Turning 29...

The 3rd of July marked my 29th birthday... it's kind of an age where you wake up feeling like perhaps you should have accomplished a bit more, or at least be in the process of realising all your life's goals...

Well, I guess this could turn into some musing about lives half lived, fear of change, all that dark-side stuff that quite frankly I'm not prepared to go into right now because it could all be a little too close to the bone! Instead I'm going to tell you about my day...

Traditionally in my family we put a ribbon on the dog of the day, and declare them a Birthday Dog, in honour of whoevers birthday it may be. So yesterday Friday was adorned with a shiny white ribbon, and decreed the Birthday Dog of my 29th. Isn't she beautiful! And there's me, wearing my not one but TWO icebreaker thermals, which my dad & partner each bought me for my birthday - perfect for the Canberra winter!

Next we went for a walk up the O'Connor Ridge, my old walking grounds of last year when I was living in Lyneham. The thing I love best about walking on the ridge is that you can see out over northern Canberra, and it helps give a sense of perspective to the day ahead. Much as I love Mt Ainslie, there are very few spots (within short walking distance, anyway!) where you get the same feeling.

Walking the Ridge was followed by breakfast at Tilley's (a Canberra institution), sitting outdoors in the sunshine. Because even though we are in the midst of a rather cold and very wet spell, the day of my birthday dawned bright, clear, and warm. Apparently the same thing happened 29 years ago, when I was born...so there you go!

For my birthday I had this idea that I wanted to see snow. Clinton took the day off work, and we drove up into the Brindabellas, looking for snow. Well, I guess we picked either the wrong day, or the wrong location, because there was not a speck of snow to be seen anywhere!

Instead, we wound up in the beautiful Brindabella Valley, by a merry body of water of whose name I have no idea, enjoying a lovely picnic in the sunshine.

We ate well, and then I ran around taking photos (the digital camera was another birthday gift), astounded by the beauty of light reflected off the water.

It really was incredibly lovely. I hope that this augers well for my year ahead - that I may not get what I think I want or expect, but that where I end up will be unexpected and beautiful nonetheless. Fingers crossed!