A Gift

Recently on impulse my daughter S, her boyfriend M and I drove to the south west region of Western Australia one Sunday to spend the day.  A 600 km return trip.  It felt like a week long holiday!

We started our day with early morning breakfast at Koombana Bay in Bunbury where dolphins visit on a regular basis.  Then to Margaret River, our premier wine and surf country.  We visited The Berry Farm and delighted in the Splendid Blue Wrens as they fed off M’s hand, then a leisurely bush walk through a raptor sanctuary before a late lunch at a boutique brewery then headed back home laden with beautiful olive oil, balsamic vinegar, cheeses, chocolates, fruits and wine.

As we walked in light rain, soon there were no derogatory comments about my photography but rather a keen interest in what we were observing.  An ordinary ‘blow’ fly, now still and jewel like, a Western corella, high up in the gum trees, a tawny frogmouth, perfectly blended with the bark of the tree stump, the stony faced barn owl, caught in a moment of mirth.  Before long, S and M were drawing my attention to birds, flowers and trees.  Fully engaged with the environment, their senses on alert, they would shhhh each other, “listen!”.  At the end of the walk S turned around and said to me, “For my birthday next year, if you are looking for a nice present, I would love a good camera”.  M chimed in with plans of where they could visit, look for special landscapes, research flora and fauna and they would have their weekends sorted out.  Listening to them made my heart soar!

To hear my high spirited daughter suddenly find nature has something special to offer, was revealing a new side to her.

In that moment I knew we understood each other.  It was a joyful gift to give and receive.

Until next time,

As always,

a dawn bird