Western Australia is renowned for its wild flowers, with many species not found elsewhere. Among the thousands of species of wildflowers there are several hundred species of orchids. Often found growing among leaf debris in the bush, the wild orchid is a thing of beauty.
a dawn bird
In response to Cee’s Flower of the Day – FOTD – Challenge
We are mid-way into autumn in the Southern Hemisphere. There’s a chill in the air in the evenings and early mornings. There’s a need to seek warmth in another or in memories. It made me reflect on my life journey, this time, my professional journey.
I have worked with people of all ages. There is a certain joy that comes from working with little children and promoting joy in parenting and development. I have worked with troubled teens with behaviours at the pointy end of the pointy end. Challenging as it was being on 24 hour roster, I worked with the program for six years. I now work mostly with children and families and as a consultant to my teams. But, the yearning to work with older adults is always there.
I once worked in a hospital setting where the patients were mostly elderly. It was confronting work. There by the grace of God, go I, crossed my mind frequently. I would see people who worked hard all their life and then struck down with debilitating illness and regret they did not seize the day before this. The job came about in the most extraordinary circumstances and it was my first foray into a medical setting. I firmly believe that job changed my perspective on life. The job was a gift I needed at that time. Once exposed to the reality of other people’s regret, I did not want to waste a moment of my life anymore.
In Bunbury I woke early and would head to Big Swamp. I fell in love with the wetlands. I could no longer go to work without spending just a few minutes here. I’d head to beaches and bush land every single day. I started to view the world and my circumstances in a different way. I started to view myself as a grounded optimist. All because I found the best healing in nature and where I do my reflections.
Everything just fell away when I would walk silently in the bush or by shore. The question I would ask myself is, if I knew it was the last five minutes of my life, what would I do? I found I would have no regrets. I have loved and have been loved. I have children that I yearned for since early childhood who are young adults I am so proud of. I have been able to provide for my family. Who could ask for more?
So this morning I work up happy. The chill in the air reminded me, autumn is a time of change, a time for slowing down, a time when nature reminds us that while youth is crisp and forward thinking, age has its advantages, too. The ‘wrinkles’ of the yesterdays are a comfortable, soft place to land. The vibrancy of ‘the now’ has the power to make one’s eyes glisten and also glow. There is freedom in making tomorrow whatever we want it to be, as one steps out lightly on ‘happy feet’.
For me, in this month of birthday, there is also comfort in the knowledge, although a time of profound change, from now on, as I settle deeper into my nut brown skin, I know, I am in a wonderful place, I am in the space of forever autumn. A space of change. A space of growth. A space of acceptance. And, there’s no other space I’d rather be.
May you, too, find your happy space today and arrive on happy feet.
Until next time
As always
In response to RDP Monday: Foray
To some the Cape Barren Geese are unattractive. I find them fascinating. They are a large bird and with a tab on the top of the beak, stuck on like a bandaid. Whenever I’m driving into Esperance from the airport I swing by the Golf Course where the geese like to hang out. This trip there was a young pair, sitting pretty on the grass. They could not see me seated in my car but no doubt could hear the beep from my camera. The male finally got up and made eye contact. He then started pecking furiously at the grass in an aggressive way, until I drove further away. Interesting behaviour!
I love dusk in Esperance. I sit or walk along the shores of the Bay and invariably the geese fly overhead, headed to their night roost. In the air they are incredibly graceful. They take off and land like big airliners. They are iconic birds in the Esperance area. Of the 70+ trips I’ve made to the small town, I’ve seen them only a few times.
The whales should be migrating along these waters soon but they have eluded me over the years. They often come into the Bay or the surrounding beaches and I’ve always missed them somehow. One afternoon I was going on a home visit in West Beach and saw an group of people looking curiously at the ocean. It was the only time I didn’t have a camera in the car. I was running late for my appointment so I didn’t stop. It was a white pointer only 100 meters off the beach where I love to photograph surfers! I was sorry I didn’t stop.
Tonight I looked at my schedule for the next two months. I’m booked out solid. Some sites have asked me to extend my visit for the next two months. That means four consecutive nights in Esperance! I’m looking forward to that.
