Barmah Bridge to Nathalia

Thursday (5May'22)

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Very interesting morning. Briefly, i "researched" a bit last night… watching a long video by a lady selling vitamins to help with peripheral neuropathy… 

interesting, but today i realize that i didn't  check the feedback from others who had used the company etc So, when you think you've spent a lot of time, it matters what sources you use, and maybe I would need to have spent double that time before buying from them. Pretty naive eh. Anyway, I bought 6 bottles for my wife, and me (with my long-term problem of aching and tingling feet, but exacerbated recently for some reason) to try for 3 months. Then went to sleep. 

I got a call in the morning from someone doing work for my bank, saying that someone had also tried, after my purchase, to bill me another $920.00, which, when the lady found that I had not ordered it, she said my card had been compromised, and to cut it up. A new one would be posted home in 7 to 10 days. Interesting, when I am on a walking trip that lets me know where I am going each day…

I can still use internet banking. Should have just transferred the money to my Australia Post reloadable Mastercard and bought using that… live to learn.

Spent some time in reflection, and choosing to be grateful instead of that other option of - grumpiness.

I looked at a trolley that the owner of the van park suggested might be helpful:

A set of lovely serendipities with the owner of the van park and a regular visitor meant my Pack could be carried to Nathalia to day (28km), and I could walk without it. Yea! Thanks Brad, and Greg, and the people at Al's Cafe who looked after it till I got there to collect it about 6pm. 

A great walk, only occasional cars or trucks..

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A great walk, feet sore, to be sure, but about 3 or 4 rapping poem-ish thingos and phone calls, and some time recalling the first century writtings about the world's most effective teacher. 

Look at these weird fungus fruiting body thingos, that look like cow poos, on the roadside...

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Then arrived at Nathalia about 5:30pm and got my Motel key.  I popped into a local bakery, at the suggestion of the Motel owner, to see if they could take my bag to Namurka tomorrow morning, and if I'm there soon after 7am they think they can. How good is that! Bought some desert at the bakery, and will get a coffee in the morning. 

Bought some chinese dumplings for dinner, from Al's cafe, did some shopping for bandaids (for a  blister), and trail mix etc, then called in to the pub in town that is now open Thursday nights too. 

I'm learning about generosity and acceptance. After I left the pub, a lady came running out and called out that some folk had seen a sign on my back-pack and wondered what I was doing, and why. Sarah then introduced me to the pub and told them something of what I was doing, donated something to vember, and tried to help me think about calling cards or the like so people could scan a QR code then go to Movember, or follow my blog, & someone else in the pub wouldn't listen to my refusal and shouted me another beer. How good eh!

I drew a pic of her, which half worked, (thanks to creative love!), and she acted chuffed about it. It was fun trying anyway.

Back for a shower, and put my feet up during a phone catch-up with a mate from near home, and wrote this…

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on reflection.. (Thursday morning before leaving)

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Well, "Thank you for the sleep I had just now, 

and thanks for food & drink that came last night, 

along with the warm bed, and also shower."

Creative love knows what I need, or might.

And since part of the way creative love

works, is to give more chances as I learn,

more choices, still curtailed from up above

by cultures which enable us to spearn,

or laugh, or know taboo, and speak or sing.

A human's hardly human without this,

the gift of culture isn't ev'rything

(or maybe, as I think of it, it is!).

A gift of spirit, that enables us

to grow up here, within our culture's care,

as guarj an angel, it has power to fuss,

humiliate and praise; but still beware,

we humans, to be children of the god,

creative love, which made this world, and all,

must learn the culture from above that's got

the spirit of the Way to grow up, small

we may be, tiny spark, yet known, and named.

I full attest by this creative love

I'm known, I'm loved, I'm learning to be framed

in all my thought, and actions, words, that cov-

er over still, my animal desires.

I'm joining in, myself, to make a god,

within this womb-world both lower and higher

s-sentiments and motive forces got ..

got from, or giving to, us each their gifts,

will grow, or else diminish, human kind

-ness, and the grace, and favour which en-lifts

and has capacity to heal the blind.

Well, as I start to see it clearer, more,

I'm fully learning so to live the dream

of those who want to wander as before

in garden under love's creative stream.

Live streaming from creative love, whose self

is tender and won't break a reed that's bruised,

but aches to rather heal it, make it well.

For ecosystems are what it has used.

Creative love would heal throughout the lot,

at ev'ry level, animals and plants,

bacteria and viruses have got

a place within the ecosystem, ants

and bees, and snakes and worms, you know as well.

I choose to be known, as I know my child,

or friend, who would share life, and secrets tell,

but then, to know as I am known. That's wild!

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Head-on - ist.. ?? (Early Thursday morning)

Creative love keeps on going and going.. it's always heading on...

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Creative love, it's when I offer you

my body as a living sacrifice, 

to do whatever you'd like it to do

I find you bigger than I realized.

Creative love made ev'ry pleasure we've

experienced, and happiness we've had:

from gentle touch, to how a couple weaves

themselves together, and are very glad.

