Walking in a winter wonderland

There was no snow to be seen, no sound of sleigh bells, not even a sprinkling of frost when I set off on my winter wonderland walk today. Instead, on this mid-winter morning in Encounter Bay, there was a bright blue sky with intermittent wisps of white clouds, and a warm-ish sun. Not a breath of wind.  I started off on my usual route, past the pioneer cemetery ...

 and down to the sea ....

... admiring all the wintry flowers in the gardens along the way.

Feeling rather perky in a cliched 'good to be alive' way, I pressed on along the seashore and decided to go to the end of the cycle path rather than turn off earlier as I usually do. A few other walkers were out and about, and after we exchanged nods and 'good mornings' I was alone again.

Big fat pelicans baring their chests sunwards.

A man launching his boat.

At the end of the road I veered north and began the long climb along Jagger Road that skirts Encounter Bay.  At first I passed homes with lovely bay views.

I was planning to turn at the first right and wend my way back home by weaving in and out of the streets until I was home. But where was a right-hand turn? I soon found myself passing farms and seeing Encounter Bay recede. 

And what was this? Olive trees and sheep. Was I in Tuscany?

  But no, the next field was full of gums and sheep.

But still - where were the houses? Where was a right-hand turn?

 I trudged on, my former joi-de-vive slowly evaporating. After a further fifteen minutes I was elated to finally see a road sign pointing to the right. I turned into Minke Whale Road. I then sighted Humpback Way and Krill Crescent. I was loving the names. But I wasn't getting anywhere. It was all cul de sacs and courts. I was going around in circles. I figured out that the developers did not want through traffic so limited the exits which is good for residents but not for intrepid walkers.

Foolishly I started singing that Kingston Trio song about Charlie who gets on a Boston train but can't get off as he goes round and round on the different lines and is referred to as 'the man who never returned'. It was starting to look as if this might be my fate.  Into Southern Right Road - which also got me nowhere ... but at least it took me back to Jagger Road again.

Resigned to having to follow this road, I crested a hill and saw a steep descent followed by a very steep incline. Oh well, what goes down must go up and this I did. 'Think how fit I'm getting', I muttered to myself. But was that a roundabout at the top of the hill?

I'm sure it was, so more trudging, then eventually, the roundabout! I veered right and heaved a sigh of relief as I saw that I was on familiar territory again. I'd been here before. Hallelujah.

So began my wending towards home. My good mood momentarily returned when I spotted a lovely lemon tree (I was tempted) and then some chooks and some lovely neat houses with winter gardens...

 ..and a quirky outdoor installation.

Two hours later, with more twists and turns than I care to remember, I was home, exhausted and thoroughly dispirited. Winter wonderland be dammed.

I plopped onto the sofa with a huge mug of hot chocolate and dunked in THREE marshmallows!!!