How I LOVE Fridays

Reality ISN’T black and white.  

Answers don’t always have to be a Yes or a No.  

If I don’t want to do anything today, I don’t have to!

(Courtesy of The Universe)

How I LOVE Fridays!

I choose NOTto ignore the strident tone of that early morning wake-up call,

 even though it’s  Friday.

The weatherman’s forecasting rain but my friend google has reliably informed me that early morning cloud coverage will be sparse.  

Perfect for greeting Mr. Sun as he starts his journey into my day.

There’s a spring in our step as we head out the door.

The hound’s tail is wagging nineteen to the dozen.  

She loves these early morning rambles almost as much as I do.

Friday’s are special.  

There are no time constraints.  

No deadlines to meet. 

Just the hound, the camera and me.

It’s my kind of heaven.

Pink-tinged cotton wool clouds announce the imminent arrival of the sun.

There’s a perceptible sense of stillness in the morning air. 

Raindrops glisten on every surface as we trot along the path beneath the trees.

Yes .... I trot too.

These morning moments are magical.

They imbue my day with a sense of calm and balance

all necessary for this emotional roller-coaster of a journey we’re on.

We met a Bandit on the beach today!

It would be foolish of us all, lemmings included, 

to not give cognisance to the emotions we feel about the situation we’re in.

They’re necessary.

Anger is necessary.

Pain and a sense of loss is necessary.

Compassion is necessary too.

They had their OWN little conversation ... he explained his point of view

Today though, I’m NOT letting them derail me.

I’m choosing to be IN this morning’s moments, warts and all.

.... and she told him where to get off!

I have hounds to meet and greet and balls to throw.

Then the feet-seeking missile arrived.

Even with everything that’s happening in my world, 

there are still moments that make me pause and smile.  

Let me NEVER lose the ability to see them.

“In any given moment we have two options: 

to step forward into growth or to step back into safety.” 

~ Abraham Maslow

It's been an absolutely glorious morning.

Top TIPS for Fridays!

TOP TIP for a Friday morning! Don’t put your mobile phone and wallet on the roof of your car!!

They fall off if you forget them and mobile phones don’t survive being driven over!

I just LOVE Fridays!! I get to cuddle under the blankets for a fraction longer than normal!  Julia loves Friday’s too .... normally. 

Too many things on our minds and we’re all capable of making silly mistakes .... LIKE placing wallets and phones on roofs of cars. Poor Scott, Julia’s husband, paid the price today. Fortunately a good Samaritan found his wallet and phone so the only damage done is having to replace the phone if it can’t be repaired. Not a good start to his Friday or Julia’s. 

She NEEDED our ramble yesterday. The hounds NEEDED our ramble and I ALWAYS need a ramble!

Fridays are our fun and fantabulous days ... we get to travel further afield with the hounds and find more dog-friendly parks and reserves where they can be off-leash. We went back to the Botanic Gardens as they have a huge off-leash area. Lots of new smells for Indy and lots of water for my hound.

The wooden pages of one of the books in the Children's Garden

New areas for Julia and I to explore too ... like the Children’s Garden .... where hounds aren’t allowed. We had to tie them up outside while we went in to explore our inner child. We had so much fun .... tunnels to crawl through .... beams to balance on .... log rounds to jump on ... even hop scotch to play. The Children’s Garden is a visual and tactile treat - so well thought out with so many enticing activities.

The tunnel we crawled through

Us 'chicks' had a great time ... having a sense of humour and being able to laugh at oneself is a pre-requisite for any activity like this!!

The 'egg' we hatched out of!

Walking around the Botanic Gardens reminds me time and time again what an awesome spot I live in. My life would be so much poorer if I were to ever lose the sense of wonder and awe I feel when I look at the visual feast that surrounds me on a daily basis. This is what makes life so special ....this is what nourishes my soul and recharges my batteries

I’m at my happiest when I’m seeing the unexpected through my lens. Fridays are good days!

I’ll never tire of trying to capture that perfect image ... my family might ... but I won’t. Photo opportunities abound .... even when it’s cold .... even when it’s icy. The hound understands this, the family sometimes don't.

“Happiness is not something you get, but something you do.”

The sun clock in the Children's Garden