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Monthly Archives: January 2014

Revelations ~ Quiet Courage

Revelations ~ Quiet Courage

What a day today has been! The roller coaster of emotions that have been playing with me for the past few days came to a head today. I was feeling terribly out of sorts and constantly on the verge of tears so I did something I have not done for quite some time – I turned to my cards. The pack I chose was the Archangel Power Tarot.

The cards which came to me were:

• Two of Gabriel ~ Make bold and ambitious choices! Great progress is possible. Important relationships with people who share your vision.

• Page of Gabriel (Energetic, Brave, Optimistic, Playful) ~ Follow your passion! You are ready for any challenge. Opportunities for excitement and adventure.

• Four of Raphael ~ Seek out other possibilities. Look for the magic in life. Be aware of your own emotions.

• Nine of Raphael ~ Make a wish! Dreams become reality. A joyful time of life.

Now I know that not all who read my ramblings will be much into the Tarot or other aspects of spirituality but believe me these cards had an impact on me immediately. My mind was flooded with images of times in my past when I was so involved with my spiritual work. My mornings of volunteering reiki at 60s and better; my group which I mentored; the development group which came together each Thursday night; travelling all over to give addresses and motivational talks; my automatic writing; my healing practice. My life was filled with such purpose then; there was so much joy and fulfilment in helping others and enabling them to find peace, happiness and balance within their lives. My motto then was “Live your own truth”, my anthem “No Matter What” by Westlife.

What happened to that life? I guess Spirit must have had more lessons for me to learn and more challenges to meet and conquer. I sure have had plenty of both in the years since I moved away from the safety of that spiritual community. Moving interstate, leaving behind my marriage, my friends and the majority of my family was something I felt I had to do. I needed the space to grow and learn who I truly was instead of being a part of someone else. I know that it has not been easy on my loved ones and I am sorry about this though it is true that we all have different journeys and it is not our place to try to interfere with that of another. Had any of them felt very strongly that what I was doing was wrong I am sure I would have heard about it!

With the echoes of the cards and the flashes in my mind I set off to get some sunshine and fresh air on my last day before returning to the rigors of my workplace. Somehow I found myself driving to a beautiful shop I have visited a couple of times called The Eternal Spirit. The wonderful feeling of coming home spread through me as I entered the shop… it was a similar feeling to walking into the bush, such peace and tranquillity.

I spent quite some time browsing, just soaking up the energy, becoming more and more settled by the moment. I looked at self-help books and knew that I have all the material necessary to write one of my own. I have no need for others thoughts cluttering up my mind for I know that within I have all that is necessary to provide myself with a life of peace, love and grace.

My son gave me a Willow Tree memory box for Christmas. Its theme is “Quiet courage ~ always there for me”. He felt it was a very fitting gift for me… I could not agree more and I am grateful for the courage to strive for happiness and fulfillment and am ever in gratitude to those both on earth and in spirit who are always there for me.

Spear Creek… all good things must come to an end. Par 10

Spear Creek… all good things must come to an end. Par 10

Well, it would appear that the fault was more serious than first thought. I was up and showering yet again at about 5.45am after not a lot of sleep at all. Very unpleasant to wake with my hair plastered to my skin feeling wet enough for me to think I had already had a shower. I decided there and then that it was time for me to move on. The predicted heat wave was upon us and without air-conditioning in my room my sense of adventure was being tested to the full.

By the time Sharon came and saw me at about 8am to say that word had been received that it could be 11am or better before power is restored I was already almost completely packed up. She encouraged me to move on as she assured me that it was only going to get hotter and there would be no respite. At least she and Graham have a generator which they can run and use their air conditioning. As we stood and chatted the last of the vans from the camping area trundled past us; it seemed that I was not the only one looking for cooler climes.

I felt it was rather a sad way to leave my little haven. I would much have preferred to leave with an ache within because of having to leave it behind although it was nice to have been able to make the choice with a positive outcome to look forward to… at this stage the positive outcome may only have been a trip in the air conditioning in my car but anything was better than the prospect of another day in the heat with no respite.

After yet another cold shower I finished off my packing, which I might say went extremely well considering that I had bought a new sizable esky. I was a little concerned that when it came time I may not have been able to fit everything in again but by then the ice had melted away to just iced water and the esky could be used as storage for all those bits and pieces that you seem to accumulate which don’t have a home.

