Goondiwindi to Chinchilla Horsing Around

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5/5/09 Maddy’s knocking on our door, Nan where are you! She has her toast & “tea” with us & has a shower in our van & is full of energy. We are off to town to do some shopping & get some bits & pieces, do some running repairs, nothing major. Rang Nic & arranged to have coffee with her , then went to Border Builders to get some stuff & saw Patty , & we were asked to tea at Pat & Bill Sat night, so that will be good. We then got some groceries & went to Nicks shop where Maddy had to nurse (strangle) the kittens. We went to see Kirsty & Riley, but Riley was asleep but Kirt looks good & is managing well, Larna came home for lunch & we caught up on some news, Riley would not stir, he has grown since last week. Maddy was getting tired so decided to head back to Mick & Nic’s , Maddy went down for a nap & Den & I uploaded the blog, had tea & went to bed ( getting old I am in bed really early).

6/5/09 Woke up to “Hi Nan” & Maddy had the sunglasses on & looking cool, the next thing we know she has the glasses on Annie & she sat there & took it all. We had breaky & a shower & did the norm, lippy, face cream, base makeup & pretend mascara, then powder, perfume & pretend deodorant ( it takes me twice as long to get ready )entertained Maddy with some sticker books & did some washing & washed the floors for Nic. Put Maddy down for a nap & folded some washing. Den put an extra power point in the van & spent the Avo putting a new plug on the car & van & finding broken wires , but all good now.
Maddy was funny today Den & Mick were under the van trying to find a loose wire & she was climbing over the axle & crawling around on all the rocks & then she leaned on Dens ribcage under the van & said, 'what are you doing Pop? She is as game as all get out. Runs
around with no shoes on the gravel & gets burrs in her & does not knock a grunt out of her. Mick fixed his falcon , so the boys had a busy avo. I got tea & we ate when Mick had the car fixed. Watched TV while Maddy amused us all with her antics. We are tired tonight, A & J are enjoying being couch potatoes in the van, and being taken for heaps of walks.

7/5/09 Well another day, it has been cool at night but the days have been nice. A bit of rain would be good, everything is so dry. Den finished the wiring on the car & van & we met Kirsty & Riley for lunch at the Victoria Hotel, which has been renovated. We had a great meal & right on que Riley woke up just as we sat down for lunch. Great Nan gave him his bottle & he was as good as gold, Maddy was good with him & wanted heaps of nurses. Great Pop took over the nursing of Riley while I had my lunch & Den has not lost his touch. Kirsty is managing so well, she is a natural we are very proud of her. All of us went to visit Nic at the pet shop after lunch & then Kirsty walked Riley home & we took Maddy home for a sleep. I had a rest & then got tea ready, & then we all went to feed the horses . Another day gone , they are going so fast.

8/5/09 Woke up today & poor Nic has a stomach bug & is not well, we entertained Maddy all day & she would not have a sleep, but she was good, except she found the tap in our ensuite & wet everything inc the toilet paper sitting on the bench. After lunch Den went to get the groceries while I babysat. Mick was late home from work so “Farmer Den” mixed up the horses food & went to feed the horses just as Mick got home. (he is getting there) Maddy loves sitting in the wheelbarrow to take the hay etc over to the horses. She knows all the horses by name & Nan & Pop can’t tell what horse is what or what end is what (except Misty-she is a different colour & is smaller) Its like a circus the dog goes over & the cat too to feed them & it looks so funny. We were sad we could not see Riley today but we did not want to risk giving him the bug Nic has got, maybe tomorrow hopefully. Well time for tea & TV. Nic is a little better, hope all is well with her.

9/5/09 Nic went to work this morning , but still not well. I had Maddy while Den went down the street & Mic went to do some setup work on the fireworks for the Warialda show. We all went to the Vic for lunch & poor Nic was not well after it. Den & I had a nap & got ready to go to Pat & Bills for tea. Mick went off to Warialda to do the fireworks & Nic & Maddy had a girls night. We had a really good night with Pat & Bill & enjoyed tea & quite a few wines & drinks. We saw their new house which is really nice & caught up on all the news. We were home late & crawled into bed.

