Post 549 Spring Sunrise

The early part of my week was spent observing, pondering and investigating two trees that had suddenly developed bright red patches. I can see them from my western balcony, and couldn't recall seeing them bloom before. Maybe I wasn't looking, or perhaps other trees obscured my view.

I took photos from the balcony - not successful enough for identification, even with my DSLR, which I soon discovered, I could not download to my new laptop without new cables. That triggered a visit to OfficeWorks where two very helpful young men found what I needed. Although the new connectors did the job, I also identified a battery issue which will mean a visit to a camera shop.🙄

On Friday I took cameras into the Square to investigate at close range. It is clearly, as I suspected, a Coral Tree, or Erythrina. Althoiugh these are not native to Australia, they are very common along the east coast, and a declared weed in many places. They are less common in South Australia.

There were a couple near my primary school in Sydney and on the way to and from school we would innocently gather the 'ladies' at this time of year and pull them apart to a chant, which I can no longer remember - something like 'this is her dress (remove the outer red petal), this is her petticoat (remove white petal layer) - and there she is!"  

Bizarre? Yes. Not something I want to delve too deeply into as an adult.

Saturday was fine - the only day forecast to be sunny, so I did the washing, hung it out, and got 10 lamb shanks slowly cooking for two hours before I left for a concert by the combined choirs of St Peter's Cathedral.

It was a varied program. My favourites were the motets, the Barstow and the Vaughan Williams. The cathedral has excellent accoustics, both when the sound comes from the choir stalls and when it's from the front of the nave.

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The photos are not the best, as I took them seated in my pew. There were some very young choristers making their public performance debut.

As I left a native wood duck, undeterred by cars, was foraging in the park across the road from the cathedral.

. '.I later drove to dinner into a stunning sunset. 

Book Club on Sunday morning was a lively affair.with . plenty to talk about: is it OK to write fictional works about historical characters? (divided views), should we edit out attitudes or stereotypes we no  longer accept from older books? (no, but contextualising essential), the Boer War and Australia’s involvement is worthy of attention (we gave it some), butter or margarine? (divided views). One member has read the about-to-be released Vera Stanhope novel #11 and the rest of us are hanging out. The Tim Sullivan DS George Cross Mysteries series is interesting several of us.

As we were leaving, I mentioned I had a booking in an hour’s time to have my 8th COVID shot. This was queried by a couple of members who knew I had had COVID a couple of months ago. They were under the impression you could not have a vaccination within 6 months of the infection. The form I had filled out asked if I had had the infection, but not when. On my way home I stopped at the pharmacy and asked. The duty pharmacist confirmed I should not have a vaccination until six months after the infection, as, he explained, the infection provides sufficient immunity which is not strengthened by the vaccination. I rebooked for late November. 

As I was writing this yesterday I logged on to the Health Department website to check something, discovering in the process their advice to delay a booster only 90 days after an infection! Back to the pharmacy to check again. This time the duty pharmacist confirmed advice has changed, and yes, 90 days, not six months is now the recommended delay after a COVID infection. So the November booking has now been brought forward to this coming Friday!

Having sorted that, I treated myself to a visit to Frewville for bread, and on to the Needle Nook, which, the Cleckheaton website informed me, stocks their chunky Verve yarn. On the weekend a free beanie pattern  caught my eye. In spite of my 3 drawer yarn stash, I have no chunky and really want to try this. I opted for bold, rather than pastel. It might go ahead of this year's Shetland Wool Week hat in my queue, given we are coming into Spring, when a blend may be better than pure wool. 

It will not, however, impede progress on the blanket, which is on target. I have 6 squares to go. I expect to be on to the edging next week.

There were eight to eat the lamb shanks last night (the same as last week, which I reported as nine - clearly can't count!). Subject choices, assignments and placements were much discussed. Growing old has many challenges, but I don't miss the stresses of being a student, even though I enjoyed those years in a simpler time. 

This morning I went to the Playhouse at the Festival Centre to see Julia . It’s the first time I’ve been there in several years, because of building works, which are not yet finished. The play was excellent, worth the effort of finding a pathway around scaffolding, dealing with the understaffed booking office and ticketing errors. The brilliant performance left me somewhat depressed. While the speech which anchors it is a triumph, the need for it is appalling. We have made progress - but there’s a long way to go. 

In the face of age, infirmities, news of wars and  injustices, it is sometimes hard to maintain rage, let alone hope..

Back at home, I pondered this as I stitched another square for the blanket. This morning, on waking, I had captured this spectacular sunrise. 

Whatever the challenges, I guess that still holds its message of hope and renewal;  carpe diem