I'm in Canberra for a few days this week, mainly for some tech writing work, but also sneaking in some writing and catching up with friends. Today, on a mission to find a scanner in our nation's capital (which I've done more than once on the road when editing must be returned ...), I went on a long chilly walk. Canberra is really very pretty, in an almost alien fashion. It's autumnal, showing off foliage in shades of umber, orange, rust, lime, yellow and every shade in between...

... but it's also very ordered, with geometric shapes that look best from the air; manicured, sprawling streets; and lots of feature buildings. Every time I come here, I look forward to a few things in particular: Questacon (of course!), the War Memorial, the relaxed traffic experience, and the postcard moments around every corner.

And on chilly days like these ones, when the cold air gives the sunlight a hard edge, I also think about Silver Brumbies in the snowy mountains just a few hours south, like I'm reading Elyne Mitchell under the covers again. For now, I'll have to suffice with a laptop on my knees, a hot cup of tea and some good wordage. But I've got an idea in the pipe for a winter book giveaway when I return, so stay tuned for that. :)