40 at the Beach

Funny how age creeps up on you, you know it is coming, the maths is obvious, and suddenly there it is, forty.  40 sounded ancient when I was in my twenties, old like my parents old, an age that happened to other people, grown ups. Surprisingly 40 doesn't feel much different to 20, now that I'm an old parent. Less nights out, better Sundays. More time with family, less time with friends.  More reflection, less impulsiveness. Hopefully I am a little wiser. I now appreciate the brief time we are of this world, I'm no longer invincible. 

It feels strange to say I'm 40, half the time I feel just like a child, still figuring out what journey to take. 

 I have spent a few days journeying with the Bowerbird family and staying in a little cabin at Wye River, to celebrate aging. It is a gift, to see the passing of time. To be alive, especially in such a beautiful part of the world. The Great Ocean Road and the Otways are exquisite, and filled with presents. In my moments of delight I have gotten a little camera happy, so there could will be a few holiday posts coming. This is the last day of our holiday (my birthday) on the journey home. The sun was very generous and graced us with unexpected golden rays for our winter break.

 Sheoak Falls (near Lorne)

 I love a sheoke. Those whispering droopy leaves. The way that there are girls and boys, sheokes ad heokes. The spiky echidna seeds, that give great hand massages, and are fun for little hands to send sailing over cliffs. Those spooky wind gnarled trunks.

 Bursaria spinosa - Sweet Bursaria

The name Bursaria is derived from the Latin word Bursa, meaning purse, in reference to the shape of the seed pods, they are like little love heart purses that rattle with the promise of new life. The spinosa bit is obvious, check out those spines, little birds love to hang out in these bushes for protection and to sup the nectar from its sweet flowers.

A magnificent rainbow arced through the clouds above the sea, all laid out for my birthday. Thankyou nature, I'm feeling the love. I secretly hoped for a whale to start splashing underneath it (it is the humpback migratory season and we missed one passing in Wye River), but that would have been ridiculous.

 Aireys Inlet beach

 

Each beach has its own personality, different seaweed, different rocks, different shells, different waves, different smells.  There was a lot of cuttlefish washed up on this beach, we brought home a few pieces for the guinea pigs to grind their teeth on. When I was a kid we gathered cuttlefish for the budgie to munch. I'm not sure if either pet was/is really enamoured with cuttlefish, but there is enormous joy in the gathering, and the gifting.

 If only today's rubbish heaps looked so beautiful.  An aboriginal shell midden in the cliff face. Lots of mussels but other shells too, I wonder what limpets and sea snails would taste like.

I am in awe of the enormity of the ocean, its waves crashing in with a salty slap, reminding us of how minuscule we are, chuckling foam, laughing at my reflections on 40.

A great quote I read in The Age this week

"Keep your feet in the mud and your head in the clouds" 

Artisit David Bromley, in conversation with Wolfmother frontman, Andrew Stockdale.

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/lifestyle/two-of-us-20130603-2nkn6.html#ixzz2VvCqG3xP

And some words from the great wisdom of my Merbein Nanna,
"You're only as old as you feel",
She was in her 20's forever and did aging very well.

The cheeky girl in the yellow dress is the biggest Bowerbird at around two years old, she's now taller than me, but looking a lot like her younger sister in these photos. I've just arrived at my 30s, sporting a bumpy dreadlocked do, all set for a big trip around Australia, my first stops were staying with my two Nannas.

 I think my Nanna was definitely a mud and clouds sort of lady.

Feeling grateful and linking with