Cunnamulla, QLD Australia
Last evening was a typical evening after a day of working at the mine. I had spent the afternoon slicing rough - with some beautiful results and Paul had gone for a long walk in the bush. As the sun was nearing the horizon, Victor, a miner from Yowah, stopped by for a yarn (yarn: Australian for a chat or a story). After talking about various peculiarities of the opal business and mining in southwest Queenland, Victor left and Paul and I drove off to take showers.
Paul and I take showers in a little corrugated iron shed near someones camp by an artesian bore, about 5 miles from my mine. The water is from way down deep so it's always hot and a bit minerally - it has a slight smell, but does not stink. It has some magic combination of minerals in it that do incredible things for achey muscles - it really feels great after working hard all day. Last night, after the sun was down and it was dark, Paul & I were driving to the bore. Sitting in the middle of the dirt road were 2 young kangaroos - not an unusual sight. They were not joeys, but were not full grown. They were in the middle of the road, back to back, one facing the right shoulder of the road, the other facing the left. As we drove up, they darted off the road in a very organized sort of way which looked rather funny. Watching them hopping along we could see another younger one and mom not far from the edge of the road - a typical sight out here. We took our showers and were rejuvenated. Since the hot water is virtually endless, if no other miners are waiting for a shower, it is so nice to just linger and let the hot water run over your neck and shoulders . . . as long as there are not too many spiders too close in the shower. . . yes, you do need to sort of keep one eye open for univited and potentially dangerous shower guests. Last night a very strange and unknown species of bug about 2" long walked along the floor of the shower until I sent a tidal wave, washing him or her away. The night before, a frog hopped between my feet as I was showering. As I mentioned, I do not mind frogs, however seeing them out here can make me a bit cautious since snakes find frogs to be very attractive.
Back to the story . . . we took our showers and were rejuvenated. After our showers, it was dark. The sun had been down for a while and the moon had not yet risen. On the way home, we saw the kangaroos again near the same spot in the dirt road. This time the 4 we had seen were all in the road. My car approached and mom promptly hopped off the road. As often happens with young 'roos in the road on a dark night, they started to hop away, but as they were about to leave the light from my car's spotlights and hop into darkness, they turned back into the light, certainly because it was much easier to see in the light, but that put them back in the path of my car. They at least had the sense to hop away from my car, down the road in the direction I was driving. For probably over a minute, we drove along the dirt road with 3 young kangaroos hopping in front of my 4WD, trying to get away, but wanting to stay in the beam of the headlights.. . . unlikely reindeer in front of something other than Santa's sleigh. I sped up and slowed down and enjoyed watching their hopping technique and them moving from side to side. They were easily cruising at over 40km/hr (you can do the conversion as an exercise - I was a math teacher) - they were only young 'roos and were not going as fast as they could. One by one, they wised up or accidentally turned off the road and out of the way of my car.
Have you read The Trial, by Franz Kafka? (Yes, he wrote The Metamorphosis.) If so, then you will have some appreciation of the vagaries of the similar functioning or lack thereof of the Department of Mines in Queensland and its associated regulations and everchanging forms. . . . more later.
. .
. . . .
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Monday, June 23, 2008
- Next time - - -
Cunnamulla, QLD Australia
for next time. . . .
my encounter with emus
Yabbies
more opals and more opals
winter, chainsaw, a fire in the fireplace . . . the smell of gidgee burning. . . ah
.
for next time. . . .
my encounter with emus
Yabbies
more opals and more opals
winter, chainsaw, a fire in the fireplace . . . the smell of gidgee burning. . . ah
.
Thursday, June 19, 2008
- Rough Opal, Sunsets, Pelicans and Thanks
Cunnamulla, QLD Australia
(updated)
Thanks for all of your emails. I'm sorry I have not been able to respond to every one immediately. There is a possibility I will be able to use another miner's computer and internet connection in about a week, which would mean I'd have much more time to respond.
