My natural environment

22 years ago almost to the day, I came to view this property. It was fine until I went and stood on the balcony which is off the lounge. The lounge is both the first and second floor. You enter on the first and the bedrooms are downstairs. So the other side of the lounge is now the second floor. Complicated I know! But back to the issue.

Place was fine and then I opened the balcony door. I was surrounded by trees and looking, not at the trunks, but at the tree tops. I could hear the birds twittering. How magnificent! From here I was fully ensconced in nature. I couldn’t see anything of my neighbours’ homes except for their gardens. As far as I looked I saw nature. We had fortunately had some rain and I could hear the flow of water. Yes, there was a stream as our one boundary. I was blown away and asked where could I sign?

Well 22 years later I am sorry to say. Not much has changed – the trees are bigger, Nature still surrounds me, I still cannot see much sign of life BUT I am too busy to appreciate it.

When I moved in I would sit outside for hours at night. We have a tree frog colony which was magic to listen to, we have owls hooting but I could never see them. And now Netflix and Facebook has taken over.

I eat breakfast, lunch and supper at the computer keyboard most days. Today I decided to take a proper lunch break. I sat and drank a cup of my homemade lemon and ginger ‘flu fighting potion and listened. At first all I could hear was the occasional Hadedah, kid’s voices, an electric saw, cars in the distance and then my consciousness took over, there were the chirping birds, a butterfly and a bee buzzing around me. Such beauty.

We are so fortunate to have a family of hornbills nesting on the property. I delight to the sound of the “crying child”. We have at least two Lorie in the complex and every now and then you can catch sight of them as they flitter from branch to branch.

Sunset is mind-blowing with sound as the birds – so many types – settle down for the night with Berri sitting “Ack-acking” away with not a hope in the world that she can make the attack.

This evening I must go out at sunset. I must make time in my day to appreciate the wonders around me but I am so afraid that I will let life happen again and I will forget to take those few minutes to enjoy what I have included in my levy – a wonder that has no price.

View from the balcony in March