Orange Alert

Today's music as the hot sun wobbles above the dry tree line is Sneaky Sound System's Orange Alert.

Today's post for all the folks enduring the orange craziness of Australia's bush fires.

Monochrome Monday (mush mush)

Back in winter there was a comp at a wicked beach break. My mates were surfing, but as I was not in The Comp, I wasn't allowed.

What's worse, I wonder - (insert sounds of dawn bird calls and HOT, mush-making northerlies tearing dried up leaves off the big tree outside my kitchen window) - finding good waves that you can't surf because there's comp on?

Or

Finding rubbishy mush that you can't surf on?

I drove down to the Gold Coast on the weekend. There were no waves worth surfing. But I did drink 6 coffees and ate two cheesecakes. I saw a guy shaping a board and heard three bands. I wouldn't have had that great experience if the surf was cranking.

Here's a mono-mash of my sojourns to waves I couldn't surf.

Whatta way to go

 Today's post tips the trucker's cap to Seasick Steve who reminds us that NOW is the time and TODAY is the day.

"Twenty five years working for the state

Saved all your money, got a good rate

Always thinking 'bout that pension plan

The day of retirement, the promised land, well

Got a finish off that swimming pool

Get some umbrellas, don't wanna be cool

Remember to take them fishing trips

You never had time for, this is it"

"The day of retirement have finally come

Get a gold watch and your work is done

One month later your heart give out

What was all that planning about?

What a way to go

What a way to go

What a way to go

What a way to go

Well, they finally lay you in the ground

Your wife and the children standing around

Now they got that pension plan

Rather have you, don't you know it, man"

from What a way to go by Seasick Steve

Rupert from the Saltwater Cowboys going hard at Noosa 2013

Monochrome Monday (The Party)

What's a party without music?

It would be safe to say I've been to hundreds, no maybe a thousand parties - parties with bikies in barns out in the bush; 18ths, 21sts, 1st birthdays the kid will never remember; farewells to friends moving overseas, bucks (bachelor) parties where the groom just makes it home in one piece; parties with bands playing so loud that the cops came to shut them down; parties where I jammed with total strangers; met new friends; lost stuff; parties with kegs of beer; parties with homebrew.... Each unique, but all featuring MUSIC.

Here's a little quiz for the braincells still functioning on a Monday. (Answers at the bottom)

Lyric Zero - "I bought a ski blanket, then I bought a kneeboard "

Lyric One - "When the music's over, turn out the lights."

Lyric Two - "Sun machine is going down and we're gonna have a party."

Lyric Three - "The weekend starts here"

Lyric Four - "Rocked up to a party with some cheap beer"

Lyric Five - "Mama don't allow no reefer round here"

Lyric Six - "I'm gonna make it, yeah I'm gonna make it home for breakfast"

Answers:
0  Thrift Shop  by Maclkemore and Ryan Lewis

1  When the music's over by The Doors

2  Memory of a  free festival by David Bowie

3  The Weekend starts here by Fatboy Slim

4  My Scene by Seth Sentry

5 Mama Don't  by JJ Cale

6  Gonna Make It by Vydamo

The Scribe

My friend Rebecca is a guest at this weekend's Writer's Festival in Newcastle. She's a fun surfing mate and very talented scribe whose antennae translate the muted vibrations of our dying planet into imagery worthy of reflection by the few sentient beings remaining.

If you are interested in topics like writing about the sea, or women writing online, then do yourself a favour and check out the Newcastle Writers' Festival site.

My little run the other night has set my health backwards. This is one rugged bug colonising my body! A quiet weekend in the brinecave by the looks of it. Any other ill surfers out there? Get well mates. For the rest of you, get wet and have a great weekend. Play it loud.