What the Drifters have been up to this year

We settled into the new home in Rainbow and started planning our next trip but things keep getting in the way.
Our daughter was having a baby and wanted mum and dad around in Mt Evelyn to help out when she got home from hospital so there would be no trip before July. Then it was decided by the daughters that we should stay longer so they could throw a 70th birthday party for me.
At 9am on my birthday a close friend from Rainbow "Dawn Petschel" died and her son called to ask me to deliver the eulogy at her funeral. We travelled home the night before the funeral and on getting out of the car my Chihuahua dog BamBam had a heart attack and died I was still carrying him around at 2am in the morning in disbelief. Needless to say I was not in good condition at the funeral but I managed to get through delivering the story of Dawns life.
We decided that we now had to go but our other Chihuahua Pebbles went blind which was going to make it more difficult.
Planning was well under way and we got a phone call that our daughter now with a one month old son, she had fallen from her horse, broken 15 bones and punctured her lung so back to Mt Evelyn. I am home in Rainbow looking after the dogs and just finished refurbishing the fences in Federal St and assisting with the construction of a new gazebo while Sue has been looking after her daughter and grandson in Mt Evelyn so all trips are off until next year as I don't expect Sue home until sometime in December.
I have put in a few pictures that have taken over 250 hours of my time while sitting at home on my own.

You've certainly been busy Phil.

Some good news there and some pretty bad news. I hope your daughter comes good soon. Sounds like bad fall.
Keep your chin up mate.


May 2016 be a great year for you both and your family.

Cheers, Brian

Thanks Brian
She went back to riding her horse and it threw her. She landed on her left side and broke all of the ribs as well as the collar bone in two places and punctured her left lung, but she is improving but still can't lift her baby.
I hope to be on the road for much of 2016 or at least the winter months.
Phil

What a time you have both had! Hopefully it is all behind you now and only good things will happen in 2016. Wishing your daughter a speedy recovery.

One of our dogs went blind at 12 years and we had her for another 5 years after that. It is amazing how they adapt in surroundings that are familiar to them. Hopefully your little one will cope with the travelling. If it has spent much time in your new van, it will know the layout and it is a matter of keeping everything in the same place. My husband kept putting his briefcase on the floor and, of course, our dog would trip over it!

Cheers
Kaye

Hi Phil

Sounds like you have had a time of it lately.
Seems to happen like that sometimes. I hope things are getting back to normal now as you plan for your trip next year.

We were really saddened to hear that Dawn had passed away. I was just remembered the time when we were there in Rainbow and she was very happy to share some history about rainbow and particularly some family history and finding out that she was actually part of my family. She was a lovely lady and I am so happy to have met her.

All the best

Kerri & Ted

Hi Phil and Sue,

You have certainly been on some roller coaster ride! Wishing you both a happy path towards nomading your way around Oz.

BTW the gazebo looks amazing.

Cheers,
Sharon