The quiet roar of the waves breaking out on the reef may have woken me this morning. Or the rooster that's still crowing as I write this, 6.40am Saturday, here in the Cook Islands.
The tide is in, I can see it through the trees at the bottom of the garden.
The mosquitoes are awake. Although I suspect the mosquitoes never sleep.
And slowly we're gathering on the terrace outside. Paula came first, then Charlie - that gorgeous little 2 year we have visiting, with her Dad following when she reached the intended target of us.
So here we are, just sitting around the big round table in the warm gentle tropical air, drinking coffee that isn't my beloved espresso but that does the job out here, on this beautiful island.
I received a small set of instructions when I arrived here and there was one that amused me. It was about moving quickly when passing under a coconut tree. Yesterday a coconut fell from one of the trees. The thud was impressive. I see it is true. Don't linger under a coconut tree ... really.
We're off to the Market today. To buy flowers and, perhaps, one more sarong for me. I love the colours they come in, and some days, they're all that you can feasibly wear. Humidity is high and the summer heat is strong. My hair is a great big wild mess here.
This photo ... a scene from our first days here. The dads and their kidlets were all hanging out on the lawn and I couldn't resist attempting this photograph.
