fianlly Becoming familiar pt II

its been a busy time since my last post...ive finally finished part 2 hope you enjoy........... Speaking of Suzuki motorcycles, the day before my sojourn at the local, my brother and I went for a spin in the South Gippsland hinterland. It’s always a pleasure to spend time with a friend and doubly so when that friend also happens to be related………and if it involves motorbikes. We headed off from Hastings to the South Gippsland Hwy and took the Kurrumburra turn off followed by a left at the Nyora sign post. We traveled through some really beautiful hilly pasture land. Many cows dotting the undulating hillside looking content chewing their cud with their interest occasionally peaked by the odd passing motorised vehicle, ours included. In part the roads became difficult to see as overhanging cypress blocked the bright morning sun and the eyes were assailed by a type of giant naturally occurring strobe as the road flashed from bright to dark. It was quite disorienting on the senses, wearing sunnies didn’t help proceedings either. I left Simon behind through the sharp winding parts of our journey as he is a cruiser rider much more at home on wide sweeping bends and open roads, not the tight turns that are scattered around the Nyora Poowong road. We had a quick toilet stop at the aptly named Poowong before tackling the road to Kurrumburra which as it turned out also had its fair share if fun turns and breath taking views. I found it hard to enjoy both fully, it seems it can become quite difficult to observe beautiful surrounds as well negotiating tight turns and not launch off into the above mentioned countryside below. I seemed to have survived the ordeal. We stopped for a coffee and a pie in the “burra” before heading back the Sth Gippsland Hwy. It was the less scenic option but the more practical one for people that needed to be else where occupied that afternoon………..

becoming familiar pt 1

Saturday morning at the local and it’s a familiar feeling of comfort to be sitting here, browsing Facebook on my fairly smart non iPhone, coffee next to me and pen in hand. The feeling of wellness was earlier augmented by the delicious smell of fresh baked bread drifting across my senses as I neared Hastings High Street. Too bad I’m gluten free and can’t indulge. I sip my soy flat white. I’m generally dairy free as well…. The coffee slowly meanders across my taste buds, through my mouth and into my stomach. Coffee has this way of changing my mood. Apart from maintaining equilibrium it has a way of imbibing a sense of purpose into my day…seems to bring things into a proper order…makes everything all right…once you have your coffee. Compared to the blustery Northerly gushing around outdoors the local is quite toasty and empty tables have gradually filled since I first sat down. It seems a fairly different crowd to the Friday one I’m now more used to. I’m not at my usual location either which has changed my perspective as well. To my right sits the large six seater table which looks quite aged with its splashes of paint left from when its original coat was removed revealing a lovely aged grain underneath. A couple sit there, both absorbed in their respective papers while he, white speckled stubble cradles his daughter against his chest. She has blond red tussled hair, light brown and yellow knit top, she stops her reading occasionally to fuss with their older girl. I saw him yesterday while walking the family Maltese Schitzu named pippin. He and his older daughter made a wide arc around us, she seemed overly timid in response to pippin which is strange as normally people will comment on his cuteness and are overly eager to give him a pat, he must really need a hair cut. Over on the far wall the big faced clock with pseudo gothic latin numerals and gold rim tells me its twelve past ten. I reflect on the previous night spent hanging out with Jimmy. It’s been quite a while but it turned out to be and interesting night albeit a late one. The night was filled with laughter, reminiscing, good times and sharing of future dreams. Jimmy showed me some interesting you tube clips on narrow vehicles, mainly electric, allegedly the transport of the future, it failed to ignite any paradigm shifts in my consciousness which may be in part due to their lack of graceful ascetic’s than their functionality. I personally have never warmed to the look of electric cars. They’re definitely not a non turbo diesel hilux replacement, which tends to be my transport of choice when I’m not on my eco friendly other vehicle which happens to be a Suzuki motorcycle. Jimmy is currently keeping his brain occupied redesigning recumbent cycles and working out how to bring them to third world countries as cheap effective transport that doesn’t rely on fossil fuel. I hope he continues to follow that dream…..

