This marri tree has been a companion on many walks in Kings Park. This morning was extra sweet, with the sun rising over the scarp and touching the leaves of this tree, one of my favourites:-)

Today Rob and I enjoyed having lunch in our lovely garden. Fi, Rob and I have put a lot of work into it, feeding it and especially watering it through the hot summer days.

Despite the warmth in the air the feeling is alive, and wattle birds were busy picking insects from the leaves of the furry woolly bush over by the fence.

It’s really lovely just to be here:-)

If you look closely, you can see the morning sunlight reflected on the leaves of the gum tree. As they wave around in the breeze, the patterns of light are uncannily like the light on the ocean. When we walked in Bold Park this morning, the first time since September, this was a source of joy that I have sorely missed.

During our 40 minute walk (another milestone for me) on the uneven track, we were blessed to see a flock of rainbow bee-eaters enjoying morning snacks and training their young as they wheeled around the trees. This time when they gather to prepare for their migration north is always a time of joy. It makes me restless: perhaps it awakens my hunter-gatherer roots. Sometimes I wonder how far we have come in our human journey, and if we really have moved on from our migratory beginnings…

Just when every plant in our garden was considering turning up its toes in the relentless heat, Cyclone Iggy gave us all a lovely gift. Instead of crossing the mid-west coast in a flurry of huge winds, she came all the way down the west coast to our neck of the woods, and crossed the coast last night in a gentle patter of rain, all night. So this morning when I walked around to check on our little beings, they had literally opened themselves up to this delightful gift and I could have sworn that they were smiling:-)

This morning we went for a walk along the Nedlands foreshore. Rob rides his bike here often, and yesterday he enjoyed a flock of rainbow bee-eaters as they gathered before migrating north. He took his camera this morning in case they were still there, but sadly they weren’t. However we were intrigued that a small flock of corellas and a small flock of pink and grey galahs were intermingling on the grass as they enjoyed an early morning snack. In the trees and bushes flocks of tiny birds chattered. I recorded them on my iPhone.

We did a 50 minute walk, my longest yet since knee surgery, and these wild gifts made it extra special:-)