Glorious Melbourne Winter Mornings
A Ramble
The man I live with hates mornings: I love them. The earlier the better. If I could go for a walk at 4.30 am, when I normally wake, I would. The man wakes up at 8 am and stares at me with bleary-eyed accusation. He can’t imagine how I am so chipper and full of beans at the time.
By 8 am, I have normally finished most of my morning chores, including two hours of writing, having my turmeric-infused warm water, Indian chai latte, and muffins.
I used to wait for him to accompany me on walks; but he used to look at me, scowling, and I usually gave up.
He also has this irritating habit of discovering ‘something interesting’ on YouTube, exactly when it is time for us to leave. I am sitting waiting there, with my shoes on, twiddling my thumbs, trying to calm myself, trying to stop myself from throwing the heavy ceramic rune-circled Icelandic coffee cup at him. But the cup would have broken, so I desist.
Finally, I gave up this losing battle, and now march out, head held high, and escape into the morning.
This, going on my own, was a reprieve I granted myself.
It allows me to ramble where I wish, and there’s no hurry to ‘finish’. There’s nothing to finish.
There are some things the man loves to stare at. He becomes positively misty-eyed at the sight of an earth mover, or one of the ubiquitous, gargantuan cranes that pepper the main thoroughfares of Melbourne’s CBD nowadays.
I reserve my awe and love for a stray bit of cobblestone, a stained glass window, a sunbeam seeping through the foliage of a Moreton Bay fig tree, the towering benevolence of one of Melbourne’s heritage facades…
Never the twain shall meet, I suppose.
Ah, well.
Yesterday I attended the Sunday Service in Melbourne’s oldest Cathedral, the St James’ Old Cathedral. It was a beautiful, touching, homely ceremony and I was glad to be present.
The day before, I was walking in Flagstaff Gardens and I saw this extraordinary efflorescence
It is apparently called the Agave attenuata. I am rather hazy about these names. I hope I have got the right one here.
Today promises to be another beautiful sun-filled day, though it rained like crazy last night, and the streets are slick with moisture.
I wonder what thing of beauty and joy forever I’ll see today.
