youngest daughter

warrior child

now all grown up.

 

 

remember the time we tipped out of the canoe into the Tuross River

and Zoe emerged from the water still clutching the water dragon.

“tuuuuuuross river is whereeee I belong “

goes the song the girls sang when they had a band called the all sorts somewhere between childhood and puberty.

some of them still cringe but the Tuross was always one of our favs just as it was a much loved camping place.

a private campsite on friends property – a beautiful grassy riverbank under tall she – oaks

a huge beach of rocks and sand and a large sweeping curve of river butted up against a cliff

ferns dipping into the water and tall eucalypts above.

shallows  rapids then a deep clear pool repeated again and again

this was everyones summer dream come true.

home to platypus eel bass yabbies water dragons birds and wombats with burrows in the bank.

 

earlier that day we had set off in the canoe

not a very warm day either.

we came across a water dragon minding its own business sun baking on a rock .

With a great deal of patience Zoe stalked it until with a lunge she grabbed it and

then there was me John Jess Bec Elsie Zoe AND a water dragon in the canoe.

one minute we were negotiating a stretch of fast white water with a few rocks and the next we were spluttering and grinning.

how’ s the water dragon Zoe?

she holds it up   –  an eye blinks.

well I guess it’s ok.

 

years later she has a water dragon tattooed on her foot so in some ways she hasn’t  let go of it yet.

 

 

and what about the time  she adopted one of the  little chicks

brought it up to the house from the chook yard and named it eagle.

the next thing we know eagle is traveling with us everywhere we go.

 

 

 

these are the stories that make up our lives

the memories that keep us warm and lift our hearts into a smile.

there is no end to them nor one single version that suits all.

the alphabet  has come to its end

we have to finish somewhere so here it is.

 

Zoe

from the greek meaning life

no better place to end  than with a beginning

life…….