Thursday, July 4, 2013

Spirits in the Todd River Part Two


Early one morning standing in the dry sands of the Todd River in Alice Springs, I took a photo of my favourite tree just near the hotel. The autoflash was on, the digital image appeared on the screen,  !!! half covered in white ! two more taken, the whole screen whited out !  What's going on ? Took 3 shots without the flash, holding still for the low light available,  then,  3 more with the auto flash back on .... normal now ??
Back inside, download to laptop.... Gay from next door, is in for brekky,  and when the 1st pic comes up she instantly spots a figure running across ! (Gay tells me she could do those 'Magic Eye' puzzles easily, and   media facial obscurations don't 'hide' anyone's face from her !)



That night when I got back after a big day at Beaniefest, and totally exhausted physically and emotionally(?), I noticed a sore throat, as I went to sleep. By morning I had a raging phlegmy cough !  Now I don't get sick often. Only had a Flu twice. Usually 'catch' anything before it starts. (It has taken me until today, 12 days to feel nearly better, 'tho still phlegmy!)
Anyway back to Alice,  that morning I had to drive Gay to ABC for an interview, then Penny out to her workshop at Territory Craft, after which I was free to go back to hotel and finish getting ready, shower etc. But now being daytime, I decided to hop into the hotel spa, which I checked out the first day, by dipping fingers in. It had only felt warm, and with cold nights, maybe too cold to actually hop into, but a daytime spa, might undo my tight neck muscles, the most 'likely' cause of picking up a sore throat, me thinks.
It was HOT ! and so relaxing I hopped in every night and every morning thereafter ..... Thanks to that spa, I was able to hold off the debilitating-ness of this 'Back To Front' illness I've suffered since.
One morning after 'burping out' all the knots and discovering 'Spa-flexology' up thru my feet ! Aaaaah ! .... I began work on the unfinished healing in my abdomen...trying to encourage the 'attached spirits' to  dis-engage, to flow free, out  into the spring waters, out into the ether thru the bubbles, down the Todd River ..... Back To Country ....back to Family. ........ from a very central spot  on the banks of the Todd.

Then we all went out for a short stroll into the Sunday Todd Mall market, before Beaniefest,  and just before I had to leave for my shift as Gallery attendant, I come across old friend Jabo !

Here's Jabo, a Hungarian who has been living out here in Central for decades, with his wife Naomi Kantjuriny, with a stall of some painted wooden artworks. I tell Jabo about  my Spirit Photo, then about my latest session in the spa, ..... and he then tells me I need to see a Ngangkari, a spirit healer, and I write down names and details about a book. But as I leave in two days, it's unlikely I can do anything about it this trip. On Tuesday morning I check out Dymocks bookshop, and have a quick peruse of the book, but with few dollars, and an uncertain baggage weight,I leave the purchase til later, grabbing the ISBN.

Today I begin an online search for the book, and anything else I can read online about the Ngangkari .......and found this in part from words by Naomi
 " We say wirunymankula waninyi - which means, to declare someone well and to banish the illness. The illness, or pain, can take the form of phlegm, or back pain, and this is what I specialise in.

Ahhhhh phlegm ! back pain !  how about  aching jaw ? ......  I think I now  'SEE', the cause of my 'sickness/healing'   ...... Amazing ! me thinks..... Maybe I can be my own ngangkari, as I had thoughts already..... wanting to read the book to 'refresh' my 'memories' ......Yay !..... OR a  a Ngangkari ran past me in the river ???

wirunymankula waninyi   wirunymankula waninyi   wirunymankula waninyi  begone begone begone hehe

The series of pics as taken, followed by White Balance adjustment,or in some Auto Colour adjust then Brightness/Contrast  adjusted, to'see'what we can see. Somethings I find it easier to 'see' stufff in smaller thumbnails

















 



Wednesday, July 3, 2013

Spirits in the Todd

 It was wonderful to stay in the very centre of Alice Springs, during my trip to the 17th Beaniefest. It meant that I could visit the Todd River as the sun rose. The first two mornings were cloudy, after some overnight drizzle. I just love the trees and the Eastern Macdonel Range catching the light.
 The first morning, after walking down toward the bridge, I returned to just adjacent to the hotel, and found this very ancient tree, that caught my interest, purely because of the size of the original trunk, curving out over the dry riverbed.
 The second morning, after another morning walk, I met Jo Nixon down at a local car hire, to become a 'signed in' driver for this little car.
 Thursday morning and after an early morning phone call, I was back out at the Araluen Cultural Centre, to be interviewed by the ABC, after Jo.(seen here glowing about one of her favourites in the exhibition. 'Friends Meet in the Lily Pond'
 This is one of my competition/exhibition beanies 'The Spirit Within - Narradjinii' or as I heard many people referring to it 'Piccininni'..... when she comes home to me, I feel I have more detail to add around the back.
 This is my second entry, 'Family EterniTea' a Tea Cosy created out of my very first ever wet-felted hat, with needle-felting. Many people feel I have channelled my Elders, seeing my mother's face in the woman. It can still be worn as a hat.

 After the cloudy and therefore, warmer weather, Beaniefest Friday dawned clear and blue. The night before had the temperatures dropping, as the cloud dissipated away. I attended the Sustainable Couture fashion parade in the Aviation Museum, and due to my early start, while it was still cloudy, I thought not to over dress again. Luckily I had just enough with me, 'tho I was starting to get a bit chilled, using my wrap to sit on the cold metal chair. The fashions made from re-claimed fabrics were modelled by a bunch of fun and expressive people, and I felt completely at home wearing my turquoise blanket coat, made by Corinabel, here in the northern rivers.

With the clear skies, I headed out to the Todd River again when it got light, and after taking some more photos of the ancient tree, I walked out across the sand of the dry river, taking photos up and downstream.
When I turned back, I saw the old tree from a new vantage spot, and when I got closer, took another photo. The automatic flash activated, and when the captured image showed on the screen, I thought something was wrong with the camera, half the screen showing white. I took two more with the automatic flash on, and the whole screen turned white, then 3 without the flash, trying to hold the camera still for the low light, then 3 more with the flash. The last three, were normal 'darkish' due to flash and low light.
 Back in my room, downloading on to laptop, Gay from next door, in for breakfast, spotted the figure running thru the first pic.
Above is totally as captured, below has had the White Balance auto adjusted.