Mission to Library Point

Sometimes, after what feels like weeks of blustering winds, it can be difficult to drag yourself away from the comforts of home and back into nature.  It's not too unlike jumping into the ocean for the first time in summer.  You just have to take a running leap, brace yourself and know that you'll feel so much better for it afterwards.  The skies looked sinister all day and despite braving the strong gusts at the market this morning I probably would have coward inside all afternoon feeling irritable.  Thank goodness for Nic and his never ending enthusiasm!  We packed Ayana into the car (who promptly fell asleep and we ended up sitting there for half an hour waiting for her to wake up), threw the dogs into the back, made room for Thalia, turned left at the high security prison and parked up at Sanders Reserve. 
We came here once before on one of our explorations and kind of fell in love with the place.  It's rough and rugged but has something very magical about it too.  You'd half expect a troll to be sitting under a root ledge.  Anyway other than being distracted by possible troll sightings we stood admiring the progress on a beautiful carved tree trunk when a friendly local filled us in on a little history.  The tree carvings actually depict the history of the area... which as it happens has an odd twist. 
It's funny how you rarely think about how a place got its name or what stories lay behind it.  Our favourite part of the reserve is called Library Point.  Hmmm yes and what does a library have to do with a sandy little point in the middle of nowhere you ask?  Because those crafty early settlers had turned it into a 'row' by library, that's why!  Imagine creeping out of the bush once a month or so with a stack of books and your library card balanced on the end of your little boat while you paddle up stream to your local library.  I wonder what sort of things the read?  Saucy romance novels to keep them company through those long, lonely nights?  Dark and suspenseful detective stories?  Or perhaps just some nice picture books considering most people would have been illiterate.  Either way it paints an amusing picture.  I'll be paying more attention to name places now.
xx