I snapped off a couple more shots of Spear Creek and once again sent a thought of thanks to my friend for suggesting it to me as I drove over to the office to settle up my rent for the past 6 nights. Oh, of course! There is no power and so there are not electronic payment options and who, in this day and age carries cash on them? No worries, Sharon is happy it take my details and charge my credit card when the power eventually comes back on. She is also very generous in discounting last night by over 50% because of the lack of air-conditioning. Good old country hospitality.

As I drive out with the dust billowing behind me I wonder where to from here. Do I go Melrose, one of my favourite places in South Australia for a night or two, or maybe even stop at the Mt Remarkable National Park and see if there is a camping space available there. I head in to Port Augusta to grab a quick bite to eat and contemplate my options. It is such a relief to be driving on the rough road and have no rattles accompanying me.

After a quick Macca’s breakfast I set off again. Mt Remarkable National Park seemed like a good option to me, if a relatively cool spot is available. As I drove, very careful to stick to the speed limit after receiving my first ever speeding ticket on my way out to Port Augusta the previous week, I relived the past week in my mind. How fortunate am I to have the ability to just pack up and do as I chose to do, at least while I am on leave from work anyway. Wouldn’t it be heaven if I could live somewhere out in the country again and spend my time writing and taking photographs? Something to aim for in the future. As I approach the turn off to the National Park I see a hand written sign stuck under the road sign saying that due to the extreme conditions the Mt Remarkable National Park was closed. Well, the decision has been made for me. Adelaide, here I come.
As I drive through Lochiel I stop to photograph the salt lakes there. It is disappointing that they are not bright pink or mauve as they often are when I drive past but they are still worthy of a picture anyway. Further on down the road I see dust swirling through the air. The wind is blowing hard and the top soil of the recently worked paddocks was being blown goodness only knows where. I did not stop to photograph it unfortunately, I wish now that I had.

As one adventure drew to a close I knew in my heart that there would be more to come. I have my tent and the rest of the gear required now to camp whenever I can get away from work. I have made a promise to myself that I will get out of the city and find other areas where I can experience the solitude of the country side. Now that I have taken the first step so much opens up before me. With a light and easy sense of freedom I head back to my suburban life, knowing that now I have taken the first step in a new and exciting journey.

Thank you for joining me in my experience. I look forward to sharing many more with you in the future. My friend assures me that there is another place which I will love even more… stay tuned, hopefully I can share it with you also.

Police… they are there to serve. Allow them to do their jobs.

Police… they are there to serve. Allow them to do their jobs.

Over the past few days I have seen so many different posts on social media ranting and raving about the police and how they are becoming Nazi like and doing nothing more than revenue raising. As a so called ‘victim’ of this latest activity I thought I would lend my voice in support of the police and the job that they do.

Yes, on my way out to Port Augusta on Christmas Eve I received my first ever traffic infringement notice. I was speeding and I got caught. It serves me right. At the age of 51 I know that I have been very fortunate to go this long without ever being caught before. I also know that I am very fortunate not to have had an accident in which either I or others have been injured.

Rules are put in place for a reason and when it comes to our roads and our personal safety it is the police who are there to enforce those rules.

I worked for a time in an administrative support role for the Qld Police. During this time it never ceased to amaze me just how thick skinned these wonderful men and women had to be. The vast majority of people treat police officers with the same respect and fellowship that they treat any person. There are however, those people who seem to have an inbred dislike for any form of authority, police especially. They can and do behave in ways that your average Joe Blow on the street would find offensive and often feel the need to retaliate to. The police though must show measures of restraint where the general public are concerned. In my experience these same people who issued infringement notices for whatever reason are also the ones that are expected to deal with the results of the offences that the laws are there to prevent. More often than not the people who treated the police with total disrespect are the first ones to call upon them for assistance when things go wrong. I saw this happen and I have to say that I was never anything but impressed by the professionalism and empathy with which the police officers reacted.

Social media has become a way in which people express their opinions about many things and I am only too happy to support freedom of speech and the right to have our own individual thoughts and feelings on any topic we chose to consider. I just wonder how many people actually stop to think before they “speak” in such an open forum.

I saw one post which was ranting about a man being fined for leaving the window down in his car. The picture that accompanied the rant was of a young man holding up his infringement notice in front of the offending window. Many people were commenting on how ridiculous it was and how it was ‘obviously’ revenue raising. I wonder would the comments have been the same if he had been posting a ‘Stolen’ notice? Obviously not.

