Cloudcatchers Ginko No. 73

Thursday 9 May 2024
Bullwinkle Park, Alstonville

Amid all that rainy period the Cloudcatchers held Ginko No.73 in Bullwinkle Park at Alstonviille, named for a pioneering resident of this district. Through this area runs McGuire’s Creek in which platypuses still dwell, along with a few turtles. As we gathered mid-morning in intermittent drizzle, there was no hope of a sighting that day, but it is always a comfort to know that they are there.

Due to various circumstances, our assembly amounted to only three participants, that is Norma Watts, Robyn Braithwaite and Quendryth Young, but a happy gathering it was none-the-less. We shared recent haiku written with an autumn kigo, and spoke of current publications. Our old notes of A Haiku Workshop, handed down from John Bird, were considered once more. Then an acknowledgement was made of the Bundjalung people on whose land we were gathered, before each set out to wander during our quiet time. As this was interrupted by rain, we returned to the shelter shed to create first drafts, sharing them around the table before moving into town for lunch at the Federal Hotel.

A subsequent Round Robin was assembled, and some of those who could not attend but had joined us in a ‘virtual ginko’, were invited to participate. This has been completed and distributed to all contributors.

Bother the rain! It turned out to be an amiable and enlightening day anyway!

Quendryth Young