'Early summer mini road trip' by Kalamity Kool

Late last year, I set off on a little road trip (by Oz standards anyway, some 1,000 km's) going to visit friends along the way, and a school reunion too, it turned out to be 5 days of a wide variety of fun and experiences,

as you can see from these pics.

first stop in the south-west oz forest

I got stuck behind this log-truck, so sad to see the magnificent, irreplaceable trees of these small areas of forest, still being cut down and carted away for uses better served by planted trees :(

The trees get so big because of the rainfall, and the rivers run deep, though brown from the tree tannin.

duck love on the river of life

A dear friend lives near the port town of Bunbury

and we went to the beach to see if the dolphins would come and visit that day.

They stayed out to sea, but the swim was great :)

I had an abcess on my back, very painful and I was anxious to keep it out of the sun, so my friend sprinkled sand on it

It formed a love-heart!

I took it as a sign all would be well with the healing, and so it was, a week later, such a relief!

After a few nights at my friend's place, it was time to go to the city, there was an art exhibition on at the West Australian Art Gallery which we both decided we wanted to see, so for the next leg of my road trip, I had company.

My friend and I had been sorting stuff at her home, so  this exhibit reminded me of her, she laughed when I pointed it out 

This one was all paint-brushes

It's not part of the art-work, but I like the way the people are reflected in the photo

not your usual bowl of cherries...

Ahh, Van Gogh, van Gogh

Vincent I love you

male and female, He created them

as if to feed my American trip dream....

There were many stimulating paintings, my mind was buzzing on the way to another dear friend's home, by the beach in the city

there's something special about a yellow rose

then it was the day of the school reunion, everyone was recognizable some 25 years plus onwards,

the eyes have it, the soul more and more exposed as we age.

After an afternoon spent dancing with yet another dear friend, and some great conversations, I had to leave for the return journey, this time through farmlands instead of the forest

classic old Aussie home

There was a 'pit-stop' that had been recommended to me, as being out of the ordinary, and with my heart pounding, I entered

Welcome! Flowers and gore, what a combo 

the eyes followed you....

luckily, not back to the road

a lot of wine gets grown around here

west-oz Christmas tree flowering

nearly always, so the local legend goes, as soon as you get nearer to my hometown, it starts raining

the sweet ducks of home

happy with the trip, happy to be home

XX KK