Sun, 12th May, 2019 Malcolm Dam, near Leonora, WA (Mother’s Day)

6.30am 6.6 degrees, heater on of course.

7.15am 9 degrees, clear sky and no wind. So nice to be able to warm our clothes with the heater on these cold mornings.

Rang Mum for Mother’s Day. Roald, Joan and Linda called in on their way home from a funeral in Millaa of one of the old locals. Steve rang Erica but no answer then she rang back. They are at a caravan rally and were having the communal morning tea. They are heading to Barcaldine for the longest line of moving caravans and motorhomes on the 23^rd of May.

Got a nice text from Jon then more from Fran and Jess – so lovely to know the boys have such lovely ladies.

Headed east towards Laverton and turned into the top section of Minara Station. Drove past an old wool shed and a couple of buildings which we will check out on the way out.

Steve stopped where we spotted some salt & pepper ground with a slight incline and we all headed out with our detectors. I was chatting to the ‘gold fairies’ as one does when looking for gold and asked if all the Mums today could find some gold. It worked for me but no for the other ladies unfortunately.

Tried another spot but no joy to went back to the original area and worked further along from me bit but still nothing else. We are all mystified how one piece can be sitting there all alone. I reckon an old prospector lost it out of his pocket or a cow had it stuck in his hoof and it finally fell out there since I was near a cattle track. So weird but I am not complaining that it had my name on it.

Headed back out. Stopped at the wool shed and checked out the shearers’ quarters and main house then the wool shed. Huge big gum near the water tank towers over everything else.

Shearers’ quarters.

In the main house there were still a couple of stoves in the kitchen which were too old.

The ‘donkey’ to heat the water for the showers.

Over at the wool shed there was a huge loading platform out front made of some big hunks of timber.

Inside we spotted a wool press and scales.

The shearers’ clippers were connected to these and powered by this engine.

The wool rack where they spread out the fleece.

Certainly still smells of sheep in here.

There was another small building further over and all the pens for the sheep while they waited to be shorn or to be let out again.

Headed back home. Dan had tried to ring so rang him back. Told him of my special Mother’s Day gift from the gold fairies. I said it came to me since I received such lovely texts from everyone for Mother’s Day and their good wishes made the gold.

Back home again for drinks around the fire. 5pm still 23 degrees in the van as it was closed up all day. Some clouds have come over giving the sun something to shine on as it set which was very pretty. The space station then came across but went in and out as it disappeared behind the clouds but it was still very bright for so early in the evening.

I get icecream tonight too and Steve can have some for putting me on the right spot. Cooked dinner on the fire tonight.