Tempus fugit

The middle of August already. August is a wicked month, according to Edna O'Brien and, no doubt, others. August is often the time the oldies leave us. Daddy died 11 years ago on Monday. I shall go to the grave as usual to tidy it up and, as usual, explain myself to him in ways I couldn't when he was alive. In the meantime, speaking of old dads, Chris has gone to Tallangatta to look after her dad who is nearly ninety, and not in very good shape. He has a cold and a bad shoulder, he's miserable and lonely and starting to lose the plot. I already know that old age is not for the faint-hearted. What I didn't know was that looking after the old aged is not for the faint-hearted.

To cheer myself up today I decided to go for a brisk, invigorating walk. (!) The initial plan was a gentle saunter around the park at the end of the Woden Town Centre between the govt offices and the cemetery, but in the end I walked up Mount Taylor right to the top. God I am so unfit, I had to stop every 20 metres to get my breath back. But when I got to the top it was wonderful! Such a view of my lovely little bush city nestled in its valleys among the trees so that you can hardly see it. That's one of the many reasons I love Canberra: there's nothing showy or grandiose about it. Even our premier buildings – Parliament House, the National Museum, the National Library, the War Memorial – are scaled to fit the landscape, not to dominate it.

So, up there in a chilly westerly wind, with all the city and suburbs and hills and mountains before me, I rejoiced in the beauty around me. And then began the trek down. My new walking boots (Merrells) are excellent: despite stones, gravel and dust, I didn't slip once. Met a number of other walkers making their way up or down, so it's clearly a favoured weekend pastime.

And, inspired by David and Linda's blog, when I saw some kangaroos, naturally I had to take a few pix of them.

All in all, a good day, if somewhat solitary. I'm going to the Jehangir tonight with Graham for a good Indian nosh-up. And as we will be walking there and back, we can get completely stonkered if we feel like it :o)