Rain, nature, and such

                    

Well, I move into the rain belt of Auckland, and so the heavens decided to open up and whip us with lashings of sideways rain and freezing cold. It has been SO cold. I really feel that I need some more warm clothes. I mean, just how many layers can one person wear?

I have watched movies on youtube, with a heater going, a hottie clutched to my chest (a first for me, I don't usually do hotties), under blankets, trying to get warm. Instead of unpacking. Yes, most tardy. When I come home from studying, and it's cold, I am not interested in sorting myself out. I just want to wallow in miserableness. Knowing that it will pass and that after a few days, I am so over behaving like that. I then want my organised life back.

I love the way that life always brings us back on course. Life, and our own peculiarities. Every time I sort out something in wee cabin, I beam and feel most proud. Because it's been rainy and cold, and I have actually done something. I have now allocated unpacking a box or two a day, so that I stop feeling overwhelmed by the rain and the unpacking.

But, I do love the sound of the rain on the tin roof of the cabin. I sleep best when it's noisy, so that rain is comforting. And the beauty of the early morning mist arising from the bush is so special. I feel most privileged to be here.

And, when the rain stops, there is a beautiful stillness in the bush. Like a magical moment in time. When there is no rain, I see the most beautiful sunrises. This is my favourite time of day. All of these special bits of nature make me so grateful to be here. 

                    
                                       (Blackrock, North Shore)

I spent my very happy teenage years living next to the sea at Blackrock on Auckland's North Shore, and of course, that is another 'would love to live there' scenario. By the ocean. Whereas the bush has a silence, a stillness, the sea has the sound of waves, the taste of the sea in the air. Music to my ears.

                    
                                        (Lake Whangape)

I also lived in a yoga community in the countryside, by Lake Whangape, near Rangirire, for some years, many moons ago. The magic early mornings there are etched forever into my memory. There is something about just before dawn. Yogis say that this is when there is more life-force, prana, in the air. The trees have been releasing energy upwards during the night and the effects of this are felt in the early morning.

                    
                                              (Sandy Bay)

With my youngest, we spent three years living high on a hill, in the Northland countryside, five minutes drive from the beach. When it rained there, it was always torrential. The views were majestic. Those years gave my wee daughter many happy times, running in the wind, playing outside past dusk, climbing trees, laughing on the beach. 

What are your special memories of where you've lived? And why were they special? When I look at what I've written, I would say that living close to nature is important to me. And happy family memories.