Hi there folks and welcome. You all probably know me if you are taking the trouble to have a look here. Such is the nature of minor fame! But for those of you who don't, this site will continue to change and grow as I put in more songs and stories that may be of interest to some of you . Feedback via the contact page would be a thrill and if you would like to get hold of a cd, the shop is up and running otherwise you can download the songs for free. A big thanks must go to my mate John Cruse for taking the fantastic photos of life on the fire line seen on this site, and the cover pic. We have been through some hairy times together! And to that mad man Damon Davies! Recording was much fun and thanks mate for making it that way. Another big thanks to the fine folks at thebegavalley.org.au for building this site for me.
Don't be afraid to leave a message in the guest book.'Twould be great to hear from you.
Thursday Night Club
What a hoot it was last friday at the Bega art gallery anexe gig. Thanks to Dave Sparks for being such an all round nice bloke and musical genius, Paul Anderson for writing such fabulous songs, the Great Roger McCulloch whos songs are from where Nick Cave meets Hank Williams, Dave Crowden and Russel Cook for binding it all together. I hope for many more gigs like that one!
The trip to America
You can read about it on the stories page. It was fun!
STOP PRESS! Bowel cancer has come to visit!
Read the journal of my medical journey on the stories page
So it's a few days before christmas in 2008 and after a colonoscopy last week I have been diagnosed with a tumor in my bowel. I am in the high risk zone, family history, over 50 and all that. Now I have a journey ahead as do all the loved ones around me. I get results from the biopsy on the 29th and then we take it fom there. I will try and keep a bit of a journal of how things are going. A positive atitude will be the key and after struggling a bit I am ready to deal with it and then get on with my life. There is a very high recovery rate from this type of thing and I plan to be among them!So stay tuned and send your thoughts to my family. I will be fine!
All you over 50 blokes reading this, go get a "bum cam" if you are concerned as early diagnosis is a good thing.
Fire fighting and retirement
......and that's what I have decided to do! Yes after 20 years and too many near misses, too many guts full of smoke and bad food, too many steep hills and aching bones and backs and legs, too much beurocracy, a shockingly useless uniform for remote work, many great friends and good times, too many helicopter winches, too many motel rooms, too many years since my date of birth and all the rest, I will leave all that stuff up to the younger ones. It has been a fantastic journey but the time is right for me to give it away and relax a bit over the summer months.
So go safely all you other fireys and remember to live to fight another day!
AURUKUN.... has been in the news a bit lately for all the wrong reasons. If ever there was an example of how bad things can get in a community after the worst kind of intrusion and manipulation by many white governments at both state and fed level over many years. But don't slip into the notion that it is all bad and desperate. Many good things happen done by many fine people and it's not all about the headlines. You can read those same headlines about any white community in the country although there is also a media cone of silence about what happens in our own back yard. Aboriginal communities suffer now from what started 200 odd years ago, a fact we can not escape. So don't be too judgemental from what you hear on the news!!!
See you , Jim
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