- Back in Koroit

Cunnamulla, QLD - Australia

This morning in Koroit, before dawn (actually, perhaps, due to Dawn) as consciousness was returning to me, I thought of a phrase from the opening line of The Metamorphosis which mentioned that the protagonist "awoke one morning from uneasy dreams". . . yes, last night my dreams were rather tumultuous, although not entirely uneasy . . . visions of sugarplums etc etc.

After a quick review of the high points of the previously mentioned dreams, I got up from my comfy cot in my little garden shed with its dirt floor, opened the door, answered nature's call, and sat down to watch the sunrise.

Moments later a rather prominent squawk broke the silence and drew my attention to a Major Mitchell (a variety of cockatoo with pink arm pits & comb highlights) who circled and perched in a nearby tree. He or she continued to squawk and bob their head raising and lowering their comb a few times, then dropped down to the ground to peck at something, while continuing to perform. I whistled and squawked at it a few times. It flew toward me and landed at the top of a nearby tree where it really began to perform - making a variety of noises, moving its comb up and down (which really is rather funny looking) and flipping upside down while spinning around a branch and uttering a laughing like sound. At the end of this act, it circled around and flew off to the south making a racket as it exited. . . . . and some of you get to wake up in a fancy bed with high count cotton sheets in a house with indoor plumbing and watch the Today show.

Life in Koroit is, as Thomas Mann said about art, a form of heightened living. Yes, you can feel it when you are here. It is a special place with a rarefied atmosphere. To be fair, as my friend Lenny just said after he leaned over and peeked at what I had just written about the glorious life in Koroit while watching the sunrise on a cockatoo's performance, "be sure to tell them about all the damn mice and how they're running and s***ting all over every damn thing". Life here is a mixture of experiences.

As long as I've quoted Len once, I feel compelled to share a pearl he bestowed upon these humble ears a day or two ago. He was referring to doing some exploration with an auger drill in an area where there might be opal and said that the area should be "drilled like the a**hole out of a Christmas tree". I don't really know what that means, but there is a beautiful and elegant rhythm to it that makes me smile. . . . and that my friends sums up much of the nature of this life itself - I don't really know what it means, but there is a beautiful and elegant rhythm to it that makes me smile.

Yes, we are finding some more gorgeous rocks. It is getting warmer here - the highs have been nearly 100, however last night's low was very comfortably in the low 50s. I've been slicing and expect to be doing more slicing tomorrow. . . and preparing a few parcels of rough for some of you. If you have any questions, please feel free to email me directly and be aware I might only be able to check my email once a week.

Good luck to Miss Sugar Ray Sammi at her doctor's appointment - thinking good and healing thoughts about your ankle.

Thank you to Len and Kim for their friendship and continued hospitality.

Regarding thanks, I am particularly grateful for being able to witness the sun rising here in Koroit and for being able to experience the beauty and splendor of the Dawn.


.