Elands in Spring

This is a photo of my dad's house in Elands, where I ma sitting, except that at the moment it is dark and raining. Each day for the last week or so beautiful huge storms have been rolling in and settlingi n for the afternoon of thunder and lightning and wind and rain.

Last week a spectacular display of hail held everyone captive for the afternoon. The ground was momentarily covered with small white balls of ice, it looked like snow on the ground, and just when you thought it couldn't get any heavier another wave would pour down, so loud you couldnt here yourself talk. About an hour later it clear and the sun was shining and birds singing and frogs (sounding gleeful) started croaking again water vapour was rising up from the road.

To be in Elands at the moment it is very hard not to be constantly interacting with and being influenced by the environment and weather. This could also be in part because of the nature of the houses, which leak, and the roads and rivers which are easily flooded, and of course, the power and the telephone which are at the mercy of the thunderstorms.

Calypso and I spent the evening yesterday ( the rain had eased off) chasing fireflies and trying to get a good photo.. they mainly turned out black ( with a couple of dots of light). It was like chasing fairies around the forest. We got wet and muddy and enjoyed ourselves alot!

Coffee at Aspen's

Since I last wrote I have been flitting about from Ngukurr to Darwin and back ( with Nicholas this time) and then to Sydney and Elands, Newcastle, Sydney and now Elands again ( in that order I think), my travels have revolved around visiting friends and family and has been in some ways an indescribable joy and luxury. Eating good food with good friends, I suppose too, finding that I have a home somewhere even if it isnt an actual place.
I am in Elands now looking after my younger sister as both her parents are away visiting their parents... my stepmother ( ex defacto(??) little mami?) anyway my sister's mum left me the car the house the food and the kid. She ( the kid) is wonderful company and I am getting alot of satisfaction cooking and eating and playing the piano with her, walking her down to the bus stop in the morning to send her to school (Calypso is 10) and pick her up from the bus, and while away my time in between... smelling the sweet air filled with green spring softness after the huge storms and days of rain. Cooking and cleaning and walking around visiting people.

I went for a swim today ( even though the rivers are swollen and brown from the heavy rain) the water was cool and felt light and clear. I went to my dad's house and found that a young spring couple (little birdies) had built a little mud and feather nest in the roof of my room there, I felt very happy to see someone had been using the room while I was away). I must say I feel uniformally refreshed... I cant believe how easy life is. There are still times when I dont feel so enchanted... but I am more and more inclined to relax and accept the way things are turning out rather than feeling angry and confused and hurt (though I think there is alot somewhere below the surface... whenever someone gets me talking about Ngukurr I feel my voice getting wobbly with emotion... missing everyone..sigh).

I am typing this from my friend Aspen's cafe www.aspen.elands.com , you can see out the back all the way across the 'Oxygen Farm' (ie bush) to the sea across the mountains. It is such a beautiful place to hang out Asp has made it into a really beautiful place and anyone who is not here should come and visit and spend some time breathing the air and eating the good food ( North Coast of NSW).

Go Language Centre Mob !! you legends, I think of you often and with much respect and admiration at the hard work you are doing.

Home again

It is true that it is harder to sit down and write when life is easy and you are surrounded by friends and family. Though i still like to sit still and- reflect there are plenty of happy easy fun things to do, like read and swim in the river and dance..
Only a few days after i returned from that trip out to Minyerri, someone went out camping to that place and found my swag and brought it back and called me. And now it is here green and dusty and beautiful, I felt elated all day when I got it back!

I wrote this all a couple of weeks ago, but didnt post it because it was so insubstantial.But here it is now anyway!