Friday: Sitting Around Reading

I woke up around 8:30 this morning, and Uncle Sean and Aunt Anne-Nicole were both gone for the day. After my hike yesterday, my feet were a little sore, and I didn't have anything planned for today, so I decided against gallivanting off. Instead, I lazed around in my pajamas for a few hours, checked email several times, and talked to my family on the phone. I finally got dressed around 10:30, after which I sat around reading and watching movies until 1:00.

After 1:00, I decided that taking it easy didn't necessarily mean staying inside. It was a lovely, sunny day, far too nice to waste with movies. I packed a bag with all the essentials: my book, camera, pen and paper, wallet, and a bag of chocolate chip cookies. Gear in hand, I set off for a nice, leisurely walk down Cremorne Point. At the very tip, just before you would walk off the edge into the harbor, there are a few benches. I planted myself on one of those.

The view from the point is wonderful. There's a white lighthouse just off the tip of the point, which is quite picturesque, and Taronga Zoo is just across the water. There were times when I could hear the animals over the sound of the water. Any number of boats were passing at any given time; motor boats, sail boats, ferries....

As the day progressed, the light over the harbor changed. It started off as a crisp, clear light, in which it seems that you can make out every leaf of every tree, and the sails of the sailboats shine almost blindingly. The water sparkled and gleamed, reflecting and magnifying the light of the sun. Gradually, the light softened, so that everything looked a little fuzzy around the edges, and the walls of the buildings across the harbor seemed to have a gentle golden halo. The water no longer shimmered, but it took on a deeper blue to contrast with the soft greens and golds of the shore.

Excuse the descriptive flight.... I sat outside for almost 4 hours, just reading and thinking, so I had plenty of time to take in my surroundings and appreciate and commit to memory every color and sound. Hopefully, when I got home I'll remember quiet moments like that as well as I remember all the adventures I've been having.

Speaking of adventures, we're leaving in the morning forNew Zealand! We'll be flying into Christchurch, and from there on, who knows. I get the feeling that whatever we do, as long as we get out of the airport, I'll be happy with it and find it interesting.