Word of the Day Challenge – Page 2

Eyes like stars …

This has been one of the happiest decades of my life so why write about the year, when there is more to celebrate!

My work is a labour of love. No ifs and buts about it. It feels I have emerged from automatic mode. A huge gamble to give up tenured government work for the unknown of working for self has paid off dividends in the most unexpected ways.

I travel extensively, never tiring, always anticipating, never knowing what the day will bring me professionally. I love the excitement of this. I do know what it brings me spiritually consistently and that’s what I’d like to share with you.
Cable Beach, Broome, Western Australia
I discovered, depending where you stand, sand can glitter like gold. thumb_IMG_0515_1024
And gold can be beige like sand.

Cable Beach, Broome, Western Australia
I accepted sometimes in the most beautiful place, people can walk into the picture for a moment and when they leave, it is still the most beautiful place.

Featherflower (verticordia grandis), Lesueur National Park, Jurien Bay, Western Australia
I found Nature is filled with fountains of vivid colour.
thumb_IMG_0017_1024
No more in muted clothing, I wear colours to remind me what keeps me alive inside.
Cable Beach, Broome, Western Australia
A sunset is not the end of the day, it is a sunrise elsewhere.
Benedictine Monastery, New Norcia, Western Australia
No longer captive, I look through windows because I am captivated.
Oyster Harbour, King George Sound, Albany, Western Australia
I discovered sometimes the light shines brightest on what is not there, to illuminate this truth.
HMAS Sydney II Memorial, Geraldton, Western Australia
That when we pause to remember, family, friend or stranger, we may be left behind but we are never alone. There is companionship in memories.

Wedge-tailed eagle, Midwest outback, Western Australia
Although mesmerised, to be wary of the magnificence of a predator.

Splendid Fairywren, Bunbury, Western Australia
Blue is the colour of sheer joy, not a state of being.
Boab Tree family, Eastern Kimberley region, Western Australia
I found my ‘voice’ this decade, at the foot of the Mother Boab tree where the ancient wisdom of trees healed my grief.
Karijini National Park, Pilbara, Western Australia
In the harshest country, I accepted the gift of peace.
On the way to Diggers’ Rest, East Kimberley region, Western Australia
In the company of strangers, I found family.
Twilight Beach, Esperance, Western Australia
In a moment of silence I found clouds are there to balance a perfect picture.
Frangipani, Karratha, Western Australia
Once an impossible dream, I now awaken to the scent of frangipani, symbol of love and devotion, and also the symbol of new life and renewal. Oh! the irony to find this in mining country!

Thank you for your presence in my life. May the next year and next decade fill you with hope for a better world. Look closer, not in the distance or in someone else, and you’ll find it, like I did.

Happy New Year!

As always

a dawn bird

In response to Word of the Day Challenge – Labor

In response to RDP – Tuesday – Stellar

The stars in my galaxy …

Although we did not eat our Christmas meal at my home this year, I still enjoyed trimming the tree. Some traditions are worth maintaining I felt because this Christmas was one of surprises.

About a month before Christmas, Daughter introduced me to veganism, not for political reasons, but as a lifestyle choice. We went to a few vegan restaurants and I found the food really tasty. I thought I could never give up cheese but surprisingly I’m not missing it that much especially over the holiday period which should have been a challenge. I’ve adapted to almond milk and don’t drink as much coffee as I usually do. I’ve had negligible amounts of meat, seafood and cheese without the discomfort of wanting more but I’m pretty sure I won’t be able to sustain it when travelling, as closely as I am, when at home.
Our Christmas celebrations at Son and DIL’s (daughter in law) home was amazing. She has been a vegetarian since she was in her early teens. That truffle mac cheese with herb topping was delicious! Everything else was plant based. She was a star this year.

Daughter (aka my wild child) is going through an eco and vegan phase. (She has also discovered KonMari! Wonders never cease!). She wrapped all our presents in remnant cloth pieces. Another star is born! DIL will use the material in costumes that she sews during the year. Daughter also delighted in giving us a ghastly salt and pepper set that she picked up in Mexico, the same for each household, because she said between peals of laughter, “everyone should get at least one crap present at Christmas!”.
Daughter also tells me a Bloody Mary is one of those drinks that one can start the day with, and not be judged! So I made a jug of this with fresh produce and started my day.

So this Christmas there were no food comas. Just a feeling of satiation. Of giving and receiving love and … a jug of Bloody Mary!

