Oasis

After a visit last weekend to see Son#4, DIL#4, The Most Charming Grandson#3, and The Most Adorable Granddaughter#11, I'm convinced I must rethink my view of large cities - or at least, our capital city. As a teenager I often heard Sydney and other similar cities described as "concrete jungles," and accepted such a view as fact. Consequently, I have always assumed that anyone who lives in a large city must forgo the enjoyment of green spaces. This narrow-mindedness has probably not been helped by the fact that I do not like crowds of people, lots of traffic, or loud noises - all of which I associate with large cities. Therefore, I tend to avoid large cities as much as possible. As a result, the myth of the lack of any greenery in large cities has persisted.

But I have several sons who live in what I would consider large cities (although perhaps not by international standards), and one who is close to our capital city, so in recent years I have been exposed to cities a whole lot bigger than the one we live in. After our visit last weekend, I now know that I have to revisit my thinking. This was further confirmed when DIL#4 sent me a video of a deer in someone's garden! I have a feeling that even where we live, that would be an extremely uncommon occurrence.

The walk that challenged my current views:

Definitely an oasis in the midst of a city. We also lack the following level of cuteness (which would make city living worthwhile even for me):

(Yes, he's had his first haircut, and his curls have [almost] all disappeared!)