It’s been a crazy week. Very hot temperatures last weekend followed by a winter storm. The rain was not as heavy as predicted but the winds were strong. I walked around the garden looking for Brave Willie but he was nowhere to be found. I fretted he may have been blown further away in strong winds. Although he was silent, too silent for a Willy Wagtail, his tiny presence was larger than life in the space we shared.
Then yesterday a bush fire flared up not far from home. The area where I live has a lot of gum trees. A fire in the distance makes everyone scan the horizon nervously. So naturally, I didn’t sleep too well last night. This morning I was woken by helicopters flying overheard, so low you could hear the whoop of the rotor blades. No doubt they were scooping water from the lake. I went to the back and could see nothing, nor was there smoke visible in the front of the home. It was early and with no drama in sight, I thought I may as well start working. I wrote reports for over an hour, deep in thought when I heard something. My fingers froze. My senses alert. There it was, the unmistakably fluting sweet call of a Willy Wagtail. I knew it was him! How did I know? Well, it was slightly off key! But he tried again and again and between attempts, he got it right. Seated on a high branch (yes, now confident in his flying skills), he was chirping away.
I went outdoors with my camera, I got him in the frame, focused and memory card was full! Arrgh! I left him and went indoors for my phone. He was still tweeting his little heart out when I returned. As the sun came up he lifted off into perfect flight . My heart soared with him.
I can remember the first time I flew in an a plane. In my mid teens I flew alone to Canada. I didn’t want to sleep on the long flight in case I missed something! In New York I went by helicopter from Kennedy Airport to La Guardia Airport. I’ll never forget my wide eyed wonder when I saw Empire State Building all lit up at night.
The little girl who sat on the doorstep and dreamed of flying across the world one day, was living her dream. Overwhelmed she just didn’t know it at the time.
With a flight scheduled next week, she does now.
Until next time, like a child, dream big.
As always
a dawn bird
I woke this morning in cold and frosty Narrogin. It was a challenge to get out of bed but I could not help but feel so blessed.
The sunrise was magnificent over the township. Snuggled deep under covers, I felt I was the only one watching the sun emerge.
I stayed warm in bed, until past sunrise. I knew it was too cold, even for birds.
I then set off to Foxes Lair, took a deep breath while taking off my sunglasses and settled down to the big experience of the ‘here and now’.
I was there with the usual early morning company.
It was interesting to see the change of seasons reflected in nature. The bush is just starting to burst into colour, with striking fronds of flowers.
A little pink, too, here and there.
And, tiny flowers of ground cover.
The dryandra, beautiful but prickly, everywhere.
The honey eaters love this plant. Bees, too, but they were not buzzing today. Perhaps, too cold this morning for them.
The kookaburra emerged from a hole in the tree. It started to chortle. It sounded like a kettle coming up to the boil, before it reached the crescendo that is so typical of its call.
And when it stopped, it looked straight down at me!
Like a bird that sits quietly while her eggs incubate beneath her, my father would listen to my endless questions, pause thoughtfully and ask, “what do you think?” I always had an answer or five and when I didn’t, I’d scurry to find a book with the answer and return back to him, brimming with information.
A Shared Space 
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