As for traffic infringements – don’t get me started. As a member of the local Ambulance Committee and an active member of the State Emergency Service I saw (thankfully not too often) results of these laws being flaunted.

It is far too easy to become desensitised to the grief, trauma and loss that accompanies road accidents when we see it on the news night after night. Usually a fleeting moment of emotion and that is the last we think of it. Not so for those poor police officers and other emergency service personnel who have to go about their job as professionals. How many people actually spare a thought for the police officer who has to knock on someone’s door and deliver the worst possible news to loved ones? Or have to go to an accident in a small community fully aware that it could well be someone with whom they shared a meal or a joke the day before.

I am aware that mine is a very small voice, however I do ask that people at least stop to consider all sides of a situation before they over react and start vilifying others and their professions. Police are there to ‘serve the people’ and that is what they do.

To the men and women in blue (or khaki or whatever colour you wear) I raise my hat to you. You have my deepest respect for putting your life on the line each and every time you kiss your families as you walk out the door. I can only say that I am honoured to call some of you my friends.

Spear Creek… the sauna (Part 9)

Spear Creek... the sauna (Part 9)

31st December 2013

Yesterday evening I photographed the sunset from the rise above my room. A young man from Melbourne about my son’s age came and watched it also. It was hot, the ants were particularly friendly and found my feet and legs a great place to explore. Much and all as it was nice to have a companion to watch the sun glide behind the clouds and ultimately behind the ranges, it would also have been great to have been alone so that I could whip my sarong off and give it a good shake to get rid of those ants who were a little more adventurous than their friends.

Today is the last day of the year; a day of contemplation for me as it is for many others. Looking back at the previous 12 months was an interesting indeed. What a journey we are all on and how lovely to be seeing the year out doing something that brings me such a wonderful sense of peace.

As I sit out on the deck having my morning coffee it is very warm already. The dappled sunshine through the canopy of the bush has a sting in it which promises that the predicted heat wave is indeed on its way. Even the birds are a little quiet and lethargic this morning. I have a sense of sadness that I will soon be leaving this beautiful place. I have not decided yet what I am going to do from here. Will I go on to another place, or will I head back the city? I know which my heart prefers though I must be practical and consider finances.

I am a little disappointed that I’ve not seen any lizards, goannas or snakes. I am sure they have been there but I’ve just not been aware of them, after all I did manage to miss seeing a roo under a bush a couple of days ago, didn’t I? I hear the echo of “city girl” in my mind, a name a dear friend uses to taunt me.

As the day progresses temperature soars. I do not wander too far today, content to stay tucked inside my room, watching some tennis and soaking up the air conditioning. At around 3.30 disaster strikes…there is a power outage. At around 4 I take a walk to check and make sure that it is not just my room which has no electricity. Sharon tells me that she has had a call saying that the power will probably not be back on until about 1am. 1am!!! What?? It is the fourth time since Christmas that the power had failed so she is pretty certain that they are just covering themselves in saying it will be that long. The other outages had not been that long. As I talk to her 2 vans pull out of the park. Obviously they are not too keen on being in this heat without power.

The young man who watched the sunset with me last evening came over to join us. He asked Sharon if you she had any recommendations for where he could stay in Coober Pedy the next day. She looked at him as though she thought that he had totally lost his marbles. “You do realise that they are predicting around 48 – 49 degrees for there tomorrow, don’t you?” He assured her that yes he did know that but he was on a fairly tight schedule and if he wanted to fit all he planned in he needed to keep moving. She shook her head at him, speechless. Yep, he had obviously lost his marbles.

The afternoon crawls slowly into evening. The heat is increasing, the wind hot and blasting. It is hot and uncomfortable on my deck but even worse inside my room where there is absolutely no air movement whatsoever. I am not too concerned, as I expect that the power will come back on any moment. I prepare my New Year’s Eve celebration dinner of porterhouse steak, new potatoes, coleslaw and tomato. I thank the bush in a toast with a nice cold whiskey and coke. Still no electricity.

After dinner is finished I walk up the rise to watch the sunset. Below me the lights of Port Augusta twinkle back at me. Well at least someone had power! The air is so still it feels like it is closing in on me. The mosquitos are starting to buzz around me. I think back to the days when we used to collect cow manure and burn it to keep the mozzies away. Anything to occupy the mind.

