Here we are another Tuesday, there was no post yesterday as I forgot. Anyway here is more about the dog on the tuckerbox, yet another poem.

Methodical searches have been made to find rhe original poem, old newspaper files, libraries, and pioneer homes have been combed without finding the authors name or the complete poem being found.

Old residents of the district could recall certain lines of the poem but it wasn’t until the death of O. A. Collins the newsagent and business man that the verse which now appears on many souvenirs was pieced together.

It was Collins who commissioned one Tom Kinnane, a reporter on the Gundagai “Independent” to put together the missing lines of a verse of the original poem.

That poem appeared on match box covers that were distributed throughout the land. The “original” as Collins called it was printed on a sheet of paper that was taken from the files of the “Gundagai Times” and the old type used was set and printed in the old “Times” building.

That poem must have been a tad different to the one penned more than 100 years ago and I will share it…………next week…….

Woke at 5.20 got ukp and peed then I went back to bed for an hour, I was just getting up when I heard Tasha in the kitchen. I had forgotten she would be here. She is bombing her house today, as in setting off bombs to kill the cockroaches.

Tim bought a couple of secondhand bedside drawers they are really nice. Sine he was moving out the old and bringing in the new his side of the bed has been cleaned up and he was shocked at what a mess it was.

Kathy coming this afternoon to shower me and put me to bed.

17-7-21

Slept in till 6.45, had to get myself dressed and make my own breakfast. This takes twice as long as when Tasha helps.

Had to get Tasha to come and put my socks on, when she did she told me that she would have come down earlier if I had asked. But since she came yesterday I thought she would want this morning off.

Tim said he was going to work on the trailer ended up sitting and watching Ghost Asylum episodes.

Tasha came and did the medications and was just about done with mine when she knocked the container spill them all and had to redo them.

18-7-21

Awake and up at 5.30, by 6.30 I was washed and dressed and had breakfast ready for the day.

Another cold day, cold enough for Tim to take the car to work and me not want to go outside.

Jeannie’s birthday she is 53, wishes sent via Facebook

19-7-21

Slept ok till 12.30 when I woke and then I woke every hour till I got up at 5.33am.

A cold day, cold enough to require a singlet.

I have no motivation today to do anything, the type of day when putting one’s feet up and watching telly would be nice. I of course find that next to impossible to do.

20-7-21

Slept well till 4am after that I couldn’t settle I was restless but managed to start in bed till 5.10am when I got up.

Another bloody cold day.

Blain is off school sick, sore throat, headache and a burning pain in the chest. He had a Covid test, should have the results tomorrow. Most likely he had heartburn and also has tonsillitis. We will see.

21-7-21

Just before I woke up I had a dream where I was on the phone to Mum and I could hear her clearly. This left me feeling happy and sad.

My feet are so cold I had to get a second pair of socks on my feet.

Warmed up a tad during the day.

Tim had to take the car to work as the bike has a flat battery.

22-7-21

Had a good night but was up at 5am, I woke needing to pee and since it is a week day I stayed up. I set Tasha a text to let her know I was up but she didn’t reply so I rang her at 5.30 and woke her up. This made me feel bad as I do not like to wake her. I was washed and dressed by the time she arrived.

Had a goodish day managed to print 5 letters and get them into envelopes ready to be posted on Monday.

23-7-21

Babies say love………………

In the way that they curl up

their wee little hands

and cling to your fingers

so tight

What Life Should Be

© Patricia A. Fleming More By Patricia A. Fleming

Published: February 2018

To learn while still a child
What this life is meant to be.
To know it goes beyond myself,
It’s so much more than me.

To overcome the tragedies,
To survive the hardest times.
To face those moments filled with pain,
And still manage to be kind.

To fight for those who can’t themselves,
To always share my light.
With those who wander in the dark,
To love with all my might.

To still stand up with courage,
Though standing on my own.
To still get up and face each day,
Even when I feel alone.

To try to understand the ones
That no one cares to know.
And make them feel some value
When the world has let them go.

To be an anchor, strong and true,
That person loyal to the end.
To be a constant source of hope
To my family and my friends.

To live a life of decency,
To share my heart and soul.
To always say I’m sorry
When I’ve harmed both friend and foe.

To be proud of whom I’ve tried to be,
And this life I chose to live.
To make the most of every day
By giving all I have to give.

To me that’s what this life should be,
To me that’s what it’s for.
To take what God has given me
And make it so much more

To live a life that matters,
To be someone of great worth.
To love and be loved in return
And make my mark on Earth.

Source: https://www.familyfriendpoems.com/poem/what-life-should-be

Gundagai’s Dog on the Tuckerbox was first introduced into verse in the period when pioneers travelled in bullock wagons, pushing their way into the vast unexplained interior of Australia. In the early days, back over a hundred years ago, Gundagai was then, as today the chief “port of call” one the main highway between Sydney and Melbourne.

