A new beginning

Life has been busy chez nous. We spent a number of days cleaning Peter’s deceased brother Frank’s home unit – which belongs to us. Frank’s children emptied the place of furniture and so on, then walked away, leaving us with the mess – and Frank’s eleven-year-old cat to deal with. We haven’t caught the cat yet but I’m working on it. We can’t give her a home (I’m very allergic) but I’ll take her to the local animal rescue – which is something his family should have handled.

I gather we’re not on the Christmas card list. Hey ho. The feeling’s mutual.

We’re in the process of preparing the property for sale, which has delayed moving the rest of the mountain of mulch in our back yard. We’ve shifted half of it and I’m proud to say the whole pool fence has now been painted. By me. So progress is happening.

We did have some avian excitement. A kookaburra decided to nip through the garage to the front yard. But while the pedestrian door was open, the main doors were not, so it couldn’t get out. It promptly panicked, darting about looking for an exit. We pointed out the door it used to come in but it decided it could get out of the back window, which doesn’t open. It thrashed about at the glass, trying to force a way through, so I went up and caught it in my hands, hoping it wouldn’t use that formidable beak on me. It certainly yelled at me, beak wide open, but it didn’t struggle as I carried it outside. I threw it in the air and it flew off, over the roof.

On the national stage we were delighted to read that the Federal Government has taken steps to curb transfer of Australian businesses to foreign interests. That’s particularly, but not exclusively, aimed at China because no Chinese business is free of the control of the regime. Naturally, Beijing has reacted. The deputy ambassador to Australia, Wang Xining, spoke at the national press club in which “he labelled Australia as treacherous and disrespectful”. Mr Wang said that “Australia was responsible for the worsening relationship between the countries, declaring China respected Australia and ‘naturally, China expects reciprocity’”. Quotes from The Australian. I’m seeing more Chinese trade sanctions in our future. The idea of Canzuk (a Canada, Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom alliance) looks more and more appealing, as well as closer trade ties to India.

It’s been a stressful week leading to much nightly tossing and turning. The other day I got up at 4am and then, at about 5:30, I headed for the beach to take pictures of the sunrise. I used to do that often but it has been a few years since I ventured forth before dawn. Still, it’s usually worth the effort. At a lowish tide, pools of flat water are trapped between the sand bars, reflecting whatever magic is happening in the sky.

I arrived before sunrise. The sky was beginning to lighten and the tidal pools reflected the little clouds and the trees that line the shore.

I rolled up my jeans and walked out onto one of the sand bars. The tide was still running out, would be for a couple of hours, so the tidal pools were pretty full.

I wasn’t sure where the sun would first make its appearance – it varies quite a lot over the year – but my guess that it would be over Fraser Island turned out to be right.

The sun rose into cloud cover but that just helps to add to the drama. Eventually the sun’s rays found a hole in the curtain, creating a thin finger of brightness. That little bit of sparkle bottom centre is reflection from the wavelets created by a flurry of activity from a school of tiny fish.

I wasn’t the only person on the beach. It’s popular with dog owners, even when it’s cold. I’ll admit I was losing feeling in my toes. But I reckon it was worth it. The dawn of a new day.