Final Thoughts!

Final thoughts!

Another busy month since my last blog.

The last woodworking job is competed, two special sewing boxes for three sisters, one of which lives in Canada. Mostly in NZ woods although the black Wenge surrounds on the tops and bottoms were added very late in the piece.

Lots of preparation went into my 60th Birthday party, which we held here on the farm at Rosedale.

Kellie our neighbour and super duper hairdresser gave me a special haircut and a fitting dye job (for a clown) to travel to London and beyond. We had planned for a more orange/red colour however I’m more than happy with the pink! The white is my original (current) colour, or should we say a “perm-U-tation”.

Neighbours kindly lent us a party tent 3m x 9m and the day was fine and windy.
We had many people doing a party piece, singing a song or reading a poem etc, but mostly it was full on chatting.

Many people are leaving NZ at this time of year and the Volcano dust problem was only just beginning.

Christine made a special birthday cake with the small icons of saxophone, bicycle and a yogi in shoulder stand…. perfect…..we also got the guests to wish me bon voyage by decorating the cake with special icing writing tubes………

I managed to cut the cake, play the saxes and ride my unicycle, though not all at the same time!

Arty Party Feet

This is what always happens in the kitchen at parties

Kevin our pommie, the goat milker from Sussex came late and with our kiwi musos we all sang well into the night around the camp fires! I also sang my learnt Peter Cape NZ tunes with our kiwi folk expert Paul Bond’s help, intending to deliver impromptu performances while travelling in Europe, UK and Ireland.
I now feel much more confident in this area, and hey at 60, one needs to drop all fears of performing in public.

This will be the last blog before I leave and probably the first for many as I will now set up the blog list, which means YOU will receive notification when I post each blog. Please feel free to comment at the bottom of the blog and keep in touch if you like,….. this will also be extra material for the blog as I go around!

This is an opportunity to share the experience and add to it as well. My motto for some time now is “Together We Create Beauty” I would like to state my reasons for going on this special trip. I have been on many other trips/journeys in my life, and feel this one is a culmination of them all, plus a desire to get out into the world and spread some beauty and laughter, as I go!

I have chosen my clown character “Kokopelli” well, as I spent a lot of time walking in the National parks of America, especially the four corners area in the southwest and Kokopelli is a legendary figure in the native Indian cultures of that area. He is said to be the bringer of fertility, to banish the winter cold and bring the spring rains, a jester who carried the seed of all the plants in the world, playing his flute where ever he went!

Kokopelli gives me the opportunity to be a child again, to have fun in the most simplest way, being slightly crazy and opening more joy in myself, which hopefully and expectedly, will be returned ten fold!

Kokopelli is magical, it is my belief that this modern world (which I am also engrossed in) is over stressed, being driven by technology, knowledge and somewhat out of touch with, joy, fun, creativity and a sense of spiritual connection, in our everyday contacts with people.

So this is my mission on this trip........ to lift my own and people’s appreciation of the simple pleasures, of travel, meeting people and having fun.

I made this Kokopelli wind vane 6 years ago and put it up in Christine’s garden in Nelson, little did I know it would grow into being my alter ego and companion for 6 months travelling, by bicycle.

The last few years three people close to me locally have died early. Peter Sparrow, in his 50s, a easy going family man who taught Tai Chi died of a heart attack. My old soccer team Captain, Brian Dowding, died after a sudden brain cancer, and Kim Merry aged 46, also of cancer, he was my yoga teacher, a great theatrical person and wonderful creative light in our local community. One never knows what is around the corner, accidents, health issues, etc, so I made the decision to travel this year in this manner, while I still can and will, use the memory of these people and others (my father’s influence is still huge in my psyche) to help me on my way.

Getting my technology connections in place this week has been a real challenge, and in spite of 6 months preparation, I’m going right down to the wire getting everything in place, possibly not a good idea to change from Windows to Mac computer at this time, we’ll see how this pans out???

Inside the last week, hopefully the northern hemisphere’s Volcano dust has calmed down and I sail though to London in a daze, not a haze.

Setting sail toward adventure!

Through this blog and my contacts with people as I travel, I encourage you to have more fun, be more creative, extend your creative and personal boundaries, my belief is you do get another chance in another life and you also take this experience to add that to the next……so go for it!

I am.

Cheers and Ciao

Till the next Blog

Namaste

Jimu/Kokopelli

Still clearing plates.

 

Posted via web from jimuthesaxman's posterous

Well still clearing my plate.

All of this lovely breakfast, above (apart from the mushrooms), was grown or made on the property right here in Rosedale,  Home made bread, our own free range eggs, and tomatoes fresh out of the glass house.
So no carbon credits went into the production of this meal, however there was a fair bit of ozone depletion from other healthy gases afterwards.

