Groundhog Day

We've been back in Australia for just over 2 months, and I have to admit, it feels much longer.

We are very lucky to be living in a clean and safe country, (which hasn't always been the case) in a quaint little town.  It's a place where many stores close for lunch, but as the manager of the hardware store told Roger's co-worker, Craig, "If ya need anything when we're closed - just give me a ring and I'll come 'round."

But, admittedly, the days are pretty much the same.

We had a problem with mice and spiders in the cabin so on a trip to Adelaide, Roger bought up everything to combat anything that scurried...flew...or crawled.

The days in Balranald revolve around Roger leaving for work around 5 p.m. and returning around 7 a.m.  He has breakfast, goes to bed, gets up around 3 or 4, eats and then goes to work.


Here is a glimpse into my little world:

I actually like hanging laundry outside and in the hot Aussie sun, clothes takes little time at all to dry!  I remember doing this as a child and my mother reminding me, "Hang the underwear on the inside lines so nobody has to see them flapping in the breeze!"

Since the bedroom is a stone's throw from the sofa and the door has to stay open to allow the air conditioning to reach, I try to stay out of the cabin for as long as possible.  Roger feels badly about this, but it hasn't been so bad.

Our friend, Craig, who is working with Roger brought his caravan to live in. Craig works days, so I hang out under his awning and read books, work on the blogs, and have a picnic lunch!  

The birdlife here is pretty incredible.  When we first arrived, the beautiful pink and grey galahs (a type of parrot) were prevalent.  Since then, another variety of parrot which is white and yellow have driven them out.  They are loud and raucous and negate any need for an alarm clock.  Birds are early risers. My favorite of all though, is to listen to the kookaburras.

By 2 p.m. the heat and flies win and I go into the cabin and cool off while watching TV on mute with subtitles

If Roger wakes up early enough, we have a game of Scrabble.  We've played almost everyday for four years and after hundreds of games we're still neck and neck.

Two of the many scorecards we've kept!

I'm also lucky to be playing online Scrabble and Words with Friends with friends from Canada, the U.S., Zambia and Australia!  Thank God for technology...and especially my friends who keep in touch.

While I contacted the local school and library hoping to volunteer, I never heard from them.  Fortunately I am still very much involved with the Ndola Lions School for the Visually Impaired and continue fundraising as well as writing their blog that has helped share their story.

This Christmas several of my friends have generously donated funds in honour of their children and grandchildren that will enable us to buy three goats to add to Project Baaa that was started last year, and seeds for the students' vegetable garden.  Other funds will go towards the playground, goat shed and hopefully some Braille supplies.  I love this school and feel priviledged to still be apart of it along with the school's longtime supporter and my dear friend, Yvonne.  Who knew I would get excited about buying goats and that I could still be able to contribute something a half a world away?

We are counting the days until we fly to the States to see Brad, Anette and Magnus.  We'll stay with them a couple of days and then drive to Palm Springs where we will rendezvous with them for a week over Christmas.  Their friends, the Helanders from Port Moody will also be there with their little guy so it will be a busy but fun filled week.

As important as it was to make the decision to start this adventure almost 8 years ago, I've realize it is as important to know when to stop.  I struggled with making the decision because Roger and I have been such a team in some pretty challenging situations, but I know I need to find a place to call home.  Or as Roger puts it, "a place to hang pictures."

So, we've rented a one bedroom condo in Parksville on Vancouver Island for 2-3 months to try the island out.  It ticks a lot of the boxes for us:  no brutally cold winters, near the ocean and our boat, not far from Brad, Anette and Magnus, we have good friends the Perry's and Ikert's who live there, and it is only a day's drive to Idaho.

We will drive to Parksville after Palm Springs and then the plans are for Roger to fly back to Australia for a few weeks.  If the project is extended past February, I'll fly over for a visit.  In April we'll head back to Idaho and spend time there and on the boat off the West Coast.  Then, in September, we will decide where to make our base.

So as Roger sings, "Stand by your Man"....I'm replying with, "Country road...take me home....to a place, where I belong...."

Being married to Roger means there will always be adventure in our lives, and he's given me the confidence and opportunity to do what I never thought possible.

It's just time to cool off the passport for awhile.  And hang a few pictures.

Houseboat Heaven

It was time to take time off, but first we had a BBQ with Colin who flew in for a few days to see how the project was going.  Roger had just gone off nights, so we were able to make dinner and have a visit.  Quite a change for Roger who was getting used to eating dinner at 7 a.m. when he came home!

