bartle frere
Dear Ciara,
How was your weekend? Mine was mostly positive. The Organist and I attended a cultural festival, where over five hours or so we gorged ourselves, watched a variety of different dances and cultural performances, and caught up with some of his colleagues. One of his colleagues introduced us to her young daughter. She was an absolute riot. Spent forty-five minutes interrogating us about our favourite foods and told us we were “the nicest gay people she's ever met”. Even thinking about it now makes me chuckle.
On Sunday, we drove south to one of our favourite waterfalls for a quick dip. The sky was a heavy, endless blue that seemed to stretch on forever. We listened to Sufjan Stevens and passed the largest mountain in Queensland. It exudes an energy I cannot explain. Did you know that the only native rhododendron to Australia grows atop it? Rhododendron lochiae is a small shrub that clings to cliffs by sending roots down into crevices in the rocks. I guess it is a kind of epiphyte. One day I am going to climb the mountain and find one, but I'll need to train for it.
Somewhere along the drive we got peckish and decided to stop in at a local taverna for lunch (mainly because it was the only thing open in town). The food was rich and delicious. I could have licked my plate. Above our heads, baskets of begonias were heavy with flowers. These hung over the edge of the baskets and swayed in the breeze.
When we finally arrived at the waterfall, the water was clear and fresh. We swam for a little while, then basked like lizards on bushrock. The Organist and I spoke about Australian Gothic literature and the whole world seemed to melt away.
Despite all the positivity over the weekend, I’m still feeling rather blue. Not the cobalt blue of the tropical sky or the aquamarine of the water—a dark, murky blue that reminds me of mudflats. I think I’m tired, overworked, stressed. I’m not sure. Even though there is so much goodness currently in my life, I feel unable to detangle myself from the bad. I’m sure it will pass. The holidays will be upon us in five short weeks and then I’ll be spending a week away.
The song for today is:
Come On! Feel The Illinoise! Part I and Part II — Sufjan Stevens
As I said, I’ve been listening to a lot of Sufjan Stevens. I’m planning to revisit his discography properly over the next couple of weeks. I feel the need for his music in my life. What are you listening to?
Love,
The Gardener