Pensive

It's been so long since my last confession ...

Er - post.

Days have passed with my hair, limbs and clothes splattered with Weather Worn*tm and Domino*tm Dulux low sheen acrylic. I've been in a paint roller-haze; vertical strokes, horizontal strokes, a quick roly poly across the top of the gutters, a pat-pat here and there, (dents from oversized trucks that didn't quite make it under the awnings), finalised by a dab-dab with a 50mm paint brush. An overly paint clogged paint brush at that.

I'm a messy, messy painter, but I get the job done.

I've been thinking about the simple but precious things in life - most of all - the richness of family and loved ones. Maybe it's because of the constant reports of the Victorian bushfire victims and heroes. Probably, it is. Makes you appreciate many things. Painting gives you lots of time to wax philosophical. You become a machine. A bristle wielding machine, but also a thinking machine.

Tonight, on Animal Rescue, there were several stories of animals that survived the fires. One that stuck out was the plight of 'Henry', a ginger tomcat. Henry's paw were badly burned and his face was singed, causing his eyelids to swell like two sets of pink pucker lips. Fortunately, Henry's eyesight wasn't damaged. The vets on duty were trying to locate Henry's family. He was wearing a green kitty collar, embedded with fish shaped bling. This was the clincher by which his owner's recognised him. When his mamma walked into the surgery and started talking to him and stroking him, he instantly started purring. He couldn't see his mamma, but he knew her. His family had ten minutes to flee from their burning property, just enough time to pick up their children and run. Thoughts of what had become of their beloved pet had haunted them. No matter. As long as his family had a home, Henry would have a home with them.

As if this wasn't enough to open the floodgates of hot, salty tears, and block the nasal passages, Finding Your Family was on next.

But I won't go into that now. I'm off to schnuggle with the Machinist ....