Even though it’s still winter according to our calendar, the spring flowers continue to burst forth like these bright donkey orchids we found this morning.

She was a friend at school. We used to sit on the grass and share stories of where our future might go when we left school.

We have met over the years, the last time she was deeply distressed that she didn’t follow a path that was just hers.

This week she was killed by a train. I hadn’t seen her for a while and wondered if she had made any progress along her own path

I was surprised at the depth of my grief. It’s taken a few days to come to terms with.

Chris my friend, I wish you all the love in the universe.

AWESOME!

http://www.ilovenature.world/gravity/2015/6/18/nasa-recorded-the-sounds-of-planets-and-the-results-were-breathtaking

Years ago, when I was ill and searching for healing at all levels, a poem entered my mind and has never left.

Find me a place,
Close by the sea,
Where I can be,
Who I will be.

This morning as I woke in our boat bunk room, snuggled next to Rob, the poem was speaking louder than it has ever done. At first I wondered “why now?” as our boat moved gently on the sea. Then I knew.

Here we were, moored on the coast by the great Indian Ocean. Our boat Dusky Dolphin had carried us here yesterday and now swung on her mooring.

What I have been searching for all these years is here, now. Wherever we are on our beloved boat, that is the place by the sea.

Wow! So simple. So easy.

Right here.

Yesterday Rob expanded his already-impressive photographic repertoire into portrait photography in nature. He fulfilled a promise to take a portrait photo of me in the outdoors. My last portrait photos were sadly out of date.

I was in awe of his skill and knowledge as he deftly organised me into natural bush surroundings to take this photo.

What a natural he is!

There is something special about Plymouth, in Britain. As well as being the place where my beloved aunt lives it’s close to the sea. Britain has launched hundreds – perhaps thousands – of ships from here where it’s Tamar River meets the sea. The salt in the air is a lovely constant, and the haunting cries of the sea-going gulls are a special sound that I will always treasure.

It’s been good to be back here again.

This morning rob and I walked in the rain, chased by rainbows! This is a special thing in dry Perth!

A flock of red-tailed cockatoos landed in a banksia tree and enjoyed a good feed. What a special treat!

It’s been a very busy 5 days, meeting other Rotarians from around the world and hearing thousands of stories about good things they are doing to make our world a better place.

As I sort through all the business cards and brochures I have collected, the global reach of Rotarians is still summed up for me in this photo I took at the opening ceremony.

I’m very proud to be part of this global family.

Tonight we all gathered at the Perth Concert Hall, Campbells and Gibsons, to enjoy watching T1 perform with his school choir accompanied by the UWA youth orchestras. The celebration was the 25th anniversary of the founding of his school, John Septimus Roe.

T1 was awesome despite his nervousness. One of the youngest there, he’d practised and fronted up and did so well that by the end we could see that he was totally “in the music”, all nerves gone.

They performed Tichelli (orchestral), Borodin (T1 singing) and Beethoven’s 9th Symphony “Ode to Joy”.

An exhausting but exhilarating night for all the hundreds of performers, not to mention the hundreds of friends and family in the audience!