A handfull of updates:
We have been finding good, cut-able opal almost every day. Some seasons the color seems to appear almost effortlessly. . . we are digging and sweating, I promise you, but we are finding a nice amount of very pretty rocks. I have set up my cutting equipment and expect to be slicing and cutting some of the material tomorrow. Yes, in about a week I should have some available for sale.
A few days ago, while sitting in my shed, a peculiar shadow glided across the ground. i went outside to see what caused it and saw something I've never seen before. . . several flocks of pelicans . . . hundreds of pelicans overhead. Australian pelicans, at least these black and white birds, are much larger than the brown pelicans I see in Florida. The American version is often seen in small groups / flocks of 5 to 10 flying in a line just above the water, rarely far from the coast. The Australian version will fly inland along rivers and spend time in and around large lakes. I was told the pelicans we've been seen here are in the process of migrating. The flocks I saw contained from 12 to 50 or 60 pelicans, gracefully flying like our geese in a V shape, yet the shape was dynamic, almost constantly changing and reorganizing. A few of the flocks did a bit of a ballet as they circled around above my mine while they reorganized their structure. To simply say it was beautiful would almost be insulting.
Moments ago, I looked at the sky to the west . . . the sun is just behind a rather fluffy cloud on its way toward setting and is a beautiful sight. Only about 9 out of 10 of the sunrises and sunsets here are incredible. The sky is amazing here - 24 hours a day.
more later, must run. . .
.
(updated)
Thanks for all of your emails. I'm sorry I have not been able to respond to every one immediately. There is a possibility I will be able to use another miner's computer and internet connection in about a week, which would mean I'd have much more time to respond.
A handfull of updates:
We have been finding good, cut-able opal almost every day. Some seasons the color seems to appear almost effortlessly. . . we are digging and sweating, I promise you, but we are finding a nice amount of very pretty rocks. I have set up my cutting equipment and expect to be slicing and cutting some of the material tomorrow. Yes, in about a week I should have some available for sale.
A few days ago, while sitting in my shed, a peculiar shadow glided across the ground. i went outside to see what caused it and saw something I've never seen before. . . several flocks of pelicans . . . hundreds of pelicans overhead. Australian pelicans, at least these black and white birds, are much larger than the brown pelicans I see in Florida. The American version is often seen in small groups / flocks of 5 to 10 flying in a line just above the water, rarely far from the coast. The Australian version will fly inland along rivers and spend time in and around large lakes. I was told the pelicans we've been seen here are in the process of migrating. The flocks I saw contained from 12 to 50 or 60 pelicans, gracefully flying like our geese in a V shape, yet the shape was dynamic, almost constantly changing and reorganizing. A few of the flocks did a bit of a ballet as they circled around above my mine while they reorganized their structure. To simply say it was beautiful would almost be insulting.
Moments ago, I looked at the sky to the west . . . the sun is just behind a rather fluffy cloud on its way toward setting and is a beautiful sight. Only about 9 out of 10 of the sunrises and sunsets here are incredible. The sky is amazing here - 24 hours a day.
more later, must run. . .
.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
- Failed Favorites & Fierce
Cunnamulla, QLD Australia
(updated)
Many of you have asked what my typical day is like while mining in Koroit. This is the tale of last Sunday:
As some of you may know Big Brown did not win the triple crown. I wanted to say thank you very much to Jim, who is the publican (manager) of the Warrego Hotel Motel. East coast USA post time for the Belmont stakes was about 6:30pm Saturday, which was 8:30am Sunday, Koroit / Cunnamulla time. After chatting with Jim on Thursday he offered to open the Warrego at 8am on Sunday for us to watch the race. Paul and I pulled my 4WD up to the front of the pub a few moments before 8am and found ourselves 2 barstools while Jim turned on the TV and did his paperwork. We watched the pre-race chatter and were amazed at the short odds on the favorite. I hoped Big Brown would win . . . the first triple crown in 30 years. I remember watching Affirmed in the triple crown - and I was there when he ran that summer in Saratoga. On Sunday as the horses were about to be loaded into the starting gate, the Australian announcer said that they had lost the feed from ESPN. During the actual running of the race we watched the rather blank faces of the Australian announcers. After 3 or 4 minutes they told Australia that Big Brown had been eased and finished out of the money. About 10 minutes later we did see a replay of the unfortunate race. I was sorry to see no triple crown winner, but glad to see he seemed to be ok (I still don't know why he pulled up - quarter crack?).
