Western Australia : To Carry fire (traditional Aboriginal knowledge)

photograph taken in the Beelier Wetlands by dheborah July 2015

This is a photograph of a dried Banksia cone which is being used to carry fire. This large cone will smoulder for hours. Fire is then used for cooking, warmth, the vital Fire Ceremonies, and hunting. When small areas of land are carefully burned in the traditional manner, lizard eggs are able to be located for eating.  The Banksia has a bottle-brush like flower which is a favourite of the Black cockatoos and the Twenty-eight parrots. Many of the smaller birds and large butterflies also feast from it (and, of course, the bees). Banksia trees also produce large, soft edible seeds that the birds split open and eat. The fire-sticks were kept alive and one person was assigned the privilege of carrying it. It used to be kept inside ( we are familiar with the handmade shelter or "Humpy" ) or alongside,  in a container or basket, often with cool, edible paperbark leaves. The fire stick was safest when pushed into the sand or propped up in soil amongst river rocks. It is a very stupid person that tries to blow on the fire-stick to find out it's power.

Hurricane Mathew. Update Sun 9 2016. (Western Australia. 08:28 WA time)

Hurricane Mathew update. Sunday 9 (Australia) 08:28 Western Australian time.

'May the force be with you'

America's 'Mesa Verde' will arrive in Haiti on Sunday, bringing urgently needed assistance to desperate Haitians, following the devastating Hurricane Mathew. The ship has sailed through the  edge of the deadly hurricane which has caused more damage than any recorded in over a hundred years. Doctors without Borders, whose nurses and surgeons'  international reputation exceeds the valour of any, are bringing help by chopper shortly. To date, an estimated 900 deaths have been reported in Haiti after the storm's battering. 10 Americans (Georgia and Florida) have died. 

Hurricane Mathew. Emergency update

11:32 Western Australian time. Update

Message to Haiti: The Spanish government has cargo leaving with shelter materials, equipment for water storage and the means to assist repair safe water supplies-this has been chartered by the World Food Program and is leaving from Panama. Spain will spend the next few weeks helping restore and repair safe water supplies in Haiti. It is essential that rescuers remain safe. Food, medical assistance and help is coming. The elections will be delayed. Do not panic if help does not seem near. Stay calm.

Hurricane Mathew. Further updates

05:20 Western Australia time. Update.

Fears are increasing as over 800 bodies have been recovered from flattened towns in Haiti. Only 20 percent of one city is standing. Food security and potential landslides are the next most pressing issues for the devastated nation as reports come in that over 80 percent of banana crops have been destroyed in vital food growing regions. The fantastic US navy ship 'Mesa Verde' has been deployed and is leaving with surgeons, water and nappies to assist aid to the struggling nation. Many areas in Haiti will not be reached for days by aid groups such as the Red Cross. The ramifications of this are as follows...simple injuries such as fractured limbs are unable to be treated in many clinics, until help reaches them.


Suspected fractures: Until help is reached, keep a fractured limb immobile. A splint can be made from anything, including a lump of wood or branch, cushioned with a jacket or leaves. Secure it with flat, wide ties or strips of fabric above and below the suspected fracture. A fractured arm can be rested against the chest and kept in a sling, while a leg can be splinted to the other leg, if necessary. Do not move the limb. 

06:06 Western Australian time. Update.

Hurricane Mathew has been downgraded to a Category 2.


07:39 Western Australian time. Update.

Marines from Brazil, working with the United Nations Stabilisation Mission in Haiti, are doing massive road clean-ups in Haiti, removing fallen trees.

07:58 Western Australian time. Update.


It is essential that people affected the worse by Hurricane Mathew remain calm. Emergency aid groups are waiting until it is safe to be sent to many areas. The world is watching. There are no  recent reports whether the new clean water drinking kiosks at Madame Cyr have survived. The World Food Program organisation has measures to assist feed people and will reach rural areas, even if roads have been washed away. Presently, decisions will be based on highest needs. If the situation is critical, high energy biscuits (used in famine and war torn situations) can be flown in to Miami from Dubai, and then dispatched to Haiti. 

Hurricane Mathew.Update

Hurricane Mathew has been downgraded to category three. Please heed evacuation orders on coastal areas. A state of emergency has been declared by President Obama in three American states and the National Guard has been deployed. Teams of first responders are moving to critical areas. Over 400 are dead in Haiti,  hit by winds over 200 km an hour. More bodies are expected to be found as waters subside. News from the region is slow because more  isolated areas have been unable to communicate. Haiti manufactures uniforms for American companies that export to the hotel and health industry, worldwide.

21:51 West Australian time-Update.

The National Hurricane website is down. There is minor damage reported at the Kennedy Space centre. Half a million people in Florida are without power.

22:05 West Australian time-Update.

The Sidney Lanier bridge is closed. Death toll in Haiti may be closer to 600, until official reports are confirmed.

22:49 West Australian time-Update.

Ports are closed at Savannah and Brunswick,Ga. Pan American  Health Organisation warns of imminent cholera escalation in Haiti. Care Haiti were on the ground, in many isolated areas, in preparation for Hurricane Mathew and are working at removing people and supplying safe water.

Rockymystar and Thsu discuss the weather before work...

Serotonin Uptake Inhibitor Exhibition on SL

photos by Thsu
(taken in Second Life)

The 'Serotonin Uptake Inhibitor Exhibition' in Second Life is an exquisite art piece. The artist suffered a debilitating nervous breakdown after receiving a Canadian arts grant. 'Franksx Lefavre' has created something that will lift you beyond other art experiences...from the time you sink through the floor on a glass ball until you leave. Immerse yourself.