10/5/09 Mothers Day, it started out nicely, with Mick & Nic & Maddy giving me a gift voucher for a facial & massage ( there might be a message there - I hope the beauty salon can perform miracles !!!! ) but I am looking forward to it. I also got a “Nanna Cup” from Maddy so we can have ‘cup of tea’s’, & a new camera from Dennis which was great as our old one is playing up. We went to Macca’s for breaky & we rang Nan & Pop who were well & going to Merry & Jims for lunch. Then I had so many texts wishing me a Happy Mothers Day it was nice. Then when we got home poor Mick & Nic’s horse had done a ligament in its back leg, not good news, but it had not torn it, so its lots of TLC & ice packs today. Mick trimmed one of the horses feet as well. We went around to see Kirsty & Riley with Maddy in tow. We got to bath Riley & give him a bottle, he is such a beautiful baby. We decided to order in chinese & we were playing around with Maddy & were pulling her between us & Nic, Den pulled a bit hard & she started to cry that her elbow was sore, after 15mins of crying Nic & Mick thought they should check it out at the hospital. They were back about an hour later, she had pulled a small bone out in her elbow like a dislocation, apparently it happens a lot in little ones. The Dr put it back & she was fine once she got a lollypop. Poor Pop was a mess & thought he was to blame & he felt awful, that would be the last thing he would mean to do. She was sick that night & we don’t know if it was too much milk or medication any way she is fine now, poor little possum.

11/5/09 Maddy was a bit quiet today but her arm was not sore, she wanted to play ‘pulls’ again, no way. She had an early sleep & I went to see Kirsty & Riley & cut Kirt’s hair. After a nice chat with Kirt ( Riley who was asleep God bless him ) I went back to Mick & Nicks, we had to wake Maddy up, Den, Mick & Maddy fed the horses & I got tea as Nic worked late. Mick shaved his horse, or most of it, he will do the rest tomorrow when Bob is sedated for his teeth ( what a job ) We all had an early night.

12/5/09 All’s good today Maddy back to normal, Nic has a day off ( ha! ha! ) The vet was here at 8am to do all the horses teeth ( I’d hate that toothbrush in my mouth ) , they had to be sedated , then they were vaccinated , & Brooks, that hurt his leg, had an ultra-sound. His leg looks promising , but they still have to be careful with him for a while.. Then Mick came home to shave the rest of his horse while he was still sedated. What a morning, then Nic was off to work for an hour, then physio , then the hairdressers, some day off. Den fixed the house gates & then did a bit of woodwork for Micks float. I went to see Kirt & Riley again while Maddy was asleep, when I got back I cut Maddy’s hair & trimmed Mick’s. We all went to feed the horses & then Maddy & I fed the chooks & Guinea Pigs . Den & Mick then went to put up a shelf for Nic at the shop, so all in all a busy day. We are all going to Cunningham, near Warwick for polocrosse ( or as Maddy calls it poly cross) for 2 nights , then we are heading to Corey & Val’s for 2 weeks. We had tea & all had an early night.

13/5/09 Into the usual washing etc, etc then went to see Kirsty & Riley, he is growing so fast, Grand-pop fed him & did a good job bringing up his wind. Maddy is fascinated with him, he was crying & she put her hand on him & said “ Settle down Riley” she is so funny. She is a bit ferral today so we decided to take her home for a sleep. Yea right, she was not going to. So Pop minded her while I went for my massage & Facial ( very good I asked the girl did she want a trip round Aus & she could get the creaks out every day ). I was a bit disappointed I still had my wrinkles when I finished. Well home to reality (the caravan ). Got tea on & Nic fed the horses & we tried to get Feral Cheryl in a good mood, but it was one of those days. God bless her one naughty day out of 2 weeks isn’t bad. Mick & Nic did a bit of packing & organising the horses & all went to bed early again It’s cold tonight, about 4 deg, but by lunch time you are peeling off the jumpers.

