Normal Life- Sort of

After our holiday trip around SW australia and our great time at Dwellingup we came back to Freo to get into the groove. School started for Margo and Grant on te first of February and they are enjoying their time. They are attending Fremantle Elementary School and it is a short walk from our house.

Margois in the 2nd grade and Grant is in the 1st. They seem to be enjoying themselves quite a bit. There are mandatory swim lessons during school hours for two weeks in February.

Jeri is appreciating the time during school hours to work out, swim, shop and generally get things done in a way that is hard with two young humans around.

I am very happy to landed a great studio space with a fantastic bronze scuptor. The studio is downtown and is directly on the beach. There are several folks working at the studio and everyone has a good time. I couldn't have found a better niche. I am working on a series of bronze sculptures based on the idea of shipwreck. It will be part of an installation exhibition for this april. I don't have the exhibition site nailed down yet but hopefully soon.

I had a run in with one of the worlds most deadly creatures a few weeks ago while divng. No not a shark, it was a blue ringed octopus. Usually when I dive I carry a mesh bag for collecting shells. I had forgotten on this occasion and was collecting nice big shells and holding them in my hand as I did my 45 minute circut of the limestone reef. Fortunately I was wearing gloves because at the end of my dive I was walking down the beach and I felt something move on my glove. It was a blue ringed octopus and his blue rings were pulsing with anger. He had been inside one of the shells and now that I was out of the water he was mad. There was a fisherman nearby and I walked up to him ad asked him if he had ever seen a blue ringed octopus before. He about jumped out of his skin! I flicked the golf ball sized creature into the water and he swam away. Had he bitten my hand while I was in the water I would have been totally paralyzed in a matter of minutes and drowned. Wheew!instead I have a great memory.





The life in the market is still appreciated. We are fully into the rythm of it now. Monday and tuesday are very quiet, Wednesday the chinese restaurants across the way are open and then things keep picking up intil the crescendo of sunday. If you want to get a feel for the town and market take a look at this youtube video by LimeWaveVideo. It is a super introduction to the paradise that is freo.



In the last week of summer holiday we did a few tourist things including visiting the western australia maritime museum. There is a coldwar submarine pulled up on the ways there and we took a tour. Below are some photos.






Jeri had a birthday at the end of January and it was a blast for all of us. Jeri and I went out to dinner while the kids stayed the night with our darling neighbor, Melanee. Jeri took the family out the next day and treated us all to some video games at the local arcade. It was a blast.




Margo loves to get to know the vendors and often makes herself usefull to them. There is a women who sells crystal beaded sculptures near our door and for the past few weekends margo has helped her mind the stall and also to pack up at the end of the day. She has paid margo with a little sculpture each time.

Dwellingup

The last part of our trip was a 10 day stay in a town called Dwellingup. I applied for and recieved an artist residency there so it was time to put down some temporary roots and start to work. The Residency is a house and studio managed by a group of artists. It is right in the middle of the downtown area of dwellingup which is a very small town in the forests south of Perth. It was a quiet life very conducive to relaxationa and artistic contemplation. We finished most days with a swim in the river pools. A great way to unwind and cool down. I brought my snorkle and fins and had a blast diving in the cool lakes. I found 11 pairs of sunglasses 25 feet down although most had been on the bottom too long to be of use. I did find a pair that Jeri thinks are just perfect though...

After a Week of quiet life Jeri and the Kids were itching to get back to their Freo life where thay are more autonomous and have lots to do. I Stayed a few more days in the country.

Now I am looking foor a usable studio and exhibition space. I am getting caught up on the blog and ready to really start work.

road trip in the forests

!

We set out on the road with a vague notion that there are forests worth visiting to the east. At the end of of 200 mile drive we arrived at the famous "tree top walk" in Wallpole. This is a forest of red tingle trees. They can be up to forty feet in circumference at the base! People have been visiting the forest for many years and the soil was getting compacted and the trees were suffering. 10 years ago they built a giant walkway through the tops of the trees that lets you experience the forst and environment from a birds perspective whlie not hurting the soil. It was really worth the stop. The trees dont get as high as some of the giant trees like redwoods as the tops tend to break off after about 200 feet but that doesnt stop the tree from growing thicker and thicker. The bark and outher layers are very strong while the ineer wood gets soft. It is very common to see hollow trees bigger than real teepees inside. Fire is a big part of the ecology so the trees are burned out in the middle but they still grow and grow. Amazing really.

