Ohingaroa Bay, Mahau Sound #2

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Slow and lazy awakening despite the early night. Perhaps I was tired. A light drizzle is creating rainbows over the bay so I sit outside the cabin with a short series of cup of coffee watching water move through the air. The Tuis and ducks are providing entertainment. Then Lester appears and we talk about life. Before we know it, we've been talking for more than three hours (subjects far too varied to recount here but Lester descends from John Bull (one of the first pioneers here, creating a deep sense of background guilt) and is an engineer and boat designer whose boats appear all over these islands so discussing the world with him is a bit like walking through some of Pirsig's deeper chapters). A neighbour's tractor maintenance issue (snapped rim) drags Lester away. It's mid-afternoon...I guess I'd better do something with what remains of the day. I drive out to the southern end of the peninsula and hike up to the summit of Mt Cawte. A great little track, not very well maintained so rather delightfully overgrown. I'm dripping in sweat by the time I reach the top and gain clear views of the sounds all around (including a glimpse of Kaiuma bay, where tomorrow's track begins).

Another peaceful evening by the bay brings the day to a pensive end. I've been reading about definitions of happiness (Ricard)...none of the words I read fit.

Author's note: Lance is patrolling the table - the light is fading and his chances of a meal this eve might be fading but his optimism is not. I wonder if he sleeps.

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Comments

[Myth]

Where was the beer
I trust that the background guilt evaporated as quickly as it came (was it your guilt or Lester's?)... Can't dwell on history, even if it was yesterday. Draw a line and carry on.... You need a beer I reckon :-)