and the next days... January 4 & 5

a sneak preview of what is to come next time.....

so on to January 4 and 5......the ride these days was brilliant. Riding first of all through farmland - paddocks, dotted with grazing sheep. In the distance were rolling hills and an aura hung over this land in the early morning light. Resting, peaceful & stillness... much like i wish my soul to be and I believe is becoming..... as I looked at that land, I began to believe that I could sit right there in that spot, or any spot really and I would be on Sacred Land. Every single inch looked and felt Sacred.No need to travel the world looking for Sacred places.. (every part of Mother Earth is Sacred and we need to begin to treat it like it is.)

we travelled through pine forests. Beautiful large pines. However there was a feeling about them of not being native, not belonging. But these trees were showing me that although they weren't native to Australia, they could grow and thrive alongside the native eucalypts......

and so we come to the stringy bark forest. I was so disappointed that we couldn't stop to take photos...(this was before I discovered that I could take photos on the back of the bike.)
So I will have to paint a picture using words...
the forests of eucalypts were awesome. the smell that hung in the air. not the strong smell of eucalyptus oil but a more subtle, earthy fresh eucalyptus perfume. just divine. These stringy barks were so strong and I felt an overwhelming love and support coming to me from them. that is when I realized that I must find myself a stick to make myself a new wand. a wand of belonging.
Dead trees among the living. white and bare. But still strong and wise. still part of the tribe.. showing me that even though their spirit has gone, their wisdom is still here for us to use.
and the soil. as red as I have ever seen. Once I would have thought it harsh but now - healing and grounding. I need some for my base chakra. the red colour perfect for connecting me to this land. to ground me. to bring me home.

and we rode on. down to the coast, along rugged coast country. passing through small seaside villages... and over a bridge at Lakes Entrance.. I was not really looking, more like gazing at nothing.. but at that moment, I had a desire to look into the water and as I did a dolphin came up out of the water and went back down. sleekly and silently. Was I called to look? A sign perhaps? A message? Or just a co-incidence?

that night was spent in Bairnsdale. We went out to dinner to a gorgeous pub and I had a small meal. Slow roasted vine tomatoes served with bocconcini and a salad of rocket and basil. It was delicious. The tomatoes were tiny vine tomatoes that had been dipped in olive oil, then sea salt. then oven roasted in a very slow oven for two hours. exquisite taste and basil and rocket together? Oh yes, it works very well. sprinkled with olive oil, sea salt and cracked pepper. A perfectly simple delicious meal. ... next time we travel to Lorne... via Heronswood.

it has been quite warm here in Woodford and on the weekend, I did a really big tidy up in the garden. Pruning a rose bush that needed a haircut... but first of all I took a gorgeous bunch of roses from it to put on my table... aren't they gorgeous? I have no idea what kind of rose it is but it is never without flowers. Every single day of the year there is a rose or two or more on it.