Winter Rain

For what feels like the last week, maybe more, it has rained every.single.day. As in, all day long. Every day, all day, for the last 7 or so days. The sea is very grey and very tumultuous and surges close to the grass line along the nearby beaches. The rock pools have been overwhelmed by the big seas, covered, non-existant for the time being.  Foolhardy surfers insist on throwing themselves at the mercy of the sea, albeit briefly. The water is cold, unrelenting and unforgiving. Mist hangs low over the escarpment. At times the top of the escarpment is utterly obscured by the drifting puffs and trails of low cloud and mist. The local creeks are full, rushing, milk chocolate brown, churning.

Now. Ordinarily, as Anne would describe it, I'd be in the Depths of Despair over the longevity and intensity of this cold, grey, so very grey, rainy rainy weather. But much to my surprise, I am enjoying it. It feels good to be all cosy and warm, either indoors with the gas heating pumping out warm deliciousness or outdoors, with a warm scarf wrapped around my neck and snug boots on my feet. Comfort food tastes good and soothing, wine is warming and the lounge, with it's inviting blanket and books amid the soft glow of candlelight, beckons. It all feels lazy, cosy, unhurried. The soft sound of the rain pattering and pittering outside lulls me into a state of acceptance. It is time for retreat, reflection.

It's a beautiful time of year.

Touched

Sometimes, oftentimes, it's the small, unexpected acts of kindness which restore your faith and mood and just generally leave you feeling warm and fuzzy. I was at work today and already in good spirits- the early morning sky on my way to work was clear as a bell and as blue as my Mother's eyes and I was pleasantly engaged with a lovely lady who I was assisting to breast-feed her lovely two day old son. Partway through my explanations to the new Mum, I heard a co-worker, who was not rostered on the shift, calling out my name as she walked around the unit searching for me.

When I greeted her outside the patient's room, I noted her lack of uniform, the day bag slung across her shoulders, her cheerful smile greeting me, pleased she'd tracked me down. In her hand she held a small, palm-sized package, which she'd brought in for me to borrow. It was a space blanket type of thing, designed to keep one warm in an emergency, in very cold conditions. Remarkably,  my co-worker had come in on one of her precious days off, after noting when I was rostered on next, solely to lend me something to keep me warm, should I need it, whilst away in Nepal. She has been to Nepal twice herself, having trekked the Annapurna Sanctuary and Annapurna Circuit and on both occasions had taken the emergency heatsheet with her. And here she was, lending it to me, to help keep me safe and warm. I was and am so touched. Such a small act really, but entirely selfless and completely heart-warming.

Thank you, Yvonne, I hope I love and enjoy Nepal as much as you have and do. And I hope to pay your kindness forward very soon.

Two Weeks!

Get ready for a surprise!

I realized tonight, that despite having several packing lists/ things to do for Nepal, I had neglected to add PASSPORT to any of those lists.

You know, that small, insignificant item you need to leave or enter countries.

It's just over two weeks until The Sister and I depart for Third World shores. I am equal parts Mummy Guilt and Sheer Excitement. I feel so blessed to have this opportunity to visit a country I have day dreamed and fantasised about for many, many years.


In other news, Of Monsters and Men are the shiz.

Prelude to a Bushwalk

On Sunday, as long as the weather cooperates, The Sister and I are going to go on a bush walk in order to a) gain some exercise and b) break in our brand new, virginal trekking boots. Apparently, walking or rather, trekking, in unbroken-in boots or shoes is very, very unwise and as such some breaking-in of said boots needs to take place. Sooner rather than later.

SO.

We shall most likely attempt to do the Giant Staircase/ Furber Steps walk in the Blue Mountains. As the name of the walk implies, it consists, in part, of walking down a series of many, many steep steps down the side of a cliff. Which will be interesting because, according to quite a few of the reviews on Trip Advisor (Holy Grail of Independent Travel Reviews), it is a walk neither for the faint-hearted or unfit due to the steepness and exposure to heights. Given that I am TERRIFIED of heights, it should prove to be an interesting descent to the valley floor.

Wish me luck.

39 Days

Thirty-nine days until The Sister and I depart for our trip to Nepal and Bangkok. To say I am excited would be an understatement. I am consumed with thoughts of what to do, what to organise and what to prepare in the coming (less than!) 6 weeks. Thus far, I have managed to accumulate most of the gear I will need to take and use throughout my trip, in particular for the trekking portion of the holiday. I think what has excited me more than anything is the fact that I have been purchasing items with the expectation that this will NOT be the last trip I do to Nepal. I have been reading blogs (again) which have covered peoples experiences of doing the Everest Base Camp trek and I am more determined than ever to do this trek in the next year or so myself. I cannot explain why I have to do this trek, I just know that I must. It has been something I've dreamed of for the past 12 years and the time has well and truly come for me to just do it.

That said, doing the 5 day Poon Hill trek, may well prove to be a completely hideous experience and I may discover that I detest walking for hours each day, having to use squat toilets and being deprived of a daily shower.

Somehow though, I don't think that will be the case. Time will tell, yes?

Last day of Summer

.....and it fecking well rained. The sky and sea were grey. And cool.

Typical.

Insert something meaningful here...

......because, for the love of all that's good, I cannot think of a single thing which I can write to commit to this blog.

Sorry. Fingers crossed this inertia will not last for long.

The black dog prowls in my backyard and I am trying hard to keep it at bay.