I am fascinated by both the colours, and the light, I'm finding here in The Cook Islands. It's beautiful, and runs from a bright lime green/yellow through into this golden tone.
I suspect, as always, I could spend years attempting to capture all that I see on this light-drenched island.
I wake, each morning, somewhere between 4.30 and 5.30am. If not by 5.30, then the roosters wake me then as they crow at sunrise, celebrating the arrival of the new day.
There are no exotic birds singing-in the day. There are the roosters, with some squawks from the Mynah birds. It makes me smile each morning. How does the rooster dare and yet, why not.
The chickens wander wild here. They go from garden to garden, and can be seen everywhere. But there are dogs too. Simply wandering. So friendly and quite attractive middle-sized healthy-looking hounds. They call in as they pass by, they greet you as a friend, let you stroke them, then wander on ... tails and heads held high. They have to be the happiest, most free dogs I have ever seen.
These are the ways I am getting to know this island. Via its creatures, its plants and the light.
The mosquitoes, meanwhile, have made a battlefield of my lower legs. Great big purple-through-pink welts cover me. My arms and back too. I finally woke to the carnage they were creating yesterday, making everyone laugh when I pulled on jeans, a long-sleeved shirt, and socks with my jandals last night. In the heat and humidity.
I need to heal. They were remarkably painful last night but I hope that was the 'crisis' and healing has no commenced.
Based on my experiences in Istanbul and Piedmonte, I believe I have considered 'quite the fine wine' in mosquito circles. They drank deep at the well of me.
There was a family photo-shoot on my first day here. I'm meeting some beautiful souls out here.
Ciao for now.