We drove into the town of denmark that night and lucked into finding a little community of cottages where there was a vacancy. After new years is summer high season so we really lucked out! Not only was it a fun place but there were loads of other kids and an onsight playground to boot!

Our big adventure the following day was a trip tp Greenes Pool. we didn't really understand what this was, but everyone said it is a must see... As I said in the last post, most of OZ is granite. In this case there is a beach near the tow of denmark where the giant waves of the southern ocean bash on to the hard rock shore. Very dramatic to be sure. The coolest part is the 3+ acres of protected water inside the granite reef. A perfect and humongus natural swimming pool full fof clean salt water, fish, crabs and other exotic marine life. lots of fun rocks to climb on and from which to jump into the pool.

On our last day on the road trip we stopped in Albany to see the old whaling station. This was the center for whaling vessels and the place where they would bring the whale carcases to process them for sperm whale oil, an important industrial lubricant and fuel for the past several hundred years. The whaling center was very interesting to see. Hard to imagine dissassembling those exotic bohemoths. Nice facilty and worth a visit.

the australian deep south

New years eve in the Kerri Forest

We were invited by new friends to join them and some other families at there beach/ forest home in Hamelin Bay, four hours drive south of Fremantle. It was our first road trip in australia. Hamelin bay area is a fanastically beautiful natural environment of giant Kerri tree forests, huge limestone caves, beaches, islands and coves. Our Hosts Fleur and Richard and their two little people, Harry and Heidi made us feel very welcome and showed us a great time. Their house is in the forest of eucalyptus trees not far from the beach. We stayed in a little canvas hut on the property and other families pitched tents. New years eve was spent solving most of the worlds problems around a kitchen table. With that out of the way in time for the new year we went surfing, swimming and diving at a place called foul bay. One of the most beautiful beaches I have seen. Just the first of many on that trip.

One of the highlights was the GIANT stingrays that come right up to the beach and will eat out of your hand. There were a couple that were 6 feet across. They say they really arent dangerous but it is hard not to think of Steve Erwin when you are standing there. We all petted them and watched with amazement as they swam in water just inches deep.

The following day Fleur and Richard took the whole group south to the town of Augusta to see the Cape Leeuwin lighthouse there. The lighthouse marks the point of land where the Indian ocean stops and the great Southern Ocean starts. It was really cool to see the southern ocean. The lighthouse itself is an awesome sight and we took a tour to the top. The tower is made of limstone block and the walls on the base are at least 4 feet thick. The light has been running since 1895d was only made electric in 1982. This stretch of land seems very lonely and being this far south the weather can be quite treacherous in the winter. many, many ships and sailors have dissapeared without a story or trace in the southern ocean.

The third day we set off to tour a giiant Limestone cave that is open to the public. The whole of SW australia is made up of granite and limestone. thousands of years of water intrusion hollows out the limeston into giant cathedrals underground. In some cases huge tap roots from the monster kerri trees braid down the stalactites into the caves. It is something that is hard to describe but inspiring to see. Here is a photo.

On the fourth day we set off to the east. Hopefully Australians don't know about ben franklins saying regarding fish, guests and 3 days; but I am sure they have a saying similar . We really had a blast and were introduced to people, places, and things that will stay with us us our whole lives. Thanks to the Hill/Schell mob!

Christmas report

Merry Christmas from Freo.
It is christmas day here and still christmas eve in the US. We have a had a very relaxed and peaceful day. After opening gifts and having a nice breakfast of ham and eggs we got sunscreened up and walked to the beach. Santa must have had a huge load of boogie boards on the sled last night because not only did Margo and Grant get them but loads of other little ones were taking theirs out for a maiden voyage.

The waves were pretty small at first and within 10 feet of the beach. Not the best for riding. The tide was as low as we have ever seen and there were spots of gravel and shells that are normally submerged. It was fun to find beautiful shells and sit in the warm sun.

I took my snorkeling gear and went out to the grass fields that are in 10- 25 feet of water off shore. I love finding shells out there. I have been warned to collect the shells in a bag and not to hold them in the hand or keep them agains the body as there are poisonous octopi that live in discarded shells as well as a cone shell in which the mulusk can shoot a poisonous barb that can really hurt.

