By the Yass River after rain and in overcast stillness.
9.15 AM
Boiling the kettle for a shower. Means I can have a coffee also and not upset anyone with the jet burner.
Terrific night in the cool rain. Still warmish though.
Not sure per usual what to do. Have to get more tank water, laptop admin, and get groceries if going to Tumut.
Some Yass shots:
Just back from a long-way walk to the toilets. The direct route is pretty good. But I got to go by the river a little way, in morning darkness plus a bit.
Woke at 4 and enjoyed the cool air and quiet.
The early light in which you can just make out tge way is lovely. Unfortunately a camera can’t capture it; the above by Yass River, from the park towards the bridge.
An unfortunate disturbance last night about 10, as I was settling in to sleep after the pump noise ceased, when a caravan driver decided to haul around looking for a spot. Why upset everyone? Then stopped but kept super bright spotlights on for half an hour, which came straight at me and then others down the line.
They left thus morning at 7.30 – all that selfish disturbance. Could have stopped anywhere where they’d be away from settled and sleeping people. I really don’t get it.
8.40 AM and twenty minutes from breakfast. Glucose levels and insulin on my mind now. Bit late.
4.25 PM
Awake, dinner cooked. Fell asleep quickly and deeply.
Before then, I packed up and parked at Yass Woolies. Groceries. Then had a walk, sugar levels going low. Up to Info Centre, staffed by two intelligent young women. Up farther to the famous cafe which is a great idea for the ceramic artist owner.
Down to bottom of street and 2 potato scallops and a crab stick which have sky-rocketed the levels now.
Then to the railway museum and artisans market but scant I left.
Didn’t take a photo, just forgot.
Back to the park and saw and walked a good spot up the top but chose one by the river. Set up my dustbin rain defeflectors which worked a treat and fell asleep in drizzle and stronger drops.
No idea where I’ll be going to. The road from Tumut to Cooma is being redone lots of stops and trucks. Sounds a shitfight.
Main thing now is to enjoy the refreshed wet river-creek landscape before the mozzies begin to assault.
Oh, after waking, saw a monster mobilehome blocking the spots up top. Those things and 4WD caravans infest everything. Ugly and dominating.
7.10 PM
A car pulled up maybe 6PM, drove in fast with music blaring and stopped in the middle of the road.
He’s now flashing his lights. Can only be at me.
He’s jyst got out. Young. Could be clueless. Not a threat.
Unbelievable where he’s setting up. There are spots further down he could go to, just has to open his eyes.
Straight out the window (photo). With ducks. What a way to see the light move in, after waking at around 4.
The repetitive noise stopped at 9.29PM so perhaps that’s their cut off. In any case it did stop.
Vehicles came in and around, but I slept all through and only with a sheet.
Catch my breath today to work out what I’m doing.
7.15 AM
Sunlight advancing down the slope.
Some more photos of the morning; loving the light and dark.
10.15 AM
Found the toilet as mapped. Then saw the pool is closed until 10 so found tapwater, competing with five big ducks who thought my bucket was full of goodies and for them. Characters.
Back at the river brewing another coffee and the rest for a coolish van shower. Very hot today, and the tablelands air and dust exacerbates the unpleasantness.
Be right after a shower. Very tired and feeling very alone and lost. Not fully allowed to be here.
2.20 PM
Fabulous quiet spot all to myself, but I doubt it will last. Very hot. However, I used the time to start and advance two Yass paintings.
Work on them, put them in the sun. Up to three stages in the one day. One of these is going to have a lot more darks, as in the late evening photo of the rocks above, taken last evening.
A bit later. That’ll do for today. Good to have Yass in the folio.
Using the new $25 chair first time. It’s terrific. Seen here.
6.40 PM
Unbelievably hot. The sun just keeps boring into the van, even though I’ve blocked it out. Hot hot.
I gad to move because a very strange person hooned in nearby and started talking loudly. Can’t tell if it’s a she or he. Has a trailer rooftop and left, so I moved away. Person came back drinking as expected, now it’s looking permanent. Most unsettling individual with probably a mental problem, constantly talking. Has a dog, with a bucket on its head.
Not someone I want to be around. I think I’ll move on tomorrow because of it. Where I don’t know. Then the person too may leave.
It’s the mental illness side of this homelessness I don’t like.
Saturday night in Yass. Wonder if it gets bad.
Nice lady nearby the other way. K. with a cat called Dave. On her own, my age or younger, battling away in an old caravan.
…Troubling person has turned on a loud device. A problem brewing maybe. Bad news as it is.
Hopefully the caravan people on the other side quieten the person when they come back. Extremely unpleasant and unnerving for them.
8 PM
Wind just came through, cooler too, after a brief tank shower. Bit better now.
All good so far in the park. Darkness coming in now.
Arrived at Yass just now. Extremely hot and dusty. Happy there are places.
Sure enough. I’m here 15 minutes and this bloke puts on a generator. It went off fairly quickly, maybe 15 minutes, so that’s okay.
People coming through, settling.
I’m overheated. Really tough. Don’t have tank water, either, which I told myself to do. Was worried about time and weight.
Because today I bought new batteries. Too scared to go lithium. Went AGM. Have to charge them first, which I’m learning.
6.45 PM
Just did some map calculations. From here, Yass, to Bega takes an hour longer than here to Batemans Bay.
Maybe the sensible choice is to spend a few days here, and go back to Brooks then next day onto the Bay. Extra battery weight is worrisome so that is direct and I can hang around to pay the po box and work it out. Maybe up to Jervis Bay for a few days.
Then Nimmitabel.
8 PM
Fuck. I forgot. The property over the other side turns a pump on at dusk. How long for? I can’t remember. Let’s hope it’s just for showers. Right now the repetitive noise is untenable and I’ll have to pack up again and move. Shit. The noise comes straight in the open door, ( for the heat).
