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Published: April 12th 2015
Dashing Around!!
The Dash 8 aircraft we flew to Sydney onWoodstock and back to Perth,
The last few days had been very wet, Susan said that the sun would come out just as we were leaving Canberra and she was absolutely spot on!
Heading toward the North of Canberra we could see the Telstra Tower clearly on the black mountain, the roads were still looking shiny from the last rainfall, the roads were fairly busy with people heading off to work and probably home from work too!
Although excited to be heading back to Woodstock, it was also the start of our journey back to Perth. I guess with some mixed feelings about leaving Canberra, we have really enjoyed catching up with so many of our friends, sadly not all of them and being back here does make us miss Canberra, however the cooler weather had been a reminder of how cold it gets here in the winter, I can feel the cold just thinking about it, if there is one thing to like about Perth for me that would be the temperate climate, shorter winters for one and not too many dips into the minus range.
We are both quiet as Canberra slips away
Dashing Around!!
Wagga Wagga airport, its tiny behind us and eventually we see the hills that roll across the Riverina toward Wagga Wagga. We stopped at Yass to grab a coffee I could feel the warmth of the day warming my bones.
Enjoying the drive, the day continued to be sunny, into Gundagai and along the Murrumbidgee until we eventually arrive at our favourite post box, we check it on the way in, no post.
Kimba sees our arrival and gets up off her bed to greet us, Kimba has become a doorstep doggy, her old age and arthritis is creeping up on her and she is less able than the other young dogs so she is deserving of her retirement.
We see that Robert is there, the ute has 3 dogs sitting patiently on the tray, well they were being patient until we rocked up and then mayhem descended as Smokey and Wally flew off the back, Hoover just continued to wait patiently. Trixie appeared from nowhere and they all vied for position in the fussing.
We see Helen, in the kitchen, she tells us that they have visitors and Robert is taking them around to show them the layout of the
Dashing Around!!
inside the Dash 8 farm, we need a cup of tea and a short rest before we get into sorting out our luggage, unfortunately a text from Susan reveals that we forgot to leave their front door key, so that is remedied by quickly getting it into the mail which meant Andy having to head back into Nangus to catch the post.
Whilst Andy is at the Nangus post office he asks the post master if there is any post for Robert or Helen at Woodstock, the postmaster says that it has just been delivered and to check the post box on the way back. On the way back in, sure enough Andy checks the post box and there is post, so he gathers it up and brings it back to the homestead.
It was probably about the same time that Andy realised we did not have the laptop charger so as we were putting the key in the post Susan had to do the same with the charger.
Our day was busy sorting and packing, deciding what was being stored and what was coming back to Perth with us. Andy cleaned out the hire car and Helens car while he
Dashing Around!!
The Riverina from the aircraft window was at it. We also cleaned the doggy Hilton, well Andy did, I was there in Spirit while I packed the suitcase, Helen told Andy to let all the dogs out except Gil as Helen was concerned that he may just disappear, so Andy tied him up whilst washing the doggy Hilton out all the other dogs were causing mayhem on the lawn and in the fish pond.
Toby is the worst he just loves to stand in the pond, watch the fish then get out and want to come and jump up you, Helen told Andy it was ok to let Gil go, so every one of the dogs were out playing in the sun.
Andy came down after finishing his job and Helen handed him a bag of dog treats to dish out, Andy was sitting down when Toby came up to Andy and planted a doggy smacker straight on Andy's chops, tongue and all, it was great to see them all playing, though Kimba even though she is old has never forgotten the dislike she has for Toby and still growls at him if he gets too close to her, and though Toby is always
Dashing Around!!
Caroline and her Birthday Cake, Thank you Helen, you are a genius
wary of the old matriarch, he does still like to get too close.
One of the cases, I packed carefully with stuff that we did not need for the next leg of our journey, that meant not needing to pull stuff out of the three cases we now had in tow.
Helen had been very busy, she was cooking dinner for 12 people tonight and two birthday cakes! I wonder who one those cakes was for?