After the race Paul and I had fish & chips in Cunnamulla, then returned to the mine. Paul felt like mining, so he started the generator and went down the ladder to do some digging. I stayed on the surface and sorted some rough, did a bit of reading and contemplating - I'm reading "A New Earth". . . which naturally leads one to the land of contemplation of the nature of existence, ones ego, identity, responsibility, ones own foolish behavior and place in the cosmos. In the midst of my Sunday afternoon oof deep thought, Paul ran up to my shed, out of breath, and said he had trapped a snake down in the mine.
Paul had seen a snake down in the mine a few times before Sunday. We left a broom stick down in the mine to deal with such critters. Paul used the broom stick to trap the snake in a space between the wall, ceiling and an old back-filled shaft.
I grabbed an extra flashlight, my gloves, a machete and climbed down the ladder. Once we both got down into the mine, I explained to Paul that there were to be no heroes doing anything foolish. However, since he has children I asked him to stay behind me. Certainly I did not want anyone to be bitten, but if it had to happen I would prefer to be the one. If he was bitten, I'd feel far too guilty. We knew we were almost certainly going to be dealing with one of the most venomous snakes in the world and were a bumpy one hour trip on a dirt road away from medical care on a Sunday afternoon.
Unfortunately we did not have much choice. Because the snake was down in the mine in an area we were working, it needed to be "dealt with". We got to the broom stick; I saw part of the body of the snake trapped under the broomstick up at an angle along a crumbly dirt pile about 5 feet away. This was in a tight area of a small tunnel about 40 feet underground. The only light was from our 3 flashlights (Paul was using 1, I was using 2 and had an extra in my pocket.).
It can be difficult to accurately identify a few of the most venomous snakes in this area. However, the finer points of identification make little difference when you're trying to decide exactly which of the 3 most venomous snakes in the world you are trying not to be bitten by. It looked like it was either a common brown or a taipan - the debate was between #1 or #2 most venomous snake. Either way, we should be careful.
We grabbed the end of the broomstick, tried to work ther snake down, but it was quite strong and trying to get away. Paul held the snake in place while I grabbed a snake pole I had made from a 5 foot long section of conduit and piece of rope about 7 or 8 years ago. We tried to work the snake down using the broomstick and snake pole with no luck (at least not for us). The snake's tail did move a bit closer to us, almost within reach. Yes, I've watched the crocodile hunter grab snakes by the tail, and that silly thought did run through my mind, but I'm not that experienced, I quickly mentioned it in a joking way to Paul who quickly yelled at me not to do it just to make sure. I did not reach for its tail.
Again I should point out this snake was semi-trapped on the surface of a dirt pile uphill from us. If the snake came loose, it would naturally roll toward us. . . and not be too happy. I loosened the rope on the pole and was able to slip it around the snake's tail. However, tails can break off rather easily. As Paul carefully moved the snake I was able to slip the rope up the snake's body. I mentioned earlier I am in the process of reading "A New Earth". One of the points of the book is the importance of being aware of "now", of not being consumed by regrets from the past or worries about the future. As Paul and I were laying on the side of that dirt pile wrestling with the serpent, we very much were living in the now. It was, as the kids say, intense.