My schedule forced me to start looking at holiday plans. With the wedding, my plans have to be more modest. I’ve got 2-3 trips to Bunbury and Busselton next month. It will be a taster for a week or so either in Balingup, Nannup, Cowaramup or Margaret River. I love visiting the south west in winter. The thought of a fire, a glass of red, good cheese and a book, or long walks rugged up against the cold, is bliss. It’s may not be Instagram worthy, but it’s a perfect break for me.
Time to turn in, hug the pillow and dream!
Until next time
As always
a dawn bird
I love finding tracks in the bush. Although, not ones like this in Kooljaman, far north of Perth! I had walked past this area just minutes before and found the track on my way back. It was one I didn’t follow to see where it went.
It is quite possible I have an irrational fear of snakes. From toddler years I was taught not to put my hands and feet in places where I could not see what was there. That wariness remains with me.
I’ve overcome my fear of walking in the bush. And, I feel safer because I dress like a member of the SWAT team. Needless to say, with my love for photography and being in the bush, the benefits far outweigh my fashion sense!
There’s a certain urgency that comes with age. The yearning to experience all there is and best expressed in the dialogue between Charlie Brown and Snoopy:
Charlie Brown once again to Snoopy, “We only live once, Snoopy”. He responded, “Wrong! We only die once. We live every day”.
May you experience life today, as intended.
Until next time
As always
a dawn bird
In response to RDP – SUNDAY-SNAKE
Knots unraveled,
untethered,
no longer one
with sea.
a dawn bird
In response to Pic and a Word Challenge #184: dis-connect
Back Beach, Bunbury, Western Australia
Caught between sky and sea
a sequin trades its beauty
with seagulls swooping low
drenched in sunmoon glow
over seacity that stirs
to waves soaping her curves
sensuously.
a dawn bird
In response to RDP – Thursday Compromise
Bees are synonymous with being busy. Yet, we don’t complain because we see the value of what they do in nature. It is a growing concern they seem to be declining and the impact of this is far reaching. I don’t know much about bees at all but I do know there are thousands of species. Bees are interesting creatures. They can be solitary or live in complex communities. They are collaborative workers, they know their business and go about it in a focused way. The solitary bee does not make honey. They are valued for being pollinators. They create their own nest and feed their brood. They are fearsome in the defense of their brood as well. Hmmm something resonates here!
A friend once wrote me a poem about bees and gave it to me when we parted, saying every time they saw a bee, they would think of me. I hope they continue to think of me.
The label ‘single mother’ is not a derogatory term in the bee world! I know it to be so in my world. When my son was in kindergarten his elderly teacher sent a note home and asked me to come in for an interview. This was a time soon after my marriage ended and I was working and studying. She showed me his artwork, and told me she had asked the children to paint the sky. Every child painted blue. My son had painted vivid pink, orange and black. I was puzzled and asked her what was wrong with the art. She felt at ease to reprimand me and said if I was less busy, he would know the sky is blue. Incensed by her lack of understanding and her temerity to say this to a parent, I responded, that if she looked at the sky she would know it wasn’t always blue and, looking around at other children’s artwork, it would appear my son knew more than his peers did.
My son’s art came from a place of experience. I would study between the hours of 4-7am. When he woke he would sit at my feet and play with blocks and trains while I took a break and reflected with coffee in a room that faced the Eastern sky. One morning it was absolutely gorgeous. I drew his attention and pointed silently to the sky. His brown eyes wide open and mouth agape he whispered in wonder, “Who did that?” A priceless moment for a mother. If only the classroom teacher had experienced this with a child!
Until next time
As always
a dawn bird
In response to Ragtag Daily Prompt: Busy
Sunrise, Esperance Bay, Western Australia
Nature has no walls
no roof, no fence line, nor gate
no grout, holding together
the colours that accentuate
Nature paints boldly
and never in black and white
Nature fills in spaces, taking risks
like love
in pink and blue
and sometimes grey, for contrast
a dawn bird
In response to Pic and a Word Challenge: Risk #183
The mood yields
day to night
The shift
As old as time
perspicacious
they take it slow
seek and find the wave
to ride in to shore
as one.
a dawn bird
In response to Ragtag Daily Prompt: perspicacious
I decided to leave a bit earlier for Merredin, hoping to get there before dark but, roadworks and a big convoy of road trains for part of the journey slowed me down considerably. I am so done with roadworks!
