Saturday, 17 August 2024

Day 9 (from Charters)

 



Friday 16.8.24


Slept in till the sun shone through my walls. Up at 7am. It takes a while to pack this morning and just before I'm about to go an ABC truck pulls up. Must want the Loo ( I think) . But No, it's Robert (Jones-y) with another cold lemonade, and a bag of Smith's potato chips too. Thanks Jonesy. 

We get a photo of the truck which also signs that the business supports the foundations looking into Prostate Cancer (& Breast Cancer). This ties in with my hope to get Movember some support too. My old doctor used to say that basically . ..“every bloke will die of prostate cancer, if he doesn’t die of something before-hand.”

How good to share the world for our small time on it, with such thoughtfulness. It really has to be people who are the “carriers” of thoughtfulness, doesn’t it?


I wave to drivers in cars travelling past ( both ways). The fellow in this car, slowed right down to travel along with me.. and check that I was ok. And to wish me “All the best.” 


Thanks mate. Thanks for that human overseeing, not to control, but to travel together. 

Same to you. 


10:40 the road has been climbing steadily for a while now to get over (& inbetween) some significant hills. As I pull my load I recall an ancient wise teacher’s words about his load being light… I want to carry that load, even more than this one. So I get some readings and songs to listen to, to get some of the load he carried, onto my payload. This has become a major task to learn to do as I walk. And what fun it is too.



George, who was the bloke who slowed down & talked to me and hour or so ago (& I only got a pic of the back of his car) returned with an early lunch - a hamburger with the lot, and cold drinks… 



we talked a lot about … everything. 



We both grew up around Rockhampton. Amazing time together.. He’s heading to his son’s place at Gordon-vale past Atherton, closer to Cairns.

12noon we head off again! 


I’ll send him this blog address, and he might send me a photo when there’s  reception. Thanks for your lovely gift of lunch. I hope we can meet up again. Thanks too to the source of friendship and friendliness, embodied in George  today.


I make it up a few hills and then stop about 1:30pm for ~ an hour, to let some of the heat past. 


About 3 pm a young fellow in his ute heading to Green vale stopped to say G’day and check that I had enough water etc. 



I might see him at the pub on Saturday night. Thanks for checking. What a heritage this race has. Thank you to the Grand grand daddy!



Then Stephen who does a FIFO job week on, week off, just heading back to home in Greenvale for a bit.

A cold drink was offered (& accepted). Thanks mate. We might catch up at the pub (The Three Rivers) on Sat night.  What is this? How good. Thank you to Stephen, and the maker of Stephen!


Would you believe it before I retire for the night a big truck stops. A bloke gets out and it’s Jones-y (Robert), again, with cold water and a sausage roll! That might just do for dinner, I reckon. 

Thanks Jones-y. (Rats, I missed getting a pic) Thanks to his mate too, it seemed like he might have helped buy the sausage roll. And mateship, thanks to you too.



I finally find a small spot on a rise, where I could camp, and get at least patchy reception, since I’m around 23km from Greenvale. I’ll see if I can update the blog for yesterday & today. …. No luck, too patchy.




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