I've been up since 4am, checked my emails, answered those I needed or desired to, updated myself with the overnight happenings on Facebook and Twitter. All from the comfort of my own bed. Ah, gotta love the 21st century, where the world doesn't just come to you, it crashes and bangs on your door with alerts, notifications, texts and endless stimulation, making turning one's phone to silent overnight an absolute necessity. I wonder if anyone remembers that a phone used to be for making calls...
So it's 6 a.m. and a broad grey daylighty day, and I'm walking to the beach and Hastings Street. At this hour it is surprisingly busy, but of the non motorised variety. Sure there are a few cars, mostly great Aussie work utes rumbling by, filled with young men in fluoro workshirts, on their way to doing whatever it is they do. Workers start early up here, so they can get out early at the other end. But mostly it's walkers, joggers and cyclists. And dogs. Then you can break those down further into the power walkers who are all Lorna-Janed up in their designer gear and sweatbands, and usually in awesome shape under all their tight gear, and wanting to show the world. There's the locals taking their dogs for a morning stroll. There's older people who are just enjoying waking up another morning still breathing air. And there's me. The cyclists whizz past, mostly very fast, although there's a few casual versions of those as well. All helmeted up for the dangers that must abound, according to the cotton candy world we live in. There's the runners, who ought to be helmeted up because there's more chance of them tripping over and landing on their heads than anything else. Runners rarely smile. They are too busy just breathing and staying alive. It's a pastime I've never embraced personally. And there's the bush turkeys, darting here and there, their charcoal plumage blending in beautifully with the roadway as they venture across the other side (because they can, and they want to get to the other side..) I have not seen too many splattered turkeys though, because they are surprisingly quick when they need to be. They can also fly, but this is something extremely rare to see. In fact, I've never seen it, but know it because I've seen them up on the balcony at the Sheraton, so unless someone punted them up there, I figure those wings of theirs must do something after all. They are funny creatures, and they are Noosans as much as the rest of us.
Sadly my $1 coffee place was closed this morning. "Back in 5 minutes," the sign proclaimed. Obviously I had turned up within the wrong five minute time frame, and on the bright side, I've saved myself a dollar. Turning towards the beach...
It's grey, the water is grey, and there are people smiling everywhere. Most have been swimming already. These are the aquatic Noosans, the ones who prefer to take their exercise off land. Many are middle aged and older men, and mostly fit. They arrive in groups, and some run into the water, and some squeal like bikinied young girls. But they all get in. And why not? The surf club sign tells me it's already 21 degrees and it's only 630am. I go into the water myself, up to my knees, and I'm putting the water temperature today at about 23. And damn, note to self, always wear one's bathers here, because it's always the case that I want to get in. No matter what the day looks like when I start out.
I walk the beach a little distance and then turn and head back to the crossing over the canal behind the Sheraton. I'm always a bit sad to leave the beach. Even living here, and knowing I can come back anytime, I still feel that tug of regret. It is my magic place, where all is good in my world.
I'm walking home now along Noosa Parade. There's a few more cars getting about now. And there's flowers. A big yellow tropical hybiscus catches my eye, and has me reaching for the camera. I remember my Indo matey down in Melbourne who loves her flower shots, in fact my facebook page was covered with her floral artwork yesterday, so I'm snapping a few in return for her. The big fat cheeky hybiscus. A grevillea with big red fluffy blooms. And a desert kangaroo paw type thing (not being its technical name I don't think) just for the contrast. I'll give a bunch of flowers to my Matey this morning. Via Facebook of course!
All of this, and now it's time to actually start my day....
Have a good one. Love from Noosa Xox
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