Once the rope was around a thicker part of the snakes body - about 1/3 to 1/2 of the way along the body from the tail - I tightened the rope. Feeling that the legless creature with the incredible venom was securely held by the rope, I told Paul I was going to pull the snake down and asked him to take the broomstick and move away. The snake and I started a tug-of-war as I began to pull it down. The thin snake was surprisingly strong. From his quick glimpse, Paul estimated it was about 2 feet long. As I began to win the tug-of-war we saw it was more than 2 feet in length. Once the snake had lost its hold on a rock it was relatively easy to pull it the rest of the way down the side of the dirt pile.
Down at the base of the dirt pile, while trapped by the rope on the snake pole, the beast did not appear to be too aggresive. However, some species, particularly the fierce snake (also known as the inland or western taipan or the small scalled snake), exhibit no warning behavior before they strike. Since we thought this could be a fierce snake and I thought the fierce snake is a protected species, we certainly did not want to kill it. I carefully held it down with the machete along the back of its neck about an inch from its head. I guess it must have felt suicidal. . . somehow while I was holding it down, its head became separated from the rest of its body. Accidents happen.
Even though the snake's head was no longer attached to its body, it was important to rememeber 2 things: 1. the head will keep biting for a while after it is removed from the body, and 2. even after the snake is dead and the head stops biting the fangs still are sharp and the venom is just as deadly in a dead snake as it is in a live snake - at least for several hours.
After catching our breath we carefully moved the head and the body of the snake into a large bucket, put it in the hoist, climbed the ladder to the surface and brought the bucket up.
The snake measured a bit over 36 inches long. We took the head, put it in a cutoff Coke can, poured in some gasoline (or petrol as they say here) and burnt the head. The high temperature from the fire will destroy the proteins of the venom. Because we were unsure about the species of the snake we took the body of the snake with us to the artesian bore where we atake showers. At the bore we saw Fritz and Brad, two of the nicest, most knowledgable and most helpful folks in Koroit. Looking at the body they were able to tell it was a fierce snake. . . the most venomous land snake on earth.
. . . so that was a Sunday in Koroit. . .
.
(updated)
Many of you have asked what my typical day is like while mining in Koroit. This is the tale of last Sunday:
As some of you may know Big Brown did not win the triple crown. I wanted to say thank you very much to Jim, who is the publican (manager) of the Warrego Hotel Motel. East coast USA post time for the Belmont stakes was about 6:30pm Saturday, which was 8:30am Sunday, Koroit / Cunnamulla time. After chatting with Jim on Thursday he offered to open the Warrego at 8am on Sunday for us to watch the race. Paul and I pulled my 4WD up to the front of the pub a few moments before 8am and found ourselves 2 barstools while Jim turned on the TV and did his paperwork. We watched the pre-race chatter and were amazed at the short odds on the favorite. I hoped Big Brown would win . . . the first triple crown in 30 years. I remember watching Affirmed in the triple crown - and I was there when he ran that summer in Saratoga. On Sunday as the horses were about to be loaded into the starting gate, the Australian announcer said that they had lost the feed from ESPN. During the actual running of the race we watched the rather blank faces of the Australian announcers. After 3 or 4 minutes they told Australia that Big Brown had been eased and finished out of the money. About 10 minutes later we did see a replay of the unfortunate race. I was sorry to see no triple crown winner, but glad to see he seemed to be ok (I still don't know why he pulled up - quarter crack?).
After the race Paul and I had fish & chips in Cunnamulla, then returned to the mine. Paul felt like mining, so he started the generator and went down the ladder to do some digging. I stayed on the surface and sorted some rough, did a bit of reading and contemplating - I'm reading "A New Earth". . . which naturally leads one to the land of contemplation of the nature of existence, ones ego, identity, responsibility, ones own foolish behavior and place in the cosmos. In the midst of my Sunday afternoon oof deep thought, Paul ran up to my shed, out of breath, and said he had trapped a snake down in the mine.