Back on my deck I fix another drink and use my torch to read by. The insects swarm around immediately. Well, that is not an option then. Eventually I decide that it is better to be inside in the sweat box and able to read than outside in the mozzies. The room is stifling. It is a lovely room, don’t get me wrong, but it is designed to be used in conjunction with air conditioning. I have my first cold shower. Before the night is over I have another 2. I decide to write some of my blog on my laptop… the battery needs recharging. My phone battery is getting low also. The wonders of technology!

Eventually at around 11pm I decide that there is nothing else to do but try to sleep. I have another cold shower and lay down on my bed willing sleep to come quickly. Of course, it doesn’t. Midnight comes and goes, no power; 1am, no power eventually at around 2am I manage to doze.

Oh, by the way, Happy New Year……….

To be continued….

Spear Creek… a trip to town! (Part 8)

Spear Creek... a trip to town! (Part 8)

I took a drive into Port Augusta, a little concerned about the rattle that at times sounded a little like something was going to fall apart under my bonnet. My poor little Mazda was not very happy.
Upon arrival in the township I drove around trying to remember where the street was that you turn into to get to Trevor’s workshop. I had been there a few times before and can picture the street in my mind but how to actually get there eludes me. Of course, I have no address, not even a phone number. Trevor is a friend on face book and I had actually contacted him via there to arrange his assistance.

Eventually, after a phone call to my future daughter in law who is a born and bred Port Augusta girl currently holidaying in Qld, I found Trevor’s workshop. The day was very warm indeed but this did not stop the ever present smile on Trevor’s face. He would be busy for a couple of hours, could I come back at 2. Of course, I had my camera with me so I was more than happy to take a drive around the town and look for interesting sights.

First of all the railway yards. When I was in town for Christmas I saw the Ghan there but did not stop to photograph it. Yep, you guessed it, it was not there today when I had all the gear. Just goes to show, never let a chance go by! I did manage to snap some of the other engines though so it was not a wasted visit.

There are many interesting spots in Port Augusta. How could there not be with the beautiful Flinders Ranges as a back drop, the bridges and the esplanade. I received many stares from curious locals as I wandered around with my camera gear. It was very tempting to join the youngsters splashing and laughing in the water under their parents watchful eyes. Many of the shady trees were occupied by picnickers, a wonderful relaxed summer’s day. The boats out on the harbour floated lazily. One however was looking rather unfortunate. I think the owner may not have allowed for the tide when he moored it…it was lying on its side, mostly above the water line. I bet the skipper was not too happy when he spotted that mistake!

The Pastoral was a great place for a lunch of crumbed butter fish and a chance to watch some of the Hopman Cup (can’t miss an opportunity to catch some tennis at this time of year). A couple of delicious lemon lime and bitters and I was back off to Trev’s place where he solved the problem in no time. It appeared that when the mechanic in Adelaide replaced my shock absorbers a couple of weeks earlier he had not tightened the nuts on the top of them. The rough roads had worked them looser and hence the rattle. Thank goodness it was nothing more serious than that. Thank goodness also that I actually knew a mechanic in the town. Very fortunate indeed. It was lovely to drive back out to Spear Creek with not a hint of a noise from under the bonnet.

Upon arrival back at camp I decided to go for a walk. There were several vehicles in the park, with various forms of camping equipment. As I approached ‘my’ tree I smiled at a little girl in a pink Barbie dress and said “Hi” to her Mum. They had a caravan set up where my tent had been just a couple of days before. The little girl immediately asked what my name was and where I ‘lived’. I told her my name and said that until recently I had lived in a tent just where her home was and that the tree she was sitting under was ‘my’ tree. She laughed at me and said that I could share it with her. Her Mum was quite fascinated that I was camping on my own and very interested to hear about my experience so far. She was from Derby in WA and knew of the stations that I lived on as a child in the Kimberly region. A small world indeed. She and her husband had decided that it was time to just pack up and travel. They are certainly braver than I would have been. There are 6 of them and a dog in their van. The oldest child is starting year 8 in 2014 and the youngest, the little girl, kindergarten. Mum is going to home school them via School of the Air in WA. I smiled to myself and wished her luck, remembering my time as a School of the Air student doing lesson via the radio. I’ll bet things have changed considerably with the advances in technology since I was 7 or 8.

To be continued…..