Previous Challenge Entry (Level 1 – Beginner)
Topic: AMAZING (04/19/18)
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TITLE: The earth will teach you. | Previous Challenge Entry
By Cassandra Leighton
04/24/18 -
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My husband grunted an acknowledgment. The dreary flatness of the Hay Plain stretched on and on, three-hundred-and-sixty degrees of wheat stubble, weed-riddled paddocks and willy-willies. Those small funnels of wind spiraled grey-yellow dust into an already hazy sky. Sometimes they crossed our path to rock the car with a brief hiss of buffeting sand. A mob of hardy emus racing beyond the barbed wire fence provided the only other entertainment. An occasional tree formed a minor blip on the distant horizon. Kangaroo road-kill offered an unwanted olfactory distraction.
"If it doesn't start to improve soon," Des said, "then I'm turning around and going home."
Of course it would be crazy to drive all this way and not take a look. The map claimed we only had a short hop, skip and a jump to reach the town where Des had been offered a job. Unfortunately, along with the depressing landscape, the last town we pulled into seemed to have little to recommend it.
Ten kilometres later, and the outskirts of the small, farming community – our final destination – looked as drab as the previous half day's worth of scenery. Dusty sheep huddled in the meagre shade of bare paddocks. Tractors and farm buildings shimmered in the late summer heat.
My breath whooshed out. I hadn't realised I'd been holding in so much tension. We both leaned toward the windscreen. Des's wide grin met mine. Ahead, a wall of river red-gums lined the banks of the Murray River. Graceful peppercorn trees drooped over a strip of lush green parkland, dotted with picnic tables and wandering tourists. The last eight hours barely registered. This tiny oasis looked wonderfully promising.
We cruised through the streets, noting with satisfaction the quaint school, small hospital, town swimming pool and football oval. For a population of 1200, the place had plenty going for it.
The only thing missing were some decent hills. After growing up in the shadow of the Blue Mountains near Sydney, we often joked that we'd grown one leg shorter than the other, forever standing on a slope. In the years to come, a distinct feeling of joy welled within me whenever we found ourselves in an undulating landscape. What a contrast to those born in the area. While escorting a group of school children to an athletics function, many of the young 'flat-landers' squealed with trepidation at the "big mountains" we traveled across. These were the low hills leading into Albury.
Three years into our stay saw a devastating bushfire in the area. Luckily, not many buildings suffered damage. Not so fortunate the towering pine trees planted along the main road leading out of town. American servicemen stationed at the town’s large air-force base planted those trees during World War II. Serendipity. The fire's clearing of those trees highlighted some previously hidden hills! Those pimples of sandy soil down near the river barely rose above knee height, but definitely made an impression.
Fourteen years later, we moved to another town. By then, the lack of hills didn't seem to matter as much. Throughout my time away from the mountains – places that surely seem to hem people in – I'd discovered a new love. The flat, featureless land opened my eyes to the wonders of the broad expanse of sky.
We now live even further inland where there are around 355 days of sunshine each year. The sky is of the deepest, cerulean blue, often unhindered by cloud or haze. When clouds do form, we are blessed with a stunning palette of colours and world-class sunsets.
"But ask the animals, and they will teach you,
or the birds of the air, and they will tell you;
or speak to the earth, and it will teach you,
or let the fish of the sea inform you.
Which of these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this?"
Job 12:7-9
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Blessings~
I enjoyed traveling with you enjoying the sights, sounds and smells.