I NEED a new rugby ball!

“You transform ALL who are TOUCHED by you.” 

~ Rumi

Rumi expresses in words what I feel in my heart.  I’m transformed in one way or another by each and every person I encounter in this journey that’s my life.  

Rumi .... you rock.

I’m having a distracting morning ... all the fault of the US Open. 

 I should be working, putting pen to paper .... figuratively not literally ... but instead I’m watching tennis.  Yes, Nadal’s playing - I could be here for a while.  

I switched on just as Federer lost in straight sets to Robredo.  

When the phone rang I guessed it would be Carol.

Pete hadn’t wanted to listen to her sob story about Federer’s loss so she cried on my shoulder instead.  She’s even more besotted with rugby and tennis than what I am!

If it had been Djokovich who’d been dismissed she would have been cheering, not crying.

Tennis aside, it’s been the MOST magical of mornings.  

Sunshine, clear skies and an abundance of hounds to run amok with on the beach.

Paradise just doesn’t come better than this.

The hound’s rugby ball has finally breathed it’s last.  The innards have dropped out and it now resembles a pancake .... a leathery one.  Kicking it is no longer an option, it HAS to be thrown. Fortunately it still floats or Sam would be out there still searching for the ball .... well, what’s left of it.

A new rugby ball will have to be found.

Between Panda and Bandit, and Bella and Zak and Sam, and of course my hound, I have tossed rugby ball after rugby ball into the waves.  They just never tire of it.  Panda pinches whoever’s ball he can and Bandit tries to herd them all in and out of the waves.  Zak and Bella just race after the ball with our hounds, fully aware that their chances of holding onto the ball are remote.  

The fun is in the chase!

It’s a ball and water frenzy and whoever’s left holding the ball is the winner.

Carol’s worked out her role in all this morning activity.  Her duty is to bring Sam to the beach - and the Chiefs rugby ball of course.   Once he’s here, she’s superfluous to requirement .... in Sam’s eyes, that is .... and could quite easily go home.

Sam might not mind if she’s on the beach or not, but I do.  I enjoy our morning natters.

I even managed to stalk the heron AND the kingfishers this morning.  Mr. Heron was sourcing his morning tea and quite oblivious to my stealthy approach until he’d caught his fish.  He quite obviously thought I had designs on his tea so he stalked off into the waves.

The Kingfishers on the other hand teased me mercilessly.  Just as I hold my breath and raise the camera to my eye, there’s a flash of iridescent blue and they’re off, flitting up and down to the next rock.  I’m sure they’re secretly laughing at me.  I did get close ... but NOT close enough.

And as for the tennis ..... Nadal won, of course.