on any given winters day

Back at the local café on this cold rain soaked winters morning. I have the corner seat today and the patronage is low at this sterling location. I really enjoy the atmosphere here. The owners seem happy and friendly people; I was greeted by cheerful hellos when I entered half an hour ago and I have only occasionally visited here. Since then I have read several articles on assertive communication and managing anxiety. Allegedly I should be decreasing my caffeine and sugar intake; of course I find this out just after my girlfriend Rachel and I have bought a stove top espresso maker. After my required reading I scan the Herald Sun and im left with the impression that it is heading ever nearer the tabloid spectrum of newsprint with a general lack of objectivity. I put it down with out finishing it, must be a slow news day.....I was writing a text to Rachel just as she sent me one, its interesting how you can sync with some one and be on the same wave length as you draw close to them....The local is slowly filling in empty spaces as the brief rays of sun along Hastings main street have been replaced with diagonal grey lines of precipitation and scurrying pedestrians trying in some way to brace themselves against the bitter cold sting of sleet on their cheeks….. I muse on how I have been enjoying shooting some good old black and white film in a camera thirty plus years old, they certainly knew a thing or two about building cameras back then. Nice solid bit of machinery that still function quite well…. Will have to get some enlargements done and continue the exercise….till next time i sit and write......

Begginnings

Local café……finally a moment to sit and relax. I like it here, it has loads of atmosphere and….coffee…. and the staff are friendly…. Opposite me, well actually more diagonally across from me sits a gentleman most likely in his late 50’s, early 60’s. Square rimmed glasses perch on his nose, salted stubble adorn his cheeks while his crown of shaggy hair gives the impression of a slight tonsure where his hair has given way to the inevitable retreat of a life well and long lived. He seems to be selling something to a bent elderly lady who is sharing his table. Maybe they are even organising something. I’m not sure. They have a binder type contraption filled with plastic sheets between them as well as scattered papers on a slightly worse for wear walker adorned with faded battered gold paint and a worn faux leather bag attached underneath. For some reason I am drawn to this mans demeanor. I am not sure why but he seems like some one I wouldn’t mind spending time with.. I feel warm just looking at the pair of them. I find it an interesting juxtaposition to the elderly man with the thinning slicked back hair, semi professional collared shirt and black v neck jumper. Like me he is also sitting by himself writing. I some how feel unease when I set eyes on him. He has an air of loneliness about him, some sort of wariness, watchfulness. He does take time to learn the waitress’ name. He seems business like in an old school kind of way, like a lawyer in a dusty office in the back of some one horse town somewhere….. I’ve been unexpectedly joined at my table by an elderly lady, she’s just shared with me that she has struggled with schizophrenia since the age of 14, she’s 62 now. She sits a while, making stilted attempts at conversation. I learn she’s meeting a friend at some stage but she doesn’t know if she wants to remain friends with this guy. After a while we both sit in silence interested in our coffee and she with her added bonus of cake…. It’s quite cosy in the aptly named local café by now. The conversation bubbling around me seems warm and friendly, surrounding the interior with a comforting hubbub as lunch hour reaches its zenith. It’s nice to stop after a day of distractions which seem to achieve a great deal but have left me feeling less than satisfied. It has been a welcome step sideways and for a few moments I feel at peace I muse about the shack, a book I have been reading for the second time, the first time I think I inhaled it but this time I have perused the pages a bit more leisurely. Once again it has been quite a revelation. One on which I hope to build upon the foundations laid by it, especially how it talks about friendship with God. It’s quite a theological work for a fictional piece of writing and challenges quite a number of Christian frameworks that have accumulated through out Christendom over the last two thousand years. The end result for myself is a desire for a much deeper relationship with all aspects of the trinity. I’m brought back from my inner thoughts by the familiar sound of Regina Specter singing her way subtly into my conscience via the café sound system I realise the time and unfortunately its time to wrap up what I hope will be a regular occurrence, I have commitments to attend to….so until next time I sit and write from the local………….