free at last, free at last. thank god almighty, we’re free at last. i hope i don’t get busted for cultural appropriation, but martin luther king’s words seemed appropriate as our 14 day divine incarceration came to an end at midnight last night.
i must admit that at 12:01 a.m. i walked out the front gate (in a light rain) and walked up the street to the edge of the park i’ve been ogling for the past two week from our front window.
this morning pernille and i got our shoes on shortly after morning coffee and went out for our first exploratory expedition through the woods and down to the lake’s edge, about a ten minute walk.
from there, through the rain clouds, we could see the communications tower on the hill across the water. we also spotted a family of kangaroos enjoying the morning sun. it’s hard to see in the picture above, but mama roo had a little one in her pouch.
later on, after the rain eased up, and after a bite to eat, we went out for another look, this time each to his/her own devices. pernille with her bird book and binoculars, i with my running shorts and hokas.
by this time the sailboats were dancing across the glassy surface of the water, and families were wandering the trails and picnicking on the lawn. runners and bikers and dog walkers share the park with the kangaroos.
it was a lovely 17 degrees celsius in our yarralumla neighborhood, about 62 fahrenheit with a warm sun that began to beat as the kilometers mounted. not bad, but if this is the first weeks of spring, i have a feeling we’ll be roasting soon.
as with many reccie runs, i wound up logging a bit more than i planned. toward the end the pace slowed as i chugged up the hill toward home, but i cranked out a tad over 9k in a bit over an hour. not what i would like, but it is what it is.
pernille identified several new birds. in her two weeks in canberra, she’s been able to ID nearly 25 different species. she’s tenacious.
i think we’re going to like this place.
and oh yeah, i met our other side neighbors today. they’re macedonians. the guy’s name is naum. his dad is victor. didn’t get too much info on them because i was exhausted and drenched in sweat after the run. but they are going to be great neighbors, just like the family on the other side. we are indeed lucky.
and though i didn’t take a picture, we did check out the canberra mosque, which is just across the street, next to the embassy. it’s a pretty busy place. lots of activity. and down at the end of the street is the mexican embassy. damn, we just missed the 16th of september observance. of course in this COVID area all diplomatic functions are on hold, but we still have wonderful memories of yelling the ‘grito’ at the mexican embassy in whatever capital we happen to be in. the mexican ambassadors are always great people, and i feel almost mexican, having been growed up within spittin’ distance of the rio grande.
tomorrow, the embassy. pernille’s first day in her new office. the routine is about to change.
not that heinlein 