(And also, Day 4 of my 30-day blogging challenge.)

I’m at my computer today just after lunch, faring better in terms of timing than I have for the last couple of days of my blog challenge. Yesterday, writing at a little before 10 p.m., was tough. I was trying to describe the gorgeous scenes of the 45-minute drive from McLaren Vale to Mount Lofty, but was struggling to do so, and ended up tiring myself out by the time I’d finally squeezed out the first sentence, rushing the rest to get to bed. Something I probably knew already but now know for sure: writing when tired isn’t productive for me. I was very discouraged by the time I finally turned off the light. But again, I remind myself: writing is hard, practice is key, perfection isn’t the goal, progress is messy. And who am I writing for? Me. And why am I writing? Because I enjoy the process, because I love the way it encourages one to take note and make a record of the beauty of everyday life, not to mention the magic of entering different worlds and experiences devised by my own curiosity and desire.

But I really did want to convey the beauty of the Adelaide Hills, especially on clear Spring day. I still do. So I’m going to try again, to get this practice in…

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Leaving from McLaren Vale, we pass neat rows of grapevines stretching from the roadside across expansive fields and flowing over hills. Right now, in Spring, their bright green leaves explode from hidden trellises, reaching for the sky in repeating leafy clusters. I didn’t realise this pattern was deliberate; I never thought that much about it, but of course it is. How else could they grow so orderly? I tend to forget — I suspect because of their beauty — that it is still agriculture, after all.

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Okay, to be continued. I have to sign off now as we’re off to see the little niece as an elf in the annual Christmas pageant.

Until tomorrow,

E. x