29/11/2025 Birthday Parties and Exploring

After an appalling night's  sleep I was sitting on the soft white sand at the beach at 0600, it seems to be  the best place to go when sleep eludes me here.  It calms and grounds me almost instantly.  There were very few people about which suits me just fine Thankyou and I was able to paddle through the surf undisturbed, the cold ocean was bound to be doing me good even if it’s only up to my knees. I kept an eye open for sharks in the shallow waters, my feet and ankles are really quite delicious. 

I found a little coffee shop selling takeout coffee not far from the outdoor pool which really was terribly inviting considering how warm it was already.. If I had used my head  I could have gone straight in the pool this morning as it’s open from 0500hrs. Unfortunately as I had a party to attend and was being picked up at 10.00 there was no time for a swim. Definitely tomorrow, although I think it’s the loungers that are tempting me slightly more so than the pool… swimming is so overrated,  particularly when you swim like a brick.

Kay collected me right on time and we went to pick up Carey. We went the scenic route to Carey’s down through what Kay called Lake Monger Reserve which is a 270 acre park with 170 acres 0f open shallow water, 3 miles from Perth’s Central business district. It was renamed Galup in June this year. As a child Kay and her siblings used to spend a lot of time playing at the lake.  One day her sister came down to find her and told her not to go home as her mother was in a stinking mood with her father, as for reasons known only to him, he had cut down her apricot tree. The Lake is surrounded by paths and boardwalks with jetty’s and is home to a massive variety of flora and fauna.  Just after Kay had told me the story about the apricot tree  we pulled up at traffic lights  and in front of us was a truck with registration Dogpound which amused me greatly as I imagine Kay’s dad  was seriously in the dog house for quite some time for his stunt with the tree. I met her mum many years ago, and she was seriously  feisty! A lady who was still driving herself around into her mid 90’s. 

As we drove past Perth, Kay told me her school teacher had told her that  they would never see high rise buildings built there due to the water table levels. The Perth skyline is impressive to say the least and I do wonder what her teachers would have thought about it or if they even saw it.  

We drove over the beautiful 45 mile long Swan River which is a huge attraction for tourists and locals. It’s home to a vast array of birds, fish, bottle nose dolphins and jellyfish. swimming isn’t advised due to there being a large population of Bull sharks. There are signs everywhere telling you no swimming but you generally get one or two idiots who know better. Some come out intact, others not so much.  I’m more than happy to admire it from dry land thank you very much.  absolutely no desire to get in, not even on a boat.

We parked up at Carey’s house in south lake bang on time, and went in to say hi to Ray and Anya before heading off in Carey’s car. I had a present!! Carey is big into crochet and has made me a cream beanie. The most important and best bit of the whole thing is the row of pink right around it, and the pink and turquoise top that actually glows in the dark. It just needs charging in sunlight! How freakin cool is that?!  Obviously I put it in immediately and Carey said it looks exactly how she envisioned it would look. With my new beanie on we piled into the car and got on the road .We had the obligatory road trip stop off in the fuel station for drinks and snacks because who even does road trips without them ? The bush, while pretty harsh and stark looking, is brightening up for summer. The Christmas bushes are all coming out in the most vibrant bright orange flowers, Jacaranda trees are all in full bloom with the most beautiful purple flowers. Si would have enjoyed them being a big fan of all things purple, also the sheer volume of them. Bright red bottle brush, red, orange pink and white kangaroo paws, yellow wattle which is the flower of Western Australia and red waratah can be seen everywhere. Just stunning. 

We arrived a bit early but went in anyway. Kay's brother was seated at the head of the table in the garden underneath the trees. His daughter Ceri had organised the party and gone to a lot of effort decorating the garden and house for him. The food was amazing, loads of beef gravy and salad and lots of little pies and sausage rolls.  The hospitality and welcome I received despite gate crashing a family party was utterly overwhelming. The same hospitality was extended to two Mormons who turned up, they were invited to join us for food. They sat down at the table and it was funny to see the way everyone subtly turned away from them to avoid eye contact or making conversation. We can’t decide if they randomly turned up or if they were invited. Enquiring minds need to know these things ! Either way they stayed for the whole afternoon, had two servings of food and only left when Tom had to go inside for a lie down! Had they known there was lemon meringue Pie coming we were pretty sure they would have stayed longer!  It gave us plenty to talk and laugh about on the way home that’s for sure.  

As the birthday boy wasn’t feeling too well, after the pie and singing happy birthday we made a move and went back to Carey’s for afternoon tea with the kids. I love Carey’s house. It's awash with noise, there’s always food available and you can feel the love emanating out from the very bricks of it.  

Kay and I made a move after tea and we talked about Si and Jim on our way back to the hotel

California. During the afternoon our wedding had come up a few times as when Carey and Ray came over they made a big trip of it and explored lots of the uk. Carey’s cousin had been to some of the places so stories were swapped and compared which was lovely, but getting back to the hotel a massive wave of loneliness and missing Si hit like a brick. Talking about our wedding was lovely and hearing it described to relative strangers in so much detail showed us how much they enjoyed it and were so pleased to be part of it, but it was also really hard. It was also all the things he’s missed out on, the giggles we’d have had over the Mormons sitting down and joining in the birthday lunch. Missing out on the banter and plan making with Carey and Ray for the leg of their uk trip next summer. Taking the piss out of me forgetting to pack going out shoes. Which would never have happened had he been here because he would have noticed them on the bedroom floor. He’d have noticed the coffee had been replenished while we were out, and put the kettle on as soon as we walked in through the door. Just little things that completely overwhelmed me and brought me to my knees yet again. 

I’d planned on watching the sunset over the ocean tonight from the grass embankment but the emotional overload has left me incapable of dealing with it solo. We watched so many incredible sunsets together in this beautiful part of the world, usually in silence, with no need for words , holding hands or cwtched up but the silence tonight would have been too much to bear. It’s the wrong silence. 

Tired and emotional and probably still recovering from the flight, an early night was in order. Mamma Kay and I are going out to lunch tomorrow, plans will be confirmed in the morning.  

Much Love

Mrs Leonard

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