Psalm 90:14Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.Psalm 90:13-15
MORNING BIRD
Good Morning! I have had my morning Praise & Worship of the Lord along with my fellow sojourners.... the birds, bees, critters, trees and lush beautiful flowers.....and I am as the Psalm says.... glad and full of joy ....as only God's Love can make you. :-)
I had a lovely day yesterday with not nearly so many incidents...." to get my Irish up"... :-) After Missy & Wes left for work I got ready to strike out on my own.... on the streets of Australia. Question is.... Was Ashburton ready for it? ... :-)
It was a bit overcast and the wind nippy so I bundled up and with my trolley set out on foot with the carefully drawn map from Missy. I had their address written down ( in case I got lost ) 28 Montana Street and all their telephone numbers. My my..... how history repeats itself. I had my list of " Hows" ... how to call emergency numbers.... how to use Australian money.... how & where the stores were located....how to get help, how to find my way home...and how to get hold of Missy & Wes. It reminded me of the How List I have so often done for my children when they set off on their new adventures. I felt a bit like a pioneer.... in a foreign country with no phone with a GPS, car, iPod....headphones....just the elements and I ...roughing it. :-)
A compass would have helped....not that I would have known how to read it....but my inner sense of direction was out of kilter. Think it could be because I am on the other side of the equator? Following the map I walked down Montana street headed for the trail that goes thru the park... Go right....ok..... Taking in the beautiful flowers and English style gardens I walk on for several blocks ....but where is that pesky trail? Hmm..... ok...head back to where I knew where I was.... Montana street.... Back at Montana street where I made the right turn it indicated on the map....I see the Park....and trail as it leads off.....right... THAT must be the right turn..... so I set off thru the park.... humming and enjoying the birds.... Lovely noisy birds.....song birds...funny honking birds..... Finally I get down to a little cut through I remember taking with Missy so I head off up that way.... ( without referring to the map ) Yep...I remember these houses.... I walk along admiring the fences and the fresh air.....and unusual trees until I come to a dead end...... funny..I don't remember a dead end when I walked with Missy. OK....head back to where I knew where I was.....toward ....Montana Street.
A compass would have helped....not that I would have known how to read it....but my inner sense of direction was out of kilter. Think it could be because I am on the other side of the equator? Following the map I walked down Montana street headed for the trail that goes thru the park... Go right....ok..... Taking in the beautiful flowers and English style gardens I walk on for several blocks ....but where is that pesky trail? Hmm..... ok...head back to where I knew where I was.... Montana street.... Back at Montana street where I made the right turn it indicated on the map....I see the Park....and trail as it leads off.....right... THAT must be the right turn..... so I set off thru the park.... humming and enjoying the birds.... Lovely noisy birds.....song birds...funny honking birds..... Finally I get down to a little cut through I remember taking with Missy so I head off up that way.... ( without referring to the map ) Yep...I remember these houses.... I walk along admiring the fences and the fresh air.....and unusual trees until I come to a dead end...... funny..I don't remember a dead end when I walked with Missy. OK....head back to where I knew where I was.....toward ....Montana Street.
BIRD AT THE PARKAs I head back in the direction of Montana Street.... I see a street that looks like it may be in the right direction.... Feeling like it might lead to town I decide to give it a try and my little trolley and I head up the friendly street. I love the little neighborhood made up of gingerbread houses and charming landscapes.... with an occasional bird or car. I come to a Round a Bout....something else I do not remember encountering on my walk with Missy. A Round a Bout is a wonderful way of negotiating a busy intersection by car. It has a little circle in the middle and lanes that allow cars to come in from all directions.....and go Round the Bout.... :-) and shoot off the direction they need....without a traffic light. My trolley and I took the pedestrian path and crossed the Round a Bout.... I could see up ahead ....and it looked like yet again....another dead end. Oh dear.... I was beginning to feel a bit like the man in the movie, Ground Hog Day. I turned around and headed back in the direction of.....Montana Street.
ROUND A BOUT 
As I was heading back toward ...what I thought was...Montana Street...I saw another street that was a possibility.... It had a familiar fence nothing like we have ever seen in America...constructed of stone and dry twigs.... so I headed up that way. Another possible turn on a cross street...hummmmm well what have I got to lose...other than my way.... and before long I saw busy High Street! I wouldn't worry right now about how to reconstruct my return home....that HOW was not on the list!
EARLIER HIGH STREET TRIP
High Street..... People coming and going with their little shopping trolleys... bakeries ( cake and pie shops ), the bank, florist, fruit & vegetable store, butcher shop, eating places.... A world of shops for me to investigate. I set right out to do it! After about an hour of learning the ropes of shopping and negotiating the pedestrian cross walk.... my little trolley was full of fresh bread and such and I was off to Montana street. Scanning the little streets that entered High Street I found myself doing eeny meeny miney mo in my head for which one to choose in as dignified manner as possible. Summerhill Lane sounded good...so I happily headed down that way admiring the charming little street and houses.
At the first cross street I decided to give a right turn a go. After my successful shopping venture I was feeling lucky. Walking on a bit and noticing the familiar dead end up ahead....I decided to back track a few streets and try another street. By now, having probably negotiated every street in the neighborhood, I could have published a mapsco. Turning up yet another street and acting as if I intended to do it.... I mentally planned in my mind what I had to do to still accomplish dinner. Feeling a tad on the frustrated side....I saw the park up ahead! I cut through a crop of trees I do not remember and made a turn onto a path that I hoped....headed toward Montana Street.
GLEN IRIS NEIGHBORHOODThe birds were annoyingly loud as I was trying to think and it seemed every bee and bug was flying about for me to avoid. No flys with maggots in the belly today....thank you very much! 
An enormous dog or shaggy bear ( do they have bears in Australia? ) bounded on my path in front of me. Heart in my throat, I mustered all the courage I could gather up and marched forward like a true Texas Woman. Once past the hairy beast I heard the welcome voices of children....which meant the little day school at the end of Montana Street could possibly be ahead!
An enormous dog or shaggy bear ( do they have bears in Australia? ) bounded on my path in front of me. Heart in my throat, I mustered all the courage I could gather up and marched forward like a true Texas Woman. Once past the hairy beast I heard the welcome voices of children....which meant the little day school at the end of Montana Street could possibly be ahead! Montana Street never looked lovelier 
and as I made my way the last block I felt like every true pioneer must have felt after having waged their battle with the elements and savage beasts of the new land... In the end...it didn't matter how many detours you had to take...as long as you made it to your destination. :-)
and as I made my way the last block I felt like every true pioneer must have felt after having waged their battle with the elements and savage beasts of the new land... In the end...it didn't matter how many detours you had to take...as long as you made it to your destination. :-) MONTANA STREET
In record time I had my pot of black beans, the pork I purchased from Ashburton , Rotel Tomatoes from America, and homemade Jalapeno Cornbread filling the house with it's wonderful aroma. When asked about my day my children were none the wiser of my escapades of the day....unless they read this blog of course. :-)
Have a Blessed Day!
Elaine
1 Chronicles 16:33Then the trees of the forest will sing, they will sing for joy before the LORD, for he comes to judge the earth.1 Chronicles 16:32-34
1 Chronicles 16:33Then the trees of the forest will sing, they will sing for joy before the LORD, for he comes to judge the earth.1 Chronicles 16:32-34
Psalm 28:7The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song.Psalm 28:6-8
Sing to him a new song; play skillfully, and shout for joy.Psalm 33:2-4
