Yesterday: 15 minutes, 29 degrees, 6:45pm
I think I hear the sounds of then/And people talking/The scenes recalled by minute movement/And songs they fall from the backing tape/That certain texture, that certain smell *
It is by my account, a perfect summer evening. Balmy. Heat seeping off the pavers in the garden into the house. Warm sun-kissed air filtering through the open doors. The back of the house opened out to the air and falling night. The last sun, orange filtered by smoke fires in the mountains and brilliant sunset. Stillness carrying sounds:: Parrots circling and calling, a wood pigeon trying to find it's mate, faint traffic, the cry of a plane coming in to land. A white moth passing through. A TV somewhere. Cooking smells. Cooking noises. A motorbike in the distance. The hum of the fridge. Warmth from the building enclosure wrapping inside, and the inside stale heat oozing out. The sunlight, almost gone, almost faint, leaving ghost shadows on the walls. Complete stillness. The intoxicating smell of gardenias in bloom, their petals already to be browned by dawn. Summer bugs and insects floating in the air. More birds in their twilight song. Crickets ticking. A kookaburra in the far distance. Pale soft colours becoming indistinguishable. Perfect photography light for a day which was otherwise too harsh. Pia. Not sure whether she is unsettled or hungry, or both. The peacefullness before child and man return. Cut by the sound of an ambulance siren. Eyes closing into sleep. The smell of new washing from next door. Three new magnolia flower heads. Lego half dismantled, strewn as wreckage. Sun suddenly brilliant pink and red and shadows defined on walls. Wishing you could capture that colour in a dye. A train whistle. That sun is intense.
It is nice to know that the summer is somewhere. Yesterday it snowed on the hills, not far from our house. But the heavy rain washed all white out. It was dark and grey. And today, as a reward, the sun is back with a clear limpid winter light. Although the leaves tell me that it is still autumn, I know that december is at our door.
Sunday, we will have a nice little family gathering for Leon's first anniversary. Sweet and sour feeling...
Posted by: filambulle | November 22, 2006 at 07:14 PM
Wow. How nice to see/hear/feel what it's like in another place. Here it is rainy and foggy, like it usually is in late november... I haven't seen the sun for a week. But autumn has its own beauty, and its own unique scents and feel.
Posted by: pendlerpiken | November 22, 2006 at 08:26 PM
Chick-ow !
Posted by: Jo | November 22, 2006 at 09:02 PM
Oh but I came to see what Pia was wearing! Just kidding
Wishing I was in Australia instead of Canada where the temp. is currently below zero!
Posted by: Justine | November 23, 2006 at 12:35 AM
such a beautiful entry!! the imagery had me wishing summer weather was on its way here, but i've still got months to go.
Posted by: love squalor | November 23, 2006 at 04:52 AM
Thank you for that evocative post. I was transported to summer, for a few moments.
Posted by: craftydabbler | November 23, 2006 at 05:39 AM
I can only second all of the above! Enjoy the beauty, and thank your for so elloquently (spelling?) sharing it.
Posted by: Minka | November 23, 2006 at 02:47 PM
out on the patio we sit... I'm humming it now!
Posted by: taryn | November 23, 2006 at 07:26 PM
utterly beautiful post.
not that I'm a bit surprised :)
Posted by: emily | November 28, 2006 at 03:54 PM