Until next time

As always

a dawn bird

In response to Word of the Day Challenge – Star

Moora, Western Australia

My contracts have been renewed for another year. End of year is always a time of tension and then relief. Work does not buy me material things. It buys me professional freedom to do the kind of work I feel committed to doing, so the relief is always palpable.

One of my last country trips was to Moora, a small town in the North Eastern Wheatbelt, some 160 km (100 miles) from my home. It has a population of just under 2000 people. I am yet to see more than twenty people in town in peak hour mid day. Being farming country, most of the population live away from town. It is not uncommon for folks to come into town for their appointment having travelled nearly 200 kms. Children can do a round trip of 100 kms twice a day when travelling in a school bus. These are hardy, community minded folks.

Check in for my accommodation at the local caravan park is done at the local petrol station! In such an unassuming town the surprise for me is one of the local cafes and the pub, The Drovers’ Inn.

At the end of the main street that has no more than ten shops I think, is the pub (on the right).

DSCN9799 The Drovers’ Inn, circa 1909, is something out of a movie set. I learnt the hard way. To buy a drink, avoid the bar when it is shearing season! The Bottle Shop entrance on the right with the discreet blue sign is a better bet! The meals here are amazing.

thumb_IMG_0720_1024
Around the corner from the Bottle Shop is the entrance to the dining room. It is opulent indoors and the first time I entered this place I was taken aback. Now that I am a regular visitor here for meals I aim to get more photographs of the building next year.

The counter is made from wood and curved and belted with this brass decoration that goes all around it.

thumb_IMG_0717_1024
I just love it!

Across the railway track is the local cafe with a French name and serves French food with Edith Piaf’s wonderful voice infusing the atmosphere.

The cafe has been doing well. It’s so good to see this in a small town. It has moved to bigger premises. This is only part of the extended shop. There were too many people around and I didn’t want to invade their privacy but I’ll get more pictures next time. I just love the chandeliers!

The drive to Moora is something I enjoy. Being in the heart of the Wheatbelt and big road train country, there are huge chicanes that brings out my inner rally driver when I’m not stuck behind slow moving farming equipment. With my playlist on loud, this is a trip I’ve come to love. I’m so thrilled it will continue for another year.

Until next time

As always

a dawn bird

In response to Word of the Day Challenge – Freedom

When love came knocking …

Buried
I found lost treasure
this feather, perfect and free
left by an angel, for me
A message in sand
live life light
what falls away makes us free
you don’t need feathers in a hat
just wings,
that no one can see
this,
an epiphany, from an angel
when he left a feather for me.

a dawn bird

In response to Word of the Day Challenge – Knock

The sundowner …

DSCN7377

As I sat at the window watching
the sun slipped off the horizon
outside, the palm trees rustled
and the frangipani bloomed

The night, young and warm
much like me once
yes, you knew me then, in the dark
like the frangipani, by perfume

Laughter around me, the genie
I see your presence in a fleeting smile
not yours, but familiar enough
oh! those uneven rolled sleeves and crinkled eyes

How near you are, when I’m far
sitting here, sipping thoughts
from an empty glass,
in a noisy bar

If you were with me
I’d say, like before,
bring out the stars
make my jaded heart sparkle again

a dawn bird

In response to Word of the Day Challenge – Sparkle

A lightbulb moment

Storm skies, Back Beach, Bunbury Western Australia

I know I’m too busy when I’m dying for a cuppa and I’ve run out of milk. So it was on of those days when I popped into the local grocery store to buy some and I heard her voice. I walked past her while she was talking to a younger woman. It was the way she reached out and touched the woman’s arm that jogged my memory. She was someone who had moved out of the neighbourhood some twenty years ago. Our children went to the same school and were classmates. My children always liked her because she was such a warm person. I went up and politely interrupted her conversation saying, “are you X’s mum?”. As she said yes she scanned her memory trying to figure out who I was. “I’m XX’s mum”, I said. Oh! the hugs and oh my goodnesses!

She tells me she has moved back to the neighbourhood alone. I must have looked concerned, “Oh! don’t worry”, she adds quickly, “he didn’t die!” We both laugh at the black humour. She tells me her marriage of 40 years had ended. The children had left home and have their own lives. She had been a stay at home mother. One day she realised her husband had not addressed her by her name in a decade. It saddened her. She called it quits. They were just treading water. She said wistfully, “I wish I had seen the light earlier”.

