The reason for Winter

Yesterday at Raspins Beach.

This is a colour photo (!!!!) of surfing school kids finishing their 'Know the Coast' class yesterday.  I was waiting for my Spring Bay Suicide Prevention Network mates to arrive to set up our annual solstice event for the next morning.

And this is Raspins today just before sunrise.

Georgia and new found doggie friends waiting for the siren

which is when we strip off to the basics

and head on out to sea at sunrise to celebrate the solstice.

When we emerge, Maria Voices are singing,

the sun is shining

and life is very good.

You can't have a Winter Solstice everyday so the next best thing is BOOKS.

I have read the whole series so far and really hope Richard Osman keeps his promise to write more.

I have branched out and read a cuppla books I saw recommended somewhere - young, new, cool writers.  I learn a lot about sex from them.  The protagonist in the book above is mostly a danger to herself but I like the outcome and the setting between Australia and New York.  In addition to sex, you can learn a lot about being a professional musician in an orchestra.

This one is also the Australia / New York dilemma.  It's a romance and there's gentler sex in this one.  This time you learn about life in the trade of art dealing.  It's well done and I liked it.

This one is on loan from PUBS.  I borrowed it when last I volunteered there.  The title rang a bell so I thought I should investigate.  Here we have teenage angst, and I think there may be vampires but I haven't got that far.  Because it's in diary form it's easy to pick up and put down.  And one day I'll return it to PUBS.

This is another PUBS one.  I have to read it slowly because it is so painful but I need the knowledge and will finish it gradually.

This is my main read when I have nothing else.  I love Simon Winchester's writing.  How can anyone write so well and know so much?

Winter musing

I am thinking about my next Blogblodwyn post but also musing on life in Triabunna.

My friend, Mel, died just before I left for Wales and I haven't properly said goodbye to her yet.

This is Snowy who was Mel's dog when I first met her.  Snow is an old dog now.  I took him for short walks while Mel's Dad spent time at the hospital.

Jill is also an old dog, though not as old as Snowy.  She and Miya mostly spend Friday Pizza Nights companionably together.

There is nothing Jill likes more than a walk around town to pick up her messages.  I like to see traditional Triabunna sights like a fishing boat up on the slips.

looking up Swan River

looking downriver to Freycinet

And I've also vowed to explore beyond Tribes in future, so Jilly and I drove to Swansea, bought a scallop pie and continued on to Dolphin Sands to eat it.  In this spirit of exploration, I took a road new to me and found us a pontoon on the Swan River.

After Jill had a good look around, we backtracked to Dolphin Sands and spent some time on the beach with Freycinet almost a stone's throw away.

There are also delicious Sundays when Georgia invites Jill and me to afternoon tea.  Jill eats Miya's food just like Miya eats Jill's food when she visits us.

Exploring locally, I found a dam on land destined to be a new subdivision with retirement village and nursing home.  Definitely a space to watch.

I spent the King's Birthday  volunteering at PUBS.  I have my name down to cover the public holidays.  This book caught my eye having recently spent time with Spanish Rose working out how to get from here to there on the tube.  Maeve Binchy has a very clever mind.