14/5/09 up early as Nic had to go to work early & we thought we better clean the Van & wash sheets etc, it is so dusty here, we did not bother to clean for 2 weeks ( aren’t we naughty, more to life than cleaning we have discovered ) . We then went shopping & Maddy back to normal today, cute as a button. We then met Kirsty & Riley for lunch at the royal hotel. We ordered lunch & both of us had big cuddles with him, it was hard because we wont see him for along time . Den took Maddy home for a sleep & to do some packing up. I was going to go to the clinic for his weigh in & check up but Angus arrived, Kristy’s partner. He has been working in the N.T & has just moved to Gundy to be with Kirsty & Riley, so I thought it would be better if Angus went to the clinic with Kirsty. Den wishes I had gone with them, I went to Millers & Target & did a LITTLE clothes shopping. All his comment was have u got room in the van for them. Den came to pick me up & meet Angus & say goodbye to Kirsty & Riley. I had tears in my eyes , I am so proud of Kirsty, Riley is now a healthy 11lb and right on track according to the clinic sister. We went home & got the washing off, farmer Den went to feed the horses , I got tea , packed & got ready for an early start tomorrow.

15/9/09 Up & ready to go at 8.30. Had a good trip to Cunningham for “policross” as Maddy calls it. We snuck the dogs in to the camp ground to set up the van. Den helped Mick set up the corals & put the horses in, Mick & Nic are so well set up, it’s a credit to them. We then took the dogs into Warwick to the Kennels, it was awful leaving them, but had no choice as polocrosse did not allow dogs. The guy at the kennels wanted to separate them & we said no, they had never been apart, they went into the same enclosure. They had to learn it wont be the last time they have to be boarded. Mick & Nic took the horses for a ride. Den was feeling a bit off & ended up with an upset tummy, but took it easy & had no tea & was feeling better by Sat . We had a nice night around the camp fire , having a few drinks, it was a different sound with all the horses neighing & all the horse talk. Went to bed, ready for a big day tomorrow.
16/5/09 Through the night I got sick with a tummy bug & was sick as well, I lost Saturday, I slept most of it, I got up to watch Mick & Nic play their avo game but started to be sick again, so off to bed & into the drugs & slept again. Mick & Nic played hard & well but did not win their games. It’s a hard & tough sport & you understand why they get a “few” bruises, you have to be prepared to get in there & push & shove to get the ball. Maddy enjoyed playing with all the kids & watching the horses, it wont be long before she is playing. Den was better so he enjoyed around the campfire Sat night & Nic cooked a BBQ for him.

17/5/09 Would you believe it’s a MONTH ON THE ROAD TODAY . Hard to believe 4 weeks has gone by. I got up feeling like I’d been hit by a truck. Headache & sore muscles & joints, but not sick (or the other) . Den went in to get the girls & they were so excited to see him, they talked & talked to him, the guy said they were very good, so that was great, we know that we can leave them without worry The Kennel was very clean & they cared about the animals .I took Maddy to watch a Gundy game with mum & dad & Maddy rang the Umpire bell. We went back to camp & started to tidy up, Den got home ( notice I am calling it home, must be sinking in ) with the girls & we snuck them into the van. We went & watched Mick & Nic’s game & they lost again but put up a fight, we were proud of them, you wouldn’t catch me on a horse roughing it out like that. We all went back & packed up & it was time for our goodbyes, which I had been dreading. We Gave Maddy & them all cuddles & mad wanted to come with us ( only cause of the puppy’s ) . We hugged again & I had some tears & I think I realised we would not see them for ages & that I was not on holidays. We got in the car & headed off to Toowoomba with a heavy heart, we will miss that little face & voice saying “Hi Nan & Pop”. We thought that was far enough as Den was tired we travelled an hour then called into a caravan park to see if we could book in, no dogs allowed, they said no parks in Toowoomba took dogs. Can you believe a city that size does not take pets. They directed us to Oakey 30 ks away. We filled up with gas, then headed off to Oakey, to a nice quiet , clean park, much better than noisy Toowoomba. I am sitting here trying to think & type with Jessie snoring her head off ( she must have had a few sleepless nights at the kennel ). We set up camp & Merry rang, then we talked to Dad & Ivy, then to Corey & Val. We are off to Chinchilla for 2 weeks tomorrow, can’t wait to see Haydy , Corey & Val. Will catch everyone on the next instalment

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