Paul had seen a snake down in the mine a few times before Sunday. We left a broom stick down in the mine to deal with such critters. Paul used the broom stick to trap the snake in a space between the wall, ceiling and an old back-filled shaft.
I grabbed an extra flashlight, my gloves, a machete and climbed down the ladder. Once we both got down into the mine, I explained to Paul that there were to be no heroes doing anything foolish. However, since he has children I asked him to stay behind me. Certainly I did not want anyone to be bitten, but if it had to happen I would prefer to be the one. If he was bitten, I'd feel far too guilty. We knew we were almost certainly going to be dealing with one of the most venomous snakes in the world and were a bumpy one hour trip on a dirt road away from medical care on a Sunday afternoon.
Unfortunately we did not have much choice. Because the snake was down in the mine in an area we were working, it needed to be "dealt with". We got to the broom stick; I saw part of the body of the snake trapped under the broomstick up at an angle along a crumbly dirt pile about 5 feet away. This was in a tight area of a small tunnel about 40 feet underground. The only light was from our 3 flashlights (Paul was using 1, I was using 2 and had an extra in my pocket.).
It can be difficult to accurately identify a few of the most venomous snakes in this area. However, the finer points of identification make little difference when you're trying to decide exactly which of the 3 most venomous snakes in the world you are trying not to be bitten by. It looked like it was either a common brown or a taipan - the debate was between #1 or #2 most venomous snake. Either way, we should be careful.
We grabbed the end of the broomstick, tried to work ther snake down, but it was quite strong and trying to get away. Paul held the snake in place while I grabbed a snake pole I had made from a 5 foot long section of conduit and piece of rope about 7 or 8 years ago. We tried to work the snake down using the broomstick and snake pole with no luck (at least not for us). The snake's tail did move a bit closer to us, almost within reach. Yes, I've watched the crocodile hunter grab snakes by the tail, and that silly thought did run through my mind, but I'm not that experienced, I quickly mentioned it in a joking way to Paul who quickly yelled at me not to do it just to make sure. I did not reach for its tail.
Again I should point out this snake was semi-trapped on the surface of a dirt pile uphill from us. If the snake came loose, it would naturally roll toward us. . . and not be too happy. I loosened the rope on the pole and was able to slip it around the snake's tail. However, tails can break off rather easily. As Paul carefully moved the snake I was able to slip the rope up the snake's body. I mentioned earlier I am in the process of reading "A New Earth". One of the points of the book is the importance of being aware of "now", of not being consumed by regrets from the past or worries about the future. As Paul and I were laying on the side of that dirt pile wrestling with the serpent, we very much were living in the now. It was, as the kids say, intense.
Once the rope was around a thicker part of the snakes body - about 1/3 to 1/2 of the way along the body from the tail - I tightened the rope. Feeling that the legless creature with the incredible venom was securely held by the rope, I told Paul I was going to pull the snake down and asked him to take the broomstick and move away. The snake and I started a tug-of-war as I began to pull it down. The thin snake was surprisingly strong. From his quick glimpse, Paul estimated it was about 2 feet long. As I began to win the tug-of-war we saw it was more than 2 feet in length. Once the snake had lost its hold on a rock it was relatively easy to pull it the rest of the way down the side of the dirt pile.
Down at the base of the dirt pile, while trapped by the rope on the snake pole, the beast did not appear to be too aggresive. However, some species, particularly the fierce snake (also known as the inland or western taipan or the small scalled snake), exhibit no warning behavior before they strike. Since we thought this could be a fierce snake and I thought the fierce snake is a protected species, we certainly did not want to kill it. I carefully held it down with the machete along the back of its neck about an inch from its head. I guess it must have felt suicidal. . . somehow while I was holding it down, its head became separated from the rest of its body. Accidents happen.
