The Native Iowan

06 old man

Now that I am retired I find my work consistently running over-due.

Way behind and running short of time.

And I am retired!

Wonders never cease

10 c knockin

so I’ll drop some music in…
07 layla

12 god

05 a forevener young

Sitting in the Sydney, Virgin Lounge, waiting for my flight back to BNE.

Was up at 330am, on the road by 4am. On a plane to Sydney at 6am. In Sydney by 730am. In a meeting by 9am (after a nice breakfast with the folks I am meeting with). Broke at 1pm for a coffee. Left the meeting at 4pm. Taxi’d to the airport where I was early for my 6pm flight to Brisbane.

So here we sit…

Will arrive (hopefully) in Brisbane by 730 am. Get to the car easily by 8pm, then fight traffic to get “home”. I expect to not get done with this day until 9pm.

A nice, pleasing 17 hour day.

I have my daughter, Connie, traveling with me. She is now-a-days our company legal manager and has been fortunate enough to be included in this fun filled trip.

We fly back to Honiara on Monday morning. If we get all our work done she may get a chance to do some shopping, maybe, on Sunday.

maybe…

weather not great but not terrible. Had a nice ride today. Was forced to take the long way home to listen to this a second time…
05 hurricane

been having off n on weather. Have had some short rides. All good.

sum rid’n music…
01 Track 01

well, maybe, … hang’n with the pups…

and it is a hoot…

… which is always a pleasure. Noel and Rosey were in fine form.

The bottom is out from the Alcol so the freaky pict of an engine room with water visible.

flight scheds dictated that I flew into Gizo late. So I spent my first night with Hans at SanBis. This is what I woke up to…

back in Honiara. A good run west. Have some interesting picts to post but not real ambitious right now. Will post some music here and sort the picts out tomorrow.

10 Saga Of The Old West

disconnected…

I sit in a small house on a small island in the fuck’n huge Pacific Ocean.

My buddy Noel is the king here. Uncle Noel to most. He’s a prince and a devil. He’s rebuilding a 300 ton barge for us.

I rocked over this morning. Seas are high and it’s pretty rough and wild. I throttled back, ran with the seas and enjoyed the run.

Liapari is a weird, mythical, fictional sorta place. I first set foot here in 1982. It was luxury after being a bush bunny for 2 years. Better than a catholic mission station. Proper commercial colonialism.

Noel, Rosy and I told stories ’till late. At 930 the power goes off here and we talked well into the dark.

After a grand meal and a few solbrews. The old stories.

As the wind howls and seas sing.

Liapari.

Flying West tomorrow. Will spend a night or two at an amazing place called, Liapari. Many of you been to Liapari. Many of you have heard of Liapari.

10 NM from Gizo. Liapari is a full blown slip-way where our mate, Noel Hudson, runs a kick arse operation.

Also very near Barakoma airfield… The place Pappy Boington flew out if in WW2. Remember “Ba Ba Black Sheep”?

In the Solomons, Liapari is shrouded in myth, legend and lore.

The LC Alcol is on the slip there. Been up for better part fo a year getting a new hull created. We’re just about done.

So I get to work on the boat and investigate some wonderful light tackle country.

This will be as fun as a good motorcycle…

02 How To Be Righteous

02 canned goods

So can offer some more picts

picts for general viewing:

Got back. Was first to check in this morn so last to get my bag.

Grace meets me. I drive her car back to town. We’re heading to pick Mendozza up.

I have been in Ozz too long. I was having difficulty driving at first. then, after remembering I was in a developing nation, found enjoyment in the clapped out ol toyota with the myopic grandmother driving 35ks per hour.

Nor the truck filled with hardwood and laborers driving crab like prohibiting passing or a speed above 40 kph.

So nice to be back home.

“small flat-white”

the girl at the coffee kiosk calls to the expectant crowd of customers. An overweight business man dutifully collects his order and retires to a table.

“… we invite you aboard through boarding gate 78…”

Heavyset older bloke with a younger gal… walking arm in arm. To cozy to be married. Must be a dirty weekend in the making.

Asian gal in 6 inch spiked heels. How can she walk?

Mom with 4 kids. The standard family times 2… two boys, two girls. They look like very nice people.

“small esspresso”

“… final boarding call for flight…”

The departure terminal is relatively empty. I waltzed right through immigration and customs.

Small girl, about 3, pig tail all done up, nice pink backpack. She can’t sit still. Mom is already stressed. Looks like it may be a long flight wherever they are going.

An hour before I board. I am sitting in the centre of the departure lounge area. It’s huge with duty free stores and eateries all around. The day is bright and clear. Great day for bike riding.

But I am heading back to paradise.

“large latte”

A 4 year old boy flies his model airplane past me. Another stressed looking mom herds him in a froward manner.

“… general boarding call for Inchon…”

“… final boarding call for flight EA34 to Auckalnd…”

The girl with the spiked heals has moved closer. High button ladies boots like granny would have wore. With a long heel. Call it style. I can think of no other word.

There is a group of guys, in their 20s, all wearing the same stupid straw cowboy hats. They must have lost a huge bet.

Don’t see anyone from the Solomons. Maybe I am still too early. If you’re from the islands you’re rarely early.

One thing that amazes me is the proliferation of people pushing buttons on some type of communication device. I see an elderly woman and a middle aged guy reading books. One bloke with a magazine. Everyone else (including me) are either into their laptops or pushing buttons on a palm device.

This airport terminal used to be much smaller. When I first flew to Brisbane the international and domestic terminals were on and the same. When they built this facility they installed some very large pieces of art. Mostly hard wood sculptures, some were abstract. Some were playfully futuristic. Now, as the need for space (and the opportunity to make money) pressures increase we find only one of the old art works in place. I bet it will be relegated to a shed soon.

I watch a guy at a pay phone…we is using his mobile to give him a number… It would make a great picture… he is standing in front of the pay phone but has his mobile out… quite telling per our modern world.

So… 40 minutes before we board. I think I’ll wander down to the boarding gate. a few short hours and I’ll be back to the humid and dusty air of Honiara.

I do look froward to it.

Am flying back to the islands in the morning.

Always good to get going back to “paradise”.

Something that I listened to today i found poignant and enjoyable…

12 Track 12