This is an unseasonably warm day, one of the treats Life sometimes delivers, an opportunity to enjoy a mindful walk. The old Shepherd girl reads my mind and reaches the gate while I'm still tightening my walking shoes. The earthy smells, the warm breeze on the face, the screeching, raucous galahs gathering on chosen gumtrees let me know that rain is on its way. Countdown to Spring has just begun but today, its telltale sights, feel, scents and sounds cannot be ignored. I pick a soft, new seed bearing stem and enjoy a chew. Pulling it it between clenched teeth releases its sweetness. Colours are vibrant today. Smooth strips and patches of peeled off bark, a creamy glow among the varied shades of brown and grey of gumtree trunks. Amazing how those trees are all unique, so many different shapes, shades and characters. Among them, the sudden explosion of bright yellow white cedar seeds, dangling from the end of bare branches, some already turning various shades of orangey brown. A bit further the shocking outburst of a stand of black wattles in full yellow bloom. Natural fireworks on a dark green background. Distinctive scents, one sometimes taking over then blending with others a few steps away. Nature's rich choice of olfactory cocktails. A brief pang of envy at the dog's finely tuned sense of smell, picking up so much more than I do, who's been through here and over there, done what ? A few chewed feathers scattered on the ground. Who dunnit ? A once familiar spot, bulldozed overnight by wild pigs, making walking treacherous, bared pockmarked ground releasing a strong organic smell of recently dug up earth. Overpowering. The dog's brief look over her shoulder at the meeting of 2 paths, speed-scanning my mind, getting it right. Correct, I'll take the right one, heading down towards the river. Underfoot grass is patchy, many different greens, mottled with brown and yellowing patches where frost has hit a sensitive kikuyu stretch. The distant rush of water, getting closer, louder. As the dog reaches the bank, the plop of some startled animal. Platypus or water dragon ? Probably the latter as the fluid outline of a platypus would have made a more discreet entry into the water. Feeling the hard, irregular shape of a rock under my backside. Listening to the gurgling flow, lively but soothing...the paradox of running water. The sudden dash of a kingfisher, just a vivid blur as it catches something invisible to me from the swirling surface. And disappears.