As you can read, the photo above was sent direct from my iphone via the posterous app straight to this blog page and was a trial for posting from the hip from cafe's bars, and any rogue wi-fi spots I find on the road.
Don't worry I will be composing my blog on my laptop having recently purchased a secondhand Mac G4 and will not be posting too frequently! Also this is my first mac, which will be interesting!

Some of my wood collection, ......never to be seen again!

The last month has been full on! Finally getting the wood auction completed. With such a glut of good woods to choose from, there was some very good bargains. Still the log jam of 25 years of collecting does take some clearing, and now I'm on my way.

There's Trev the Auctioneer and Kokopelli sitting on the gate!

A few little stories about the auction,......... a friend who shall remain nameless (Bernie) asked if I had any wood suitable for a banjo neck. I said yes I have this beautifull piece of 5X2 american rock maple 4 foot long, which would be perfect for you!  He came back to me just before the auction got underway saying, "I've tested that peice of wood, it has a lovely ring to it" (he had held it up between fingers and knocked with his knuckles) It was early in the auction so I mentally noted that it sold for only $5.  So excitedly I said to Bernie, "did you get it!" No he said "I hadn't registered and didn't bid!

"

Exotic wood went for chicken feed,,,,well to my eyes anyway!

.........Another story after the auction I helped an older fella (once again nameless, Ross) load up a huge pile of wood turning blanks and little scraps of unusual woods. Ross said, "I used to have my own business, employing 5 people, "but it took toll on my health"  and is now on 24 pain killers a day, he now wood turns, making spoons and salad servers and can stop for a rest when the pain is too severe! And here he was loading all this wood onto his pick up!

This wood was so nice I kept most of it for making some beautiful tables upon my return.

My Sax practise recently has been going much better getting 90 minutes in most days, even my teacher is impressed, still gotta keep practicing though! Then I have practise for a Jazz workshop with Pete Canter in Toddington, Devon in June. Still to finish modifying an older sax case to fit both my alto & soprano.

We also had a visit from another "Warm Showers" cyclist. Caroline the Marathon runner from NYC, oh to be young again, and super fit. Holidaying with out much training, she just breezed our local half marathon and walked in the National park after the run!

I will do another blog after my Birthday/Bon Voyage party on the 17th....Oh didn't I tell you....I'm going to be 60 years young......what a privelege....many people don't get the chance!

Down to the final month now and quite a few more plates to clear!

Cheers and Ciao

Jimu/Kokopelli

Clearing my plate & getting ready to Go

Hmmmmm, Its several months since Madi and I biked around the top of the south.

I learned quite a few things there, and from recent "Warm Showers" people.

One couple from America (Dick (72) and Susan  Rogers(70) biking around on a tandam.

A solo yorkshire man Tim, who will revisit, hopefully to give me real native info on biking in England. he had a Hewett hand made bike with brooks saddle, very tidy bloke, his bike looked brand new too!

Another American Couple from Vermont (Rick very active in the political area & Sally a keen cello player) came through also in there 60's, it's amazing just how active, us "wrinkleys" are these days!

Things have been "Moving On"

In the workshop I'm finishing off some commissions, two Jewellery boxes and a large Japanese style sideboard. Mike had bought these Sterling silver handles 30 years ago, which were made in England in 1856.

NZ Matai box with Tawhia, Kauri and Rewarewa details. The centre section fits a glass inkwell

NZ Totara carcase,Kauri doors, rippled Tawhai panels

I will be making more for Mike and Julie when I return in November and have to make sure I have suitable wood kept back from my auction for this purpose.

I have yet to finish another two special boxes for a local woman who has three daughers. I made daughter #1's box, a couple of years ago and, when they heard of my upcoming travels ordered the other daughters  boxes to be completed before May!

On the the clown front things have also been developing with me joining my music teachers group at Nelson's yearly "Masked Parade"
I also approached the Nelson Childrens Library and gave a talk/performance to 60 kids and adults.

So far: my best kokopelli gig was performing at Street Beats on two occasion, where I simply ran riot  in Nelson's Trafalger street, playing my sax, riding the unicycle, even both at the same time, luckily everybody seemed to avoid being run over. Best thing about being a clown is, you can fall off, muck things up, and everybody thinks you did it on purpose,.....you don't have to be good, just funny!

Oh I love being spontanious....I joined a que, at the Eftpos banking machine while dressed as a clown, playing my sax and then shouted out "Is this where you get the notes"

Just up our road out in rural Nelson our neighbor, an englishman, (Kev) whose a little on the eccentric side, sings Sussex folk songs while he milks his goats. I went up for a visit and spent a pleasant evening milking and singing along with him.........so now I'm learning some NZ folk songs, so I can share them while I'm travelling.

