Up before 7, cuppa with some milk offered by Gita in the hotel. Thanks Gita. Off to the Cafe on Second. Their eggs Benedict are legendary, and they did a top flat white! The bloke in SPAR (the local supermarket), was helpful and had all I needed for the next week. Still a bit unsure about water. Loathe to carry the 10 litre one, so got a 4 L plus already have about 7 smaller bottles… and a life straw, and can boil water for tea. Etc..
Bought a head lamp at Mitre 10, (just realised that I left my wonderful black strap one given me by my son in law, Pater, (whose high viz shirts and jumper I wear) at home. Rats, I didn’t use a list (good ol’ left brain hemisphere technology). Anyway, a head torch should mean I drain my phone power less, and they’re more helpful too. The bloke in the hardware store took the standard batteries out of it, & replaced them with alkaline AAA batteries. No extra charge. Thanks Mitre 10 man!
There an ol’ gal Angela, called “Stretch” by the locals; who has, would you believe it painted her car, with bright birds, and a bush scene, & her dogs, asked about what I was doing, and offered a cuppa & something to eat before I head off. How kind. I was in two minds. I love meeting people and getting to know them better, and accepting Aussie hospitality. But, when I found it was the other end of town ( the South) from where I was heading, I ended up declining & getting a picture of her and her car. Thanks Stretch!
At ten past ten I got to here..
at 10:40am, small signs of some progress amongst the trees..
Maybe I should try to make it to the R 150km sign for the day… , though I did start 2 or 3 hrs late…?? Please - creative love, wisdom.
.
Would you believe it.
Ben from Townsville, visiting a mate (who is visiting his Dad out at the opal fields), drove past me, did a U’ey (U-turn), and came back and offered me a cold beer (well three in the end, & a cold apple)..I said “A cold beer! That’s one step up on cold water!” Thanks Ben! (& Thanks to creative love that does things like that through humans open to it!)
"Just thought it was the right thing to do.", he said, so he did it! We hope to see each other again on Sunday when he goes back to Townsville again. When I asked him what he did for a crust ? He responded “ I’m an engineer. I’m very lucky.” I responded with something like: “ Very lucky! You & me both!” he didn't even get a copy of this blog. But I hope we do meet up, closer to Rolleston on Sunday. I’d like to hear more of his story.
Then a drilling rig operator on my right, stopped his ute, winded down his window and said G’day for a bit. They’ve hit water at 7L/sec, right beside some tanks, on a hill. How good is that! We wished each other a good rest of the day as his buddies caught up in trucks. And we were off again.
Before long, probably about 12:30pm, a LandCruiser pulling a neat caravan pulls over & stops on the left, and Marianne McKay jumps out comes to my side of the road, we talk briefly, I get a pic of them together
and as Marianne decides to walk more with meAlan her husband in the car hops out..
He suggests that we should keep walking. One of them asks “What are you doing for lunch?” Alan drives on to find a spot to make toasted sandwiches. Then Marianne walks with me the kilometre or so till we get to the van, all set up on the shade side, with the kitchen benches pulling out the side of the van.
I had a go at drawing them to keep up my drawing skills, and they made me a green tea and they made me two big toasted sanga’s, and an apple, & filled my water bottle… then, we needed to get going again… Lovely to hear some of their amazing story with jogging, swimming, teaching, building, retiring, now trip around Qld, & “surrogate” grandparenting etc..
Thanks Alan & Marianne, for your gifts of friendliness and helpful stuff. (Thank you creative love for your artwork in them)
A regular enough occurrance is that trucks or cars towing vans slow down and toot their horns a few times. Mostly, I think, as a way of saying “Good on ya!”. One little white bus this Arvo slowed down as it came towards me, going the other way, then a smiling Korean man’s face and a right hand fist emerged with a thumb pointing upwards, slowly passed me. He acted as someone with agency to encourage. When I though that one could look at it as each person who partners with creative love is also an agent of creative love, that was almost overwhelming..
2:30pm, an open road with more little signs of progress.
A good model for learning (& teaching) eh? Constant regular feedback to let you know how you are progressing.
At 3pm, at the top of a hill, I decided to have a 40 min break. Then see if I can make a few more K’s before setting up camp for the night. Might be cold tonight.
Gail Price found me again, on her way back from Roma and gave me two oranges, three mandarines, & a 1.25L bottle of water. She was concerned that I couldn’t make it to Rolleston with the lack of properties and places to get water. She gave me a few hints, and properties that might help.. Thanks Gail.
Went for about 2 more km, and made camp for the night.
Sleep well, all you who tell the truth, and do
the things it calls you to in a small voice.
For true humanity is diff’rent to
a true rock, or amoeba, without choice
at higher level, as we use when we
learn here to rule aware of systems that
can work together, ecosystemly,
to plan for Good that goes past our door-mat.
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