Even though the snake's head was no longer attached to its body, it was important to rememeber 2 things: 1. the head will keep biting for a while after it is removed from the body, and 2. even after the snake is dead and the head stops biting the fangs still are sharp and the venom is just as deadly in a dead snake as it is in a live snake - at least for several hours.
After catching our breath we carefully moved the head and the body of the snake into a large bucket, put it in the hoist, climbed the ladder to the surface and brought the bucket up.
The snake measured a bit over 36 inches long. We took the head, put it in a cutoff Coke can, poured in some gasoline (or petrol as they say here) and burnt the head. The high temperature from the fire will destroy the proteins of the venom. Because we were unsure about the species of the snake we took the body of the snake with us to the artesian bore where we atake showers. At the bore we saw Fritz and Brad, two of the nicest, most knowledgable and most helpful folks in Koroit. Looking at the body they were able to tell it was a fierce snake. . . the most venomous land snake on earth.
. . . so that was a Sunday in Koroit. . .
.
Thursday, June 5, 2008
- Arrived in Koroit
Cunnamulla, QLD Australia
Hello from the Outback. I'm sorry, but for a variety of reasons this will need to be quick. . . and therefore maybe not too well organized.
My plane landed in Cunnamulla on Sunday - we drove about an hour to Koroit and were at my camp by about 3 pm. There were no nasty surprises (at least none that I've found so far) waiting inside my shed. To put it politely, there was ample evidence that mice had been in residence, but no mouse-type destruction. There was no food left to attract the mice, perhaps they appreciated my taste and decor.
Around midnight that first night, I was oh so gently awakend by the sound of the tap tap tap of rain drops on the roof of my steel shed. The tap tap increased in frequency and intensity. For the next 24+ hours it rained on and off. The outback does not seem to be a place of moderation. The typical lip-chapping dryness had been replaced with a my towel still is not dry, everything including the toilet paper is a bit, well . . . kind of dampness. Yes, accumulating water meant that a bit of ditch digging and redirecting of draining rainwater was needed. . . of course it was necessary to do it in the rain - ah but it builds character! Today, the sun is shining!
My thanks to a fellow miner, Ken, who invited us Tuesday evening to his camp for a delicious dinner of a variety of pasta bolognese. Dinner was delicious and it was good to catch up on what had been happening in and around Koroit and with the various characters involved in mining and the opal biz.
The unusually large amount of rain that has fallen in the Koroit area has caused a great deal of plant growth and the appearance of many different seldom seen creatures. One such creature was a yet to be identified spider. Suffice it to say it was big, nasty looking and even though I'm no sissy boy, I did feel the need to exterminate it. I saw 2 of them. They are both deceased. (Seriously, before I am condemmmed, one should remember that in the outback virtually everything is either deadly poisonous, bites or is at least pretty nasty. . . with the type of venom that makes the bitten area fester and later rot and drop off etc.) I did take a few photos of the pre-termination spider. It was an interesting looking critter.
Unfortunately, last evening I was responsible for ending the life of another beautiful creature. As I was driving to the artesian bore where I take a shower, a kangaroo suddenly appeared on the left side of the road. I slowed down, applied the brakes. . .it paused. I thought it was going to wait by the side of the road until after I had passed, unfortunately it hopped out in front of me, although pushing harder on the brakes, the dirt road was wet and very slippery, I hit and ran over the 'roo. I turned my car around and made certain that any suffering by the poor 'roo was not long lasting. Yes, I always feel terrible when that happens. Yes, hitting a kangaroo is a surprisingly common event out here. There are zillions of kangaroos and, not to be nasty, but they are stupid. Emus are even more dim-witted.
Now for the good news - I have learned to expect the unexpected - please keep your fingers crossed - it looks like an excavator will be at my mine in two weeks. . . and will be staying for the rest of the season!! It is difficult to express how good that news really is . . . if it happens, it will translate into a very big & beautiful pile of rough opal . . . I'll keep you informed.
