Friday5Aug2022CE, from Garah a bit further, in the rain..

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Rain over night. Slept in. Had a phone call from a mate back in Wellington. Got some breaky from the general store, and onto the road by ~9:30am.

It's completely overcast. Rain, on & off. 

I'm trying again the gift of some waterproof boots from my son-in-law. I've got rain pants on, some plastic bags as gaiters, to shunt the water to the outside of the boots. I might need to swap with my other walking shoes after about 2hrs, or just put my thumb out, and get a lift back to the pub.

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We'll see.

At the point where I had about 60km to go to Mungindi (i.e. when I had travelled about 19km), 

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Bill, in a little Mazda camper van pulled up to see how I was going, without me so much as putting my thumb out. I knew that at this point, since my feet were caning me, I either had to change shoes (& it was still spitting, so I couldn't see how to do this easily), or get a lift back back to Garah. I asked Bill if i could catch a lift back to Garah, he was cool with that, and started clearing the front passenger seat of goods and chattel for me to have somewhere to sit. I threw my day pack on the seat, too a pic, and hopped in.

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I was very grateful & at Garah I shouted him a hamburger 

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and coffee and soft-drink. Bill used to work in Orange at the mines, but was presently minding a property at Jundah, out past Longreach, and was heading to his boss' place at Conargo,  in his van, camping when he needed to on the side of the road, and showering at truck stops. We talked over some lunch, and he said, let's keep in touch. I gave him my blog address. Hope we can keep in touch somehow. We'll see if either of us can give the other a call sometime. And I'll try to put something up on my blog each day.

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Back to the pub, paid for my room for tonight, Sat, & Sunday, got dry and put my feet up, in the dry, … hopefully for an hour or two. Oh well I s'pose it's a chance to do some more meditating today. And maybe drawing folk tonight? Yup. 

Dinner tonight at the pub. Met Harry and practiced my drawing using him as a model. Fun. Harry is about to move to this side of Bellata with a job that lets him have more time for his missus & new family, with a bub on the way at the end of this year. Courageous!

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Then got talking to Angus, as he waited for his pizza. A long term resident of Garah, his family own a property here. He appreciates the pub, and is glad to say G'day to visitors. Follows the Roosters. Thanks for your welcome Gus. Angus sat for 3 min too, as a model to help me practice my drawing skills. Thanks mate.

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Planning to walk tomorrow (Sat) without the trolley, then have dinner at the pub. But the pub kitchen isn't open Sunday night, I'll have to cook something up myself on Sunday night.

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