Spring Equinox Friday Five

Seen over at Abbey of the Arts, I join in this meme with a southern hemispherean twist. Reading Christine's list almost made me yearn for Autumn except for the fact that Winter follows Autumn and I've just ridden that ride and don't wanna ride no moh. I am so sick of having to wear clothing to bed.

So here are my Five Favourite Things About Spring:

A fragrance
The breeze coming in through open doors and windows. Granted, at my house it is not so delicious a breeze as the ones further away from the city. I live in an area that has a few factories round about, and sometimes the wind brings with it unpleasantries that require the closing of doors and windows. But I look forward with pleasure to warmer weather, to driving with my car windows all the way down as I wind my way up to the top of Mount Dandenong this coming Monday. One day, maybe, hopefully, possibly, I would like to experience the Dandenong Ranges breezes on a more permanent basis.

A colour
Oh, where do I start? I guess one of them would be the startling bright yellowness of the wattle that is in bloom along the edges of the Maribyrnong. But I can't stop at one, so here are a few more. The blue of the beach, of course, of water and sky, which I shall venture out to again with Lester now the weather is warming. His vocation concerns the beach and a tennis ball. The subtle hues of native flowering shrubs and bushes. My silver sandals, cheaply made and destined to only last this extra season before they disintegrate.

An item of clothing
Actually, an item of clothing removed - shoes. I love going barefoot. Nothing speaks freedom to me so much as the touch of the soles of my feet on the earth.

An activity
Walking my dog in the evenings after coming home from work. I don't get home till 6.30 and it's been dark for months and months. With every passing day, the light is shining a few minutes longer. In two weeks' time daylight savings will begin and suddenly, boom, I get to return to the routine I love of ending the working day with a stroll with Puppily Duppily sniffing stuff. I love the rhythm, the soothing regularity. I watched Tim Rogers, lead singer for You Am I talking this week about how he is a walker, that he walks to keep the anxiety at bay and fuel the creativity at the same time, a win/win situation where all his song lyrics come to him. I love the things that occur to me as I walk. I love the perspective that comes.

A special day
It's called Grand Final Day and it's next Saturday afternoon, the last game of the year to determine who wins the Aussie Rules flag. It's always special. There's always tons of barbecues and stuff going on which I decline to attend a lot of the time because this is serious, dammit! Attend Grand Final barbecues and you get blow-ins who only watch one game a year and who persist in talking shit all the way through the game :) I prefer to maintain control and watch it at home.

Although this year, I prefer infinitely to actually be at the game itself because presumably, after tonight, my team will be playing in its first Grand Final for 17 years. And I will very quickly throw aside all of my dearly held principles for the opportunity to see it with my own eyes :) Heh :)