroa Arboretum entry Straight Euroa – Main Rd Left Birkett St Right Handbury St Right Elliot St Right Scott St Left Euroa Railway Station Amenities (across Euroa & Arboretum) Car parking BBQ Fuel Shops Seating Parkland Playground Picnic tables Public toilets Potable water Accommodation Historic features Sports Reserves Swimming Pool Railway station Road name signs Alternative routes Flora and fauna habitat Cautions: Soft shoulders Limbs may fall Embankments Uneven ground No potable water outside town Slippery surfaces Subject to flooding Road surfaces vary Snakes may be active Beware of vehicle traffic Mobile reception may be unreliable Carry food, water, First Aid, be SunSmart Be equipped for self-reliant riding Restrictions: Take rubbish with you Historic relics are protected Native flora and fauna are protected No fires in the open Use formed roads only Strathbogie cycling #strathbogiecycling
Pressing the accelerator
Flying into Melbourne On a private jet Bouncing off ideas With the business jet set Closing every deal No matter what it takes Ethical or shonky As long as the world quakes Driven by ambition Minister or CEO Really only two choices About which way to go Pressing the accelerator When I should have touched the brake How fast am I going to go How much more can I take Slamming down the spirits Soaking up the wine Things are a little beery But everything will work out fine Climbing the hardest rock face Dodging the greatest fall Pushing to the limit And giving it my all Burning the midnight oil Up until all hours Burning both ends of candles To see how much time devours Shooting a little heroin For all the joy it brings Snorting a little cocaine It’s coke that makes me zing Then I lost my partner I leaned on her I admit Then I lost my friends Who won’t see me in a fit Wondering why I need her Wondering why I need it Wondering who l am Any why I’m called a shit A few dodgy deals later I’m sure that I’ll be rich But a punch up with a waiter Left me in a legal stitch I crashed the car last Wednesday Into six or so I’m told Realised I couldn’t pay Forgot insurance in the cold Sick with hepatitis Broke from drugs and booze Living the high life baby Sure can make you lose Eating throwing up Hearing voices in my head Where are my friends and family I might be better off dead Claiming every benefit Sponging every favour Grabbing every freebie Before my resolve wavers Sitting on this pavement Holding up my sign I didn’t plan to be here It just came in time
The reality / truth paradox
The only reality is in one place, at one time,
as a fleeting perception of what a truth may be.
That is to say, no reality at all.
Reality is a thought of a truth in the here and now,
only ever understood by one mind in one instant,
only internalised by one heart for less than one heartbeat.
Then lost forever, to ever evolving interrogation, explanation and dissertation.
External attempts at understanding another’s reality and truths are just that, attempts.
Interpretations of another’s reality are creative, transient similitudes at best.
Knowing of another’s truths can only be attempted by association.
Association by its very nature denies the accuracy reality and truth demand.
History is a barely valid interpretation of past reality and its truths.
Yesterday is reappraisal of reality, mere perception of memorable truths.
The future has no reality where truth is elusive and aloof.
Tomorrow is simply anticipation based upon expectation come proof.
Proof is a contextual misnomer ignoring the reality question, what is truth?
Strathbogie poetry
#strathbogiepoetry
A response to this week’s d’verse challenge regarding the Hemingway quote, “There is nothing else but now. There is neither yesterday, certainly, nor is there tomorrow.” - For whom the bell tolls (1940). https://dversepoets.com/2021/06/22/dverse-poetics-one-true-sentence/
These first two lines of the quote cited immediately drew me back to a repeated personal exploration of what I call “The Reality / Truth Paradox”. If the word “certainly“ had been “certainty” it would have been a perfect fit.
I think this is a discussion Hemingway would have willingly engaged in with me if we had met. I would start with the question, “Do you apply fundamental realities and truths to your characters at the time of their creation?”
