Familiar Strangers

This has been the most wonderful spring, cloudy, rainy with sun splash. Nature abounds with massive green, upright ferns and trees thick with new foliage. Having planted hundreds of ferns, this is their year to shine. Playing in the garden is a joy now as years past have always been a struggle, always disappointed with natures progress. I understand now; ' it is what it is'.

All gardeners will tell you that our minds wander through the day. Flirting with one subject and on to the next. In one flirt of thought I was remembering when I was a postie, delivering mail door to door. For a while, an old Chinese man would greet me every day and walk with me, just for a few blocks. Every day he would teach me a new word in Cantonese. Every day, he would go over the few words I had mastered. One day, he did not show up, he had the audacity to move. Just like that, he didn't give me any warning. I was attached to my familiar stranger and missed him. For months I watched for him, hoping he would come back, if only to say good-bye. I knew his name as I delivered mail to him, he did not know mine. I have since forgotten all of my words except 'good morning' and ' thank-you'. Good words to remember, they serve me well with new Cantonese familiar strangers.

In the 20+ years I have live on the Sunshine Coast, this is only the 3rd Northwestern Salamander I have seen. (There is a one inch pine cone in the upper left so you can sense size) My new familiar stranger will move on with no notice, I am sure of that. I have said my good-byes and maybe see ya' later. Then again, maybe not.