I have been walking in the mornings at 5.30am with my mum. Sometimes we walk  around the paddocks behind our house and up to the rock. It takes us about an hour return trip walking fast. But as much as I hate getting out of bed it is so worth it. The air is so fresh and clear, the kangaroo’s are out and so are the birds.  We take the dogs with us  and they also walked to the top of the rock.

One moment was rather scary when we were at the top watching two big Eagles float in the air as it rushed over the rock as one of the dogs spotted it…and this dog isn’t mine, its our neighbours dog.  Even scarier when it darted off after it.Typical.

Now years ago we went up the rock as kids with our little Jack Russel, Patch.  He chased a lizard and ended up rolling over the edge of the rock much to our horror as we watched on, unable to stop him. I was around 13 I think, so it was traumatic.  Lucky for us, back then, my aunty was walking around the bottom and happened to watch the dog roll all the way down. Lucky Patch was a little dog because he survived it with only a few scrapes.  So here I am, thinking back on this moment and knowing the neighbours dog is twice Patch’s size…Oh heck! And I’m thinking of the phone call I might have to make! Oh Hell!

I got mum to watch our dog (I really didn’t need to lose both!) as I carefully headed to the egde calling his name. I thought he was a gonner for sure as it got steeper towards the edge, then I see the white ball of fluff running towards me over a rise. I tell you, I’ve never been so happy to see him!  We walked back home and both dogs were really buggered. A big swim in the dam for them both.

Here’s our view from the top. You can see our local golf club and the town where the white CBH bins are.

By friday night we gathered under the tree, our five house town now thriving with people.

We fired up the barbie, cooked a few snags and fed the hungry mass as we waited until it was time to load up the bus!

7.3o we climbed aboard! All the seats were full! (Yes we were a little surprised at the great turn out) So then we were left in our wonderful drivers hands. Thanks Tess for the use of your bus and being our driver…we were louder than your average bus run!!

On our way we had a rough floodway to navigate but lucky our bus-hostess, Mark, guided us to the exits, our crash position and where the gas masks would fall from. (There is always one in the crowd!)

Our first stop, which took us twenty minutes to get to, was Uralla Farm. Kids crammed out of the bus to see the lights to the sound of the generator in the background. The bus was also needed to light up the sign on the right. It was so exciting to see their driveway so bright. 

Then it was time to fit back on the bus and head to the Murray’s farm gate, with a very loud 3 cheers for Jensen’s lights.

As we arrive the bus occupants made a collective ‘oooh’ as we saw the lights. The kids bus shelter was covered in lights and ‘blow up’ santa was looking great. It looked like you could land a plane with the lights leading down the driveway. On the left side the mail box was covered in lights, holding another santa inside. Eventually we squished back on the bus, making sure no kid was left behind, and had another round of 3 cheers!

Our third stop was to the Thompson’s farm gate.

The kids love this Santa, and such a great job. (He was internally made out of wire) Every present that was in and around the mail box was shaken…just in case it was real!!

The Thompson’s mail box has just only had a face life, normally white, and just by chance the new paint matched the xmas colours! Well done!

Another round of applause and we headed to our last farm gate, the last three were ‘townies’.

At the Garard’s driveway there was even more surprise and amazement at finding something new.

Here we had Santa’s buggy being pulled by a lone wooden reindeer. (Not sure who made the reindeer, maybe it was the only log they had?!?!)

Next we stopped at the old school house. There was a few complaints that they shouldn’t be included because they had power sources!!!

And ours was next.

And the last house I didn’t get a photo because up on their roof with their lights was the REAL santa!! He was all dressed up and walking across the roof. The kids went wild, screaming at Mrs Silver to turn her bus around!!! But by the time we got back there he had gone. Must have been checking out the chimney.

We pulled back in under the tree at nearly 9pm, the bright lights from the fire truck flashing like we had a night disco on, and we all fell out…filed out. But only after we had all voted for the best one. The winner will be announced tonight at our local Christmas Tree.

It was a fantastic night, filled us all with Christmas cheer and excitment. I’m sure next year we will have a bigger and better comp, with folks already thinking about what to do! (We might need a few more vehicles to get around in too)

It’s amazing what you can do with a generator and an imagination. Well done to you all!!

