Big Sur

A great day out with my good friend Tana. She drove all day and I enjoyed the view. We had great fun, amused ourselves, ate and drank great local fare and laughed about many funny things and had a fabulous time. Thank you Tana.

Just Giving Dot Com

http://www.justgiving.com/windy-dicken-and-craig-walk-hadrians-wall

Check out this site and support a worthy cause. I fly back on Tuesday, tomorrow, and will be joining my brother Windy (aka Peter) and some of his good friends to walk the length of Hadrians Wall starting next weekend. I have my fingers crossed for good weather, a decent sleeping bag and some excellent support from your good selves.

Enjoying a hectic and fun last few days here in Santa Cruz. Beach party today, road trip down the Big Sur coast road yesterday, I am still trying not to think that I am leaving, it will arrive soon enough.

Photos to follow..........

What to do?

The end of my stay is suddenly upon me, quite by surprise as it feels as if i still have ages here. Eight days to be precise and i have little idea of what to do when i get back to England.

My visa situation is still in the air. I can make no long term plans until that is decided, but either way I have the summer ahead of me.

Windy, my brother, has just invited me on a charity walk the week after i return which looks like an excellent thing to go and do.

Yo Big Bro!

Mum & Dad tell me you're flying back on the 19th...??

Acestix!

I'm thinking, if you'd like to, it would be awesome if you wanted to join us on the Hadrians Wall Walk, which we're setting off to do on Sunday 24th May, & it'll take 5-6 days....

Check out:

http://www.justgiving.com/windy-dicken-and-craig-walk-hadrians-wall

...and let me know if you're up for it..it'd be awesome if you were...

I'm still trying to raise donations as much as possible...I'll be emailing Joy, Jac & Tania, etc...

anyways...spk soonest....

Big Love

Lil Bro XX

I have several invitations from friends around the UK to visit for a while which is excellent, all good folk who it will be great fun to spend time with and catch up on all the goings on.

HelpX hosts are inviting me from around Europe, i did suggest that i might plan a summer trip there, but i never thought it would generate so much interest. 3 farms in France, one in Portugal and several hosts that i have found that look really interesting. I could be gone for a while.

I also need to add a couple more blog posts to let all you good followers know what i have been up to for the last few weeks. My parents visit, more stuff down on the farm, parties and more. Lets see where i get to in these last few days. Take care y'awl.

The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence Easter Party

Plenty of folk had told me that it was not to be missed. The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence put on a great party, especially their alternative family easter gathering. The pictures tell the story far better than I ever could.



The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence®
is a leading-edge Order of queer nuns. Since our first appearance in San Francisco on Easter Sunday, 1979, the Sisters have devoted ourselves to community service, ministry and outreach to those on the edges, and to promoting human rights, respect for diversity and spiritual enlightenment. We belive all people have a right to express their unique joy and beauty and we use humor and irreverent wit to expose the forces of bigotry, complacency and guilt that chain the human spirit.


A big open air concert in Dolores Park, with numerous musical acts, competitions to find the most outrageous easter bonnet, the best outfit and the hunkiest Jesus to mention a few. The park was packed with people picnicking and enjoying the atmosphere and checking out the goings on. It was marvelous to be in a gathering so intent just to enjoy themselves however they felt fit in whatever they felt comfortable in for the day.

The park party finished at 4 and moved via a procession of sorts through to a street venue. An attending police officer decided that the marchers weren’t protesting loudly enough so tried to liven things up a bit by shouting encouragement through his loud-hailer. A local dance radio station played the latest dance music to a merry dancing audience on the street through into the night. Great fun and a wonderful way to spend Easter Sunday, I sloped off soon after dark, it got really cold really fast, back to the bar for a more sedate night.

I chilled out on Monday with another stroll through China Town and the wharfs of San Francisco, relaxing in the spring sunshine and watching another world go by.

It's been a while

Where do I start? I have not posted since before Easter, so there is plenty of catching up to do.

I was somewhat surprised, for such a christian, church going nation, that there are no big public holidays over the Easter weekend. Unlike in the UK where businesses close for Good Friday, Easter Monday and nearly everything is shut on Easter Sunday, things continue nearly as usual throughout the whole weekend here, a few places closed on the sunday.




Not that it made any difference to my plans, I was having a great time in San Francisco for the whole weekend. Daniel, one of the farm volunteers offered me a ride up on the Friday with his family and I spent the day with them, Carla, his wife and two girls, Izzie and Sophie. We had a great time in the Exploratorium, a hands on science museum with loads of interactive exhibits and tricks of the mind. We made square wheels roll along a bumpy road, floated dry ice “comets” across an “outer space” pond and watched them spin and collide as if in space. Watched a bulls eye being dissected and saw all the parts. Discovered the power of centrifugal forces and how geysers reach so far into the sky when it is just water. Listened to never ending scales in a sound booth and created lightening by winding a big handle on a strange machine. I had just as much fun as the girls did, and from the look of it, most of the other adults there. It’s just how it all works.

They took me to their favourite candy store and then we had a great meal on a pavement table at a great restaurant and a fun walk through China Town. It was great to experience some of these places with other people, especially youngsters with all their questions and excitement. It was one great day.

To finish off, Daniel insisted on dropping me at my hostel to ensure that i found it ok. Brilliant, as it was quite a bit further out than i had expected. I had a quick kip then headed out for a bit of a night on the town.

The night turned out to be more than I had planned for, a good bar, with great music and some interesting people to chat to. They pour a mean JD and coke I can tell you. I somehow stumbled back to the hostel in the early hours and poured myself into bed. Thankfully I had chosen a lower bunk as climbing at that late hour would have been far beyond my capabilities.

Saturday saw me leap out of bed and head out in search of a hearty breakfast way before 8 in the morning. A window seat in the sun, scrambled egg with smoked salmon, piles of rye toast with butter and jam and a good pot of earl grey brought me to my senses. I was still drunk. The sustenance fueled my nerves and they delivered the slow message to my brain that nothing was to be done for quite some time. Determined to take no notice I walked a coupe of blocks in search of inspiration for the day. The further I got the more determined my hangover became. By 10am I was tucked back up in bed, where I stayed for the majority of the day, only venturing out in the evening for some light Thai food and to investigate the view from the roof terrace. I ate, the view was there and I went back to bed. The nightclub downstairs did its best to keep me awake for a while but failed abysmally. I slept and Sunday soon arrived.

I felt much better for my extended rest and plenty of sleep and ready for the party of Easter weekend.