Terrific sleep last night but still tired in the day. Shower in Narooma. Then made a doctors appointment only to find my supposed new GP is on very long holidays. They gave me another doctor but haven’t responded to an email about bulk billing. I notice the place has atrocious reviews and worrisome answers.
Back to a mostly empty rest area for lunch and some painting. A walk in the bush. Food on the cooker in five minutes, approaching 4PM.
Fun and games with the shower. People packed and left, some spun in and soon left, me boiling water and setting up one side then the other and back again. Finally had it to myself and cleansed.
Trying to remember now to shower on the right hand side due to increased rust at the door slide on the left.
Empty on the nth part now except for the generator guy in the big van at the bottom, all good this morning and last night in that respect, so it’s a case of wondering who’s going to turn up, what equipment and attitude they have.
About to paint again, again tempting fate with an eye bleed. Tomorrow I’ll know if I got away with it.
Shower patch;
UPDATE 4.18PM
Good day painting. Maybe about 4 hours. Wasn’t overly impressed with myself all day but at the end, quite buggered, I thought they looked fine. For acrylics, very satisfactory indeed.
Four to six got work. All but one new, which includes new from last time, the day of the bleed.
Went for a walk to be in the bush and away from the van. Change the view.
People starting to arrive now. Been a clear place but for the lower bloke. Van next to me below. I’m in the uppermost spot on the nth side.
Sausages with usual vegies on the cooker, on the covered table.
A good day once again, as my whole life, totally alone.
Next stage of the day – they go in stages – is to let dinner cool, close van doors, and catch up on some political videos. (I keep up with the NYT all day.)
Then dinner out of the frypan, watch news, and into the night.
So good ro be away from the creep. So good. Lovely healthy bush and people.
The biggest difficulty today is that my sore head – been painful for about a week when I slammed it getting into the van, the exact same spot on my skull every time, permanent pain and hard to sleep – got banged again in the exact same spot. I feel a bit nauseous from it. It’s the worst thing about doing this. (Not that I have a choice anymore. )
Exactly 4 weeks after the bleed and exactly in the same spot when and where it happened – top space here at Bodalla state forest – although a few hours earlier, my eye is doing well. It feels longer than 4 weeks.
I can see out my eye, although reading is difficult because the gunk in it shifts over the focus. The willow branches have weakened a lot; now they ghost across my vision, still there and still both annoying and deeply troubling, but they are breaking up, lessening in darkness, thickness and intensity.
This clearing up is a lot faster than I expected and very much a relief. Although it’s going to be months before they, and the sheath and gunk, go away, I can handle what’s there if I don’t focus on it. That said, it seems from past bleeds that the eye doesn’t 100% clear. Or that it takes years.
Have to admit I don’t want to jinx myself and have another bleed by being here.
Bodalla State Forest. Just arrived. Not as packed out as I thought. Great to break the chains and be here.
UPDATE 1.05PM
The north side, spaces up the hill, have filled up now. This stopover is going to be a shakedown, more than likely, between me and generators. Or music beats. It’s that sort of place. The bottom van has a generator going now, but it’s noisily windy and he’s away. I’m expecting a shit time with them so I don’t get caught unawares.
An elderly couple arrived inba van adjacent. That could have one, understandably.
…After reading the NYT and going to the loo facilities in the dark, this is a shot at the time I left Waldron’s Swamp rest area for breakfast at the quarry then a shower sth side of the river at one of my usual spots.
UPDATE 3.38PM
Dust blooming everywhere as a noisy truck towing a caravan tried every which way to jam a ridiculously overlong rig into various spots. Wanting luxury, the silly bastards after half an hour ended up driving away. Couldn’t fit, couldn’t stop.
Not for the first time I’ve been grateful for my fabulous van. Hassle free everywhere I go.
UPDATE 4.56PM
Calm evening. Fingers crossed re any generators.
Late afternoon, my – super quiet – neighbours next door. The most beautiful human thing I’ve seen since going out and about.