I stayed out for 30 minutes collecting interesting shells and starfish for the kids to see on the beach. When I returned we all gathered to look at the bag. After going through the shells margo and jeri were taking a closer look when they screemed and dropped the shells. A small octopus had popped out of one of the shells! We caught the 1 inch octopus and quickly made a hole in the sand full of sea water. We let the little guy go in there and watched as he swam around. I don't think it was one of the poisonous ones but it is hard to tell as they can change their color instantly.

Here are a few of the gift highlights:

Boogie boards for M and G
Shark tooth necklace for Grant
roman style fashion sandals for Margo
New sun hat for Jeri
New sketcpad and pens for John

As for Christmas down under: Lots of people wear a santa hats or those golf/cowboy style hats that are painted green or red. On chrismas day people go to the park or beach for a bbq. The kids all out for summer holidays at the moment so lots of vacationing and travel also.

As for us and travel we have some exciting plans for the next few weeks. On New years Eve we have been invited to camp out in a forest south of Margret river four hours south of perth. It is said to be very beautiful. We will stay there for a couple of days then I will be doing another artist residency in a town called dwellingup which is an hour or so south of Perth. It is known for its outdoor sports; rivers, mountains and forests. The residency is run by Alan Lamb, a cutting edge artist know for sound experimentation. We are looking forward with great excitement.

Life in the market is really fun. Today, being christmas day has been by far the quietest of all days here. on a normal weekday there are hundreds of people from all over the world wallking by our little front yard.

The kids went into the market last week and saw a really interesting set of magic pens. hard to explain really but very cool. The set was 30 dollars which we determined to be too expensive. We suggested that they might want to raise the money themselves. After some thinking they determined that the best way to their goal would be a lemonade stand. After all there are hundred of thirsty people walking right by every day. Once we started organizing for the sale we found out that our neighbor two doors down has a lemon tree and he was happy to help.

With Jeris help the kids made several pitchers of real lemonade. Margo and grant made the signs that hung over the low garden wall. Small glass $1 and a large $2.

The first customers were the street musicians that we have gotten to know. Soon crowds pickup up and the kids overcame their shyness. By the afternoon they had made just enough to buy the pens. It was a lot of fun and a wonderfull money lesson.

Left hand Traffic:
For the first week we were really confused and even walking across the street was stressfull. The flow of traffic was very hard to predict, especially on roundabouts.

Having a bicycle and riding in traffic helped me get used to it all. If it got too stressfull I could just jump up and ride and ride on the sidewalk.
The other thing that takes getting used to is knowing where to look to see a driver. we austomatically look at the wrong side of the car. I have glanced up to see what I thought was a 9 year old driving, or someone reading a newspaper. After a moment I realized it was the passenger. Not easy to overcome habits.


We have a car that is loaned to us by Carola whoo works at Artsource, the organization that is sponsoring my residency. It is a little hyundi Getz. Driving on the left is quite the transitiion for someone used to right hand traffic. On top of this challenge is the fact that the car is a manual transmission. Just remembering which side of the car to get into in a challenge.

As for the driving it is tricky. the pedals are in the same configuration but the gearshift is on the left of the driver and the turn signal is on the right of the steering wheel. IF I want to indicate a left hand turn I usually turn on the windshield wipers. For a right hand turn I do the same thing...

Following other cars is pretty easy. The tricky part is when in a parking lot and everyone is keeping to the left by instict. Margo and grant have been trained to yell "stay on the left" randomly from the back seat to help me remember.
Driving is a totally saturating task at this point.

staircases, sidewalks and grocery store carts all go on the left also.


Anyway, Happy hollidays to all. It looks like the weather is pretty rough in the midwest and north east. We miss you all!

j

Freo at last

This is our house.
Well we have made it to Fremantle (Freo as it is known here by the 'strians)
We have been here a week and things are falling into place.
Let me tell you about the town. For those of you that have seen Charleston or Savannah you will have a pretty good idea of what a 18th or 1th century town by the sea is like. Lots of old and low buildings, nice parks. Very easy to get around. I have a borrowed bicycle which makes getting around town super easy. Freo is famous in Australia for its artistic culture and coffee house scene. I don't think that I have been to a place with more restaurants and coffee houses per block. Amazing considering how expensive it is to eat out here. More on that below.

Freo is 20 miles from the state capitol of Western australia (W.A.) which is the city of Perth. Perth is a beautiful and modern city. There is a train every 10 minutes or so from Freo to the city. Perth doesnt have the reputation as a city with more than workplaces and apparently it is quite deserted after 6pm.

