I have started to write and each time I get to a point and find myself wondering if this is what I want to say….I have decided to go back to the start and let others know where I am coming from.

The start is many years ago – yes I was born at a very early age – I am 5 of 5 born to country parents, West Wyalong, Grenfell, Dunedoo, Orange, Tumut………among other places as my maternal grandfather was a Policeman, paternal grandfather was a wheelwright, my father worked for the PMG so they shifted around NSW a bit. I was the only one in the family who was born in the city. The eldest three are much older (Sister’s initials are END) – a prophecy that didn’t happen as 15 or so years later, along came another baby girl. I came along around 2 years later, I expect to keep her company!!

Being the youngest, as my brothers and sisters call me, the spoilt baby, I did get away with lots that no one else did……remember when I was around 16, at the Christmas table I said shit….everyone winced as they expected Dad to give me a whack – you don’t swear in front of Mum!!! It didn’t come so my status in the family went to very spoilt baby. Unfortunately there is only my two sisters and I left now.

I was the first one in the family to escape to the country over 20 years ago. Moving to Jackadgery with a baby girl – everyone said I was mad to do it then as the economy wasn’t the best and a lot of blah blah blah, but it was done and I was gone.

We bought a bush block, not much good for anything but grow the best timber, but we did have three sheep for spinning wool, a goat for milk, dogs and cats, geese, ducks, horses, an occasional poddy calf.

It was into the pioneering spirit…..clear a patch to bung up a shed or two – now there is about 5. Loved the cut the trees and build using poles and timber infill…..a bush mill wasn’t far away, so used to make regular trips to get seconds and off cuts as a well as good stuff for floors, roofs and frames. Had a kero fridge and a 2 burner camp stove until I set up the fuel stove – a Beacon Light – that was in one of the cousins houses in Grenfell and came back to life here….great Anzac biscuits!!

Electricity was a must as the second baby was on the way and life had to get easier as I decided that I had to get a job and being an officeboy before a bushboy, it was into the flouro lights and computer world.

My skills are working with water related work, so after some persistence I was put on full-time to help out with the drought of the early 1990’s but more of work life later. I am still working for the government and have seen a big change in community – the townies and the farmers – attitude to water and its importance in being conserved and shared around between all users including the water dependent ecosystems who need a voice as they can’t speak for themselves….I think I have seen a platypus smile a thanks when I was down at the river taking water samples years ago.

Now I find myself wanting to write and show my photos, inspired by many blogs that I have been reading from all sorts of folk from all persuasions and parts of Australia…….and some from overseas as well…..but it is mainly the farming women’s blogs that I have seen of late that want me to be out here….they also have given me the push to write.

I love photography, writing, music, cooking and enjoy a good laugh and the happiness of others get from some of the stuff I let dribble out of my mouth……so some of those will appear from time to time.

So that’s a bit of the background of this bushboy.

The start has been made and they rest will flow…………………