Bush Architecture: dog kennel

Spike's home. (Corop, Victoria.)

Designed and built by my brother Geoff.

Spike with his Xmas bone (in April).

Beasts of Bourbon

Discovered lurking behind the pub at Toolleen in central Victoria.

Covering all the bases... Paul and Sam's household gods shrine

My friends Paul and Sam in Chiltern are covering all the bases just in case in their household shrine.

Hard to see them all in this photo but there's Sacred Heart of Jesus, Buddha, Ganesh, Egyptian Cats, a Chinese Dragon, Jewish Menorah, Tibetan Prayer Wheel, Hanuman the Monkey God, Masonic Regalia,  Vietnamese Shrine, Maneki Neko cats, Crucifex, Angels, Baby Jesus and Mary, Russian Orthodox Christian Saint, a marble chess set (signifying the game of life), a metronome, an Emu egg, a Samurai, and an Australian Aboriginal Bullroarer.

ps Paul has a website that shows that where the sun, moon and planets are in the zodiac each day at www.astroplot.com.

Happy birthday x 3

Eighteen years ago my friend Anita gave birth to three gorgeous little babies...

Sophie, Ellen and Adam.


They've grown into three beautifully unique and special young adults.

So with the help of the wonders of Youtube (and Nirmal Sandhu), here's wishing them a very very happy 18th Birthday, and love and blessings for the future.



On the road again.. Heading to Sydney

Just a quick update...

I made a snap decision the other night to head to Sydney for a bit.

So right now I'm having breakfast to a medly of bird and truck sounds at a rest stop just before Gunning, about 3 hrs from Sydney.

Sorry for the short notice to both Melbourne and Sydney friends.. My paws were itching violently and I just had to go.

So.. I'm still interested in a room to rent short term, or a Housemind.. But am now widening the possibilities - could be anywhere. If you hear of anything, let me know.

Xx beth
0419 580 382

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Vale: Go well, Ruby Hunter - great Australian singer songwriter.

So so sad to hear the news today that Australian singer-songwriter Ruby Hunter died last night, at aged 54. Way too young for someone so loved and so talented.



from the ABC news report:

A Ngarrindjeri woman, Hunter was born in 1955 near the banks of the Murray River in South Australia.

She was a member of the Stolen Generations, having been forcibly removed from her family at the age of eight.

Hunter met her lifelong partner and musical soul mate Archie Roach when she was 16. Both were homeless teenagers at the time.

Roach and Hunter have been described as singing/songwriting team of extraordinary spirit.

Their music took them around the world. They have sung alongside musical greats Tracy Chapman, Paul Kelly and Bob Dylan.

Hunter was the first Indigenous woman to be signed to a major record label.

In an interview with the ABC's Talking Heads in 2008, she revealed her proudest moment was when she released her first album, Thoughts Within, in 1994.

"I asked one of my brothers to name this album. He came back, I said: 'So what do you think, brother?' He said: 'Oh, you know what sister? I never knew you had those thoughts within'," she said.

In her lifetime, Hunter was nominated for two ARIA Awards - best indigenous release and best blues and roots album.

In 2004, Hunter and Roach collaborated with Paul Grabowsky and the Australian Art Orchestra to produce Ruby's Story - a musical documenting Hunter's own life and search for identity.

The production won the Deadly Award for excellence in film and theatrical score.

Go well, go gently. Thank you, Ruby, for your music and spirit.

This Littlest Van-dwelling Hobo* is looking for a temporary resting spot...

Hello my favourite invisible readers 

(friends, and friends I haven't yet met),

Just wondering if you can help...

Right now I’m looking for somewhere to pitch my hat, take out my laptop, and park my van for a bit (a few weeks or a few months).

I have decided to hang out my shingle as a ‘life coach’, using EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique - or ‘meridian tapping’ -- a cutting-edge technique which I absolutely love) and I want to knuckle down and set up a website, with lots of good content and some freebies.

So ..

if you have a spare room and wouldn't mind a house-guest for a while (I'm happy to pay some rent or contribute to bills)

.. or have a house or flat to mind (I have loads of experience and references)

or maybe a holiday house that’s vacant during the week (or know someone who does)...

please do send me a message so we can have a chat
(no obligation of course - as it would have to be 100% right for both of us).

You can email to 

beth [at] bethspencer [dot] com  

(you know what to do with that - just translate it into an email address with @ etc... gotta do this to fool the spambots)

or phone or text me on 0419 580 382.

Namaste,

x Beth

(*ps I'm not such a very little hobo - more average sized - but The Littlest Hobo - after the tv show from the 60s - is what a friend of mine has called me for many years, even before I got the van. If you remember the show, you might get what she means.... Actually, I think I might just have to post the lyrics.)


pps: and just found a youtube version of the original.