Colin seen sitting; Standing left to right:  Jake Stratford, Craig Stratford, Roger  

To avoid having to borrow Craig's vehicle again, I checked to see if there was a bus service from here to Mildura and there is ---- it runs once a month.  But as Craig says, "it's a regularly scheduled monthly service!"  So, thanks to Craig, we had wheels to get to where we chartered a houseboat for 5 days.

The only other time we went houseboating was probably 25 years ago on the Shuswap in British Columbia, where houseboats are used more often for partying than sightseeing.  

On this trip, we rented the houseboat through MurrayDarling Houseboats in Wentworth which is at the confluence of two very long rivers:  the Murray (over 1550 kms long) and Darling (over 900 kms long).

Roger was given a really good orientation with the owner of the company before we headed out on our own

The houseboat had 2 bedrooms, 2 half baths and 1 shower, and was better equipped than a lot of the rental apartments we've had over the years.

We headed up the Darling River for the first night, and saw many more species of birds than on the Murray.  While chatting with Roger's mom, we saw two kangaroos hop by as we cruised past them.

Sheep grazing along the Darling River were prevalent and they too, sought shade

Moored for the night along the bank

Sunset seen from the top deck

Huge pelicans kept following us up the river and they were fun to watch as they landed on the river like planes on a runway

It was a scene right out of "The Birds" seeing hundreds of pale yellow parrots squawking and circling over us

They landed in several trees and we never saw anymore of them for the rest of the trip

The Murray River is often called, The Mighty Murray, but it was pretty meek and mild.  Apparently its water management has not been well regulated over the years and we saw many farms using it for irrigation.

Despite the temperatures nearing 40C, since we didn't see anybody swimming in the river, we didn't either.  The river is quite murky because it has a very muddy bottom and tangled tree stumps are hidden from view.  I'm partial to seeing what's in the water with me and since returning to Balranald, we've heard tourists over the years have died when swimming where it wasn't safe.

Watching to see what the locals do and don't do has served us pretty well on our travels.

Where the Murray and Darling Rivers meet

The bridge at Wentworth had to be raised for us to pass under.  This involves planning as an ambulance has to be sent over to the other side of the bridge in case there is a medical emergency while the bridge is being raised and lowered.

The bridge at Wentworth being raised for us to pass under

It seems that many people in the area own houseboats instead of cabins --- some were beauties, and some were definitely homemade and probably reflected their owner's personalities.

This one is called "Tin-Tanic" and even has an outhouse off the left hand side

This has GOT to be a bloke's boat

With nowhere to stop and eat or shop, we had a whole lot of time to relax.  Fortunately we had stocked up on great food, beverages, and our travel Scrabble game so we were well equipped.

Daily Scrabble game on the top deck

The Murray may be muddy, but it was calm as glass and provided a canvas to show the reflection of the sky and trees.

Sunset on the Murray

Picture perfect morning

Roger fishing off the back of the houseboat

Roger caught a carp, which is a pest fish -- so while we didn't eat it, he had fun catching it!

Relaxing in the jacuzzi with an iced Bundy and coke.  The fatigue from working nights literally drained away.

The trees were magnificent, with exposed roots that defied keeping trees upright let alone surviving in the extreme heat.

The bird in the foreground is perched on the stump cooling off with his wings outstretched.   

Parts of the Murray had red sand hills -- all of it was very dry and you can see how people fear catastrophic 

fire days where rural schools are shut down.

Each sunset was unique and breathtaking

The stars were so bright we felt we were in a snowglobe and nighttime was peaceful until it got very noisy -- but not from rowdy partiers.

The birds that we found interesting to watch during the day became extremely boisterous for several hours at night.  Some sounded like babies wailing....others sounded like monkeys in the jungle....and others cackled.  I forgave the kookaburras because...well, because they laugh.

Back under the bridge at Wentworth to drop the houseboat off

For us, the few days cruising the Murray and Darling Rivers were all about relaxing.......having fun being on a boat........ and doing something a little bit different during our time in Australia.

Check....check.....and check.

"A vacation is having nothing to do...and all day to do it in."
                                                                       
                                                                                         Robert Orben

Blissfully Beautiful Beachport

"Pack your bags, Craig is going home for a few days and you're going with him so you can have a visit with Wendy."  Some women would wonder why their husband was trying to get rid of them, but in my case, I appreciated him trying to give me a change of scenery.  And what a change it was.

We've been to Beachport in South Australia a few times to visit Craig and Wendy who have a beautiful spot overlooking the ocean.  The town is vibrant and as picturesque as a postcard.  It was great just hanging out, playing with their adorable 2-1/2 year old granddaughter, Chloe, soaking in the stunning coastline and yes....sampling regional wines.

