Autumn

Pelican is heading North for her home in Southern NSW in Bermagui. Two Bays is over and done with for the year though there is much follow up and hopeful chasing of funding for next year to be done. Our thoughts are turning North again to plan for our annual trip to Cape York.

But meanwhile it is a long weekend here in Melbourne. I have stayed home and am not on board to help deliver the boat as I hoped to catch up on many things. My daughter has gone away to stay with her Dad in Apollo Bay. In fact to Wild Dog Rd which was the inspiration for this blog.


But I have found myself a bit slow to get done what I need to do. I can blame the end of a cold but mainly it is the utter distraction of the tragedy befalling Japan at the moment and events in the Middle East that have consumed my time in front of the computer. I suppose it would be far better to have been producing positive steps rather than immersed in these far away events. But that is how it is.




A break in the weather came this afternoon and the rain and wind is bringing Autumn a step closer. The spider who carefully and quickly creates his web in my front garden is feasting on the abundance of insects from the wet Summer and Autumn. Yesterday I saw a butterfly struggling in the remains of last night's web. I couldn't help myself and ran out and managed to release the butterfly without damaging the wings.

I have been struggling in a net of emotions around separation and my difficulties getting used to shared parenting. I miss my daughter when she is away and miss the ideal of our old family retreat in the hills behind Apollo Bay.



But to end this self-pity as I did not write this to wallow but to try and clarify. I am thankful and appreciate that I have time to reflect. That I can continue to attempt the work we do with Pelican and have space to still wonder about the way life is. It is but a luxury while the ground shakes and waves bigger than houses can smash and destroy the unremarkable and remarkable realities that make up our daily lives.