Visits with blue

As a last hurrah before my parents left town we ventured back into the blue mountains for some quiet retreat at Wentworth Falls. It was a rainy foggy two days which made the mountains seem genuinely steely blue and led to enchanting clouds of mist and fog. We trekked out in the mist and drizzle to do the National pass trail. A trail constructed in the early 1900s going down to the falls and then across the cliff face on a small ledge perched halfway up the cliff and leading to the aptly named valley of the waters. The trail boasts the tallest outdoor staircase in Australia. And what an impressive staircase it is etched right into the cliff face. The trail gets intimate with the waterfalls of the area - taking you to views of them, on stepping stones across them, to the wet base of them, under them, and around them. By then end of our water circuit we felt we understood the lives and feelings of waterfalls much better. Our journey was so full of waterfalls, stone steps, stepping stones, bridges, ledges, caves, and lookouts that it was hard to stop smiling. Aurora was gleeful the whole time and let out happy yelps and hurrahs as she lead our soggy crew. At the end of the walk she asked if we could do it again the next day! And I think we all shared her sentiments as the next day I woke up early enough to run the loop.

After our peaceful outing in the blue mountains we decided to see a different kind of blue this weekend and headed to Manly beach. It was a sunny sparkling dehydrating type of weekend and we weren't the only ones seeking a bit of blue. The ferry ride over reminded us of some of the dairy farms we have visited as hundreds of us all stood around waiting to be herded onto the vessel. We all herded off the boat and made a rush for the water as a pack. It was a busy place - the crowds swarmed and dispersed looking for an agreeable spot of sand to claim, a church congregation positioned themselves at the stairs of the beach and enthusiastically belted out song and dance and smiled at beachgoers hoping to bring them to Jesus, tents and infrastructure were set up for  a running race and ocean swim race that were happening, the yellow and red lifegaurds ran around trying to instill some sort of safety and order and the head lifegaurd belted out dire warnings on the beach PA system. The beach was both lovely and far from peaceful. Ok it was overwhelming. After playing in the sand we decided to head off further to a quieter spot and had a great time playing in the ocean pool and aquatic reserve area. And then I got to run off into the national park and as I delved in further to the park and the people dwindled to an occasional passerby I could feel my mood soaring. True I did have some endorphins running through me.

The day confirmed my fondness for the beach and also made me realize that perhaps I don't like people. Sure I like you. I like pretty much everyone I meet. I am sure I even like tons of people I haven't met. I like every individual - but congregate them all together into a noisy squirming people mass and I have to say it is not for me.