Our neck of the woods: Monday

OK so I know I said that I was only going to post 2 photo from each day, but this morning was just glorious, and I couldn't help myself but snap merrily all along my ride into town. When I left our place, it was mild and sunny -- almost warm. The mist was lying low over Bega-town, and the many many clumps of creamy clematis that are flowering all along the farm fences and in the trees seemed to be smiling at me as I pedalled along. 

As I started my descent down to the river flat, though, things really started to sparkle, and I reckon the temperature dropped about 5 degrees. It was unbelievably cold, and such a heavy frost was lying on the ground, I couldn't believe I'd only travelled 4km from home. I'm finding the frosts very beautiful as they shine in the early morning light, and I love love love this little trail of frosty sparkles lying in the wombat-track that leads to this old, no-longer-used and lichen-covered gate. 

Lichen is something I'd never really noticed before, until my lovely friend Niki told me about how much she loves it. You know when someone you really love shares something they love with you, then you kind of love it too, even if it's just because that thing then always reminds you of your beloved friend? That's how it is with lichen for me, and I'm lucky because there's a lot of beautiful lichen along our way, so I'm reminded daily of my beautiful Niki, which is pretty nice.

The road along the river flat is littered with flood-washed trees and branches and detritus. Every time the river floods, that road becomes an extension of the river, and massive massive timbers are rushed along, wiping out gates and fences and bridges and other trees in their path. 

It's quite phenomenal to ride past them each day, to think of them being carried along by so much water, while now the river languishes on the other side of the road, almost a mere trickle, wanting, like we all are, for some hearty rain. These awesome logs were sparkling too this morning, as were the striped shadows of the poplars lying in the fields.