Travellin' Penguin

BOOKS

I have been invested in an Oliver Sacks book this week. It’s called On The Move.

Oliver Sacks (1933–2015) was a British neurologist, writer, and professor known for his compassionate and deeply human portrayals of people with neurological disorders. He combined clinical insight with literary skill to explore the ways brain conditions shape identity and perception.

His most famous works include:

“Awakenings” – about patients who were catatonic for decades due to encephalitis lethargica and temporarily revived with L-DOPA (later adapted into a film). “The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat” – a collection of unusual and fascinating neurological case studies.

He was known for bridging science with humanities.

On the Move: a Life is Oliver Sacks’s candid and moving memoir, offering a deeply personal look at his life beyond his public identity as a neurologist and author. In this autobiography, Sacks reflects on his early years as a shy, curious boy in London, his struggles with identity as a gay man, and his passionate interests in weightlifting, motorcycles, and travel. He recounts his medical training and the formative experiences that led him to become a compassionate and unconventional doctor, often drawn to the most unusual and overlooked cases. With honesty and humility, Sacks reveals his inner battles, professional triumphs, and lifelong quest to understand the human mind.

As a speech pathologist I enjoyed his writings and case histories on Tourette’s syndrome, Autism, and other neurological disorders as he discussed various aspects of language development affecting these disorders.

I also enjoyed hearing of his motorcycle journeys in various parts of the world.

BOOKISH LIFE

On Thursday night we went to a very interesting book launch at Fullers bookshop by author Bruce Wolpe and ABC correspondent Sabra Lane. The book discussed was What Trump’s Second Term Means for Australia. The audience really got into this discussion and it was an interesting event. I liked the description Ms Lane gave to Trump’s administration- a term of whiplash. Question time at the end of the event was lively. Fullers book launches generally go for an hour. People arrive for 5:30 when the speakers begin. The conversation goes for 45 min. Then there are questions for the next 15 to 20 minutes. Attendees pay $10 or $12 and that includes a glass of wine or a soft drink. We go to a lot of these events and they are always so much fun. We see the same faces but it is lovely to see so many young people come as well and get involved.

PHOTOGRAPHY

I drove to a wetlands lagoon just north of Hobart one day and took a short walk. I was curious what birds I might see there this time of year. Mainly ducks and cormorants. There were as many rabbits around the place as birds. Not much happening but it was good to get out.

COMING UP

In two weeks I’m on Bruny Island, south of here for several days for another photography excursion. This one will be seascapes and night sky if not too cloudy. I’ve not done Milky Way shots before so a new learning curve. We might see an aurora as there have been quite a few lately. We’re also doing a Pennicott boat tour into the Tasman Sea for cliff faces, and wildlife. Maybe a whale? Dolphins? Seabirds and lots of seals. I have a new box of seasick tablets and looking forward to see if they work.

I also have another Fullers bookshop event this coming week but more on that later.

Our 8 kg+ (18 lb) cat Grizzy escaping winter.

It seems the things we remember the most in life are the big events, the big adventures. We have the international travels or visiting a community in our own country with diversity different to where we live. The births, the deaths, the weddings, the milestone birthdays. But what we don’t always remember are the micro-adventures. Our day to day activities that make us laugh, or cry. The events we go to such as a film, a good book we share, a quiet time with our pets or someone in a shop who is just so friendly or helps us when we need it.

We constantly hear about how we need to live in the moment. So without going on any further I found that I was thinking of the micro-adventures I had this past week. I’ll start with a bus ride into town on Tuesday. A morning at the gym doing well in the treadmill that sometimes seems too hard. Running errands and chatting to people in town then a pleasant bus ride home.

Wednesday had me at the gym and successfully completing all the activities in the Barre’ class. I felt happy that I finally achieved a particular exercise I have struggled with. A small adventure achieved.

The evenings had me reading Helen Garner’s book, This House of Grief.

I’m having the adventure this week of following two trials. The first is the book This House of Grief by Helen Garner. It is a powerful and meticulously crafted true crime narrative about the trial of Robert Farquharson, an Australian man accused of murdering his three young sons—Jai, Tyler, and Bailey—by deliberately driving his car into a dam on Father’s Day in 2005. All three boys die.

Summary:

The book follows the legal proceedings from Farquharson’s first trial through appeals and a retrial, with Garner attending court almost every day. She offers a deeply personal and observant account of the unfolding drama—not only focusing on the facts of the case but also on the emotional weight of the tragedy and the complexities of justice.

Farquharson claimed the crash was an accident caused by a coughing fit and a blackout. However, the prosecution argued that he murdered the children to punish his ex-wife, Cindy Gambino, after their marriage broke down. Garner explores this horrifying possibility with compassion but without sentimentality.

Throughout the book, she reflects on the nature of grief, truth, memory, and the fallibility of the justice system. She captures the personalities of the lawyers, judges, and witnesses, weaving in philosophical and psychological reflections.

I am at the appeals process at the moment but it is not a story one enjoys but the way Garner writes about the trial is fascinating. I just love her writing.