It struck me yesterday how nervous I used to be overtaking one of those big trucks even when there was an overtaking lane. I would never overtake on a country road at any other time. I’ve learnt to trust these drivers. They know they hold up traffic and help out other motorists. Seated high in their rigs they have a good view what’s in the distance. I’ve learnt their helpful signals, two clicks of an indicator means pass or clicks on the opposite side, means get back in lane. If there’s no traffic a thank you wave gets a quick high beam. Communication between strangers who will never meet.
For the stretch between Cunderdin and Kellerberrin there was just one truck ahead of me. The sun was seated at the horizon. It was going to be dark soon. I just had to stop and take a picture. I love those skies in the Wheatbelt!
I spent a few moments resting. It was peaceful with sheep in the paddock. With occasional traffic, it was the silence of solitude that I love so much.
My visit went well. I’ve been asked to do another talk in six months, so I guess that went well too.
I decided to come home after work instead of spending another night there. It’s a 3.5 hour journey and I knew it would be dark for some of the way but I would be closer to the city and street lights. As luck would have it I got delayed at work, and I had already checked out. I had no option but drive home. By the time I got to Kellerberrin, there was haze from burn off and dust from winds. Visibility was poor but the sunset was spectacular. A massive blood red sun that seemed to get bigger as it slipped from view. I just could not find a safe enough spot to take a picture so I just experienced the moment instead.
Although the weather has been warmer for autumn, the landscape is welcoming a cooler change around the Wheatbelt.
There are chocolate shards peeling off gum trees in Narrogin.
This trunk was so tactile. You could feel the life of this big tree in every ripple and indentation. It made me think, one can never say they are alone when they are with trees. They are a silent presence in my moments of solitude. They are a perfect partner for me!
The fallen gum nuts created moments of still life photography of what once was, and still is, beautiful. They made me watch my footsteps and walk mindfully. A teaching moment here, too.
Outside my chalet window, the textures and colours of a young tree, distracted me. Who could blame me?
I’m home where I’m also happy. The major renovations are done. I need to get the painting sorted. The colours will come from nature’s palette. I’m starting to embrace this house as my home. I can envisage what I want with clarity.
Until next time
As always
a dawn bird
We had some rain last night and it is still grey outdoors. I have a long drive East to the Wheatbelt today and I’ve been checking on the weather reports periodically. I dislike driving through a storm cell there. They can be intense.
I realised this morning I’m supposed to give a talk tomorrow and it slipped off my radar. I’ll have to wing it. I’m done with stats and will go with facts instead. How am I this calm about it?! I’ll have hours in the car to put it together in my mind, I keep telling myself. The subject is something I’m passionate about, so the task ahead is restraint, not overkill. 
Public speaking is a fear experienced by most. As a student, it made my knees go weak, my throat dry and my voice, even softer. I recall the first presentation I made in my undergraduate years to a full class. At the time I worked at the university too and asked Security if I could access the lecture room over the weekend. I stood in an empty room and was in a state of panic over the thought of it being filled with people. I thought of strategies to overcome this. I was using a behavioural strategy to some degree (exposure) but the trigger was visual. So I decided to give the talk without wearing my contacts and told the audience I could not see beyond the first three rows, so if they had a question, they would have to call out instead of raising their hand. It worked a treat! I gave my talk without a stumble and went on to present a paper at a conference in Washington DC before I graduated, not that I’m clever, I was passionate about my research. I ended up walking away from it after I graduated.
Passion is good if it lights a fire that doesn’t consume. That work was consuming me. It was in every corner of my home. One day I started collecting all my journals and paperwork and placed them in the middle of the lounge room. I watched it for a few days and then decided, like one does, this relationship is not going to work. It took courage to do this. Doesn’t it always to end something? I had invested nearly ten years of my life in this. But, something had to give.
Since then I’ve learned how to exercise restraint. I’ve learnt how to practice including all views and finding a common ground. It is the art of win-win. I’m still a novice at this and tomorrow I’ll need the practice.
