

I was heading to Cygnet to catch up with a friend at the bakery. Great food and coffee. Wonderful croissants. Local fruit ice cream and sorbets so delicious made on the premises too. It was Friday, and the Cygnet Folk Festival would be starting in the afternoon. Yet the town was already busy as organisational stuff and food trucks, venues and staging were all happening all the place.
My friend and I enjoyed people watching. I had my dogs with me. They were petted and commented on by lots of people.






A walk around town was an interesting experience, even though the festival has not officially started there are lots of people about and some really strange things to see

I am not really sure what the idea of this really is but as far as contraptions go it was quite exceptional. A piano that when played light flames and smokes. I might see it at night when I imagine it will be even more awesome. My friend is playing it and one of my neighbours (the fire fighter tshirt) is looking at it. (you can see joyfully for me rain clouds forming, not so good for the festival.







My dogs and I went down to a lovely dog friendly spot down on the bay, and Miss Treacle and Busby had fun racing about sniffing and marking, as I took some photos. I was sitting watching some swans and cranes landing. As well as the sun slowly sinking behind the hills.






As the dogs were running around I was listening to some music coming from across the bay. I could hear beating drums and a beautiful voice. Looking back towards town (photo above )you can see white amongst the trees, tents and campervans fill the reserve and sadly access is not permitted to the locals who walk through it ever day or go to take their kids to the play area for the weekend. Or to see the birds in the bird sanctuary. It is only one weekend a year I guess. People pay to camp here about $40 for the weekend three nights .

To the left you can see the white tents, these are for Glamping accommodation at the festival
Two photos below are looking down over the main st.




It is a pretty valley and the township is settled adjacent to a lovely bay. Mindy you being an Island it is not hard to have water near you.



The end to the day was a little similar to the beginning in that we came across another native critter on the road. This time a wallaby eating grass on the side of the road. I stopped to let it get away without any danger from my car.



It is less than three seconds it moved and got away. They can be so hard to avoid on our roads, which is why I try to travel at 40km p/h especially during dawn and dusk but also at night when they are about.
I do apologise for the quality of these photos in this post. I had to change them from a SLR camera setting to a JPEg and it seems to have made a huge difference to the shots.
I do find that in among a lot of noise and people something I once enjoyed, I no longer do. I find myself enjoying the periphery of things. After walking through Cygnet today and listening to the music and the noise, traffic and smells. I was needing to get away from it. So I was really chuffed that there was no one else down on the point where the dogs and I spent a lovely time. My CPTSD does impact me greatly sometimes. I know I am better than I have been in quite a long time. I do come home from this sort of thing exhausted and just basically spend the next 24 hours in a semi immobile state. Hard to explain to people who have not experienced it. I do feel sometimes, that it is the after effects of going out and being part of the world/community place I live, is often what stops me. My progress here is that I now know this. I now accept this is me and my life in the present time. Instead of pushing myself and doing the expected I dont anymore. That in itself is a wonderful difference. Knowing my limits, and retreating. One of my favourite things is saying I am content with the discontent.
Tazzie
The biggest tool you can arm yourself with when enduring chronic health problems – mental or physical – is Pacing. Learning to be realistic in your daily activities and choosing to do what works for you best.
I can’t handle noise, people & certain smells with my MCS, so I leave those outings to the stage when I absolutely have to endure them and then, get away and back home (or in the fresh air in quiet place) ASAP.
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Lovely photos of the atmosphere! The piano seems fun and it looks as you and the dogs had a lot of fun. The wallaroo is so cute! You managed to get him on camera well as they are very quick. I relate to doing people-ey things and feeling/being drained afterwards.
I find it very wise not to do ‘what is expected’ as it is something I really need to learn because I get trapped in the expectations of others but mostly of myself.
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It has taken me so long to be comfortable to let the ‘what is expected ‘go my family were all about image and being seen and fitting in. So my own personality and being were often fighting with my family upbringing. It helps that I am older but I so wish I had realised the freedom that letting that go was. My psychologist has helped me so much in me recognising that I really do know what I need for me to be able to live my life as best as I can. We are always so hard on ourselves. Sigh. I also now look back and see how I would react when I found others in situations and how kind compassionate and supportive I would be to them. Yet NOT for my own self. I now find say no, and thanks but due to my mental health I am not able to . Or oh I have not been well. I dont mislead people and For me I really want them to know that mental illness is equal to all chronic and deadly physical illnesses. Of course there can be not only family and our own expectations, but culturally, religious, and even gender.
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I have a similar story/feeling. My mother was set on the ‘looks’ of her and me and there were severe expectations. They grew into me like plants on a tree.
Expectations can be useful maybe but we also have our own personal freedom, possibilities and duties. I try to learn and accept that now. A lot of work to do and I feel already so old! Lol!
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It is going to be all worth it
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Being able to recognize limits is really valuable, and events like that can be so exhausting! The piano contraption is rather odd. The wallaby is so cute!
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It was very sweet.
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