View from the safety of the Lounge 02/02/2010

Ok, so call me a scaredy cat if you will, but I am staying indoors for todays post. The wind is howling in from offshore and as the weatherman so cheerfully stated last night, with a face that a used car dealer would pay thousands for, we are on the tail of a hurricane and gusts were constantly blowing between 25 and 30 knots. Well, while I might be able to relax in the comfort of a cosy lounge chair, the plants on the Balcony are going through a completely different experience. They are being buffeted left and right with no end in sight. Some smaller flowering plants have had the majority of their blooms desecrated, torn off and left to swirl around on the tiles at speeds that a carnival attraction would love to claim in their promotional spiel. Gazing towards the horizon the green sea continues to pound the golden sands of the beach with wave after wave of foaming anger, but no matter how viciously the waves attack the shoreline, in the end they succumb and quietly disappear from view leaving the beach freshly washed and ready to greet the next onslaught. The sky is a parking lot full of light grey, light grey and semi black clouds that are all trying to leave and do their own thing, but are being hampered by the gates being locked and the attendant out of sight. There is no direct visible sighting of the sun, only the knowing that it is out there and about its business. Perhaps tomorrow we will have more success with a direct viewing. Surfers have heeded the coast watch warnings and have left the Point to face the elements alone. Along the Esplanade only a few diehards are making use of the magnificent facilities available, but at least for them there is a slight relief as the wind gusts are being fended by the coastal brush that skirts the boundary of the beach, prior to jostling them and endeavouring to upset their outing. Turning around 180 degrees, at the rear of the scene the Hinterland is still clinging to parts of its overnight covering of mist, with the hills and valleys slowly coming into exposure as the morning progresses. A day of movement!!!