catching my breath

We may not have a lot of big events in Bunna but we have plenty of small delights.  Weekend before last I did the clifftop walk again with Her Majesty and Mrs Omniscient Henry.  Walking towards us was a woman we had met at the meditation sessions whose name is Cheryl.  We all got so excited I forgot to ask what her dog's name is.  We learned that Cheryl is one of the hardy souls who swims each day at Spring Beach.  She can walk from her house at East Shelly, along the cliff path to Spring Beach.  Rather idyllic, though a long way to the shops.  Cheryl had been keen for the meditation sessions to continue after the 4 week course, and Mrs OH has been wanting to do Tai Chi so they decided 'to look into it'.  Next thing we know, Tai Chi is on at the Community Health Centre on Fridays at 10.30am which means we can stroll leisurely from yoga.  Like Zumba, we don't 'have a live one' but follow a DVD, fortunately an easy to follow one.
On the Sunday I went 'Wedgie Watching' with Ingrid and Graeme.  This may sound like the sort of thing you do hanging out of a car window cruising a small town but is in fact a Citizen Science project looking out for Wedge Tail Eagles and other birds of prey.  We didn't see any Wedgies but watched an engaging encounter of two Sea Eagles.
On Tuesday I checked my phone to discover His and Her Majesty had invited Mrs OH and me to lunch at the Coal River Farm after zumba.  I had a delicious slow-cooked beef and gnocchi dish with a lovely Coal River Cabernet Sauvignon.

Her Majesty, who is also our local Judi Dench, gave the place high commendation even without sampling the wine.  As you can see, the building is sleek and minimalist and not at all what I was expecting as a 'farmhouse'.

In other foodie news:

the pub on the highway has extended its bakery items.

Steve and I are very partial to their ciabatta, shown here with the teapot trivet I indulged in from The Rusty Devil because it reminded me of the face Sarah etched in the new honey some time ago.
Apart from the usual gym, zumba, yoga and now Tai Chi, and at least an hour in the garden each day, I'm reading.

Here's The Floosie's review of this book:

Hi

I thought you might like to read the review I wrote about Robert MacFarlane's book. I read it a year or so ago but I noticed in your blog that he was involved in the book The Lost Words.

That too sounded utterly captivating.  Here's to more books like these!!!!    FF

'The Old Ways' by Robert Macfarlane was a poetic exploration of the diverse walking paths in the British Isles with forays into Spain and the Himalayas. With lyrical and at times heartbreakingly beautiful prose, the reader follows Macfarlane as he walks ancient neolithic ways, Roman paths, coffin trails, ley lines, pilgrim paths, and many others, some on his own and others accompanied by old and new friends. As an urban Australian it was difficult for me to imagine the depth of history embedded in these walking tracks that spiderweb their way across the English landscape ( although Macfarlane does mention the Australian Aborigines and their songlines that connect features of the landscape). I especially enjoyed the path known as the 'deadliest' in Britain: It's on the Essex coastline and there are few markers. It heads straight out into the sea before veering back to the shore, to be walked only at certain times when the tide is out. It was an eerie landscape made immediate by Macfarlane's writing. The author also pops in bits of linguistic history dealing with the meaning of words associated with walking, and acknowledges the feats of other famous walkers. An engrossing book that conveys a powerful sense of ancient landscapes, and makes you want to put on your walking boots.

I bought these boots over a month ago to wear while gardening but they look so beautiful
I keep them as a sculpture.