Canberra, lake swimming and casual eating

Next day headed to Canberra for work, but was very tired.  Had booked in again at The Annexe.  Dealing with the funeral did bring back a lot of stuff for me, so it was good to arrive somewhere quiet, familiar and safe, allowing time to think and integrate my feelings so I could go to work happily.   

Canberra was sooo hot, close to 40 each day.  But The Annexe is a lovely green oasis that is shaded and cool.  Nothing like a green lawn and large shady trees to help you cope with the heat.  It is opposite a chain of ovals and parklands so I walked Jac in the morning before work while it was still cool, through ovals and shaded walking paths.   She got to run with a few dogs so she was happy and no rabbits for her to kill so I was happy.

Part of our early morning walks

We were close to the Manuka shops so tried out a few different cafes for dinner and one night went to the very strange Kingston Portside area.  Strange because one doesn't expect to sit by the water to eat in Canberra with boats going by.  Strange also because it is surrounded by blocks and blocks of new apartments.  Jac wasn't impressed, didn't like walking along the water at all, but we did sit and have dinner.   One evening we drove up to Red Hill lookout which has a perfect place to watch the sunset, looking out over the Great Dividing range.  We saw a few kangaroos (maybe wallabies) which seemed to mesmerise Jac, but luckily she made no attempt to chase them.

View from Red Hill Lookout

Friday I had some disturbing news which shook me a bit, about people delving into mine and Erwin's background, for what purpose I don't know, but it made me feel somewhat vulnerable.  And it was hot.  After debriefing with my ever present friend Annie, who deals with my angst constantly and along with some of my other friends, helps me put things in perspective,  I was still quite shaken.  Thank goodness for good friends and my two delightful daughters and their families who help keep me sane.  Wonder what people do who don't have that support when they are dealing  with behaviour that seems quite crazy and inexplicable.  While, on the one hand I can se it as completely bizarre and weird, on the other hand, because it is so personal and intrusive,  I can see how it would cause you to unravel .  However I plan to stay quite ravelled, with a little help from my friends.

I had planned to go into work but decided I needed some space so I could do the phone meetings I had while sitting by the lake. Went to a very dog friendly spot on Lake Burley Griffin, set up my folding chair under the shade of a weeping willow tree and sat and worked looking out on the lake.  I even braved a swim in the Lake, there is a particular spot in Yarralumla set up for swimming with diving/jumping platforms.  It was a perfect day and I felt refreshed and energised.

View from my office for the day

On the weekend we moved in with a friend Ol, who I had worked with for a number of years and who has moved to Canberra.  She is a gentle but strong soul with an equally gentle husband and a beautiful garden, where I always feel so comfortable.  Luckily Jac gets on well with her delightful little dog, Clancy, which means they simply walk around each other and largely ignore each other.  Clancy is the funniest little dog who talks when he wants to be fed.  Canberra for me previously has been a bit of a rushed trip where I have occasionally managed to get to the gallery or Parliament House.  It was lovely to explore the place with Ol, going to the Portrait Gallery - stunning, and the Library which had a most amazing and moving photo exhibition by Peter Dombrovski who took the iconic photo that helped motivate people to save the Franklin River.  It reminded me how important  it is for your health to immerse yourself in nature, and I realised that, to some extent, that's what I have been doing.

Jac in Lake Burley Griffin

Life felt a little normal when I met up with one of Erwin's grandchildren and went for a walk with her and her husband around the lake.  I had a relationship with all of Erwin's children over 40 years, visiting them and having them stay at our house, it's been strange to lose contact with them since Erwin died.  I felt they were part of our lives over such a long time and meeting up with the granddaughter helped me continue that connection.  

While I enjoy travelling alone, spending time with Ol was lovely and exploring places to walk and eat.  The highlight for me was the Southern Cross Yacht Club on the lake at Yarralumla where one can buy fish and chips and wine and sit to eat by the lake.  Perfect place for dogs, children and older women like us.  It was dusk and there were bats flying overhead, and resting in the trees above us, which created some alert about bats urinating on our food.  While I was with the granddaughter we did have a magpie who dropped a pooh in her water....  Sure that's a sign of good fortune.  Have to admit this time I loved Canberra, as well as swimming in the lake and exploring with Ol, finding the walking tracks behind Ol's house was another blessing.  Can walk up onto a ridge with a view of the mountains and walk for kilometres through bush.  I walked 4 ks one day without even realising it.

So ever onward and making myself look forward to what life can offer in the future and try to remove myself from the craziness of others.  Next blog is about our return trip via Falls Creek where we spent many years skiing in winter and walking the High Plains in summer.