Stone the crows

In his memoir 'Life' Keith Richards admitted that he once considered becoming a librarian before the birth of The Stones, and recently he'd sought professional training in the Dewey Decimal Classification System to manage his large personal library (apparently he was painstakingly arranging his vast rare book collections of  early American rock and World War II histories via Dewey - but then doesn't everyone?!) Try to reconcile the hell-raising rock guitarist famous for his life of sex, drugs and rock n roll with that of an avid bookworm! 
And in a quotation featured on many library websites, Keith is reported to have said: “When you are growing up, there are two institutional places that affect you most powerfully: the church, which belongs to God, and the public library, which belongs to you. The public library is a great equalizer.”

In his book, Keith Richards, one of the Rolling Stones' founding members,opens up about his childhood, rise to super-stardom, and personal life. From his turbulent relationships, including his well-publicised estrangement from, and reconciliation with Stones' front man Mick Jagger to his drug shenanigans that made even more of a legend amongst his fans. With the Rolling Stones, Keith created the guitar riffs, the lyrics and the songs that roused the world, and over four decades he lived the original rock and roll life: taking chances, speaking his mind, and making it all work in a way that no one before him had ever done. Richards tells all in this poignant biography.

It's only money

Looking at spending the last of the budget before the end of June, knowing I'm not buying one of everything.

Dear photo

While I'm undertaking  iPad video photographing classes, I'm still thinking about 'now & then' still photos (even incorporating one in the video).
I came across an American version (Canadian/United States) in a published book - "Dear photograph" by Taylor Jones. Taylor documents how he naturally came upon the idea of superimposing an old photo, of his brother with a Winnie-the-Pooh birthday cake, against him sitting in the same chair years on, while looking through old family photo albums. Taylor uploaded the photo onto Tumblr, his blog, and then created a Dear Photograph Twitterfeed and Facebook page - and it went viral and really took off.

Dear Photograph, You're the only memory I have left of this. Luis

Then of course there had to be the Dear Photograph website and a book deal. The book was published in 2012. Here are just some from the book, all addressed to Dear Photograph -

Dear Photograph, Our lemonade wasn't a very big hit that day. Maybe we should have used real lemons instead of all that granulated stuff. Tyge

I know you are my ancestors, sitting there in front of the house I grew up in, where my family still lives today. Even though we have lived in different times and a generation or more apart, I somehow feel closely connected to you both. Gitte

Dear Photograph, It's been fifty years since I wore that snowsuit, and so much has changed. Yet in many ways, it feels like so little has. Just the way it should. Billy

As Time Magazine said "past and present blend into a new work of art". Oh yes it is a phenomenon.

Oooo records

Conversation the other day got around to what was the first record (or cassette, or CD - depending on your age) that you bought.
I didn't have to think for long, still remember it - "Explosive hits '74". I purchased it for my sister's birthday, and the first chance we had to play it was at our grandparents. Our grandfather totally disapproved of this loud pop music on a machine which previously had only ever played classical and operatic works (maybe it had sometime to do with the first track starting with the guttural ooga ooga ooga chaka).

I didn't remember all the tracks, but seeing the listing again -
Side 1:
Hooked on a feeling - Blue Swede
Dance with the devil - Cozy Powell
Billy don't be a hero - Paper Lace
Ships in the night - Vicki Lawrence
Too pooped to pop - The La De Das
The Entertainer - New England Conservatory Ragtime Ensemble
La Grange - ZZ Top
Emma - Hot Chocolate
Seasons in the sun - Bobby Wright
Side 2:
The Loco-Motion - Grand Funk Railway
Devil Gate Drive - Suzi Quarto
I am Pegasus - Ross Ryan
The air that I breathe - The Hollies
Over the rainbow - Billy Thorpe
The last time I saw him - Diana Ross
Evie Part 1 - Stevie Wright
My coo ca choo - Alvin Stardust

brings most of it back, though there were a couple that didn't ring a bell till I searched for them on iTunes, also checked my iTunes library and I have two-thirds of them. Umm is that good or bad? 
The other thing that reminiscing about these old tracks is, you also remember events of those times too - listening again conjures up memories...
And then there was "Explosive hits '76"!

Quaint - but pronouncing hell

Out touring on the weekend to a number of quite small hamlets, localities really. 
Like Neuarpurr where the horses (from cute little miniatures up to the large draught horses) vastly outnumbered the human residents. But there was the beautifully rustic Neuarpurr State School building (the perceptive will recognise this is the same style as Boyeo, just flipped) now a private home. I've driven past a dozen times previously without discovering this little gem.

Neuarpurr No. 2645 (1890s-1940s)

Booroopki WWI monument

Talking of little towns , there was Minimay proudly boasting 'population 10' on the town sign, it still has a store/post office, but not sure for how long as there was the For Sale sign out the front. 
From the dead-end Domaschenz Road in the Patyah/Jallakin area, bypassed Ozenkadnook and skirted Lake Charlegrark to arrive at Booroopki (the City staff were having a giggle at its pronunciation the other day). Booroopki now has a little picnic shelter at its Avenue of Honour.
Heading west to the new money at Tallageira - the farmers moving to huge centre-pivot irrigation to grow vegetables, even the sheep were eating the discarded onions (readily seasoned lamb roast). 

Cast-iron plate outside the Benayeo Hall

Then just short of the border and Kybybolite, to Benayeo finding this relic - apparently the back plate of a fireplace, built by the Victoria Foundry in Carlton for the Education Department in 1876. Was going to finish off at Bringalbert, but the light was fading so it will have to be another alphabet adventure in local nomenclature.