Not all trees are green: Teaming with wild life

Hello : )

Last night after I returned from seeing a comedy show at the Opera House, I couldn't sleep and I got to thinking about friends, so I wrote a poem.

HEIRLOOMS

I realise that
over time
I have collected
friends like
pieces of jewellery.

From place to place
and job to job
I have gathered a
box full of
beautiful treasures
for which I am
very grateful.

I wear you with
a mixture of
humility and pride,
and know that
without you
I would look
quite plain.

My jewellery tree

Then this morning I decided to do a walking trail in Manly Warringah War Memorial Park. But first I had to buy fruit supplies, so I went to Woolies. I also bought a bunch of pink roses and asked the woman at the checkout to give them with a "kindness card" to the next female customer she served (it's a long story that I'll explain another time, or you can check out www.WakeUpSydney.com.au). The checkout operator was chuffed to have the task.

The walking trail was deserted, for the most part, and I walked along at a slow pace to enjoy being all alone out there. I saw lots of lizards, little spiders and butterflies. There were bottlebrush trees scattered around like Christmas trees with red baubles, and tiny birds feeding on their nectar, singing happily about their bounty.

I saw a magpie foraging near a stream and she didn't fly away because I was treading softly. I stopped to watch and when she noticed me we regarded each other for a while before she hopped along then flew away. A little further up the trail I heard flapping above me and looked up to see her settling herself into a nest at the top of a gum tree. I also saw another mama magpie and her little offspring along the trail - ain't spring grand!

Then I reached a small waterfall so I sat in the shade and listened to the flow of water making its way along the rocks. As I sat, I watched two dragonflies gliding in unison around the base of the waterfall. Then a third flew past me and landed on a tree branch - just so - for the sun to illuminate its wings.

There were no people around, so I wrapped my arms around a tree for a short while and said "thank you for giving us shade."

As I wandered back in the other direction, I caught a gecko-type lizard unawares and he started to scurry off - but when I stopped, he stopped frozen with his back to me, feigning non-existence. After a while he slowly turned his head to the side and eyeballed me with the googley eye on that side of his head. He eventually relaxed a bit and started to gaze at other things in his environment, frozen still except for subtle movements of his neck. I sat down to watch him until two walkers happened upon us and scared him away.