a cup of reflection, a pinch of advice, a teaspoon of sweetness
She steps over the bodies strewn across the room. One body lies in the hall, trying to grab any gasp of breeze that may float in the front door. It’s been a hot night.
Her walk is slow and soft, hoping the creaking of floorboards doesn’t wake anyone. It would be nice to have a moment of quiet before the children waken. Read More
As I get older I seem to tolerate crowds less. When I travel to the city I know I have to get in amongst the masses but it is always a sense of relief when I get out of the city and back into the wide open spaces of home. Read More
The race that stops a nation was held again yesterday. As I celebrated, like many other women the wonderful achievements of the first woman jockey to win the Melbourne Cup I was also reflecting on where I happened to be last year, when the cup was run. Read More
My dad is celebrating his birthday. No great ‘landmark’ birthday ending in a zero or a five, but he reckons any year after 70 is worth applauding. My father is, I think, a classical Australian country man. The red earth of the property he was born flows in his veins, and will forever more. The saying “You can take the man out of the country but you will never take the country of out the man” springs to mind when I think about my dad. Read More
My 
mobile phone buzzed heralding a text message. Are you here yet? Come out and join us for a bbq dinner. Be great to see you!
I had arrived at my lodgings for the night, just travelled 3 hours south west to Dubbo. I enjoyed the drive. As the sun slowly made its way down in the western sky I savored the shadows of the Warrumbungle ranges in the distant.
The terracotta glow of the setting sun was nothing compared to the blood red skies the Warrumbungles sprayed a few years ago. There had been a devastating fire that had wiped out most of the national park and many homes. I know the Coonabarabran community and the land are still recovering, and will for some time. Read More
It has been a long weekend in my home state this weekend. Three day weekend. It is amazing how that one extra day in a weekend can make such a difference to my outlook on work and play.
Did I do anything thrilling this weekend? mmmm tough question. Read More
I’m a bit of a list person. At work on a Monday morning I start the week with a list. I usually re-do that list each morning, always with the best intent of crossing items off the list. Some weeks it works great, other weeks and days the wheels fall off quickly and the list becomes just a reference point, not a ‘things to do this week’ list.
But I have a list. Read More
I missed the memo yesterday. Or at least that is what I started to wonder. It didn’t hit me at first; I ploughed on oblivious to the change. I turned the corner and it hit me.
I was faced with a wall, a wall of people heading in the opposite direction to me. The country girl was back in the city and trying to cope with the hustle and bustle of “peak hour”.
My head was cloudy and grey 
even though it was only 8am. Read More
I had to do one of life’s necessities this week, renew my driver’s licence. I know there are many people in the world that do not have one but living in a country location where the nearest shopping centre is 15 kilometres and no public transport it is a necessity. With my work I fly often to the city. The airport is one hour drive away, so it would be extremely difficult to do the work I do without that small little card that says I am allowed to drive. Read More
As cousins jostled for the best position in the back of Grandad’s blue Chrysler ute the uncles in the cabin scanned the paddocks for stray sheep. The black, white and tan dogs kept the main mob together and gently worked them down past the dam to the sheep yards nestled in the valley.
Amid so many cousins together (there were over 30 of us in total) there was an air of fun and mischief. The older ones got to ride the tailgate at the back, daring each other to jump on and off the moving vehicle until Grandad would yell out “Either stay on or get off and walk home you lot”. Read More
Country Horizons 