Blog

“Running Afoul of a Fighting Cock…” In a blog I wrote last year, I mentioned my former brother-in-law’s fighting rooster. He had beautiful feathers and a red crest. We had a dozen hens, but as the only male, he was … Continued

“Making your own toilet paper in the Outback…” In an earlier blog, I mentioned that the isolation on St. Vidgeon’s Station years ago was a lesson in preparedness for the COVID pandemic lockdowns of the past year. COVID also caused … Continued

“Flying Padres Down Under…” On the two way radio one morning, I had an unknown person call St. Vidgeon’s Station. At first I thought it was a prank set up by my ever-kidding brother-in-law. The man introduced himself as the … Continued

On that first Christmas at St. Vigeon’s Station – my first away from home and halfway around the world from my mother and kid brother, I felt lonely and nostalgic. We invited our neighbors from Roper Bar – the policeman, … Continued

Growing up in Mexico, a country of extensive social interaction, where celebrations and boisterous festivities happen for the slightest excuse, turned out to be a total contrast to my married life in the Outback where my closest neighbors were 35 … Continued

“Outrunning a crocodile…” Previously, I’d mentioned that our closest neighbors lived 35 miles away at Roper River Mission on the aboriginal reserve of Arnhem Land. A location not exactly close enough to borrow a cup of sugar in a pinch! … Continued

“Survived potential dangers…” I’d survived the mustering camp. Survived all the potential dangers posed by snakes, crocodiles, feral cattle, and water buffalo. I’d even survived booger bread at dinner that first evening. It felt so good to be safely inside … Continued

“Tailing a bull from a plane…” We took off from a grass strip, and soon my brother-in-law leveled the Piper Cub. Instead of looking for feral cattle hiding in the scrub, he headed east toward the Limmen Bight River, a … Continued

“What you do after eating booger bread…” …you take over the cooking, that’s what. I’d begged Irwin, the camp cook, to let me handle the camp kitchen. And for me, it was a huge chore. Working over the hot campfire … Continued

“Waltzing Matilda” I’d been an only child the first ten years of my life. When my baby brother was born, I was delighted. My parents had a built-in nanny to care for him. With the ten-year age difference, I never had … Continued