A Good Day Out in Weilmoringle

While those in the East were fighting the fires of last week,in the North West there were different issues.

This view of a dried out crop due to the lack of rain this season shows the reason for the Good Day Out, to give people a welcome break from the bleakness of that landscape. 

                   " And come they did from all around, to eat the food and hear the sound."

But that's enough from me -

Phill was there and gave this report of the day.

 "It was a great day from the start. 

We had church run by the Anglican Minister from Bourke, Graham Yeager. Lloyd, the Salvation Army Rural Chaplain and I, assisted with singing and a reading, Communion was shared and the crowd was growing.

Judy had got all our needs for us as she runs local shop and Post Office. We loaded the caravan with the boxes and brought them from the shop to the Shed.

All ready just in time! Eleven AM after church, the utes came from every direction. 

The BBQ was fired up, snags and steak- none your 'rare', 'medium'- just, "cooked." Salads laid out, quick word of thanks and we’re off. (Luckily one of the church goers had brought bottles of iced water. Gee, you get hot cooking in a shed in the bush.)

 First course done, they settle in for the long haul. I’d never been to one of these but people were yarning and laughing and making the most of their time together.

The Bush Poet, Andrew Hull, asked for hush and off he went. Funny poems, sad poems and in between. The Darling River Dirt Band (less 2) kept saying sorry for being short of members but they were excellent!

Next thing I know a member of the Dirt Band calls out,

 “Well time for the fruit!”

I raced to van and brought across oranges, bananas, mandies, pineapples and other such treats. I got some big plates and threw it all on.

Time then to speak. I thanked them for coming and explained about Julie having to attend to the fire situation and told them I’d been left with the fruit buying job. (Well, I had volunteers fixing it up. Funny what happens when you act helpless!)* Prayers were said for those in bush fire zones, the fire fighters, the support workers, for rain on the fire and out here too.

Well, the idea did work. The day was indeed a Good Day Out! Eighty people turned up on the day! All the info bags and lots of the papers with info all went, food was eaten.

By 8pm the last ones left. Every person said,

 “Thanks and gee, it was good! Be sure to come back!”

I make it sound fun and it was, but conversations of fears were in the middle of food and music “dry storms”. Talk of tanks empty for the first time in decades, stock away with a month of feed left.

                       But as one lady said, “When we come to this we know we not alone.”

* ( Ah,Phill -we're on to you now!)