Recent purchases in the form of an iphone and a busking amp are opening doors to lots more fun and these will be great tools for travel.
Next week I have the wood auction and managed to get the Nelson Evening Mail, to do this article on me which had Saturday night front page coverage, exactly one week before the auction.
Couldn't be better!

Fine wood worker Jimu Grimmett is selling his stock of wood and plans to travel to Europe to busk as a saxophone-playing clown.

Ever wanted to send a clown on his way? Now is your chance.

Neudorf fine wood worker Jimu Grimmett is taking his saxophone-playing, unicycling, big shoe-wearing alter-ego Kokopelli on the road.
After 25 years in the workshop, Mr Grimmett said it was time to go and meet people and he thought what better way to do that than dress up as a clown, jump on a bicycle and travel to Europe.
He has created his clown, Kokopelli, over the last six months when he was inspired to expand his busking repertoire into street theatre.
"It is just a magical experience. It teaches you to be right in the moment and to become someone else. It is just wonderful."
He plans to make his way across Europe into Spain, Germany, Switzerland and France before heading to Britain and Ireland.
Mr Grimmett is holding an auction on March 6 of much of his wood that he has collected over the years to help finance the trip. And yes, Kokopelli will make an appearance spraying water and getting up to similar antics.
Asked whether he thought that sort of carry-on might put off potential buyers, Mr Grimmett said: "I think it will make people want to buy. I hope it doesn't put anybody off, then I might be in trouble."

I'll let you know how the auction went.......
Cheers and caio
Jimu
Alias Kokopelli

Aussie Adventures Blog #6

Aussie Adventures Blog #6

Well I’m now sitting at home in Nelson, I had a great trip in Queensland. The last couple of weeks were in the far north around Cairns. In the Mossman area I visited my glass blowing friends Ola and Marie Hoglund, thanks so much guys for the hospitality, such an interesting area for plants and animals.
I thoroughly recommend house sitting, those last 2 weeks mixing it with the tourists and backpackers in Cairns is not really my scene any more!
Still a little weird for me to see people having a beer outside the pubs at 9.30am!

Mark Culleton, with the Qoull on the esplande, surrounded by tourists, a fair dinkum Australian ...Mate! Both of them!

Going out to the great Barrier Reef has quite a few different options…… you can go the fast way.....

or the slow way…….



Guess which I chose?
Yup..... the slow way, on a Chinese Junk
The Low Isles is formed by the coral, making it one of the few like this and therefore unique in its structure. Snorkeling out there amongst the turtles, fish coral and other tourists, was a lot of fun! Apparently crocodiles sometimes do make it out to the reef & sharks are also fairly common! I swam in unison for 30 seconds with a 2 foot long turtle, but mostly in awe, with my nose on the Coral.
With all the tourist activity the fish are pretty tame, although they do have strict rules around no feeding and no standing on the living reef!

This one's called Elephant ear coral (obviously)

Back in Cairns shifting backpackers regularly in search of sleep, there’s heaps of em, I attended a barbeque which had Crocodile, Kangaroo and Emu on the Barbie..... Mate, but I chose the vegetarian option, preferring not to eat something that could eat me!

Cairns's first International Busking festival, was well attended, although in talking to the buskers afterwards, their feedback was, that it was hard working up the crowd to participate. I particularly liked the Irishman Patrick (in chains) and Wacky Chad (Pogo stick, unicycle) both slick operators, who improvised a lot on the spot!

On the Cairns Esplanade, a great place for walking, viewing the local birds feathered and otherwise, and the signs like below.
Achtung… Crocodiles inhabit this area, Attacks may cause injury or Death.......so you've been warned!!! Also watch out for ferocious skateboarders, scooter fanatics and practicing cocktail waiters (tricks with the shakers).
Walking past all the ultra modern and huge tourist boats, I spotted a replica of the Duyfken, The Dutch ship that landed on Cape York Peninsula in 1606.
Looked really authentic….apart from its location in the Cairns Marina!
As a budding muso , it’s not everyday I come across a three story music shop full of goodies.
This is part of the range of drum symbols at Buzz Music!
A guitarists dream on two floors, not sure if they had a sound proof room……probably! Oh to visit such a shop with an unlimited budget and time to indulge!
Back on the Waterfront, the Cairns Festival certainly went out with a Fizz and a Bang, out over the lagoon.

Well 3 months in Queensland comes to a close, I hope you enjoyed reading my blogs half as much as I did, because, you would have had a “Ripper of a time” Mate’s…..........Now it’s back to normality….whatever that is……..

Already planning the next one.....is Orebro next to Cortona?

Live like there's no tomorrow, if you don't wake up...it's happened!

Cheers
Jimu