FCT #2: plum cake + perfect weather

Canberra has been wooing me with awesome weather. Cool, clear daybreak unfolding into glorious sunshine. Jeans-and-tshirt temperatures. Brightest blue sky tempting the pale moon out til mid-morning. On Thursday I was woken by a hot air balloon, colours like sunrise, huffing and puffing right outside my window. It doesn't get much more magical than that!

I finally started uni on Monday, and whilst I remain mildly terrified, the balance of emotion has tipped over into excitement. My many hesitations about attending the Australian Catholic University have been dispelled by engaging subjects, attentive lecturers, and ridiculously small class sizes. My cohort is tiny. There's only one other person starting with me and perhaps 15 or 20 students all up. In half our classes we're chucked in with the senior undergrads, but in the other half we number five or six. The expectations are high, and there's definitely nowhere to hide... hence the remaining terrified bit! But I feel like I might just learn what I need to in order to take the plunge into teaching. I'm even feeling positive about a three hour maths lecture each week! Jeez!

Dickson Pool is just down the road and has been a treat to swim in. Deserted except for a handful of lap-swimmers and kids. The crystal waters and perfect temperature of the Leisurely Swimming Lane all to myself. I'm still surrounded by the past - school swimming carnivals; that eerie light, turning the water red in bushfire season; long school holiday days, sunburn and Frosty Fruits. But there's no real menace to the memories now. It feels good to be making peace with familiar old places and spaces and stories.

I've been discovering new places too. A small dip into the burgeoning Canberra wine scene on Sunday. Some yummy sparkling shiraz in the sparkling sunshine! (I forgot my camera but stay tuned for a return visit and full report.) And a picnic by Lake Ginninderra on Tuesday night. Belconnen! Tell me about it! I know! But it was surprisingly beautiful, seeing the sun setting over the lake surrounded by black cygnets, wood ducklings, and very noisy moorhens. 

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Didya know?

Moorhens are kinda like those monks who can sing two tones at once. They squalk (high) and honk (low) at the same time. Talented? Yes. Annoying? Mildly. Loud? Definitely.

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Tonight I'm heading out to see Dan Kelly and the Falling Joys at the National Museum of Australia. (Dan Kelly... swoon!) I've turned a bowl of tiny plums - which Slim delivered straight from the tree - into a pretty special cake. I'd save you a piece but I think it will be devoured quick smart by the picnic posse!