GrubsAbout: Seasons and Art on The Beach

Memorial art at Cottesloe Beach

We've got SIX!!

Here I am again banging on about seasons and how lovely they are in the Northern Hemisphere. Oh how we miss the colours of Autumn, the silence of snow fall, and the darling buds of May! I’ve been ‘tree spotting’ this Autumn. I’ve noticed there are very few and far between trees dotted around whose leaves actually do turn orange and fall off, and I want one, in my garden. So every July I can gaze outside and pretend I’m in a forest. A proper one. Sad isn’t it? They’re called London Planes, a species of Sycamore, if you’re interested.

But I’ve also noticed other goings on. Subtle changes, but they’re there if you’re looking for it. Or if you’re a native Australian still living traditional ways and it’s what you live by. I speak only for Western Australia, as I have no idea what goes on in the rest of the country because it’s too far away, but we not only have four seasons, we’ve six!! You’re jealous, I can tell. The photo explains things a bit further. These posts are dotted around Kings Park giving information on various native Australian goings-on. The six season are: June-July, we have Makura or the First Rains, and this is the Fertility Season; August-September is Djilba or Second Rains, the Season of Conception; October-November is Kambarang, Wildflower Season and Season of Birth; December-January is Birok, First Summer and Season of the Young; Bunuru or Second Summer, Season of Adolescence is February-March; and Djeran is Autumn Season, April-May, and is the Season of Adulthood. I bet that’s something you’ve ALWAYS wanted to know!

On day we took in some art at Cottesloe Beach, another ‘must visit’ if you’re ever in these parts. One exhibition was a memorial to each Australian life lost in the Bali bombings, and consisted of a bamboo tower, one for each life, fashioned into a windmill/whistle and altogether they made a lovely calming sound when the breeze blew.

Saturday morning Yoga

Mounted Police in the city

February brought the beginning of the school year and Noah’s first day (a bit of tear spiller for me, not him!) and my first semester at university. By March the sweltering 40 degree days were left behind making way for flannelette pyjamas and Easter egg hunts and camping in the beautiful south-west. Then came Maciek’s birthday for which he received a BRILLIANT present which was a slackline (thanks to me!), now erected in the back garden, yoga mornings, and a day out to Fremantle Prison, built by the convicts in the 1850’s.

Fremantle Prison

Slacklining

Easter Bunnies

We are now into winter, enjoying some rain, but reluctant to turn the heater off in the lounge room at bedtime because the bedrooms are freezing (we’ve got none of that central heating rubbish!). And according to the Aborigines, this is the Fertility Season. Hmmm, I wonder if that’s got something to do with ‘warming up activities’ that might be helpful on these chilly wintery nights?