My next micro-adventure was loading the dogs up in the car and taking them to the dog beach. I really enjoy watching their goofy antics and watching them play. Watching Ollie fall off a tiny bank into the river was quite funny. He was so distracted by smells he walked right off the bank of the small river that runs through the beach and fell in. He popped up absolutely drenched wagging his tail. Dogs don’t react the same way people do with an annoying occurrence. People generally swear if they fall into a river. The dog thinks it’s fun. He is such a dorky dog at times.

On Friday my friend and trainer from the gym went for our weekly coffee and sat discussing the second trial of the Mushroom Murder case that is currently running now in Victoria.

Erin Paterson fixed a lunch for her in-laws and the mother in law’s sister and husband. She made a beef wellington. However the lunch had death cap mushrooms in it and the in laws as well as the sister died. The fourth victim, the sister’s husband survived after several weeks in hospital. Her husband from whom she is separated from pulled out the night before so didn’t turn up. Erin claims she did not know the mushrooms were the death cap variety. She claimed she bought them from a nearby Asian grocer ( but can’t remember which one) and the local supermarket. Her reason for the lunch was to get advice from these family members of how to tell her children of her cancer diagnosis she recently received. However, turns out she did not have cancer.

The ABC has been running a podcast from one of their journalists that updates listeners if what happens each day in the courtroom. I have been following it all week. The summaries may happen as early as next week. Another micro-adventure.

Lastly, Saturday had my photography friend and I at a hot rod show in a small village north of here. It was called Rat Rod and on display were vintage classic cars and hot rods. The cars were beautiful. The day was cold and foggy but as the sun rose it became a lovely winter’s day.

I have scattered the photos here so hope you enjoy them.

What micro-adventure did you have this week!

LIFE

Has been a busy couple of weeks. Went on the photographic workshop in the northwest of Tasmania for 6 days. There were only four of us , so a nice number. The Tarkine region is full of beautiful rainforest and we hunted fungi and photographed waterfalls also. We got drenched a few times with rain coming in from the west. We just covered up and kept clicking those cameras. I’ll share these photos a few at a time over the coming weeks.

BOOK

Have not read much but did finish Orbital.

Orbital is a 2023 novel by British author Samantha Harvey that won the 2024 Booker Prize. Set aboard the International Space Station (ISS), the novel unfolds over a single 24-hour period, chronicling the experiences of six astronauts from different nations as they orbit Earth 16 times.

Overview

The narrative centers on the astronauts’ daily routines—conducting experiments, maintaining the station, and observing Earth. However, the novel delves deeper, exploring their introspections on humanity, existence, and the planet’s fragility. Each chapter corresponds to one 90-minute orbit, providing a rhythmic structure that mirrors the station’s journey around Earth.

Themes and Style

Harvey’s prose is noted for its lyrical and meditative quality, blending scientific precision with philosophical inquiry. The novel contemplates themes such as the interconnectedness of life, the impact of human activity on Earth, and the search for meaning in the vastness of space. It draws inspiration from Carl Sagan’s “Cosmic Calendar,” situating human history within a broader cosmic context. (Wikipedia)

Thoughts on Orbital

I appreciated all of the technical aspects, cleverness and creativity but I must say I was bored by it. Another Booker prize winner that has a lot of interesting structures and techniques but I never felt anything for the characters. It jumps around over the 16 chapters. Sleep, eat, do experiments, no interesting conversations very often, inner thoughts, past experiences. What I did enjoy was the mentioning of the countries below as the ISS passed over them. They observed a hurricane near the Phillipines and discussed the colours of the continents as they passed over them so often in 24 hrs. But I’m glad it was short. Will be interesting to see what others think at our next book club.

Then again I have been busy with photography, walks, gym, etc. Our weather has not been bad lately, unlike the horrible floods on the mainland in northern New South Wales.

BOUGHT SOMETHING FUN

We have had only one car for quite awhile as we are both retired. But Mr P goes out to the gym almost five times a week and I’m either on the bus or stuck at home. His arthritis is very bad so he needs to keep moving as much as possible. I wanted to get out much more with the dogs and camera so we agreed to get a second car. I got a little 2022 hybrid, candy red Toyota Corolla and I just love it. It gets over 800 kms per tank of petrol, has all the safety stuff and driving assistance and talks to me regularly. Mostly about upcoming speed cameras, school zones and even warned me of a high accident intersection. In the last week I took it to a big dog park and a beach with Ollie and Peanny. I did a photography afternoon locally at a reserve and into town a few times. I will get to travel a bit more as winter photography is good. It will be nice to get out more with the dogs in other places too.

EXTRA ACTIVITIES

I went to a play one night. A good political comedy with friends. Then Irish author Marion Keyes was also here in conversation with local author Danielle Wood at the Theatre Royal hosted by Fullers book store. That was an hour of hilarious conversation. Her book of the Irish family she writes about is going to be filmed and streamed on STAN next year. The Walsh family. It was a very Irish night and the event sold out in a couple of days. We love getting well known International authors here.

That about sums it up. I have another photography workshop next month on Bruny Island for three days. Then we have some photo events coming up in the near future.

So- I’ll leave you with some autumn fungi photos and I hope you enjoy them.

I hope you all get out this week and do something that is fun and be kind.