People stay in defunct relationships for different reasons. Fear, often, is one of them. The fear of being alone, of never finding someone else, losing financial security, the impact of divorce/separation on children and extended family, of upending the status quo that has taken years to create. I can relate to all of this. Leaving was not easy, especially when holding the hands of little children. But despite the darkest clouds that hung around for years, there was a silver lining.

I found my faith grew stronger. I no longer talked about it. I lived it. I found compassion for others I never knew I had.

The lens through which I viewed life was softer around the edges. I found joy in small things every day.

I no longer wanted to change others. I sought to change myself. I found the more self-accepting I became, the more others accepted me for who I am. I wish I had seen this light earlier.

Until next time

As always

a dawn bird

In response to Word of the Day Challenge – Light

I see real people …

In the last few days I’ve worked between Kalgoorlie and Coolgardie. For some this landscape is just bush and an ordinary, long drive. Nothingness, even. Given the gold rush history of these towns, and all that came before, this is vibrant landscape to me.
I had to stop road side as the mulla mulla bloomed bright. thumb_IMG_0515_1024
And when leaving the Goldfields, depending on my mood, I am saddened by the big, open cut gold mine that scars this landscape. At other times, I am fascinated by the activity here. On this trip, I had mixed emotions.

My schedule was busy, as it usually is, in these parts. It is rare for people to cancel. I walked across a still warm car park and past the bank of white flowers. The perfume took me by surprise. I stopped to adjust my luggage just so I could take another deep breath. I walked into the terminal and was blasted by the aroma of pizza and beer. There is a celebration just about every corner. I had forgotten it was Melbourne Cup day, a horse race that stops a nation, but not me. I was on the road between two historic mining towns. I suddenly realised I had not eaten all day. I had another three hours before getting home. The crowd around the small bar/cafe too big for me to be served before my flight took off. I had nothing else to do but distract myself. This is no fancy lifestyle but it makes up in other ways.

I ended up getting a window seat at the back. Not the best spot. It is boozy back there. A young, muscled, tattooed man sits in the middle seat. He is polite and with a heavy accent, I strain to understand him as we settle down to being strangers again. The plane is full and as the last stragglers get on board he erupts in greeting to someone down the aisle. Turns out they will be seated together. Fist pumps and mates, they share their journeys since they last worked together. I try to distract my hunger by counting how many times his mate uses the f word and give up because he breathes it. The young man seated at the end of my row is hilarious and I stifle my laughter as he yells out to another mate, a few rows down, “Hey! Princess!” I could just see him as a young child in a classroom, a teacher’s nightmare! His life is an open book and all those within earshot are welcomed to thumb through the pages. With a recent break up behind him, his polite mate asks if he lives near his ex. He responds, “as long as there’s a bank between us, it will be too close” and then roaring with laughter tempers this, “nah! it’s all good!” I believe him, it’s all good. There’s not a trace of malice or regret in response.

The plane landed with an almighty thud and to a roar of “FAAAARK!” shouted in unison. These tough, hard working blokes were not impressed and I had to smile when someone was convinced the landing had fixed his dodgy knee surgery! As we ready to disembark, I lean forward for my bag when I make eye contact with the young man at the end of my row. His face is tanned red, his bushy beard is redder, his eyes brighter blue than a Goldfields sky. For a brief moment he is subdued and in a quieter voice very politely says to me, “Sorry about the language mam, didn’t mean to disrespect. I’m just a wanker!” I have mined gold vernacular!

I’m still smiling in the taxi, tired but happy, while I reflect on my trip. My lifestyle is not a comfortable one. It takes me out of my comfort zone. It should tire me. But it does not. I’m usually more energised by my trip at the end, than when I leave home with anticipation. Perhaps I have worked on this mindset of look, listen, feel, experience. I believe this mindset has kept me fresh because, there are those special encounters I have in a professional setting, and, then there are others.

Yes, I see real people.

Until next time

As always

a dawn bird

In response to Word of the Day Challenge – Jaded

This, too, is karma …

I’ve just returned from Esperance. It is probably the first trip in dozens that I did not visit magnificent West Beach. There was something in the air at Woody Lake that kept me there, something more than the fact I was on my own at dusk and early morning. I got there early and waited. I’m not sure for what. I just surrendered to the serenity of the moment that lasted two hours this morning.

The kangaroos were too quick to photograph and disappeared into the scrub before I could focus. Soon there was birdsong. Nothing I have heard before. It was a nursery choir with unfamiliar sounds, all tuning up to perfect one day. But not today. Today, the off key cacophony made me smile.