Koroit and the area around my mine are beautiful. Last night, the sky cleared and wow - there was that show of a million stars I have seen so many times before, but always leaves me wow-ing like a kid. . . the southern hemisphere stars see from the outback are quite a sight. . .bright, sharp, crowded, amazing. This area is a place of heightened experience - beautiful and amazing. There is always a lesson or two to be learned and something to make me go wow each time I come here. To my wonderful friends and customers - thank you for helping me to come back here!!
remind me to tell you about the bore shower. . . .
gotta run
.
Hello from the Outback. I'm sorry, but for a variety of reasons this will need to be quick. . . and therefore maybe not too well organized.
My plane landed in Cunnamulla on Sunday - we drove about an hour to Koroit and were at my camp by about 3 pm. There were no nasty surprises (at least none that I've found so far) waiting inside my shed. To put it politely, there was ample evidence that mice had been in residence, but no mouse-type destruction. There was no food left to attract the mice, perhaps they appreciated my taste and decor.
Around midnight that first night, I was oh so gently awakend by the sound of the tap tap tap of rain drops on the roof of my steel shed. The tap tap increased in frequency and intensity. For the next 24+ hours it rained on and off. The outback does not seem to be a place of moderation. The typical lip-chapping dryness had been replaced with a my towel still is not dry, everything including the toilet paper is a bit, well . . . kind of dampness. Yes, accumulating water meant that a bit of ditch digging and redirecting of draining rainwater was needed. . . of course it was necessary to do it in the rain - ah but it builds character! Today, the sun is shining!
My thanks to a fellow miner, Ken, who invited us Tuesday evening to his camp for a delicious dinner of a variety of pasta bolognese. Dinner was delicious and it was good to catch up on what had been happening in and around Koroit and with the various characters involved in mining and the opal biz.
The unusually large amount of rain that has fallen in the Koroit area has caused a great deal of plant growth and the appearance of many different seldom seen creatures. One such creature was a yet to be identified spider. Suffice it to say it was big, nasty looking and even though I'm no sissy boy, I did feel the need to exterminate it. I saw 2 of them. They are both deceased. (Seriously, before I am condemmmed, one should remember that in the outback virtually everything is either deadly poisonous, bites or is at least pretty nasty. . . with the type of venom that makes the bitten area fester and later rot and drop off etc.) I did take a few photos of the pre-termination spider. It was an interesting looking critter.
Unfortunately, last evening I was responsible for ending the life of another beautiful creature. As I was driving to the artesian bore where I take a shower, a kangaroo suddenly appeared on the left side of the road. I slowed down, applied the brakes. . .it paused. I thought it was going to wait by the side of the road until after I had passed, unfortunately it hopped out in front of me, although pushing harder on the brakes, the dirt road was wet and very slippery, I hit and ran over the 'roo. I turned my car around and made certain that any suffering by the poor 'roo was not long lasting. Yes, I always feel terrible when that happens. Yes, hitting a kangaroo is a surprisingly common event out here. There are zillions of kangaroos and, not to be nasty, but they are stupid. Emus are even more dim-witted.
Now for the good news - I have learned to expect the unexpected - please keep your fingers crossed - it looks like an excavator will be at my mine in two weeks. . . and will be staying for the rest of the season!! It is difficult to express how good that news really is . . . if it happens, it will translate into a very big & beautiful pile of rough opal . . . I'll keep you informed.
Koroit and the area around my mine are beautiful. Last night, the sky cleared and wow - there was that show of a million stars I have seen so many times before, but always leaves me wow-ing like a kid. . . the southern hemisphere stars see from the outback are quite a sight. . .bright, sharp, crowded, amazing. This area is a place of heightened experience - beautiful and amazing. There is always a lesson or two to be learned and something to make me go wow each time I come here. To my wonderful friends and customers - thank you for helping me to come back here!!
remind me to tell you about the bore shower. . . .
gotta run
.
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