You can't stop the waves......

Life is a series of waves, up and down, up and down.  

One of those 'downs' found my elderly Aunty unexpectedly taken into hospital.

Off I went some 3 hours south to the beach side town of Port Macquarie to visit her.

I arrived in the evening and as visiting hours were not until 10am

 I thought I would catch a beach sunrise the next day.  

Ha! Well, 6 am found me sitting in the car park staring through the rain spattered windscreen,

surrounded by VW campers and panel vans

 with their occupants still hidden from sight in sleeping bags.

 The sun crept tentatively into view, 

and unbeknownst to me so did the surfies .

But it wasn't long before there was a pitter patter and out came the umbrella.  

Those surfers had sneaked past me while I was engrossed in taking photos

 and there they were catching a wave in the rain!

Out popped the sun and for a while things looked up.

Clouds still hung threateningly on the horizon.

You never know what's around the corner.  

There was just time for me to grab a quick coffee and a bite of breakfast 

before heading into the hospital where Aunty was so happy to see me.

She told me how wonderful the ambulance officers had been

and we laughed when I recounted my beach adventures.

"You can't stop the waves  ~   but you can learn to surf."

Quote by John Kabat-Zinn 

Autumn ~ From Balmy to Biting

Stirring the porridge on the wood stove I think back to the beginning of May

 when the full moon was out. 

There was a warmth in the air, moisture too.  

That's what caused the fabulous rainbow ring around the moon.  

I scurried up the hill to the west in the early morning

The light shining on this web was just like the ring around the moon the night before.

 I was just in time to catch that same full moon going down behind the farmland.

The mist lifted to reveal bright autumn foliage on the liquid amber trees.

By afternoon the sun's heat tricked us all into thinking that summer had never left. 

The bugs came out in their masses, great feasts for the birds!

The evening sun slid slowly out of sight leaving us bathed in it's warm glow.

Fast forward a week or so and things are changing fast. 

The wind whooshes through the trees and leaves are defenseless, 

falling falling falling....

A chill fills the air, summer's really gone.  Winter's not here yet,

but from the feel of that bite in the wind, it won't be long.

It's comforting to think that whatever the season, 

wherever we are,

 that same moon shine's down on all of us. 

The day brought rain ~ of course it did!

Harbingers of rain, two yellow tailed black cockatoos flew over at sun up,

 and the day was decided.  There would be rain.

Mist followed and a stunning sunset,

 but nothing can beat the call and the flight of the black cockatoo.

 It's like no other and always inspires me to fly just that little bit higher!

~ ~ ~

What motivates you to keep going when you'd really rather not?

Eyes open to beauty

My daughter gave me a  box of affirmations "Up the Garden Path"  from Affirmations, made locally in beautiful Bellingen.  The words for today were:

'Greet each day 

with your eyes open to beauty,

 your mind open to change,

and your heart open to love.' 

Paula Finn

I reckon I've done just that today!  Come on and join me......

I was up early and I could see by a glance out of the kitchen window

 that it was going to be something special.

 

So I headed up the hill camera at the ready and Cobba the dog

 running up the pathway ahead as usual!

The moon was still in view 

and this parrot seemed as though it was flying straight into the sun.

 

I turned my back to the sun and watched as my long shadow

 reached down to the trees across the paddock.

The warm rays of the morning sun turned the dry wintery western hills gold.

Cobba snuck off to seeing what was going on at the neighbour's place.

My eyes were drawn back into the hazy glare of the new day.

And I could hear the buzzing of bees around the old plum tree.

A pee wee sat atop the highest branch and dared the other birds to come near.

Translucent petals shone against the sky.

The bees were in heaven!

And it felt like I nearly was too!  

Isn't it great when an ordinary day turns out to be extraordinary? I think, as the  opening words say, it can be as simple as being open to the possibility.

Would love to hear what you think makes a day special.