October22 Golden 

You lay in bed and you know it. It’s not 1st light but there’s a murmur , a white noise . It’s there .I’m dusty , I wanna get up but I need my servants to carry me out to the lounge room and deliver me a strong Australian latte , with an egg and bacon roll , whilst massaging my shoulders and head . The clues are there , the gut feel is finely tuned , since I’ve got here my sixth senses have sharpened . It’s what happens when you’re removed from friends , and the familiarities of home . You talk to yourself a lot , you’re  attuned to  your surroundings , observation has become heightened. I get a dirty coffee and an over ripe banana down.Wetsuit on , board under arm , I creep out the front door . You walk down the street and feel like a knob , wetsuit and board whist walking through built up suburbia. You could easily be walking through the back of Collingwood . You’re not , this is California . 400 m later and your on the shoreline .Its breathless , there’s a pulse slicing through . I’m not convinced but then the first of the suns rays hit my back , a brilliant golden sparkle creeps across the sand . In minutes the day is transformed , this is a magnificent fall day . It will get hot, you know that .There is no smog , no breeze , the horizon is so large but so close , the mountains of Malibu crowd in on the bay . It can never compete with Australias natural beauty but occasionally this place can sparkle , true Hollywood style . Today California was putting on a show . Optimism is high , Emma’s sister and family are flying in . I look straight out and I visualise the little piece of metal closing in on the rising sun . They’l be getting breakfast , opening their window shutters and looking down at the Pacific . I’m about to get in it . The surf is pumping , joggers are hitting the sand , group training sessions are gathering , yoga , meditation, photographers , people are gathering in the pier to get in position to watch the surfers below ,its straight out of a Californian advertisement . It’s so much brighter here on certain days . I thinks its the lack of foliage , the density and the love of painting in biege , yellows and pastels.The sun reflects off it . Today , SoCal has has laid down the golden carpet for our next arrivals ………… Welcome Steidels