Winter Haiku 2 for #04
Water over rocks
Cascades into swirling pools
As winter rains refill
Water over rocks
Washes away rocky past
As winter rains refill
Strathbogie poetry
#strathbogiepoetry
my velvet declaration of love
softer than the sigh of a dying wind gentler than the onset of twilight quiet as the shadows of nightfall light as a mantle of misting rain I brush your lips with mine then I do it again
Strathbogie Cycling: Euroa – Geodetic Loop
Hub & Spoke / Bump & Grind Cycling Route Route Name / Address: Euroa – Geodetic Loop Mode: Gravel grinder, MTB, Hybrid, eBike Start / Finish locations: Euroa Railway Station Railway St., Euroa 3666 Map: GPS -36.749156, 145.568173 Difficulty: Easy – intermediate. Distance: 34km. 2 hours. Elevation: 159 – 184m Topography: Flat Surfaces: Good condition bitumen Good condition gravel Reynolds Rd is a two wheel dirt track that may be rutted. Dust and gravelly drifts in summer, muddy in winter Flooding is common when there has been a bit of rain. Description and Features: A nice and flat, often gravel, loop for taking in the surrounding countryside. This is a broad grazing and cropping plains landscape with the Tablelands as backdrop. Pleasant roadside vegetation with some grand paddock trees. The occasional small stream crossing. You may spot some wildlife like the Goanna above. Riding conditions: Not much traffic. Exposed to the elements. Options: Pranjip Rd is an bitumen alternative to the rough bit of Reynolds and Wood Rd. Anti or clockwise Anticlockwise Cues: Start Euroa Railway Station Right Scott St Left Elliot St Left Handbury St Straight Drysdale Rd Left Creightons Siding Rd Right Nelsons Rd Right Geodetic Rd Right Angle Rd Left Reynolds Rd Right Wood Rd Right Cowells Lane Left Siems Rd Straight (almost) Rowe St Right Elliot St Left Scott St Left Euroa Railway Station Amenities (Euroa): Car parking BBQ Fuel Shops Seating Parkland Playground Picnic tables Public toilets Potable water Accommodation Historic features Sports Reserves Swimming Pool Railway station Road signs Alternative routes Flora and fauna habitat Cautions: Soft shoulders Limbs may fall Embankments Uneven ground No potable water Slippery surfaces Subject to flooding Road surfaces vary Snakes may be active Beware of vehicle traffic Mobile reception may be unreliable Carry food, water, First Aid, be SunSmart Be equipped for self-reliant riding Restrictions: Take rubbish with you Native flora and fauna are protected Riders must: use formed roads only Strathbogie cycling #strathbogiecycling
Palmers Road, Strathbogie Tableland
An easy 7km rural lane return walk from Ankers Rd to the end of Palmers and back.
Winter Haiku 2 for #03
Wet and muddy ground Winter chill is all around Warm fire must be found Wet and muddy ground Winter chills broken hearts Warm fire must be found Strathbogie poetry #strathbogiepoetry
Lake Nagambie Waterfront walk
The most recent walk I have added to VictoriaWalks
https://walkingmaps.com.au/walk/5073
strathbogie walks #strathbogiewalks
strathbogie photography #strathbogiephotography
Broughtons / Gregsons Roads, Strathbogie Tableland.
Another pretty Tableland walk with plenty of winter ambience. It was cold and wet with a constant misting rain. There was a low and heavy cloud cover. Everything around us was beautifully sodden. A perfect day for a winter walk on the Tableland. We did a 6km return from Harrys Creek Road. Next time we will come up from the Fern Hill Road end to further close the gap in our ongoing quest to walk all the roads of Strathbogie Tableland.
strathbogie walks #strathbogiewalks strathbogie photography #strathbogiephotography
The Risk
I cheat, I lie I backtrack, deny I obfuscate and complicate anything to hide the truth Misinformation I cowardly spread forwardly as ordinary as conspiracy to larceny as policy to conspiracy I function in complicity in social media anonymity Where I apply to truth misuse The risk to me individually that I can see is virtually small enough to be risk free to spread hurt mischievously to revel in power disproportionately Vengeful at my oversight my insignificance my empty nights my blighted existence, my trampled rights my lack of insight into doing what’s right I have devolved to taking what’s mine no responsibility, my time to shine. Basking in screen light I refine my hatred of others for having what isn’t mine No obligation to the social contract I make my way with abuse and hack I twist words and views - take that back! Take that back! Attack, attack, attack, attack! Deep, deep, deep down, do I know this is wrong? This never ending destructive ultra-self-interested song this perpetual wallow in despair this unrequited desire to belong begetting this relentless desire to bring everyone else down to my level My oppressed throng. Do I dare the admission? Will I take the risk? Aargh! The shame of it The pain of it The wrenching, gutting bane of it The creep, the dragging chain of it The cowering, snivelling, ever repeating refrain of it I am disdain, the disdain of it. Will I take the risk? The d'verse prompt for this week came from Tricia, a challenge to explore risk. Join us at https://dversepoets.com/2021/06/08/poetics-take-a-risk/ strathbogie poetry #strathbogiepoetry
Winter Haiku 2 for #02
Autumn sees the trees
Losing greenery with leaves
Winter strips them bare
Autumn sees the trees
Losing greenery with leaves
Winter strips me bare
Strathbogie poetry #strathbogiepoetry
Sunshower
Today I saw the sun come out
From behind a veil of rain
But still the drops
Fell all about
As rain fell just the same
The sunlight formed
Into golden shafts
Vapour lit illumination
The earth shattered the falling drops
I watched with fascination
Strathbogie poetry
#strathbogiepoetry
What does it mean to live simply?
To live simply is to lead a life uncomplicated by unnecessary things.
poetography.ink 