lone wandering

i decided to go for a bit of a drive around my suburb last night. everything was just perfect for it. it had just rained so the smell of rain and wet soil and plants was fresh. i wound down the window and took a very laid-back drive. it was all rather pleasant until i got stuck behind a driver who didn't understand how stop streets worked. nor the gas pedal for that matter. and i thought that *i* was driving slowly. i actually did feel bad for getting annoyed though... i mean i wasn't in any sort of hurry, i hadn't anywhere to go. time was on my side. and yet, spending an extra 2 minutes at each stop street before we went our separate ways was so agonising. i have become *such* a joburg driver!

my aimless driving eventually led me to the nearby "lake" (that's what they call it, i use the same term for lack of a better noun), and decided to park and take a stroll in the deepening dusk. it was so peaceful, as if i was in my own little world. i noticed that they had done some landscaping since my last visit, with rocks and indigenous plants. really lovely.

the water birds had all gone to roost in the trees perched on the little island already, and were making quite a fuss with their pre-slumber calls. it's amazing how many birds can fit into those trees!

the sky was spectacular, the clouds reflecting blushing reds to light orangey-pinks to deep purple hues as the day drained away. and the fountains in the middle of the lake, with lights reflecting off of the dancing water, emphasising the splashes and ripples as they hit the surface once more, provided a fair amount of amusement as i watched from the wooden bridge. what is it that holds me in awe of water shot out of its source? all the while the gurgling of the run-off into the river below me provided a chorus or two. i found the occasional splashing noises (as that of a fish flopping about in shallow water) disconcerting though!

finally when all was quiet except for the murmur coming from the patrons of a nearby restaurant, and a lone duck making his presence known out on the waters, i returned home to make pancakes.