The Sauna Part 268

It was early afternoon when we returned from Seal Rocks and we still had plenty of time before sunset and the beginning of the little penguin parade. We decided we’d try and squeeze in an opportunity to visit the Koala Conservation Center and even a tour of the Nobbies if there was time. I was just overwhelmed with the opportunities available and Jon seemed to enjoy my enthusiasm.

“And I thought the kids were excited when we finally made it to Disneyland!” he teased me, but he was having just as much fun as I was.

“This would be such a fabulous place to come back to with the kids, wouldn’t it?” I remarked as I made a beeline for the stuffed koalas in the little gift shop.

“How many?” Jon asked as he rolled his eyes.

“Well, let’s get a couple koalas and a penguin or two and oohhh! Seals!” I squealed as I saw one that reminded me of the old fellow I’d seen.

“Okay, obviously we’re getting a couple of them too?” he grinned as I piled stuffed animals into his arms.

“Can we leave these all here until we’re ready to leave?” Jon asked the cashier as we began to check out.

“Certainly, sir. We can ship them back home if you’d prefer?” the woman offered.

“I think that might just be the best thing. Except this one, here, we’ll take him with us” he teased, indicating the stuffed seal I was still clutching.

I smiled winningly while Jon paid for our purchases and I wrote out the address to ship the gifts. We decided we’d ship the whole lot directly to Dot and let the kids choose their favorites as we bought plenty to go around. We purchased our entrance tickets for the Center and opted for the treetop boardwalk as it seemed to afford the best view. The ranger who accompanied the small group we were with explained we’d most likely have a chance to see mothers with babies, or joeys as they were called, since it was the right time of year.

Jon took the camera and snapped a few preliminary shots and we proceeded to follow our guide. I was really impressed with the treetop boardwalks as they allowed us to see the koalas up close. They would have been easy to miss if we’d been on the ground and I was rather surprised at how well they were hidden. They appeared quite serene as they perched high in the branches, gazing down at the lot of us with their quizzical expressions. It made me wonder who was really watching whom.

Their fur looked so soft and I longed to touch it and run my fingers through their silky pelts, but they kept their distance and only allowed us to get close enough to look but not touch. Jon used the zoom and was able to get several great close-ups as the guide explained more about their habitat and behavior. We were both surprised to learn that they slept for nearly twenty-one hours a day, leading Jon to draw the obvious analogy.

“Hell, Trish, they’re just like our cats” he observed with a smirk.

Our guide overheard him and agreed they were similar, but he pointed out that they actually slept even more than cats and that they were not primarily nocturnal. Neither were our cats, I grimaced, picturing Eddie stomping about in the morning and demanding his breakfast.

A woman began pointing and whispering quietly and my eyes followed in the direction she indicated. There on a branch sat a mother koala with a tiny little joey peaking out of her pouch, quietly observing his audience. We all became quiet as the tiny baby crawled out a bit further, making a few tentative steps as he slowly climbed up onto his mother’s back.

“Can you get a picture?” I nudged Jon.

“I can try” he replied, focusing the zoom and snapping the shot.

I looked in the viewfinder, but it was hard to see such a tiny creature, and the mother koala eyed us with a lazy look as she munched on a few eucalyptus leaves. Jon tried again, but we just couldn’t get close enough for a good photo and we finally gave up and went on our way. We’d worked up an appetite once we’d finished our walk and we both agreed that we needed caffeine before continuing on any further.

We headed towards the area of the island known as The Summerlands as I had hoped we’d have time after dinner to walk along the cliffs near the Nobbies. Our limo driver suggested that there was a restaurant nearby and it would be close to the penguin parade. That sounded perfect as he could drop us off there and still be available to pick up the rest of the guys when they were ready to join us.

The views from the Café at the Nobbies were spectacular and we opted for a light snack instead of a meal as we thought we could all meet there for a late dinner. We ordered coffee and cake and Jon called the guys and made the suggestion and it seemed we had a plan that suited everyone’s tastes. After we’d refueled at the café, we proceeded to wander along the cliffs, gazing out at the rugged coastline and some of the most spectacular scenery I could imagine.

