... they FILL my mind with SUNSHINE

If I didn’t know better I’d think I was in Wellywood today ... not Jaffawood .... it’s wet, windy and yes ... very woeful indeed. Julia’s back at work this week so it’s early rising in order to be out the door at 6.30 am. Not a soul was about this morning .... no cyclists, no joggers, no cars .... not even the birds!  

I didn’t even get to see the sun rise ... the cloud coverage is just too heavy and all-encompassing. If I didn’t know better I’d have sworn there was snow on Rangitoto .... that’s what the clouds covering it looked like ... they were bright white. They reminded me of the table cloth on

Table Mountain except that Table Mountain is an actual mountain whereas Rangitoto is a volcano .... hmmmm.


We’ve had a full moon this weekend too and the tides have been extreme. I’m sure the full moon has an effect on our moods .... maybe it’s that werewolf thingy. There must be some

relevance there somewhere ... after all, the Latin word for the moon is “luna” ..... and the word lunatic has luna as it’s derivative. It’s been commonly believed that insane and psychologically disturbed people are effected by the phases of the moon.

It always gives me a thrill to see the full moon descending in the sky as I see the sun rising ..... WHEN I can see the sun, that is.  It’s a sharp reminder of the continuing ebb and flow of our world ... nothing is ever static, it’s always in motion - ever changing.  It’s like the seasons at the moment ... Autumn and we’re in a phase of change. In Summer I expect hot sunny days ... in Winter I expect cold crisp days. Autumn and Spring are more mellow ... more laid-back. Spring is a time of new beginnings ... and Autumn - I believe Autumn is a time of coming together, regrouping ... a time of calm ... though one wouldn’t think so today!

Rain .... rain ... everywhere!

The wet weather makes accessing Ladies Bay rather treacherous and it made crossing the rocks treacherous this morning too ... poor Julia took a tumble and landed flat on the rocks. It’s difficult enough keeping your balance when one foot slips but when both slip, you haven’t got a chance. I think she might be finding herself a bit bruised and battered ... it was a nasty fall and quite unexpected. We might be giving the rocks a miss in future when the weather’s this inclement.

A passage from the latest book I’ve just read comes to mind when thinking about early mornings “Those who rise with the sun have one thing in common. They all have a purpose that fans the flames of their inner potential.  Given their enthusiasm and love for what they are doing in their lives, such people live in the moment. There are no energy leaks.”

That’s the bit I loved “There are no energy leaks” ..... the author of the book is talking about worry and he likens it to a bicycle tube. When a bicycle tube is fully inflated, it easily takes us to our destination.  But if there are leaks, the

tube eventually deflates ... unless it's filled with PunctureSafe of course .... and our journey comes to an abrupt end. He believes the mind works in the same way too ... worry drains us of our natural vitality and energy until we have no energy left .... emotional exhaustion.

I know it’s easier said than done but worry is destructive .... this is where my early morning rambles come in.  Just like Google is the arbiter of inane information, my morning rambles are my arbiter of all things good .... they fill my mind with sunshine (and not necessarily from the sun), they fill me with hope ... and they fill me with the belief that NOTHING is insurmountable. When I believe in ME, I can achieve anything .... and so can my rugby teams!

Even the wet weather doesn’t take away from my enjoyment of my ramble. I came back drenched this morning but chuckling at the same time. I love it when I see someone else enjoying their ramble despite the weather .... a big smile and a cheery “hello” at the viewsite from the same man I’d seen on the beach when the hound was swimming. He, like me, isn’t deterred by the rain ... he’s living IN the moment!