Idyllic

The weather has been stunning for such a long stretch. Probably my ideal summer weather. Except it’s autumn :) Sunny, warm, not hot-hot. I’ve heard the words ‘idyllic’ and ‘paradise’ tossed around a lot!! I’m doing a lot of the tossing :)

I finally asked one of the morning swimmers about the abundance of Men’s Sheds. She looked at me as though I was asking “what’s a stop sign?”. Once it became clear I genuinely had no clue, I discovered that - of course - men gather in men’s sheds to do manly things like use power tools and make things. Sometimes they sell them. Probably they talk a bit, but maybe not. It’s good for their mental health. Men get lonelier than women in middle age and beyond. It sounds like towns have libraries, city halls, post offices, men’s sheds, etc. I should probably ask some men about men’s sheds!! It’s also got me wondering about women’s sheds or she-barns or she-sheds or … (time passes) … OK, so I had a good chat with a man about men’s sheds. Apparently they have ‘women’s days’ at men’s sheds one or two days a week!! Hilarious. I love the whole thing really and truly, but this might the greatest metaphor for the patriarchy ever … it’s a man’s world (shed), designed for men by men, and we have to fit into it. Aren’t they gracious to give us a few days? Sounds like the sheds are state funded and there are nominal membership fees to join. Somewhat related (but sans patriarchal metaphor) Australia also has a mental health campaign where (some) dead trees on roadsides are painted blue, top to bottom. It’s quite stunning. Inevitably when you see a blue tree, you google “why are trees painted blue” and you learn about The Blue Tree Project. I find it very touching.

Hazel and I ran into some logs and stumps next to the Yallingup Maze and mini golf. Nature play!!

We also played a round of 18-hole mini golf. Honestly, the course was stunning. It was by far the most beautiful, well landscaped, and incredibly designed mini golf I have ever seen. It was mini golf, elevated (ha ha ha ha). We also did the very tricky giant maze. Playing tourist can be fun.

In a small break to this idyllic paradise, some nearby prescribed burns led to smoky air and a few red sunsets. Gave us all not good flashbacks of apocalyptic days back home. Smoke-in-the-air is such a familiar scent now. Painful. The California Camp Fire in the fall of 2018 was the fire that changed everything to me. Though we’ve seen sobering evidence of climate change everywhere we go, the worst air we’ve experienced is wildfire air in the western US. Worse than pollution in India.

Will rightly wondered why they did prescribed burns literally on the eve of the World Surf League arriving in Margaret River for ten days. It is the one and only international annual event that puts all eyes on the region. There may be good reasons we’ll never know. Or maybe the left hand didn’t talk to the right hand. Whatever we do is always part of something bigger. It’s so easy to forget.

One of the Red Rocker swimmers was very active in getting speed limits dropped by 10km on many roads across the region. He seemed to be the community ring leader. At coffee one morning he asked folks to show up for a photo shoot later that day to promote the change. A few days later I saw the photo in the library. It just gave me the biggest smile.

Some scenes below from nearby family strolling and exploring. I remember writing a post towards the end of our time in Spain about time fleeting like sand in one of those glass bulbs. Feels the same again. Fleeting time. Each day seems more glorious than the last one. Soaking it all up. No pressing pause. I loved our time here but I’m not leaving my heart here. There’s a difference. The only places I’ve felt a magic love of place in my life are Wales, Norway, Sproat Lake and Bellver de Cerdanya in Spain. It is rarefied air. I could try to explain why but it’s a bit ineffable. That’s love. Of course natural beauty and access to the outdoors is part of it. Each of them also represented some kind of profound lived experience. Wales was an iconic place of my childhood. Norway was a place that inspired me with possibility in my early 20’s. Sproat is the new Kirkby family summer gathering place. Bellver allowed us to reconnect with each other after years of American life pulling us apart at the seams.

That said, I’m leaving here with my heart full and having learned a lot about how to live. And I really do think Australians have figured out many things that should be exported to North America. Even simple things like free fruit for kids in grocery stores. Hello? Love that. And everybody is required to vote. Imagine. And gun laws that essentially eliminated mass shootings because one was one too many for them. It’s a cool feeling being on this giant island far from everything. It gives you a distinct feeling that you’ve got to figure it out on your own.

For the photo below I told everyone ‘make a funny face’. Will didn’t hear me. Apparently Justin and I have the same interpretation of ‘funny face’ which is basically ‘show all your teeth’. And as usual, Hazel is the funniest of us all. Her physical comedic genius knows no limits. Those eyes!!!