Wendy and Chloe making a crown at playschool

Dipping our toes

Coastline around Beachport 

Storm coming in

Wendy took me for a drive to Robe, a place we've visited before and where the scenery is spectacular.

Obelisk on the right.  The sea is really eroding the coastline around here

The obelisk in the background

The Beachport Jetty is nearly 3/4 kilometers long

Enjoying a bottle of champagne on their deck with a delicious bowl of pumpkin and leek soup made by Wendy

View from the deck --- a full rainbow!

The Jetty

Wendy and several friends swim  here everyday at 7:30 a.m. no matter the weather or sea conditions

Having a wonderful dinner at the local hotel with Wendy, Craig, Jenna and Chloe

We've been so grateful for the friendship and hospitality given by Craig and Wendy since arriving in Australia about 18 months ago.  They have a beautiful family who are walking in their parent's footsteps.

I'm back in Balranald and Roger is still working the night shift, which at least spares him from heat and flies that plague the day shift.  He will have 6 days off next week, and we're going to charter a houseboat to go down the mighty Murray River for 5 days which we are really looking forward to.

So, a few more days of reading books, and repeating the mantra, "it's not a tent in the Kalahari....it's not a tent in the Kalahari...."

"It's not how much we have, but how much we enjoy that makes happiness."
                                                                           Anonymous

Like a Rolling Stone

Honestly, the Rolling Stones were never one of my top 5 groups (although Roger always liked them), but after seeing them in Adelaide on Saturday, I've seen the light.

Thanks to Craig Stratford, who is our Aussie friend working with Roger, he lent us his Land Rover to drive to Mildura where we rented a car to drive to Adelaide.  Several times leading up to the weekend, I questioned whether it was worth the hassle and expense.  Roger kept saying it was an opportunity we shouldn't pass by -- I'm glad I listened to him.

I've been carrying the tickets around in my passport holder since March!

We stayed at the Stamford Plaza which was just a short walk to the Oval that you can see in the background.

About 55,000 fans --- most of them Baby Boomers --- packed the Oval. Most of us had gray hair and we remember watching Neil Armstrong walk on the moon and what the world was like before internet and social media --- but the stadium had a fantastic electricity about and spirits were high.

Australian rock icon, Jimmy Barnes warmed up the crowd with his band

 It was a gorgeous night with temps around 20C.

And what we were waiting for...

The Rolling Stones!  

Back in the day, Bic lighters would have been held up like a galaxy ---in 2014 they are replaced by cell phones.

Fantastic set list
(photo off of the Stones' website)

They started off with Jumpin' Jack Flash with Mick Jagger resplendent in his shiny green jacket.  He changed several times and was constantly flinging jackets off throughout the concert ---- reminded me of when I have hot flashes.

Mick, Ronnie and Keith probably had a combined BMI of 19 and had faces etched with years of hard living --- but they sang, played and raced around the stage like rockers half their age.

Mick!

After the first song, Mick apologized for everyone having to wait so long for the band to come back.  Apparently only 2,000 tickets were turned in after the March concert was cancelled.  The crowd cheered him on, and throughout the night, he made several references to Adelaide and Australia.

When a huge breach of security happened and a man ran on stage from backstage, he was quickly tackled and removed by 2 guards.  Mick joked that a game of Aussie Rules was being played on stage, and it was all part of the act.  Good on him.

Charlie Watts was definitely the best preserved one of the four boys.  Clearly he didn't spend as many years involved in sex, drugs and rock 'n roll.

Keith Richards did a couple of solos while Mick was off stage

Thanks to the huge screens, everyone felt like they were close to the stage --- these guys really are larger than life.  The middle screen had many shots taken from concerts held in the 60s up to the present.

Ronnie Woods smoked through the whole concert: while he was singing...playing the guitar..and playing the keyboard!

Great back up musicians and singers

Mick played the guitar and mouth organ -- there is Ronnie with a cigarette hanging out of his mouth while playing!

Mick strutted and skipped throughout the 2-1/2 hour concert.

Years of practice enabled Ronnie Wood to smoke while playing

What a finale!

A choir from Adelaide appeared on stage after it went dark following the song, Brown Sugar.  They started off the song, "Can't Always Get" and then the boys came on stage.  Fabulous.

One of the best things was to see the guys still have fun doing concerts, and their bond from being together for 50 years was evident.

The Stones ended the two and half hour concert with  Mick singing he couldn't get any "Satisfaction" -- however, there is no doubt that we sure did.

"Life is about using the whole box of crayons."
                                                            Anonymous