Daydreaming - one of my favourite activities. Once I brush off the guilt of "I should be doing something", I can talk myself into how necessary Vitamin D is for my over-fifty bones, and think about people and things and places I've loved. I think about my daughter's health issues a lot, and realize there's not much I can do. Fibromyalgia amongst quite a few complicated issues...she is so busy, but still took time to knit me this beautifully-coloured scarf, bless her...so I sit and think in my little garden, catching a touch of the soft winter sun in a scarf knitted with love.My own mother and I drove to the hills recently. I wanted to give her a warm day in the sun also, but it was really cold and overcast with heavy fog on the freeway. We perservered and found a lovely picnic spot...There she is in the distance, bringing out the thermos of tea and the sandwiches and cake also lovingly made...I think I will put this bench forward in the Bench of The Week series posted by Barbara Martin, and begun by RuneE at Visual Norway.Recent cold weather has me daydreaming about the Darwin trip I posted about a while ago. I stayed across the other side of the bay from the city and had to wait by this step-off point for the ferry to come to take me over to the city. I get vertigo. I hate heights.There is no handrail.The walkway is open mesh with the sea directly underneath. Not my idea of fun. Makes me want to sit down and not get up.

Remember the Mad Mouse? When I was a teenager, I wanted to fling myself off the side of that ride! Anything, I thought, is better than this. I've been on the big loopy rollercoaster rides many years ago and somehow feel more in control than in a rattly little madmouse car that goes right to the edge before flinging the victim sharp left...
It was with a sense of excitment and trepidation that I saw the approaching ferry...No-one else seemed perturbed -in Darwin it seems, relaxation is the key...

Approaching the city...Yes, I'd say a relaxed agenda is high on the list of priorities here...My friend and I survived the trauma of alighting and disembarking. He lived in Darwin once. His family live there. They are used to such things including every creepy-crawly imaginable. We returned back to Humpty Doo safe and sound...he being a non-vertigo person was very considerate - taking steep steps up a walkway seeing the ocean in between large gaps is not fun. A patient friend is good.Another daydream adventure was backpacking with my husband when we were young. All over the world. We loved Florence, but it was Easter, and most attractions were closed, and trains packed.My reasons for thinking of this beautiful city was that, travelling only with our packs, we tended not to purchase many souveniers.However recently I had some rewarding charity-shop finds..."Hand embroidery- Florence. Made in Italy". A textile person's dream.Just beautiful...And my other find? A rusty old birdcage- so in goes a small ceramic bird and a few plants to add to my daydreaming garden...Looking cosy as the winter evening sets in...
Have a lovely weekend everybody. Hope you have time for a daydream or two.
(*Firenze photo courtesy of Flickr.)