13 September 2020 Springtime, Father's Day, and Three Sisters

The first day of Spring in Australia was 1 September and Father's Day is celebrated here on the first Sunday of the month.  I saw some places refer to it as Fathering Day.  I liked the sound of that.  Speaking with our children and grandchildren is really the best Father's (or Mother's) Day gift we want.  We are certainly happy that technology has allowed us to both see and hear from them often.  

It became so warm so fast the first week of September that I asked my Aussie friends if they really have springtime.  Just as fast, it cooled a bit so we headed up to the Blue Mountains to see the Three Sisters at Echo Point, a well-known and beautiful landmark by the city of Katoomba.  Lots of walking trails and waterfalls can be seen.  We took our time enjoying the overlook into the Jamison Valley and the "blue" haze that stretches to Mount Solitary.

This area by Katoomba is referred to as the Three Sisters Aboriginal Place and is also a revered and sacred cultural area to aboriginal people.  The legend goes that three giant sisters of the Gundungurra people lived in the Jamison Valley.  Three brothers from the nearby Durag people wanted to marry them but the marriages were forbidden by tribal law.  So the warrior brothers decided they would just kidnap the sisters. 

But during the ensuring tribal war, the Kuradjuri, or clever man, decided to turn the sisters to stone planning to restore them after the hostile conflict ceased.  Yet, he was killed in the battles before he could undo the spell.  So to this day, no one has been unable to return the sisters to their human forms.  I love hearing the stories of the area.  Each of the the sisters stands 922m (3,024 ft), 918m (3,011 ft), and 906m (2,972 ft) respectively.

We followed the steep, uneven stairs down to the first sister and across "Honeymoon Bridge" for another view of the valley.  There is even another Great Stairway all the way down to the valley floor. 

Going down might have been fine, but the climb back up would have been a killer.  So we saved that  and other hikes for another day.  

                                          

Lots of varied views of the canyon and sandstone cliffs.  

Below you  can see the Southern Highlands.  Mount Gibraltar is the highest point looking across the valley.  Mount Solitary was known as Mummie or Korowal to the Gundungurra people.

We walked around Katoomba and ate at the Gingerbread House, a lovely little bistro housed in an old church.  After shopping for a few gifts and surprises, we enjoyed the drive back to our home. 

We have only been able to return to church attendance in the last few weeks.  Don and I have chosen to attend the Young Single Adult ward that meets in the city since the local wards are still pretty restricted in numbers.  For the last three Sundays we have taken the express bus into Sydney and then walk a few blocks to the high-rise building where the meetings are held.  It's lovely to walk through Hyde Park and past the ANZAC Memorial each week and also get to enjoy the enthusiasm of these young adults. 

We were asked two weeks ago if we would speak today, so we spent our extra time this week preparing remarks.  The mission presidency has also asked the senior missionary couples to visit and speak in the small outlying branches to offer support.  It looks like we will be getting over the mountains again the last week of the coming months and exploring a little more of the surrounding areas.  We are actually looking forward to it.  

Don has meetings in the city with our local counsels this week. He continues to enjoy having the opportunity to use his knowledge and skills to serve.  I am  reviewing the Humanitarian projects which only further my desire to do more as I see such need throughout the world.  More displaced people, refugees, and suffering that I am happy to be a very small part of alleviating some needs.   I continue to enjoy helping in the mission office with the phones too.  I am amazed that I have these delightful young men and women calling me-the old lady-to see if I can help with whatever problem they are having be it cracked screens, water damage, missing buttons, software issues, locked phones and the list goes on. I have over 100 SIM cards I try to keep track of in addition to Factory re-setting some of the loaner phones  missionaries use as needed.  Some days my best advice is just turn it off for a few days!  I laugh to think I am listed as the Technolgy Specialist for the mission!!  But  with all my new-found knowledge maybe I can get hired at a local smartphone store when we return home!!  

With the warmer weather we are seeing our friendly neighborhood pets lounging in the sun.  We nearly tripped over two blue-tongue lizards walking home from the office Friday and tonight as it was dark, Don nearly passed out when he was surprised by a large, possum-type-looking animal on the top of the fence as he reached up to open the latch.  He couldn't see it well enough to accurately identify it but you can bet we will be looking everywhere we walk in the future.