These two ducks I’ve put in our fruit tree area which didn’t have a water source. For the time being my sons toy truck will have to do.

I found a duck egg under the grape vine this morning…can you spot it?

I’ve just started picking some of the ripe apricots and a few peaches. The poor tree is loaded.

Yum, just love summertime when all the fruit is ripe. And here’s some other things we have been busy at. With lots of full lakes around we now have a place to take the kids for a swim. My dad sold his boat years ago so lucky we have great locals who are happy to tow us around the lake for a ski. It was gorgeous yesterday for the lake, but today is back to overcast with rain for the next few days….Like we need anymore!!!

And its that time of the year again! Christmas. So we have done our bit and hung up some lights so Santa can find his way to our house. These LED lights are so bright!! Not the best of photos, but you get the jist. Love the solar lights, saves on all the power cords.

Here is just a few more photo’s I took while driving around.  It’s just amazing to see so much water.

Silvie, the boarder collie, checks out the water.

This picture is of the driveway to my uncles farm, which we call Kate’s.

All the water makes for some nice pitures.

On Burngup Road, you can see the fence on the left which has been swept over the road.

This is what is left after the water drains away. This is just one section of washed out railway.

I went walking this morning with my mum down past Bakers to Byass’s where the water has ripped up all the bitumen across the road, swept all the fences on both sides of the road away and turned the wheat crop to mud. I wanted to go see how the wheat looked up close but it was still soaking in water and I was worried i’d get my feet bogged. I guess a few weeks and we’ll know whats left of the crops.

Most of the water has all run away, following the gully’s and filling up all our dry salt lakes. So soon I will have some lake pictures for you. In my next book The Road Home, the characters go skiing on a lake just out of Kulin.

The water in town at our neighbrours house.

At the end of town.

A few farmers crops…hmm, bogged headers.

Below is just a few things we got.

Also I thought it would be appropriate to share this poem on xmas shopping with you.

Xmas Shopping – by Lorna Madson

The list gets longer and the cards have been sent,

Your hard earned savings are about to be spent,

Year after year you always say,

There’s got to be an easier way!

But you haven’t yet fount it and it’s always the same,

When you play the Xmas shopping game,

So with list in hand and money in pocket,

You set off up the street like a rocket,

There’s never enough time to do this job,

And you’re always conscious of spending a bob.

What to buy who and who to buy what,

You hope there’s no-one you forgot,

The shop assistants try their best,

To put your patience to the test.

That would be good, but it’s just too dear,

And you gave them one like that, last year,

She wouldn’t use this and he’d never wear that,

Your back starts aching and your feet feel flat.

By the time you’re finished, your head’s in a spin,

You feel weak and your wallet feels thin,

Then you take it home and gift wrap it all,

And put it beaneath the tree standing tall.

And you realise on Xmas day,

It was worth the effort in every way,

For they’ll smile and say thankyou, whether or not,

They’ve got six more at home of what they just got.

The bin across the road which my DH runs also came to a stand still. (Just what you want during harvest..not)

Farmers left waiting to see how long till the power was back on. Would they get their load off today? As it turns out, no. So then they had to ring up and get people to come pick them up and take them home. (After a few coldies, mind you.) This also meant headers would have to stop also.

I took the kids over to see their dad and pop. I think this is the most fluro yellow I’ve seen together in one spot. Once no one wore hi-vis shirts, then it was just the bin crew, now it’s everyone. So much has changed with saftey these days. (Gone are the days when you learnt the hard way lol)

My Dad waiting by the sample hut. His truck way down the line but he’s lucky…he only has to walk over the other side of the bin and he’s home.

I’m happy to report it finally came back on…thank god my laptop has it’s own battery. Love my laptop…at least I could charge my phone on it. I was worried it’d go flat for a while there, oh how would I cope  

I’m off to Albany tomorrow to see the wonderful Lata, who will be taking some photo’s for me (publicity profile pics) as I need something new for the next book.

Enjoy the rest of your week!

