A parallel universe.

“How are we all so brave as to take step after step, day after day? 

How are we so optimistic, so careful not to trip, and yet do trip, 

and then get up and say OK.”.

~  Maria Kalman

As the morning mist blankets my world in ethereal wonder

I can’t help but relate it to life.

It’s still beautiful

undeniably so

but it’s all so very unclear.

ANYthing could be out there 

IF I could only see it.

It’s surreal.

Like my life.

A parallel universe.

Everything APPEARS so normal on the surface.

But it’s not.

Inside I’m all of a quiver.

Uncertainty plays havoc with my mind.

It’s a loopy kind of optimism that keeps me going.

Seeing the fantastic even when everything’s horrid.

After all, who else gets to chat to seagulls on their early morning ramble to watch the sun rise?

That’s one thing I CAN be certain of.

The sun WILL rise every day.

And set.

And the seagulls will caw.

A semblance of normality in an ever increasingly insane world.

Whilst I ponder on the SO’s imminent departure, life continues unabated.

Despite NOT participating in many markets of late

my artwork’s selling well.

It’s beyond exciting.

As I watch the unexpected fall into place I can’t help but feel grateful.

Colleagues on leave create extra shifts that keep life busy.

Busyness is good as it leaves little time for reflection..

Or over-thinking.

I don’t know how I’ll feel next week but it doesn’t matter.

THIS moment is the only one that does.

“There ARE no ordinary moments.” 

~ Dan Millman (The Peaceful Warrior)

In all this "busyness" I find time for a tea moment.

An eminently civilised afternoon treat.

Courtesy of The Local Coffee Shop (though I'm drinking tea)

It caused much amusement to customers and my colleagues in the Mall.

They all wanted a tea moment of their own.

A perfectly IMPERFECT world.

 "If the wind will not serve, take to the oars." 

Latin proverb

When you’re roused from your slumber by the melancholy wailing of foghorns, 

you just know it’s going to be a misty morn!

Yesterday didn’t disappoint.

Mist as thick as pea soup shrouded EVERYTHING.  

If the hound had of been with me, 

she would have disappeared from view the moment her feet touched the waves.  

No Rangitoto.  

No Auckland City.  

No ferries criss-crossing the bay.

NO Wind.

Just calm invisible waters with wisps of mist blanketing the stillness.

The Shag were still fishing.

I caught the occasional glimpse as he bobbed to the surface 

scanning the waves in search of breakfast.

The Seagulls were still scavenging

Weekends provide more sustenance in the sand than weekdays.

A lone kayaker ... braver than us ... joined the shag as he slip-slapped his way back to shore.

He was scarcely visible, just the sound of his paddle disclosing his presence.

Mist creates a silence of a different kind.

I love it.

My world from another perspective .... an eerie but mood-filled perspective.

There’s a comfort in the silence and the all-enveloping fog.

Indy, wondering where his mom has gone.

Sammy, the 3 month old Samoyed with Willie

It’s the first morning this winter that the mist has been SO all-encompassing. 

It hid Rangitoto from view ALL morning and finally lifted at 1 in the afternoon.  

Seriously misty mornings USUALLY pre-empt a beautiful day.

Someone read the manual.

 Blue skies and sunshine were ours in abundance today.

My rambles this week HAVEN’T been without canine company.

Tim and Amanda have a busy few weeks ahead of them so their hounds, 

Nukes and Kea, 

are joining me on my rambles.  

Nukes (aka Manuka)

Nukes is SO like the hound ... but in Golden Retriever clothing.

NO waves are TOO cold and balls should be chased.

Kea

The hound’s a little disconcerted by the scents on my person on my return.

Nanu ... he's not as grumpity as he looks!

Life right now isn’t perfect but, 

in it’s very own way, 

it’s perfectly IMPERFECT.

And that’s ok.

Look what I found on the beach
... a Son and a Sun!

My world had neither form NOR substance today.

It’s been one of THOSE days.

MISTY .... MAGICAL ..... and utterly MADDENING.

The misty and magical bit was the morning ... the utterly maddening bit is the youngest lemming.  I do sometimes wonder where he came from.

The road up to the view site

Maybe he’s NOT mine.

Walking out the front door into a world with neither form nor substance is eerie.  I’d already guessed from the melancholy wailing of the foghorns in the harbour that my world would be shrouded in mist today.

And it was.  More than just shrouded though .... it was completely enveloped.  

Sun rise!

Our ramble to the view-site was markedly quiet.  No early morning bird chorus.  No lycra-clad loonies.  Not even a kayak.

The silence was broken only by the foghorns and the throb of the ferry as it made it’s way across the channel to Half Moon Bay. The mist seems to intensify the sound.  The ferry sounded MUCH closer that what it probably was.

Yep ... we could see the sun - through all the mist!

Even the hound was confused.  What had they done with the waves?

She found them soon enough when we hit the beach.  Aided and abetted by Bandit and Panda and Sam, the 4 of them lept in and out of the waves after rugby balls.  Bandit ensured that everyone in the immediate vicinity knew they were on the beach and Panda killed the rugby ball so it couldn’t fight back.  Sam’s not too sure what to make of this big brown and white dog with the spot on it’s eye that keeps pinching his ball.

Tug-of-war

Panda thinks it’s great fun.  He’d be a marvelous member of their rugby team if he could just learn to release the ball.  He’s a great flanker, superb at gaining and retaining possession of the ball from Sam.  Sam’s yet to learn all my hound’s marvellous defensive manoeuvres.

Bandit’s learning to be a great wing.  He runs alongside Sam giving full vocal encouragement but isn’t too sure what to do when he gets the ball.  He’s fast, furious and persistent.

A few more lessons and BOTH could be optimal players!  Maybe we’ll get Coach Carol to train them .... or maybe not.  Her language at match times COULD be a bit of a problem.

The misty mayhem gave way to a downpour so Carol and I sought refuge at Annabel’s for breakfast.  The hounds didn’t mind.  Suitably nourished by the remnants of our breakfast they returned to their manic digging in the sand.

Disclaimer: We are NOT responsible for any harm or injury that befalls anyone attempting to traverse the mountains and valleys the hounds have constructed in the sand.

“When something bad happens you have three choices, you can either let it define you, let it destroy you or let it strengthen you.” 

~ anon.

Drove out to Kumue this afternoon to source some mounting board
and stopped here for lunch on the way home.

Taken by the youngest lemming, who thinks he's quite the photographer now.

Doesn't like having his own pic taken though.