A favourite camping ground of the teamsters was the Five Mile Creek on the same highway, where the monument now stands. It was there that occurred an incident that inspired the bard to write the original Tucker Box poem.

A faithful friend, the guardian of the teamster’s possessions, a dog accompanied every wagon that pushed inland. It was the action of one such dog in spoiling food stuff whilst he sat on a tuckerbox, that so amused the poet he wrote……..

Good morning mate, you are too late,

The shearing is all over,

Tie up your dog behind the log

Come in and have some dover.

For Nobby Jack has broke the yoke,

Poke out the leader’s eye

And the dog-in the tucker box,

Five miles from Gundagai

The original doggerel was crude and vulgar, and verse after verse ran on depicting incidents along the track that leads to Gundagai.

I can’t say I understand the above verse and I expect I am not alone.

Good morning all another Monday is here so that means facts and here they are………….

In the 1580’s a chain of warning bonfires across Britain could send only two messages. One was “help! The Spanish invaders are coming!”, the other was “Oh no! The Spanish invades are here!”.

2,400 years before the Ancient Greeks put together a system using sets of five torches they could send any letter of the Greek alphabet. The people who ran the torches burned different combinations of torches to send different letters. It must have been quite a show.

Emus lay emerald green eggs

The huge clock on the British Houses of Parliament was once slowed down when a passing group of starlings decided to take a breather on the minute hand.

99% of the matter in our solar system is contained in the sun.

Woke at 5.30 got up peed had my wash and dressed myself, it took me a good or bad 5 minutes to get my long pants on. I also did my own breakfast which also took ages.

Jessica borrowed the heater out of the bathroom yesterday and is yet to return it, so I had to use loungeroom heater.

Been a cool wet day, some may say cold, not me.

10-7-21

Woke at 5.22, thought I would have a sleep in but my bladder thought differently, so up I got.

Tasha came and gave me a shower, I was out and drying off in the warm bathroom. I like to sit naked in the warmth to for a few minutes to fully dry off. Towel drying only goes so far.

However, within seconds Tim wanted me out of the bathroom, so instead of taking my time I had to rush and Tasha had to dress me while I was still damp.

11-7-21

Had a reasonable nights sleep till 4.30am when I woke needing to pee as I knew that getting up would result in me leaking I decided I would wait an hour. It was 6am when I had enough of feeling restless and got up I must have dozed off for that amount of time to have passed.

First day of term 3, Leo is back at school but Blain goes back tomorrow.

Been a nice day not that cold in my opinion.

12-7-21

Managed to sleep pretty good last night, up at 6am washed and ready for the day.

Saw Kelli and Jono before they went home.

Sandra came over to pick up forms Tim printed for her. She asked if I could laminate the death certificates for her and of course I will.

13-7-21

A new day awake and up, I was having a wash and heard someone in the kitchen, it was Tash she saw the bathroom light on and came down.

A bloody cold day, when I went with Leo to meet his driver it started to rain so Leo made me come home. Because it was raining Tasha went up to wait with him.

This afternoon it was bloody cold

but dry when I went to meet Leo.

14-7-21

Awake at 5.30 up at 5.40 thought I would get up and ready before Tim got up as I take a good 15 minutes to have a wash and get ready. Tim started at 7.50am.

Took Leo up to meet his driver and it stated to rain so Leo made me come back, he will not have me waiting in the rain.

Had rain on & off all day but it was fine for me to meet Leo this afternoon. He is here tonight.

Just when I think I have caught up with my mail more arrives.

Jessica’s new licence arrived it is red or magenta as Tim would say. This is her HR licence this stands for heavy rigid so she can drive buses and trucks without a trailer.

15-7-21

Had a decent enough night, I woke at 5.30 and would have liked to have just lay there for a while but my body started shaking so I got up.

Been a cold windy afternoon, raining on and off all day but I was still able to go with Leo up the top of driveway.

Printed up 8 letters using Tim’s printer had only 2 left to answer but then Tasha arrived with 9 more letters. Pen pals keep me busy.

16-7-21

Babies say love

They say it with gestures

and noises……and coo’s

and soft, lonesome whimpers

at night

Acquainted With The Night

By Robert Frost More Robert Frost

I have been one acquainted with the night.
I have walked out in rain—and back in rain.
I have outwalked the furthest city light.

I have looked down the saddest city lane.
I have passed by the watchman on his beat
And dropped my eyes, unwilling to explain.

I have stood still and stopped the sound of feet
When far away an interrupted cry
Came over houses from another street,

But not to call me back or say good-bye;
And further still at an unearthly height,
One luminary clock against the sky

Proclaimed the time was neither wrong nor right.
I have been one acquainted with the night

Source: https://www.familyfriendpoems.com/poem/acquainted-with-the-night-by-robert-frost