The cool shade of trees

It’s the Nyoongar season of Djilba in the south-west just now, a time of transition between the cold rain and blustering wind of Makuru (June–July) and the wildflower season of Kambarang (September–October). Some early bloomers have already bolted: the candy-cane pink of Geraldton wax (Chamelaucium uncinatum) and sunlight yellow of acacias festoon the banked earth along the edges of the freeway, the sheer exuberance of their display enough to bewitch even the most surly of commuters.  More>>

The walking is slow. Every fallen twig and feather provides a distraction from sustained momentum forward. Three-year old legs move at their own pace, unhurried by cares about the UV index or getting home to get the dinner on. It is late afternoon, but the air is hot, heavy and still. The sun’s stare remains fierce and there’s been no sea breeze to take the edge off. We are headed for the deep spaces under a row of eucalypts. I take my son’s hand and, with purpose now, we step into their cool shade.    More>>