SUNDAY AFTERNOON AND LIVE MUSIC

	The couple on the left take the honour of being the first  to experience the new ULMARRA ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE, as Andrew and Izzy like to call the Breezeway between SHELLBOUND and WIDE RIVER.  Today saw the first Live Music on Sundays. Izzy invited Karl and Shaz (KSM) down for the day from BUSBY FLAT and off we went.
	Just last Monday we were watching as Andrew , Robyn, Brett and Sandy bent their backs to the paving and today it was ready with umbrellas and stage. All in place for one of the sweetest little performing areas on the Northern Rivers.
I am finding the walk into 60 years of age to be rather odd.  I don’t think I ever had plans or a vision for this age.

SPRINGTIME ON THE CLARENCE

Life remains hectic for me on the Clarence.  I yearn at time for more Eremitic days and on others I simply gather in the breadth and depth of these experiences.

FOR SUNDAY IN TUCABIA FOLLOW THIS LINK.

http://whiterosetrading.ning.com/photo/albums/squatters-rest-markets-tucabia 

The expectation this morning was that Phil the Sax Player would be coming for  rehearsals in the music room. Didn’t  best please me because I had visions of SQUATTER’S REST Markets at TUCABIA on my mind and the 3 garage sales I know are on there today. A Sunday at that. One of them is at Eileen’s Place opp the Tucabia Store. I don’t know who Eileen is but I still want to go to the garage Sale. The Clarence is the Home of the Garage sale.
After some calm negotiation, Phill was relocated to a slightly later time slot and we headed East to Tucabia and SQUATTERS REST. I had not been there before. Izzy has done two music nights there and as part of my habitual information gathering, I knew a good deal about it. Weather is perfect. Springtime on the North Coast. Tucabia is app 10 kms from Ulmarra along a winding back road through paddocks and alongside wetlands. The Rest Markets – well, precisely what I was hoping for. Under gum trees. I scored a $100 pair of Dianna Ferrari shoes, new for $7. I bought home made soaps – made from goats milk and perfumed with essential oils. For $20, add a chopping table with knives for the kitchen and I am well pleased.
Then throw in a little gem of a museum and the day is fulfilling all the promise of a country Sunday. Squatters has a wee village of Collecteds. I am struggling to find the words for it. It was if I could almost smell and touch the eagle’s wings of Uncle Jim in Laurieton in some barely recalled childhood time.

BIRTHDAYS, BABIES AND CIRCUSES

This weekend, Charlie came down from Armidale for a visit.

For me, its working well, being near the Family.  Izzy is battling a little with the music which is still mainly situated further north. This weekend was circus and celebrations. That’s a fine thing, that is.

	I had concentrated on our black and white cows all week , wondering what on earth the four black and white cows at the CIRCUS ROYALE were going to do as TRICKS.  My cows didn’t appear with anything specially impressive but the cows at the circus surely did. They stood on hind legs with forelegs on small podia while a miniature white horse danced and ducked under and between their legs. Marvellous!
	The day before the Mob came, a mist settled on the area and stayed there till almost lunchtime. The BookMan said that on his way down from Maclean, as he turned onto the Pacific Highway, he couldn’t see whether or not there was traffic coming at him. Must be the river flats, methinks, that let it sit so low for so long.
	We located the CIRCUS in the park in SOUTH GRAFTON.  We had phone booked for four adults and two children and picked the tickets up from the Circus Office. Circuses haven’t featured greatly in my life so each step was a ‘learning experience’.
	They say its a million dollar big top tent and are advertising for clowns. There were no photos allowed at all inside the Big Top and there were enough heavies to make it look a wise idea to be obedient to that one. The two things I liked best were the Cows and the men in black running back and forth with ropes pulling up the rigging. Hadn’t seen anything like it since being on the UTIEKAH III in 1973.
	We were also inspired to create a SLEEPOUT. One of the things which had attracted us to Grafton months ago was the advertising in the real estate sites of homes with SLEEPOUTS. Under this inspiration and despite the plentiful supply of spare rooms, we took ourselves to RIVERSIDE Centre in South Grafton, acquired a single bed, brought it home and bolted it together  ready for the Sleepout for Granddaughter No 1. One problem – the bed was longer than the sleepout area was wide. THAT DID NOT STOP US.

I HOPE THAT I DON’T FALL IN LOVE WITH YOU

BRIAN RALSTON

GOODNIGHT SWEETHEART

THE PEOPLE OF THE MOUNTAINS AND THE SEA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8fbJNHAdbkg WHERE SOME OF  MY GRANDCHILDREN ARE

AUSSIE XMAS

FANCY RESTAURANTS

THEY have gone to a Fancy Restaurant for Katrox’s Birthday. How pleased Izzy would be.

FOR ALL OUR LOST TOMORROWS

FOR ALL OUR LOST TOMORROWS

Through all the long strong seasons of the moon
I’ve wandered wistful, yearning for his touch.
In all the empty spaces placed in front of me
where he can never be, I mourn.

For all the poems he will never share,
for secrets, songs and sounds he’ll never know,
and for the moon that shone in glory when he died
I’ve cried the many months since he was gone.

Through all the bright bold silvered nights
the moon has dressed in loveliness he’ll never see,
and all our lost tomorrows wrapped in sorrow
I will still love him tenderly.

KATHLEEN EARSMAN 2004

RALEIGH RUMBLING NO 13 TODAY

Hey. This RUMBLE has sneaked up on us ! It is TODAY. Best bring your own food or starve. We are NOT organised AT ALL. 12-5 pm. RALEIGH HALL.