It’s 5.30 am and I’m off for my first mini-walk of the day. I’m grumpy and unwilling. I bop up and down stairs three times, delaying departure. The last bop is to pick up my camera, thinking “I won’t see anything to photograph, but just in case.”
There’s no sign of recent rain, except the clacking and shrilling of frogs in the swampy land near the creek, and the sky is clear and pink. The surf is up and the waves roll and crash. I head up Short Street, past my favourite Potato Point house to the seat near the wooden staircase, overlooking Jemisons beach. At the south end the waves erupt massively against the rocks, and the sun makes a blinding path across the sea.
Suddenly I’m joined by a rainbow lorikeet. It perches on the stair rail. It comes over to the bench. It hops towards me, blue head, orange chest, green wings, and beady red eyes. It explores the planks of the bench, has an tentative chew, and hops closer, almost to my hand, conversing in lorikeet all the time. It lands on my jacket, its blue almost the same colour, and then my shoulder. We eyeball each other briefly. Having finished assessing me, it takes up residence on my head.
Then a flash of rainbow and it’s off to delight someone else.
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I’ll keep my distance, and suss you out first.
Mmm. You look OK. Maybe I’ll join you on the bench. But don’t expect too much. I’m a bit shy.
Shyness butters no parsnips. I’ll edge a bit close and see what happens.
OK. No harm done. A bit closer. Your hand’s probably harmless, but I won’t actually hop on it.
That’s as close as I’ll go down here. I’ll hop a bit higher. But don’t think you’ve got me tamed.
Now maybe it’s time to put my best face forward. This?
Or this?
Ot this …?
Enough fiddling around. You’re harmless. I’ll hop onto your arm. Your jacket is a welcoming colour. And now for the final act of daring. Onto your head. That’ll surprise you!
This is my contribution to RegularRandom. This week DJ photographs chocolates, arranging them beautifully, against a beautifully considered background.
icelandpenny said:
well that takes regular-random, or either regular or random, to whole new heights! What a reward for going out there for that mini-walk, even though you were major grumpy at the time. (I know, I know, we mustn’t count on external rewards for doing what we know is the right thing to do. But still — how nice when an external reward comes along!) Good photos too, I must add, though the sheer magic of the experience is greater than photos can convey.
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deannemmoore said:
What a delight, I love your mutual interest in each other. x
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morselsandscraps said:
My entertainment on that bench is usually a yappy dog in the house where Jack stayed once – or at least where that house was -or a would-be surfer speculating about the quality of the waves.
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Lucid Gypsy said:
It’s the week for lorikeets Pauline (pommepal) posted about them a couple f days ago, precious little beauties 🙂
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morselsandscraps said:
My favourite at the moment is a sacred kingfisher, a midday visitor to J’s water bowls. Next week I’m going to lurk on the deck camera poised. The lorikeets were an unexpected appearance in an unexpected place. I see plenty in my callistemon but they’re hard for me to photograph.
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restlessjo said:
Well, 5.30 is a tad early, even by my standards, and not light here till almost 8am. No wonder you need an afternoon nap. 🙂 🙂 But what a lovely way to loose the grumps.
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morselsandscraps said:
It is a great way to lose the grumps. This morning I thought I’d miss the early walk because Hugo worked the 8.30 to 2.30 shift and I knew he didn’t need a mother stomping downstairs. What time is your rising time?
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restlessjo said:
Normally about 7 but we were restless with the snow cladding this morning so it was about 6.15. I’m enjoying ‘tidying up’ my Monday walk before I press the button. 🙂 🙂
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morselsandscraps said:
Enjoying tidying up???? It’s my least favourite pastime! I’m going to see if I can be an early commenter for once.
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restlessjo said:
I’d better go and finish it then. I’m in love with this one and I don’t want to let it go. 🙂
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Heyjude said:
See… it was all worthwhile then, and a good job you took your camera or we would have missed out on this cheeky chappy (perfect for the WPC this week. I know, you don’t DO challenges, but just saying…) 5:30 here is pitch black – whichever end of the day you choose.
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morselsandscraps said:
Ah yes, but in summer?
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Heyjude said:
Well, no, but it’s not is it?
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Sue said:
So, tell me something, Meg….grumpy and unwilling, so why set off at all? Are you being forced to go? Just asking…..
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restlessjo said:
Because there’s always the possibility of a random lorikeet encounter, Sue. It’s never going to happen in our neck of the woods. 🙂 🙂
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Sue said:
Well, you do have a point there, Jo!
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morselsandscraps said:
No, because Australia is the place where song began, and northern hemisphereans were “resentful” when this was proved fairly recently.
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restlessjo said:
Resentful? Me? I shouldn’t dare 🙂 🙂 Sing away!
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Heyjude said:
Australians are SO competitive [ducks and runs…]
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morselsandscraps said:
Hang on! It’s you lot that are competitive
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Heyjude said:
Not me 🙂
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morselsandscraps said:
It’s my new habit, and it gives me many pleasures – like perving on neighbouring houses and gardens without being spotted doing so. This morning my companions were two garbage trucks.
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Sue said:
Oh, my goodness, what a hoot!!
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maristravels said:
How lovely to live where such gorgeous birds are flying about. And in passing, I too, would be very grumpy if I had to get up at 5.30 a.m. That’s definitely not my lifestyle. I’ve just been to bed a few hours at that time.
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morselsandscraps said:
I bed early and rise early – always have. I’m usually cheerful at the thought of a short morning walk!
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Tish Farrell said:
marvellous, Meg, and even more so in that early morning light.
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morselsandscraps said:
The light’s great isn’t it?
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desleyjane said:
He’s so sweet! Love your commentary of course 😁
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BeckyB said:
Oh wow….. I’d be on a high all week after meeting this fabulous fellow.
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morselsandscraps said:
I was. The perfect cure for grumpy inertia.
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BeckyB said:
☺
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