Flu and death

17th February. 2020

I think for the most part summer is over and the worry about bush fires over.   I have never felt glad when summer ended before, but I am not alone in these feelings this year.  Our garden is yielding its summer crops and I am storing excess fruit, corn and beans in the freezer.  A big problem is that rats have invaded the garden again.  We have had them before, but they were dealt with when our feral cat joined us.  Small rabbits eliminated too. I really miss that cat.

I did not get much done last week because I went down with flu.  I have no idea who I caught it from, but I have not been sick for years and had quite forgotten what it felt like.

This week I think I am on the mend and I am able to do more each day.  This is fortunate because we have a Permaculture group of 27 staying this weekend.  Then we have a week to get ready for the first of the school camps.  March is going to be very busy. Al and Pip are due to have their next baby at the end of the month too.  (At least I could complete all the knitting whilst I was sick).

We had the sad news yesterday hat our friend Shifty passed away.  His family made a superb effort so that he could come home and were all with him till the end.  I think this was an amazing thing for them to do.  We know the family from the 80’s when we all used to go trail riding in the mountains after Xmas.  Lots of local families all got together and planned, 

(or failed to plan) a route so that we could have water for the horses where we camped at night and a safe place to rest on new years eve.  There were no mobile phones then, so we learnt to rely on each other and deal with everything that happened from gas cylinders catching on fire to accidents. 

Our friend Bennie (who we have Takeaway Indian with on Friday nights) was also one of our horse tribe.  We still feel a huge connection with those people although most of us adults have given up riding now.  I am just glad that we had all those adventures whilst we were up to it and our kids learnt so much too. We all got up early to feed and water the horses and then rode all day.  There were no concessions made for anyone, if you came you had to cope. and caring for your horse was the top priority.  Kids now are so precious and have so many rights.  The odd thing is that they are no so happy. I have beautiful memories of the girls riding through the forest weaving wildflowers into their hair and singing.

A different section of our community came together this week for a wake for Merrie’s brother who died in the fires.  I did not go. I did not think it would help anyone if I passed on my infection but Edd went.  It was a huge do and they hired out a big room at an hotel in Healesville.  I did not realise that Merrie and I both had younger brothers born in the same year.  My brother died just before we migrated to Australia over 40 years ago. They were both the only boy in the family too.