I went out today to help my friend with her horses again as we met the farrier near this paddock. These two horses belong to another lady, but I helped look after Bluey and Tiger (the pony).  And it was a good excuse to catch up with my friend

Here’s Wayne at work on the side of the road, well actually on it, but that was where the shade was. Not likely to see a car on this road very often anyway. (Besides my mum who would be doing the mail run an hour later)

This is Bluey. I’ve only been for a ride on him once and that was many years ago…before kids.  He was a good boy for me. He snotted all over his boss (my friend) before I had to take him, and even Tiger was well behaved.

When I was little we had horses practically in our back yard, which we used to feed. Then the neighbours left and took them and I never saw another one until I was 12.  Now quite a few of our friends have horses. I would love to be able to ride them really well, through rolling paddocks just like The Man from Snowy River, but i’m a total novice and think i’ll stick to cars which don’t have a mind of their own.

I’ve got to drive to town now, take one kid to an appointment and then to Milo Cricket, and be home in time for the CWA ladies BBQ under the Tree. Enjoy your weekend everyone. Hope you’re doing something fun. xx

(I have just seen the new cover for the book and I really hope everyone’s going to like it. Everyone should be able to see it early next year!)

We are a funny lot, country people. We get excited about things like rain and even this new section of road.  It wasn’t a long stretch of new bitumen, but all the same its still less gravel we have to travel along. Not much happens around here, so things like this are exciting for a little town. (Don’t let me get started on our curbing in town! Curbing…in Pingaring!!)

At work on Thursday we had some fella’s from Perth come down to train us, as we are Milne Feed reps, (easy lick)  and one of the guys was from India.  He was saying that after living in India, coming to Perth was a huge change. He couldn’t sleep because it was too quiet and he could hear the cockroaches!  So if he thought Perth was a country place, imagine what he thought of our 5 house town!!  First thing he said to me is ‘what do you do?’

I had to chuckle. What does he do in Perth? 

Well one of the things we do is have fire truck training…or fire ute training.

This little beauty is on loan until our tiny town gets its new fire truck. A real truck.  So Thursday afternoon, here we were gathered around in the rain learning how to work everything in case of a fire. In the rain!! Yes, we were.  I think there was about seven of us, mostly local farmers and a couple of townies, getting to play with the hoses and switch on the sirens and lights. (yes, that was the best bit) Kids in a candy shop we were.  Hopefully we never have to use it, especially this harvest as there is so much grass around after the wet year we’ve had.

And as for the Perth fella, well i’m yet to meet a country mum who’s not flat out with fifty million things on the go. Never a dull moment in the country.     :)

I love my lilac trees. (Not as much in autum when they drop their leaves everywhere and the gutters get blocked) But right now they are full of tiny flowers that sprinkle down in the breeze like snow. (actually I wouldn’t know, I’m guessing here as i’ve never seen snow!)

Their leaves provide us with awesome shade during the stinking heat of summer. One of my favourite spots to be, if only the flies and mozzies would leave me alone.

I have another one out the front but it fends for itself without water and it does it’s best to grow in our horrible clay ground. Nasty stuff that clay, you should see the cracks in our house!!

My mum has a massive lilac tree, which my brother and I always climbed.  I had this spot where I could lay back against a curved branch and enjoy the peace and quiet.  That poor tree endured our climbling endeavours as we used it like a playground. Every kid should climb a tree! 

It’s funny how certain things stick with you, and it’s the love (and sometimes hate relationship) I have for these tree’s that has carried over into my fourth book. It just magically appeared into my main street and planted itself next to one of the main buildings in this town. Oh well, at least it’s providing shade for my characters, can’t have them roasting in the summer sun. 

I’m only up to chapter 6 so I best be off to do some more.  The wonderful Jo, who’s doing the edits on The Road Home, is off on her honeymoon so I have some time before I get them back.  So I’m back off to the small town of Bundara to see where my characters are going next. 

Oh and don’t forget, in this chaotic world, to stop and smell the roses. Even if its for five minutes, just let yourself take in the beauty that surrounds us. Sometimes we forget that it’s there.

Also don’t forget to check out my facebook page for the link to Blog Bites where the wonderful Kez gave me a list of questions. I am giving away a couple of books to those who comment.