The scrub was filled with little chicks.
Not yet afraid, the Silvereye held on …
To catch this tiny bird at breakfast with an even tinier spider made my day.
It was as curious about me as I was of it. I wandered around for a couple of hours and as I was leaving I spotted something white in the scrub.
A tiny, fluffy grey fantail chick.
With sun beaming at, or was it from, her chest. I was dazzled.
Another juvenile played hide and seek, with several attempts at spreading the tail.
There was another chick
And another, resting after play.
And my first ever glimpse of a juvenile cuckoo.

Where does this delight in birds come from? Perhaps it is this …

As a child I yearned to be free. Free as a bird I would say to my mother who tightened apron strings. Even birds have to conform to the flock she would caution, or they die. I thought I was invincible, as I threw a “Not me!” over my shoulder and out the door.

I believe I knew what I wanted from about the age of six and every step of my life’s journey has been activated, framed, motivated by that one desire. To be free. I’m not sure what I wanted to be free of, but I knew I wanted freedom.

I believe I’ve achieved my childhood dreams. Is it karma?

I have lived a life of freedom and on my terms. Every step I have taken, every decision made, has led me to this point. I have not lived life passively or as an observer. I have lived my life, as intended. And, I’m not done yet.

Karma is not a b*tch. It is not life’s punishment for something bad you may have done, or rewarding you for something you have done right.

Karma is not a backward glance. Karma is filled with hope and is forward thinking. It is an acceptance, at any point of one’s life, one has the ability to change the course of how one lives, if one chooses to do this. It’s taken a long time to come to this realisation. So I start new each day. Yes, life can be that simple for me.

May your steps today lead to good karma.

Until next time

As always

a dawn bird

Word of the Day Challenge – Karma

Message in a bottle

Even though the year has not yet ended, I still believe one of the highlights in 2019 for me was the experience of ‘Boorna Waanginy: The Trees Speak’. A Festival of Perth light and oral history of land of the Noongar people played against the backdrop of tall gum trees was a memorable experience. I’ve written about it in another post. You, too, can experience it by watching the clips on You Tube.

The walk was Ikea-like. One way until you reach the end. As the crowd of thousands flowed through Kings Park we pooled into a magical garden where glowing glass bottles hung from tree limbs and branches. The garden was tucked away and the soft glow emanated a feeling of intimacy, a oneness. On closer inspection, each lantern was labelled. This was a place of awareness. A place where knowledge was shared. The labels identified species that are threatened. The flora. The fauna. Voices of those impacted and witness to environmental change conveyed their testimony of what was and is not any more. For me, the intimacy was real. One was lulled by the beauty of the place. It would have been easy to become complacent and just enjoy the moment. Until the message in the bottles spoke louder. One had to respond.

Today I’ll reflect on this. How can I make a difference?

May you, too, choose your path mindfully today.

Until next time

As always

a dawn bird

In response to Word of the Day Challenge: Glass

Spring flowers in Foxes Lair

Having to take two weeks’ medical leave in October, I’ve had to cram six weeks into the month of September to ensure I met the requirements of my work. Somehow it did not feel exhausting. I have travelled through Western Australia at the best time of the year and managed to have a few days R&R as well. How did I do this? I’d rather not stop to think!

One of the things I have tried during the year is to get to Foxes Lair, a nature reserve in Narrogin, some 215km south east of home, early enough late afternoon so I could spend time here at dusk. I usually go early morning when I’m working in the town, but I wanted to spend an afternoon here. I managed to do this in September.

The reserve had more freesia than I’ve seen before and the light breeze wafted perfume in the warm afternoon.
There were huge shrubs, white as snow with flowers.
This is a close up of the flowers.
To say it felt like I was walking through a florist shop is an understatement. I was a couple of weeks too late for the orchids, but there were a lot of other wild flowers around.
I love this succulent which is tiny, a Kickbush, I believe is the name and I’ve only seen it in one particular corner of the reserve, so of course, my eye searches for the exquisite, tiny flowers.
And, this is my all time favourite. I really believe they belong on a wedding cake!
And of course the Creamy Candles that waved in the bush and caught my eye.
The tiny pink paper everlastings were just a pink fuzz early morning, carpets of them everywhere.
The Tangled Grevilla was prolific.
As were the Purple Tassels.
And the most beautiful pimelea.

I should feel satiated, but time in nature has the opposite impact on me. I feel greedy and want more of the same.

