Truck Rescue

Gary & Dave spent the day pulling a bogged road train out of the mud about 30 km south of town - the Somali driver, Funghi, fell asleep at the wheel (although he wouldn't admit it - said he was trying to "park" at the side of the road...sure...in three feet of water over a series of flooded culverts...right...). He's lucky he came out of it unscathed. Gary drove the big loader out and I ferried some shackles and chains and burly hefty truck stuff out in the ute, but by the time I got there they'd managed to push the trailers out & I missed the mud action! But I learned how to shackle a monster bulldozer to a 20 tonne tray truck (Essential Sheila Skills 101).

As my photos show, the whole desert around town is under water - it's beautiful, but treacherous. The flood plain sections are subsiding for the moment but there's more to come. As per Gary's advice I made sure I could see the road line markings before crossing the many road flood sections, and stayed on the bitumen when turning around. We could hear all the road train truckies on the CB radio making hilarious comments about the bogged vehicle (it was a real dumb-ass thing to do, poor Funghi). I took water and spare clothes & towels out for the guys but the flood pulled back enough that they didn't have to wallow around up to their waists (damn, I wanted photos) after all.

Driving up the main street on my way out, I looked in the rear view mirror and saw dopey Boy running up the middle of the highway, following me - he's worked out how to jump the fence, the idiot. So I took both dogs out for a ute cruise; they get a bit stir crazy guarding the house. Spent the afternoon cleaning motel rooms, which includes plucking frogs out of the sink and cisterns and laying baits for the bazillions of mice which ransack the rooms each night. We've gone from searing heat which dries your washing as you take it out of the machine to soggy humid steamy rain with everything threatening to go moldy, so Gary's taken our work clothes over to his place to put them in the dryer while I cook meals up for the next few days. Smokey and the chickens are hanging out together on the verandah, staring in the window at us. Lightning is slashing and flashing spectacularly behind the clouds on the far horizon. The house smells like wet animals.