Quote:

---

they are complete loonies the FT crowd

---

We are not!

Um - excuse me - who was wearing a long dark wig and very hairy beard when Ren was visiting in April?

Anyone looked in the FT scrapbook lately?? Hmmmmm?
Not a looney?

Mutter, mutter.. 'Damn papparazzi!'

Copago, your story is amazing. People that work the land have always had my utmost respect. When it's up to mother nature deciding whether you make a living or not it's not an easy life. I'm reminded of a song that a Canadian lad Murray McLauchlin sang called the Farmer's Song.

Dusty old farmer out working your fields
Hanging down over your tractor wheels
The sun beatin' down turns the red pain to orange
And rusty old patches of steel
There's no farmer songs on that car radio
Just cowboys, truck drivers and pain
Well this is my way to say thanks for the meal
And I hope there's no shortage of rain

Straw hats and old dirty hankies
Mopin' a face like a shoe
Thanks for the meal here's a song that is real
From a kid from the city to you

The combines gang up, take most of the bread
Things just ain't like they used to be
Though your kids are out after the American dream
And they're workin in big factories
Now If I come on by, when you're out in the sun
Can I wave at you just like a friend
These days when everyone's taking so much
There's somebody giving back in

Straw hats and old dirty hankies
Mopin' a face like a shoe
Thanks for the meal here's a song that is real
From a kid from the city to you


Although the words are for the American Farmer, I would think they speak for all people of the land. Thanks for the meal Copago.

Oh Buddysmum, are you in for a surprise!

You need to prepare yourself for a real culture shock! Depending on where your friend comes from, the differences are going to be astounding.

To prepare you, I'll try to give you an insight into what to expect.

A gorgeous Irish doctor came to the little country town I used to work in (Hi Phil!). He was interviewed on the ABC (the aussie equivalent of the BBC) and asked about his first impression.
Truthfully, he answered that he thought that there had been some kind of nuclear accident in the area that had blasted the landscape.......!
Such can be life in a drought.

Thanks for that.

Actually I'm not sure I'll see my friend. We are going over for a wedding (my husband's cousin).

HUGE coincidence: His family all live around Gladstone, Qld. The bride was born and raised in Rockhampton. My own mother was born and raised in Rockhampton too and I have a very (very) long story, but bare bones are that my mother died very young and I never knew her. We weren't allowed to talk about her much either. But 2 years ago I was "found" by two Australian cousins through Friends Reunited and have been given letters written by my mother about me etc! One of those cousins still lives in Gladstone so we will obviously be spending a bit of time looking up family, addresses etc.

In addition, I recently discovered that I am eligible for dual nationality, so at the grand old age of 51 I have just applied for Australian ctizenship "just because I can"!

It will be such fun to arrive next August and sail through immigration and have a coffee while I wait for OH and son! (Although I gather that they just might let them through with me)

LOL!

What a great story, Buddysmum I hope you have a great trip here. See if you can pick up a copy of Bill Bryson's "Down Under" ... it will give you an idea of what to expect!

Thanks for the poem, Argus. Some people really have no idea where their food comes from - even I have a nephew who was surprised where milk came from.

I love the milk thing - I remember one guy when I was a trainee paramedic getting up from the breakfast table one morning (we students lived in in terrible dormitory-style accommodation) and grabbed a fresh bottle of milk from the table. I almost expelled my coffee from my nose when he declared,

"Nice and cold, just like it is fresh out of the cow" !!!!!

In a class of 30 students, there were only two of us from a rural location. Coincidentally, the other person was another young lass (I was the ripe old age of 23, she 21 - gravity had yet to take ahold and pull enthusiastically downward at that stage). We were sitting down outside the accommodation block discussing how we had spent many of our school holidays as 16,17 and 18 year olds whiling away the hours "stripping". The guys heads turned like they were on ball bearings and they were absolutely enthralled until they learned that stripping is the term used for harvesting wheat!

Copago - have you sprung someone with "Hill Cows" - I suppose in your case they would be "Hill Sheep"? Always one of my personal favourites!!!

Just wanted to jump in and say thank you Copago. I have learned SO much about you and your life in this thread. You are truly a remarkable woman and I'm glad I've been able to "get to know" you. I cried over your story of the drought. The stupid things we can sometimes complain about just took on a new light. Sandy