Or just a simple smile, a moment  shared,

or knowing-nod between adults who see

the immaturity of children where

development is growing, right & free.

The pleasure in some beauty once beheld,

or when the beauty holds you back from what

you would have done, if beauty had not welled

up in that instant, to let it be got.

And deeper joy, that makes all pleasure seem

insipid, since it's temporarily

experienced, and hardly what I'd mean

by what's enduring, growing more strongly.

The joy of love, relating as true friends;

if friendship of itself persists through death;

this joy I say, could lead to joyous ends

depending on whose will gives us each breath.

So Christ, for that same joy, you'd scorn a cross -

a public execution and demise.

That joy makes up for anything that's lost.

When you believe in love, that's no surprise.

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Echuca to … "God knows where"!

 (Wed 4th May, 2022)

Lovely morning. Beautiful breaky...

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The hotel proprietor lady is travelling today by public transport, to see her dying father-in-law West of Geelong. She said her car could drop me off at the station where she catches the bus.

I didn't think to take a pic of Debbie and the lady who was filling in for her at the motel, & who dropped her off. Helpful souls. I waved good bye [which I'm told is our Western (de-spiritualised) way of saying "God be with ye", or "Go'b'ye"],

and took off to walk over to NSW, to Moama. 

More adventures there. Too much to write. 

A ute, that looked like it could end up taking people to a rodeo, was parked at the tyre shop. It's slogun made me smile. I identified with the driver.

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In the end, after a stop at the Moama tea house, a nice coffee, with scone, jam, & cream (for only $2 extra) ..

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I sat and thought, and rang around, and thought some more. I had my pack and bag today, so, I decided to take it easy and try to make Barmah Bridge on Thursday. So I'd walk about 7 km to Coco's Bend Caravan Park, & try to stay in a cabin there for the night. No answer to business phone, or mobile. So, I thought, if I've really been invited to accompany creative love through country, then I have to make room for creative love to provide somehow, and not panic or worry if I don't know everything about the future - since I never do. I would walk and find out where I'd stay for the night. But today I also have my backpack and a green non-woven (Woolies) shopping bag full of oddments and clothes.

I finally, slowly, got there. No one in the office, no answer to the mobile. I left a message, and lay down with my feet uphill, to wait. 10 minutes later someone arrived. No. They don't have any cabins, or beds for a night.

Oh well, it looks like 19km more to Barmah Bridge Caravan park.

Old Barmah Road turns into dirt (with muddy patches) for most of the way. Still lovely.

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I spy some animals through the fence and start dreaming of having one to carry my pack. I'm not against that.

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Some conundrums and beauty along the way.

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Many mozzies make me keep going. If I stop to put my feet up, or snooze, I'll be covered. 

My feet are quite sore, my knees find it hard to navigate steps from the highway down to the park. So it's one step, both feet, at a time.

But just before 5:30pm, I arrive. 

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And now I'm here, with my feet up behind fly-screened windows. 

Barmah Bridge is, ironically, just over the Murray River, back in Victoria, though albeit further East than I started. 

About to then take off for a counter meal at the pub a few 400metres away.

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Amazing time, for me personally:

• thinking about following someone, especially in light of face-book, instagram, etc.

• Listening to a well read edition of Frank Herbert's novel: Dune.

• Making choices as part of a puzzle.

• Recalling some First Century stories about whom I perceive to be the world's greatest & most authentic teacher.

• Making up rapping ditties, including a song of intimacy between a man & a woman; & a human and creative love.

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Rochester to Echuca

(Tuesday 3rd of May, 2022) (written, starting that night in the motel room)

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I stayed with friends in Bendigo Fri and Sat night, and didn't walk further on Sat and Sun. They kindly gave me a room for two nights, and let me join in on family life with 2 children (a 5 yr old and a 3 yr old) and a three month old puppy, just beginning to be trained. A lovely gift, and one which gave me food for thought, as well as food for this body. I am indebted to them. My mate convinced me to try to use Youtube for my blog vids, and Instagram for my blog pics. We'll see how it goes.

A very full day…

I asked the lady who took my Motel booking yesterday for any brain-waves as to what I could do with my bag. She gave me the idea that worked.

In the early morning I realized that i should buy a ticket to Echuca, negotiate with the driver for me to exit at Rochester, and ask him if he could leave my pack at Echuca (appropriately labelled with instructions, my name and phone number) and I could ring the station Master and check if that could work from his end. 

Left my son & daughter-in-law's place just before 8am, bused to the Bendigo station, bought the ticket to Echuca, talked it through with some very helpful staff. The driver was the same bloke who drove me to Elmore yesterday and then picked me up from Rochester and took me back to Bendigo for my meal & bed. Bit of a glitch..  the Railway's policy is now not to disclose local Station Master's numbers. But the driver was game, and I was too, even if i lost my pack. I had a room booked for the night and I would have to wash my clothes in the shower and try to dry them overnight.. Glad this wasn't essential. It worked.

