Planting for the future

Yesterday was ANZAC day and the temperature dipped to a chilly -2 degrees. The freeze sets in on ANZAC day like clockwork. Usually we would roll out of our toasty beds, wrap ourselves up to the hilt and attend the dawn service at the National War Memorial...but my flu had morphed into a raging middle ear infection and we have a toddler who has no concept of the term 'quiet' and would have certainly screeched at key moments like the Minute's Silence. So...no dawn service this year.

About 9:30 we decided to drive to the National Arboretum just over the other side of Lake Burleigh Griffin, have a coffee and let the boys have a run around in the sunshine. It was a completely gorgeous day and I was damned if I was going to let my stupid earache ruin a public holiday for us so off we went.

 

 

The National Arboretum was the vision of Canberra's designer, Walter Burleigh-Griffin, one hundred years ago. It only recently came to life and is still a work in progress, with trees being selected from the United Nations 'Redlist'. The view was beautiful and it was so nice to sit and imagine how the landscape would look in twenty years when all those endangered saplings had been given a chance to grow into a forest. I really love the long term vision...planting today for future generations. We've really lost that in today's society...everything is instant gratification. Hurrah for WBG and his foresight!

 

 

The boys had a great time exploring.

 

 

And we got to enjoy all the bonsias in their brand new home.

 

 

Best part about the morning though...

 

 

sitting at the top of the gigantic grassy slope and watching the boys and their Daddy running, rolling and rollicking down the hill along with all the other kids and their Daddies. People were flying kites, walking dogs, sliding down the slope on homemade grass toboggans.

 

 

It really was blissful...until my ear infection made me want to topple sideways, so we went home and I spent a leisurely few hours at the local ER where a lovely Dr gave me the good stuff to sort it out.

Happy Days!

 

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