William Ricketts Sanctuary

 Went for a drive with friends today to the Dandenong Ranges and we stopped at the William Ricketts Sanctuary. This man created sculptures out of clay, baked them in a kiln then installed them in the forest to rocks. The detail is quite extraordinary and he truly captures the faces of the people in his sculptures. The story he is telling is about how non-indigenous Australians have raped and pillaged the lands, taking more than they needed and betraying Aboriginal people. They are set in a beautiful green forest, surrounded by tall trees and overgrown ferns.

Tooka

Refreshment of the mind...an ongoing process

I have decided to take the next week and a half off from work and stay home. I might take some day trips, but for the first time in awhile, I'm not spending my time traveling away. I've already been away this year and am going again in September, but for now, I'm all about exploring Victoria. It's not a huge state, but there is still much to see. It wasn't planned, but things at work have been very busy, with late nights the norm rather than the exception, and my brain just needed a rest. A rest for the mind is every bit as important as rest for the body, particularly when you work in a field as stressful as mine. There are some really great moments when families do well, and that's what keeps most of us coming back day after day. I needed a break, so decided to vacation at home for nearly two weeks.

Great Ocean Road

I plan to spend some time at the beaches, just watching the ocean, walking on the sandy shores. There are so many here that I can get to either by my own car or by train/tram. They are the bay beaches, so not much surf, so I'll have to drive a couple hours to get to the open ocean, which I plan to do next week. I have to get my spare tire fixed first, so heading to Kmart Tyre and Auto in the morning. I'm hoping they don't charge me an arm and a leg...things are so expensive here. A simple oil change is at least $130!!!!

I'm also hoping to spend some time hoofing it around Melbourne, as there are tons of interesting buildings and other architecture and landscape to explore. It's winter here so while some of the trees have lost their leaves, the grass is finally green from all the rain. I need to stretch my legs and get back into taking photos with my Rebel.

I have downloaded some new books on my iPad, so also look forward to spending a few afternoons in the sun with a good book, hanging out in the parks. A lot will depend on the weather though as we are in winter and it rains often in Melbourne during winter. The temps aren't really cold, but cold enough if it's pissing rain and blowing a gale. So I may just as easily be on my sofa at home with a blanket and a cat.

Dundee is already enjoying having me home during the days. He's such a cuddler! He spends less time out on the balcony now that it rains more and the temps have dropped. He races around the apartment like a psycho, bouncing off furniture. walls, floors, and me. It's a good thing he isn't as big as Stormy was or I'd have some broken ribs I reckon...

I'll be posting more after I get out a bit. It was a cold and rainy day today, so spent much of it running errands and then at home for the rest of the day. I made a batch of chilli - nice to chow down on when it's grey and cold outside. Burnt the mouth off me, and warmed me all over. I'm never cold at work, but at home I freeze, probably because I'm less busy and I don't have any heat source turned on. I'd rather rug up with a sweater and blanket, nice warm socks, flannel pyjama pants, etc.

So I think I'll head back to the sofa with my iPad and get started on another book. Relaxxxxxxxxxxxx...