The trip gave me sore feet, but with NO PACK, they were not so bad as they would have been. I'm learning about looking after a body too. Stopped to put my feet up (for 30- 1 hr. min) in the middle. During the 27km I drank all the 600ml water, and ate the 7 dates, some trail mix, and a meusli bar, that were in my pocket.

Almost a straight road for 90% of the trip… Again, a small (bitumen or dirt - it changed) road, the other side of the railway line from the main highway. Saw about 10-20 cars or trucks all day (while out of town, on that road), so mostly I had the road, and scenery either side, all to myself. I'd walk on the bitumen, or a tyre track, on the right hand side of the road, then wait off the side of the road when cars which were coming towards me  passed.

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THE ROAD

Above the road:

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The right side of the road on the bitumen:

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The left side of the road on the bitumen:

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Reflection beside the road of higher things:

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The right side of the road a bit later when the road was dirt:

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A great time to catch up on the phone with a mate or two, via calls or texts. A good conversation about communication with animals, and the fact that my body is an animal, that is pretty well tied to me, or I'm pretty well tied to it.

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The left side of the road a bit later when the road was dirt;

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The right side of The road looking past the trees and fence,

There are green fields

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And there are furrowed paddocks:

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Take a break. Look up, & look out!

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I arrive at the value Motel, pay, collect the key, and get in:

Walked a couple more km and picked up my bag from the station.  Amazing "Can do!" people.

Saw the pub over the road from the station and enjoyed a cold beverage and a talk with the bartender, and got the price on their rooms, which was even better.

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Back to my room, booked breaky for tomorrow morning, shower, cuppa (with fresh milk), and lay with legs up on bed, and back on floor for a few hours. Lovely talk with my lady at home for 30 min.

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Monday am start again at Elmore Railway station

(Started writing around 9:40am Mon 2 May 2022)

Lovely trip on the big bus that took me from Bendigo Station, & dropped me at Elmore Railway Station around 9:20am. On the way here in the bus, i realized that as I am without a pack there is a (small) chance that i might make it the 18km from Elmore Railway to Rochester Railway  Station, in the time from 9:15am to 1:15pm. I was booked, paid and ticketed on a bus that left Rochester at 5:15pm and went to Heathcote, then another bus company could bring me from Heathcote to Bendigo. I should get back to my son & daughter-in-law's place about 8pm. If i could catch this earlier bus, I'd be back "home" by about 3pm. Worth a try.

Quick loo stop, and off. Luckily I now find there is a (albeit, gravel) road that is rarely used, that runs parallel to the highway on the other side of the railway line. Just perfect for walking.

And what a day for walking..  warm sun, light cloud cover, top of about 18°C expected. True it's still 18 km, but NO PACK(!), just my phone on my belt (or right now, in my hand) and a disposable water bottle in my hand (or, as it is right now, under my arm, or in the crook of my elbow).

I'm writing this as I try to keep walking at 4 km/hr, but I have to look up from this screen every now and then, to the sunny path, or to note the magpies in the plowed field to the left, or to listen to the new birds in the next stand of trees I'm travelling through. The clouds are like little cotton wool balls glued to a blue ceiling, so the sun creeps from behind and between two clouds, for 3min, then retreats again behind a little cloud for 7 min. …

The air is cool but not cold.

A day on which to behold.

Or better still, to be held

by the life that's been given, and welled

up within us, and to me, and through me.

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These pictures show nothing of parallax,

they're static, unmoving, like moulded wax.

But where the trees live now I see,

between them, and through them as we,

the walkers through worlds, that do tread

quite softly on stone chips still dead

(though still being there where they should

be, under the will of the good

Most High who let kids have a play

right here in his sandbox today,

and right through his-story we see

the ways that we've tried to cop-y

with often misplaced

ideas which traced

wrong guesses replaced

by others in haste).

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Like teaching and training a three

year old daughter/ son how to be

alive in this world with the skills

that attune to the cultures that will

slowly and surely bear fruit

that leads to more human pursuits

of listening well 

to what others tell

of life as they see & view it!

Like teaching and training a three

month old, or month young dog - puppy.

The problem's their ignore-ance, not

intelligence, for that they've got;

but often we wait till they hit

the right sound, or action (a bit),

and then we reward,

before they are bored.

But sometimes, I am such a git!

- to think that I'm all grown up and 

there isn't much to understand.

I think that such pride will be felled

by people who've learned to be held.

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So back on the track here today.. 

There's more than sunshine in the way.

I wonder if wand'rer could say

in two hours time, that he's ok.

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Yup… 

Around about 12:34 

This here's the sight that I then saw;

The speed was too fast,

but I knew that at last

I'm nearing a township once more:

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And sure enough, I just had time to order a flat white, and a steak, cheese, and cracked-pepper pie from the Rochester Bakery, and get it down before the bus returning from Echuca towards Bendigo pulled in, and I hopped on (no eating or drinking allowed in the bus). 

Friendly driver. I asked him how Echuca was, and he asked me when I got into Rochester. It's fun sharing God's world with other humans eh?

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