Month: September 2021

Today is stormy and gray. The wind is gusting around me as I sit. It buffets me from the left, then the right, behind and in front. There was four huge pelicans up in the sky. They were getting pushed around by the wind, but they didn’t fight it. I watched them for ages, soaring […]

It’s another cold night at the Bench. For the first time ever, I see the moon from the Bench. It’s about three quarters full and being covered and uncovered by passing clouds. Beside it is one solitary star.

Today it’s all about the breeze. There’s the most beautiful, warm, dry breeze coming from the north today. It rustles gently through the dry tree leaves and smells like summer. The late afternoon sun is falling across the green grass. There’s something about the first signs of summer that’s just so lovely. It feels like […]

We came down to the river early again today. We’ve been here for about 45 minutes already. It’s just such a beautiful peaceful scene. It was a very cold, still night last night. Our breath comes out in puffs of fog, and there’s still a little bit of mist lying in the river valley. Sunlight […]

We’ve come down to the river early today. The river level is starting to drop, leaving muddy puddles everywhere as the river shrinks back to its normal summer path. We came down to see ‘Edward Curls’, which is what my son has named the Duck. Edward because he seems quite prim and proper, and Curls, […]

Some days it just all feels like too much. Too many things to think about, too many meetings to have, too many conversations to plan for. It’s just all too much sometimes. Today’s one of those days. When I sat down on the Bench, everything felt so heavy. It didn’t feel good at all. But […]

Today, I was definitely feeling stressed when I sat down on the Bench, my heart rate was up and my breath was short. I could tell that I had the weight of all the pressures that surround me at the moment. Too many appointments, too many meetings, too many parental responsibilities. I’m really glad that […]

Far down the river to the south, past Northern and Southern Benches, down the undeveloped section of the river path, there is a pedestrian bridge over a cascade. I can hear the cascade from this Bench. This Bench is set back off the river on top of a hill overlooking the bridge. A switchback path […]

It’s all about the birds today – there’s birds everywhere. It’s kind of strange for the middle of the day. Normally they’re out at dawn or dusk. Behind me, there’s noisy Red Wattlebirds in the pine trees, chacking away to each other. There’s also White-plumed Honeyeaters with a sweeter song. There’s some Pigeons cooing away, […]

Today, the river is flowing slower. In some places it is wide, flat and brown. It’s still quite full though. There’s a Magpie here at the Other Side Bench, which is on the other side of the river from my house. The Magpie’s getting hassled by a Willie Wagtail, who’s a much smaller bird. Wherever […]