May 4 – On Sunsets

The day dawned grey, another sombre morning – the latest in a long line.  A fortnight of rain had left little expectation for sunshine, blue skies a distant memory.  What disappointed most this morning was that a clear day had been forecast.

It was not to be.

Leaden clouds hung low all day, until, late in the afternoon, as the sun was slipping on the horizon, it slung low enough to shine bright beneath the clouds.

Golden it blazed, bathing all it touched in radiant light.  Purple were the clouds above, defeated at last.

It was nice to see the sun.

January 7 – On Time

I am watching the sun sink slowly into the dusty pink western sky.  I am watching as the water of the harbour turns from a deeper blue to pale, and the boats and ferries scooting along its surface.  I am watching the bats as they fly low across the horizon.  I am watching the fairy lights as they swing in the early evening breeze.  I am watching the end of a glorious summer’s day.

The television is on, but I am not watching it – instead, I am watching the clock, and counting the hours until my love returns to me.

February 4 – An quick step

The anticipation is growing, and the crowd is growing restless.

People are still arriving, settling.  The night is warm, and peeking out from behind the cloudy horizon glows a large, full moon; pink and plump as a low hanging peach.

The performance begins – the Sydney Symphony Orchestra swells, performing ‘Austria’s Greatest Hits’, and the sails of the Opera House light up with images of Vienna.  Art, music, architecture – swirls of colour, and life.

We listen and watch, captivated by the sounds.  The atmosphere is friendly.  We chat to tourists.  We break into a waltz to the sounds of rapturous applause.

January 16 – A View

The city blossoms with light before me as the duskening sky fades away in a last attempt at fire, at flame.

The light on the horizon is a pale green, spotted black with low flying fruit bats, and filled with the sharp metallic ceaseless saw of cicadas; the sound and feel of summer.

Better than that – it is a Friday evening in the summer, the soft and fragrant air filled with the expectation that only two days off can bring.

May your weekend be glorious and filled with summer sun, or peace and warmth, if you are a up North.

January 11 – A Review

Lime paint left over from a slightly more exuberant era, a collection of furniture that might be more comfortable in your nan’s house, an overly large menu (so many choices!), all bound in an exterior that could pass for a graffitied Melbourne laneway, Cafe Guilia in Sydney’s Chippendale is a gastronome’s delight masquerading as a small corner cafe.

We sampled pasta, sandwiches, hamburgers – and agreed; everything was delicious.  Unanimously decided upon as the favourite were the crunchy, salty, rosemary fries.

Unpretentious staff noisily bustle through their work – there is no need to create ambience when the food is this good.

January 9 – A Message

Without wanting to come across all preachy (and that is not what this blog is about), people need to take care of each other.  I think we often forget how easily accidents can happen, and if we put a little more thought into our everyday actions, we can often prevent these.

Case in point – Sydney car chase results in death of toddler playing innocently in backyard when car crashes through fence and kills her.

Small choices that we make daily affect the lives of many.

Be kind to your neighbours.  Love one another.  Look out for each other.

Be safe.