I had a couple of loads of washing on the line so I had ironing to do when they came off, I was still feeling pretty tired from having a cold and a lot of socialising so sneaked in 20 minutes in the chair,
As darkness fell, the first of tonight's guests arrived, some neighbours of Helens who also happen to be relatives of friends of ours in Canberra, we had met Michelle and Peter a few years ago, it was great to see them again. A short while later the Wemyss Family arrived.
Andrew and Jo, Daniel and Lorena and the newly weds Josh and Erica all arrived, Helen had done various dishes and it was lovely to
Dashing Around!!
Lorena and Her Birthday Cake see Woodstock so busy socially, as always such a busy farm, Helen and Robert have very little down time.
As usual Helen's cooking is just marvellous, always hot and tasty and plenty of it, the twelve of us all chatted about, life, love travel and everything else it was great to see every one.
It was Lorena's 25 birthday today and one of the cakes HElen had made was for her, whilst the other one was for me.
All the guests departed at about eleven. Everyone had work tomorrow, and Robert was going to be up early as he was loading 700 sheep for the sale yards in the morning and would be up at five, Andy said he would rise then as he wanted to put the final bits in the container and be away for the airport by seven am.
Exhausted we both slept well.
The dogs barked at five that meant Robert had taken the most appropriate dog(s) for the job of yard work, which also meant it would be Toby as he was yard dog, he used to go to the sales sitting
in the passenger seat of the truck, but
Dashing Around!!
Twelve of us for dinner t Woodstock since Robert has just had the new Iveco truck, it has a purpose made dog cage under the body, where Toby has now been relegated to.
If Toby was a human, he would be a great big chap, a bit slow, not particularly clever, but would have a great big heart and give everything he did a 110% effort, we do love Toby, he has an important place at Woodstock and though not very agile, what he lacks in fines he makes up in sheer enthusiasm and loyalty.
Andy and I laugh about it as we see him in our minds when he used to go to market sitting in the passenger seat with Robert driving, Andy says he can see Toby has the window down and his paw out thinking that he was the only Woodstock dog doing this special job for Robert.
We left the farm at exactly 7.03, heavy in heart we kissed Helen and thanked her for the stay, Kimba came and we gave her a fuss and said goodby, I had that feeling in my gut that this may be the last time we ever see her, I hope that I am
Dashing Around!!
Pumpkin scones, Michelle Daly had made on her brand new cooker a couple of hours ago wrong.
Pulling out of the farm just by the post box the road was empty as usual, we drove past Pip and James places and said hi as we drove post, then up to the old police house where we turned left and past the old house that was once Roberts family home, onwards to Wantabadgery, over the hill past Fred and Josie farm then onwards to Wagga Wagga.
Filling the car up with fuel on the way we arrived at the airport at 7.50 parked the hire car in the designated spot and went in to the terminal, checked in and grabbed a coffee, I had already checked us in on line and booked an additional 40 kilo's of additional baggage as we were bringing extra stuff back with us.
We were flying on a Dash 8 twin engined Turbo prop to Sydney, Andy loves them though I am not that keen, it was only a 50 minute flight we said goodbye to the Riverina as we flew overhead, the crisp, parched brown landscape eventually gave way to green and buildings before we headed out over the sea to make our turn into Sydney airport we
Dashing Around!!
Helen and Toby, I think Tody would do anything for a dog treat, possibly Helen would too!! landed at 10.50.
When we got our luggage we went outside and Jan Davis was there to greet us us with her brother and sister-in-law Glen and Bon who we originally met some six years ago in the Warrumbungle National Park they were excited to see us and visa versa. It was a surprise to see Glenn and Bon, we had no idea they were coming, as soon as they found out we were visiting they popped down for a visit too!
We piled our 60 kilo's of luggage in to the car and Jan drove us back to their house in Winston Hills we settled in for a cup of tea and some lunch, it was great to see everyone it had been nearly two years since we had seen everyone, That is everyone except Teddy Jans husband who was working until six. It also felt that we could hit the relax button again, so much so that some of us ended up having a nanna nap!
Teddy got home on time, we all settled in for the evening, Jan cooked up a lovely lamb roast for us all, we wondered if it was Woodstock lamb,
but that we will never know, it was delicious!
Soon it was bedtime and once again we fell into bed exhausted, I swear that Andy was asleep before he got into bed.
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