“For tomorrow may rain so I’ll follow the sun.” Who sang this? Rain is on the way in Albany. Leaving this morning for Albany 6 deg C at sunrise, 6.44am, the last few weeks of autumn. Heading for a top of 19 deg C. However like Melbourne the south west air flow across the Southern Ocean (from Antartica) clips the south west corner of Western Australia and also Melbourne as it sweeps across the Australian Bight. This brings our cooler and wetter weather patterns, although it does not extend too far inland. We are expecting cooler and cloudy weather as we head 330klm south.
I love the outback roads, empty, (how empty) quiet, wide, as the the Road Trains use them to move grain and ore etc. to the ports. I counted the traffic going the opposite direction. In 300 klm, 35 vehicles passed us going the opposite way, 19, trucks, 15 cars and one tractor. Only one car over took us. Love the outback driving.
Western Australia is big, how Big? The 13 original states of the USA has an area of 1.1 million sq klm, and in 1776 had a combined population of 2.5 million people. Western Australia is 2.6 million sq klm and in 2020 had a population of 2.6 million people. The population of Perth is over 2 million. That is a lot of space out there. It is nearly as big as Alaska, Texas & California combined. Wow? No wonder the roads are empty.
Mothers Day 2021. Happy Mothers Day to you all. I grew up in England and I came to Australia when I was almost 17. I have no real re-collection of us celebrating this day, even in Australia in the 70’s it was fairly low key, but has grown internationally as a significant day to celebrate our Mothers. My mum died in 1979, so on reflection I would like to say something about this wonderful lady.
Mum was: Self emptying, not self fulfilling,
mum was other centered, not self centered,
she chose the caring road, not the selfish road.
My Metaphor to Mum
In the late 1980’s when recycling of paper was in its infancy, I visited a paper mill to view the process. Combining all the Kellogs cereal boxes, glossy magazines, newspapers etc. are mixed with water in a giant washing machine tub over 10 mtrs wide. When this happens the appearance is grey and looks like porridge (paper mache).
When we conform to the rest of society we become Grey, to stand out from the crowd, to be someone of distinction requires courage, courage is not about being unafraid, courage is about being afraid and doing it anyway. We need to be a colour, mum you were a colour. You had singleness of purpose, you were single-minded with your family and dad, and all the challenges this entails in rearing 8 children.
You realised that we are only a part of a more excellent whole, each with a different function, you delighted in the diversity of others, and rejoiced in their giftedness. You were non-judgemental, non-intrusive, non-possessive, just accepting of all.
It wasn’t what you said mum, it’s what you didn’t say that left me searching for the bigger questions, it’s not what you did, but the manner in which you lead your life that inspires me.
I caught fire from your flame mum, Happy Mothers Day wherever you are, until we meet again.
Special Mothers Day wishes to Sarah, Colette, Danielle, Roesemarie, Caitlin & Jazmine
The original school building in Pingrup
A snap shot of a local community such as Pingrup.
Pop 400, est. 1911, area 4200sq klm, sheep 300k, wheat area sown 70,000 hectares (2.5 acres /Hec), grain produced 80,000 tonnes, wool produced 1.5 million tonnes
You have Kojonup, Gnowangerup, Porongurup, hundreds of “UP” ending names, which in Indigenous language means”place of”
Silo Art on the Wheat Silos
The coast must be near, the clouds are visible over the Stirling Ranges, Bluff Knoll is the highest peak at 1100 mtr /3600 ft. The forests are not unlike the Dandenongs around Melbourne.
Caught up with Ian & Debb who used to be neighbours, but set off 18 years ago, took the children out of school and decided to do a lap of Australia. A year in Darwin, then down the coast to Perth then onto Albany, where they have been ever since. Still waiting to complete that lap. Maybe that might happen to us Sarah?
Ian is the brother of our other neighbours Ed & Rosemarie in Melbourne.
Lone kite surfer late in the day.
We met Tom & Tahlia on the Bunda Cliffs last week, well we crossed paths again in Esperance. Today is Tahlia’s 21st Birthday, what wonderful memories to look back on. Best wishes Tahlia
Charoúmena Genéthlia