Until next time

As always

a dawn bird

In response to Word of the Day Challenge – Hunger

Among grass trees …

I’m reading The Hidden Life of Trees by Peter Wohlleben at the moment and I cannot believe how moved I am by the book. It should be mandatory reading for every leader and politician. Excerpts of the book are also worth reading to children as a bedtime story so they can make dreams come true some day.

I am always comforted in the presence of trees. I never feel alone when I am in a grove and seek this companionship when ever I can. For example, my work in Esperance is always pretty full on and so on my way to the airport I invariably stop off at the Arboretum and I instantly feel a sense of being nurtured. From the book, I now I know why.

The picture I share today is a landscape of grass trees along the Ocean Beach Road between Lancelin and Jurien Bay in Western Australia, north of home. I love stopping here. Early one morning there were hundreds if not thousands of kangaroo lounging about blended in the grass. It is a serene place. It is usually filled with silence. It never fails to generate a sense of wonder and respect for ancient land. I love that this space humbles me in the best way.

Until next time

As always

a dawn bird

In response to Word of the Day Challenge – Emotional

The wildflowers are blooming!

It’s about a two hour drive between Geraldton and Morawa through farming country and a drive I always enjoy. This time, being wildflower season, it was awesome. It would have been more awesome if I prepared for being covered in pollen and dust. I was cavalier, “Oh! I’ve never suffered from hayfever!” was my dismissive response. But I’ve returned home with bigger bags under my eyes than in my hands and feeling totally dehydrated.

This was a bucket list item and worth every discomfort.
We left Geraldton and the vivid, fluoro yellow canola fields behind to enter wildflower country.
There were acres of yellow, white and pink pom poms, millions of them.
Egg yolk paper everlastings, too.
Just carpets of flowers as far as the eye could see.
These flowers were on shrubs, native, no doubt.
And entwined around small tree limbs, the gorgeous, delicate, fringed lily.
I chased this little one from tree to tree. His call, beautiful and melodic and so strong, for a tiny bird. My first photograph of a black honey eater.

I’m home for a couple of days resting before another round of travel next week. And, then, the Murchison region, the Midwest outback. I’ll heed advice and remember to pack some anti-histamine!

As always

a dawn bird

In response to Word of the Day Challenge – Advice

Zen

that moment of stillness
suspended nothingness
mindful mindlessness

a dawn bird

In response to Word of the Day Challenge : Zen

Life, as I know it now

There was a time in my life I loved real gems, in particular, diamonds, rubies and pearls. I just loved them and couldn’t resist buying jewellery. I’m not sure when my view on this changed but soon my wardrobe had a vastly different collection.

This necklace is my favourite accessory. I can’t remember where I bought it. It attracts comments from women, men and children, all strangers, who are drawn to the colours and style. Children usually think the necklace is made from Smarties!

The necklace makes me feel good. The Tree of Life has so many meanings. When I’m feeling flat, it reminds me, what falls away makes way for new again. I remember wearing it during one of my trips to Broome. As I was walking along through the weekend markets, an elderly indigenous woman reached out and held it between her palms. She held it for a few seconds, like she was seeking warmth from it. She told me it was beautiful. I said to her, “yes, it’s the tree of life”. Our eyes held the gaze for a few seconds longer than they would have otherwise between strangers. We were both silent and then she smiled, her energy bright. In that brief exchange, we both knew exactly what that moment meant for each of us.

The other day I was comparing my blingy sandals with a little three year old girl’s glittering ballet shoes. She couldn’t get enough of my clothes, stroking my linen dress and my bare arms, staring at my sandals. She examined the necklace closely, so I gave the necklace to her to wear. She cherished the gesture and wandered around the room, stopping only to look at her reflection in the glass door. Her mother was concerned she would not return it to me! But she did, and placing it around my neck, she looked me right in the eyes and said, “It’s beautiful!”. The shine in her blue eyes was brighter than any glittering diamond I have ever worn.

As I grow older, I’m so grateful my view on life has evolved to becoming more aware of what really counts. Although there are days I have been struggling with the unknown and may not be as happy as I would like to be, I still get to experience joy. And, that’s the view I’d like to share with you today.

Until next time

As always

a dawn bird

In response to Word of the Day Challenge : View

This errant heart …

Carnarvon, Western Australia

Tether me to your heartstrings
loosely
and moored,
I may stay.

a dawn bird

In response to Word of the Day Challenge – Errant

	dawnbirdau on August, the last month of…
	Eliza Waters on August, the last month of…
	dawnbirdau on It takes but a moment …
	Alice DeForest on It takes but a moment …
	dawnbirdau on What the eye sees, the heart f…