We lingered at every outlook, each panorama more inspiring than the last. The brilliant blue of the ocean, set against the verdant green grasslands and rocky bluffs took my breath away as we gaped at the vibrant colors of the landscape. The waves thundered and crashed beneath us as they slammed onto the shore and we strolled along the boardwalk, Jon’s hand holding mine. We listened to the shrill cries of the sea birds above us, guarding their nests of young hatchlings that peppered the rocky outcrops.

“I am so grateful to you for sharing your life with me, Jon. I’ve seen so many incredible sights and it seems like a lifetime’s worth of experiences thanks to you. I just don’t know what to say” I commented as we gazed out towards the ocean.

“Trish, I’ve been touring for more than two decades and I’ve seen quite a lot, but I realize now how much I’ve missed. If you weren’t here, I’d be back at the hotel sleeping off a good drunk and as much as I tease you, I’m grateful too” Jon replied, holding me close.

“And there’s still the penguin parade!” I giggled and he laughed.

“And a whole lifetime left for adventures, babe” he said somewhat more seriously.

We sat down on a lush grassy knoll to relax and soak up the sun while we enjoyed the splendor of nature that surrounded us. Jon put his head in my lap and I stroked the silken strands of his hair, feeling the warmth of the fading sun on my face. He dozed off for a time while I immersed myself in a silent prayer to the Goddess, acknowledging all she had wrought.

I let Jon sleep for as long as I could and I was glad for this tranquil moment of privacy. We’d been undisturbed by the media, fans and our family and the respite was desperately needed. But as dinnertime approached, I reluctantly roused him so we had time to walk back to the Café at the Nobbies where we’d be meeting the guys.

“I must have conked out, baby. I’m sorry I drifted off” he apologized, but I shook my head.

“It’s the most peaceful I’ve seen you in months, love. I hope we’ll have plenty of moments like this” I smiled.

He stood up and brushed off the sand that clung to his jeans and held out his hand to give me a lift. His hand closed over mine with a squeeze and he swept a stray curl from my face, brushing my cheek with his lips.

“I love you, Trish. I’m so glad you’re my wife” he said softly, his eyes reflecting the deep blue of the ocean.

“I love you too, husband” I murmured back, my eyes holding his with a look of mutual adoration.

The guys were already inside when we entered and Richie waved to us from a table by the window. We glided over to join them, still feeling the rapture that comes on the heels of an intimate moment and I caught the quirked eyebrow Richie raised in Jon’s direction. Jon merely smiled, and shook his head ‘no’, and Richie lowered his head without comment, silently understanding that we had shared something too precious for jokes.

“This place is magnificent. I’m sorta sorry we didn’t join you, but that was one of the most outstanding golf courses I’ve ever played” Hugh commented, motioning towards the view of the cliffs out the window behind us.

“So, how’d you do? Who won the game?” I asked, surprised they’d spent the whole day on the course.

“He beat my ass, as usual” Hugh nodded towards Tico.

“We actually finished early and we were going to grab something to eat when Jon called, so we had the limo take us over to the beach and we managed to hook up with these guys” Tico grinned.

“And were they surrounded by bikini clad nymphs?” I teased.

“Oh yeah” David sighed and we all had a chuckle.

“So I assume it was a successful adventure?” I continued, prompting David to sigh yet again.

“Oh yeah” he repeated, a dreamy smile on his lips.

I noticed Jim was avoiding my eyes and fidgeting with his napkin and Richie had the slightest ghost of a smirk as he tried to keep his voice steady.

“I think Jim’s going to fit in just fine” he nodded, but try as I might, his lips were sealed and I couldn’t get another word out of him.

“Hey, I was just working! I had to interview a few fans at some point” Jim protested.

“Yeah, but only the topless ones?” David chimed in and the five of them broke into hysterics and Jim actually blushed.

“I didn’t think any of the beaches here were nude beaches?” I said with a shock.

“They aren’t, doll, but topless isn’t unusual” Richie responded, but that was as much as they’d share.

“Am I going to have buy the book to find out the story then?” I asked, raising my eyebrows at Jim.

“We got secrets we’ll take to the grave” he quoted and I knew Jim had been somehow initiated into their confidence in a way I would never be.