Texas here we come

Highlights	Less of a highlight
Starry night skies - Kate	Lily inviting us to play at her house and having to say no - both
Listening to the mopoke - Kate	Mates having a rough time and not being around to share a meal or a drink with them.
Trucks, trucks and more trucks - both
Seeing familiar faces at the Casino Truck Show - both
Chats with Kyle - Kate
Water views - both
So many birds – 82 species apparently – both, especially Kate
Chat with Lily – both, Poppy listened while I talked
Rain- trust the drought to break when we arrive – both for different reasons

We arrived at our next rural location a few days into the month of August. There is always a mix of feelings as we approach the new location, a combination of hope and dread. Will it be OK? Will we be happy? Will they be murderers in disguise? OK – that thought only lasts a second and I’m pretty sure Will doesn’t even consider it but just at the last minute all the ‘What if it works?’ excitement thoughts seem to swap out for the ‘What have I got us in for now?’ thoughts. Fortunately, by then it’s too late to turn backwards, so on we go!
Down the 2kms of dirt road we went, and up the 1km dirt track. First of all we notice everything that’s not perfect, the old tractor parked up here, the scrap heap there and so on. We’ve come to know that the first 3 days are a bit hairy wherever we land – we notice all the less than perfect parts of a new place and you aren’t settled in, so you are at a bit of a loose end. To avoid that a bit this time we had planned a weekend away. But first we set up camp which means Will tucked the van in between a shed and a workers donga – which is upstairs, has a little kitchenette (with a view over a river which pelicans often swim on) and a shower/toilet/washing machine. There are also two bedrooms but we are choosing to use them as storage spaces while we continue sleeping in our van.

What a special view!

We've doubled our living space

Living on the edge - literally!

After our first night we left the van and headed interstate (4kms away) to Casino (3hours away) and a truck show. It was my idea – I knew the Truckin’ Life crew were going to be there and hey, we had nothing better to do so why not. We saw plenty of new country on the way and both enjoyed our day out. We caught up with the crew, plus a gentleman we know from Alice Springs. I also met a man who might be able to give me further information on the Razorback blockade – so a good day all round. On the way home we spent the night in Tenterfield, as in Tenterfield Saddlery – a Peter Allen song. It is a gorgeous, old town!! We wandered from the Peter Allen motel to the pub for tea. Next morning I enjoyed a real coffee while wandering the streets, taking in the sights while Will slept in.

Sooo many trucks!

Pub in Tenterfield where we had an evening meal

Such a big and old tree

The bark was quite extroadinary

Tenterfield is full of beautiful old buildings and character

Before heading out of town we visited the oldest cork tree in Australia and went to the Mount MacKenzie Lookout. It was a gorgeous view. We then headed home for a trip around the farm so that Will could get an overview of where he’ll be working for the next month. The owners are lovely and invited me along for the ride. Greg brought his daughter too, promising that he’d try to show her the emu chicks. We didn’t find them but we did see a flock of adolescent emus!

Adolescent emus in the setting sun

So, we’ve only been here a few days. Will is almost warn out from grinding and welding – not really but as it rained last night there wasn’t much option. The crops are finished for this year with planting starting again in September, I think. Some lucerne will need to be delivered to buyers, so there might be the occasional truck trip for Will but the farmers are seeing the next few months as a time to tidy up anything that didn’t get done during the busy harvest season as well as time for maintenance etc. Whilst it is early days, the initial vibe is positive.

I’ve started my days with an early morning walk after taking photos of the resident birds. I’ve also taken photos of birds in the afternoon too! Today I popped into town and had a chat with a café owner who is looking for a worker. I’m not exactly what she was looking for and didn’t sell myself too hard, as I’m happy to do most things except cook. Hey, I know I can cook at home but when I pay for food my measurement bar is “Was it better than I can make?” so that just doesn’t cut it if I’m the cook. LOL.

As often is the way, I start my blog but it is another week before I finish and upload. So, we have now been her 10 days and Will has spent more time in the workshop. He is now checking the oil level in every wheel on the 14 pivot irrigators – that is a lot of wheels!! He said today, “I just want to drive some machinery.” But another sprinkling of rain has put pay to that idea for a few days. Fingers crossed he can get into the excavator or something later in the week. Will really does enjoy the days when he can banter with other workers, so being on his own, checking oil levels is not his ideal work. Fingers crossed he connects well with the bloke he needs to work with when the dam building part of the job comes to fruition.

As for me, I’m happy as a pig in shit – I mean mud, Mum. (wink) I cook Will his breakfast and send him off with a kiss. By 7.30am I’ve hit the keyboard. There I stay until Will joins me for morning tea although I may well be onto my 4^th cuppa by then. Will heads off again and I write, or create my bibliography or sort some images again until lunch time. I feed us both and then I get back to writing. When I need a creative break I head down to the river with or without my camera and see what birds I can spot. I had my ‘lifer’ moment – that’s when a bird spotter spots a new species for the first time (who knew bird watchers had their own slang??). We have a resident Nankeen Kestrel. I am not aware of having seen the species before.

We also have a resident black cat (I’m sure I’ve seen that species before) that has decided we should feed it. We don’t and we won’t but he is certainly persistent. He wanders into the kitchen whenever you’re not quick enough through the door and can be heard meowing outside the caravan late into the evening.

The evenings are spent with Will watching TV and me mostly knitting. I’ve knitted myself some slippers, two dish clothes and I’m halfway through a beanie! I’m also reading a good book thanks to Rick, but I’m worried one of my favourite characters (Robin, Strike’s friend – Rick will know who I’m talking about) is in for a hard time when she goes under ground in the cult, so it’s a bit hard to keep going!

Oh, before I forget, we have now been here for two weekends. The second weekend we popped down to Inverell because, you guessed it, they have a car museum! And a carwash. Having had 8mm of rain the roads became slippery mud lanes. ‘The Beast’ did the most 4 wheel driving she’s done, with Kate at the wheel!! Both Will and I were pleased when I could report I’d made it down the slippery driveway and into town in one piece. I was even more pleased when I got to sit inside the beast, listening to the radio, making a real shopping list for real shops while Will washed her.

Well, that’s all for now folks or it will be another week before I hit send!