Quiet Weekend

I went for a walk on Sunday morning with the Monster & the dog (the young one, Chicko, not the dementia dog Zoe, who is still with me, by the way, my heart sings!) at Pallerandra, a beach near me.

It was just soooo beautiful. It always is. But this time it really was lovely as it was a bit overcast so the tourists were absent, it was just the locals walking their dogs. We saw the tourists flying overhead in the sight seeing tours, I waved at a few of them, thinking how lucky we were to be a part of the scene, not just glancing at it for 5 seconds before moving onto the next thing to be done and seen.

The tide was going out so as we were walking along we kept finding little worlds to inspect. Hermit crabs running around trying to escape, bugs skimming across the still ponds, anemones moving back & forth as the waves move over it, small fish swimming through the sea grass & darting away as they realise they are being observed, collecting cuttle fish for my cousin's strange puppy that likes to eat them. Apparently they're a great source of calcium, so maybe he's not that strange after all. Although I've only ever known birds to each cuttle fish. Chicko eats watermelon so I suppose I shouldn't judge.

Because it was overcast Maggie Island looked different, with the landscape seeming to change with the moving light as the sun peeked out from behind the clouds. It was a welcome change to have the clouds and rain, the day before the humidity was terrible, it felt like the middle of the wet and it hasn’t even started yet. The local north Queenslanders all welcome clouds & rain, the relief from the relentless sun is undescribable. Mind you, I actually prefer the sun & heat to cold and wet, but even a good thing can go on too long. And I also love going inland to the rivers, it's a completely different scene, but these rivers need the big wet to flush out the stagnant areas & make them swimmable.

I really am very, very lucky. I live in a land that abounds with natural beauty but also have all the conveniences of being near reasonably sized urban centres so I can get my "city fix" quite easily with a 2 hour flight to the capital city for around $200 for the airfare. Not that I seem to do that, I'm quite happy up here. It's usually for family events that we make the effort.

So next time I feel a bit sad, it's off to Pallerandra for a walk with the dog & the kid. Even the kid comes out of her shell there. Don't tell anyone though, she'll get upset if anyone finds out.