Tomorrow I’ll take my cue from a cormorant. I love how they spread their wings as soon as they get wet, a ‘come all ye faithful’ pose without a flock. An inclusive gesture for a solitary bird.
I know what I have to say tomorrow may not fall on ears that are receptive. My views may not align with theirs. But, I do know I can make the offer, the gesture, even if it is an audience of one.
Until next time
As always
a dawn bird
I woke at 5 am
sat through a storm
watching lightening scrawl the walls
spotlighting dark recesses
the traffic of thoughts,
at times, gridlocked
was louder than the thunder
vibrating along solid foundation
I thought I saw rain, maybe felt it too
but I was still inside
contained,
within a safe cocoon
I watched it trickle down the window pane
once removed
the beat was a rhythm
not upbeat, not even vaguely familiar
and I knew
there was no dance left in me
the dawn, was stronger than the storm
it broke through the muscled clouds
from the silence
I heard the familiar winged flight of waterbirds,
smaller birds, too
Oriented to home
I walked in a garden, freshened by rain
saw a feather and from the quill,
a message for me
birds rest in the darkest hour of the night
and at first light, may shed what they don’t need
to make the launch lighter
but despite the discard,
their wings are still wings
so they fly the charted course
the last stretch
in a flock, a pair, or alone
as nature intended.
a dawn bird
Well! another month I didn’t get to Narrogin by afternoon. I found myself wanting to complete just one more chore before I left home and didn’t factor in all the roadworks along the way that slowed me down considerably. By the time I got to the tiny farming town of Williams I was stretched for time. It was already dark. The main road is undergoing major works and it was a tight squeeze getting past town not knowing where the detour was taking me.
The stretch of road, some 30 kms, between Williams and Narrogin is flanked by farms and woodlands. Kangaroo and foxes are a danger here and when the speed limit is 110 km/hour, it is hazardous driving for someone unfamiliar with these roads at night. It was pitch dark. I felt like I was the only person left on earth.
Next morning I resisted the urge to go to Foxes Lair as I needed to catch up on work. But, my heart was there and I wondered what awaited me. (By the way delayed gratification works! I was able to meet my goals!).
There was enough rain overnight to wash my car clean. I also knew the bush reserve of Foxes Lair would have loved the rain. It looked fresh and the perfume of gum trees and rain … just delicious.
The banksia was in autumn colours of copper and gold. 
The delicate manna acacia leaves were perfectly frilled and framed by barbed wire.
The ringneck parrots were high in the gum trees and came down lower after they got used to my presence. This one was a juvenile. I loved the tail feather!
The parrots love gum nuts and I’ve gone used to the shower when I walk under them. It can rain gum nuts when there is a flock feasting. They do hurt when they hit the head!
They can be quite bold. This one took time to come closer after a period of peekaboo.
I watched how they picked up the gum nuts with their claw and ate it. This one did the same with tiny fragments it found. How intelligent they are!
Busted with gum nut in beak!
The adult is quite large. There were about a dozen near where I stood.
This one was a juvenile and ate with manners. Yes, it was a stretch of imagination, but I was waiting for the ‘pinky’ to be raised, high tea style!
Home tonight and then back out to the Eastern Wheatbelt. More driving and looks like there will be storms too. Not looking forward to that at all.
Until next time
As always
a dawn bird
It is said successful people are good at delayed gratification. I watched a night heron at dawn when I was in Carnarvon and wondered if this is true for birds, too.
On the mud flats I saw a shape I didn’t recognise and zoomed in to find a black crowned night heron. 
Low on his haunches, it stalked the puddles.
Then he went to the open waters and sat still at the edge. The river mullets skidded over water, just out of reach. He watched intently.
He watched and waited then gave up and returned to where he started.
He ignored the tiny crabs of which there were thousands.
And then in an instant his neck extended almost longer than the length of his body. He caught a mud skipper and swallowed it whole.
The patience of this bird was remarkable. I nearly clapped and shouted “bravo”!
My camera is charging and I’m packing for another trip tomorrow.
Until next time
As always
a dawn bird
A Shared Space 
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