there and back again

I zoomed home from a very crabby Friday, and hastily threw together a few days' worth of supplies, before zooming out to the suburbs to see A History Of Violence with Mr.G. We spent many an hour chatting over coffee afterwards while the St Patrick's Day revelers boganned it up around us. Then I zoomed again, and stayed the night at the family-home. In the morning, patermunkey, Ms Cait, Mr Nimbus and I bundled into the Silver Beast and zoomed here:

Yes, lovers and dreamers, it was a beautiful weekend in Munkey Valley. Those of you lucky enough to have been there with me, will know that the beauty of the place is that so little happens there - thus leaving room for all kinds of things to happen. (If that makes sense.)


MindlessMunkey - mother-nature's son... or something.


The River. I have spent almost every Summer of my life (and often bits of Spring, Autumn and a few times, in my carefree youth, even WInter) immersing myself in these clean, cool (often colder than cool - often testicle-chokingly-freezing) waters.


Ms Cait and patermunkey. You can see the Munkey Shack on the hill behind them. Just after sneakily snapping this photo from under a tree I was told by my ten-year-old sister that I should "respect people's privacy". *paparazzi munkey*


This is the view from the verandah of our house. I tellsya... sitting back and gazing at this, listening to the music of the wind in the leaves and the birdsong on the air, while sipping your fifth glass of wine... ain't nothing better in the world.


PaterMunkey has conquered a tree. Raaaar! Actually, we were a tad saddened to find this tree - which my parents planted over 20 years ago - had been unceremoniously torn from the ground, seemingly by what must have been one rip-snorter of a storm.


Aww look at the little cutesy-wutesy widdle battikens! These small insect-eating bats inhabit our house when we're not there, and I'm sure they feel a little disgruntled when we turn up and invade what they probably think of as their large conveniently-geometric cave. When balled up like this, they are about the size of a golf-ball... like a tiny brown mouse with wings.


While we're on the subject of the local creatures, here are some moo-cows. Mooo! These are cows on the property down the road - formerly owned by two Crazy Lesbians™, with whom - it might surprise those who know me as a qweer-fairie technology-savvy citi-boi to discover - I spent many a happy youthful day herding cows and sheep, mending tin roofs, shovelling manure and other such rustic activities.


More creatures! This is our family canine, the dashing Mr Nimbus. He obediently took a break from frollicking in the River and snapping at flies and other exciting doggie activities like that, to pose for the camera. What a lovely boy he is! I think if I were a dog (or a bitch, even), I would think Mr Nimbus was a damn spunk.


"There is no such place,
O yes I have seen it too, just a little different from how you do.
Our house upon a hill with no windows
Just a can upon the sill
To catch your tears
To feed your garden."

Okay so there are windows, but still... when I hear that song, I am always put in mind of our little cottage gazing down the valley amidst the waves of golden grass.

There is such a place... a blessing for which I am eternally graceful.