Our house. It is 140 years old and never had a major remodel. We were a little shocked when we first got here but since we have made it into a comfortable place to live. It is smack in the middle of the market. Freo is favorite for its market. We are in the middle of it. The market is a huge ordeal 5 days a week although the weekends are biggest. There are great butcher stalls, veggies, baked goods, souvineirs, magicians, musicians- a bit of everything and lots of people coming and going. It is an exciting place to be actually. Grant and Margo spend part of each day out on the front porc playing legos and talking to the musicians that play on the corner in front ofour house. The mausicians are only allowed to stay in a spot for 45 minutes so they have several that they know and chat with.

Last night we decided to go out to eat and we had to walk all of 75 feet to a little food court that speciallizes in excellent chinese/thai/malay/indonesian food. After dinner we went to a video arcade as a birthday treat.

There is a large park with a huge rope climbing structure 5 minutes from the house. There is a nice sand beach for swimming on the indian ocean just 2 minutes further. Freo has a very nice swimming pool compound with waterpark, playpool, and two large pools. There is a free bus network that goes around the city and it makes life pretty easy.

Australia is crazy about sun protection and almost every playground has a sun shade built over it. Also the whole aquatic center is in the shade. School kids wear uniforms here and every uniform has a wide brimmed hat of some sort.

The montessori school that had promised us enrollment for feb, marc, april called to say that they have lost a teacher and that they can't accomdate us. We have to figure something else out. There is a public primary scool just close by our house and we will look into it.


Cost of living: It is alot more expensive than we anticipated. Western Australia is doing just fine economically atthe moment. Most of their economy is based on the mining and sale of natural resources they sell to the chinese and the rest of the world market. The Australian dollare is worth .90 of the usd but the prices for everything is usually 50% higher. We don't eat fast food, but here is a comparison of prices- Specialty burger in the states 4.50-- with fries and drink 6.00. In Australia the same burge is 6.50 and 9$ with fries and drink. We see this across the board. A beer in a pub is between 7 and 10 bucks.

With the market nearby Jeri has been cooking great meals and we havent eaten out much.

AS for my art. Things are moving along well and I have a proposal out to the Fremantle Art center to do a large installion of sculpture and video. I will update the blog when I find out more. The theme of the work are the many wrecks of Dutch and english ships that happened onto the shores of western australia 100 years before Capt cook supposedly discovered the continent. Google "ship Batavia" for a true story that is unbelievable.

People are very friendly and we are having a great time. The weather is early summer and the high each day is close to eighty with 60s at night. Really very nice.

Four days in Sydney

We left Brisbane for Sydney on the 27th of nov. In sydney we stayed at a hotel right on the beach in a beach community north east of the city called Manly. A famous surfing beach and beach scene. There was a pool on the roof of the hotel and Between that and the beach it was lots of fun. With kids this age it is important not to schedule too much city stuff so we went into the city as a family just once to see the sights.

The Sydney opera house is the most iconic building in a really dramatic skyline. The opera house is better than I imagined. To walk around it is to get a million different perspectives and angles. Look at my artist blog to see some creative photos:

Sydney sure is a nice city. We think that it is the perfect combination of london and San Francisco with the weather of LA (at least while we were there.

We took the ferry into the city one day and went to the part of the city called darling harbour. We went to the Sydney aquarium which was first rate. Pictures below.


jeris take:

We are in Sydney
for our last day and have really been having a great time. It is a
gorgeous city.
with ferries to take you all over the city. Really beautiful. The
opera house is so amazing. The kids have been keeping up the pace pretty well, getting in
to the swing of long walks and long waits. We have a pretty good
system down, lots of hang man and silly putty silliness, and the like.

John is trying to perfect an Australian accent, which is giving him a
pretty tough time. Its funny though. We are staying in a hotel on
Manly Beach, which is a pretty famous surfing place. We having been
having a great time playing every day. Grant has discovered how to
dive into the waves and he is crazy about it. They play and swim
until they are shivering. We were sitting on the beach the other
evening when we saw 4 yellow crests cockatoos flying and playing in
the trees above us. They look exactly like your birds, Tom and Pam,
except yellow in tint. The would land on a branch and then flip
upside down and spread their wings out. It was hilarious. We just
couldn't believe it. and now we see them quite a bit. It's pretty
neat.

Tomorrow we leave for Fremantle and I am very excited to see our digs
and get out of our suitcases. Our hotel room is a big mess of dirty
laundry and generalized chaos. I am excited to have a kitchen and a
bit of routine.