Diddly and Darrence

Well I’m doing it again…saying thank you … And I’m overjoyed to be saying it again.. many of my blogs are about being grateful and those magic words.. THANK YOU !!!

OK so what is it about this time ?

Remember last year we did over six months, living in the middle of nowhere, 4 kilometres from a main…ish {for the middle of nowhere} road whilst caring for our huge family of rescued animals. If you told me we would have to be carless for a couple of weeks, I would have worried. There was no way I could have imagined we would manage and yet we did and with barely a stress. In fact it flowed. People dropped stuff off, we bought less, we ate more from the garden and when we only had pumpkins to eat, we ate pumpkin. It wasn’t a problem.

It was a powerful time of isolation ,reflection and really winnowing away what we no longer needed in our life. We certainly got it pretty fast that even going to town ,100 kilometres away once a week ,was too much. We have often noticed that after every trip it usually took us two or three days to regain the serenity we had before we left the sanctuary of our home for the concrete and bustle of town.

I was certain we would manifest the money to replace our old, but much loved 4WD that konked out mysteriously, but we didnt. It seemed that as hard as we worked, our money went. Buying hay and sacks of animal feed every week pretty well gobbles it up and we were over run with animals that needed crop feeding, wounds treating, bottle feeding..the list went on and on. I barely had time to focus on earning an income.

The weeks of carlessness turned into months and the months marched on . How would we ever get a vehicle? And then someone suggested Gofundme. I had never tried anything like this before. To be quite honest, I don’t like asking for help. To actually admit that I can’t achieve something on my own! To allow myself to be humble and ask..lol, that was a big one for me and I didn’t expect the generosity we received. I had no idea that people would give so much. I had no idea that we had an army of supporters that believed in what we were doing. You all did so much more than help us get a car, you restored our faith, our commitment to create this sanctuary, you held out strong arms of love to us when we were still so wobbly on our feet. The trauma of loosing our pigs in that horrendous way had really knocked our faith…at least until you all came along, reminding us that we were not alone and showing us how when we actually ask, we receive. Can I say it again ..THANK YOU XXX

So after six months of no car with the donations we received from our Go fund me project, we bought Diddly. Someone we knew was selling a Ute that had only had two owners, full, perfect condition etc etc.  Now I have to confess I wasnt keen on a Ute BUT It was Gills dream to have one and It was hard for us to travel anywhere to buy a car, this all seemed to be flowing, Gill convinced me of the merits of this simply amazing ute that would go ANYWHERE and never get bogged..what could I do but go with it!

We then got a message from someone we didn’t know on Facebook offering us another  Ute.  At first we didn’t know if the offer was genuine. Was someone really wanting to give us a car? It appeared so and huge carrot was dangled….long range fuel tanks, winch..you should have seen Gill drool…lots of spotty lights..water tanks…..Gill was literally besides himself..it was his dream Ute…..Ok,  there was a slightly peeved look from me ..ANOTHER blimin UTE !  I didn’t even want ONE!!!

Then the photos came and there was about ten days when we didnt hear anything from the person who had offered it to us and I have to say Gill tossed and turned and fretted and prayed and when he had finally let go, lovely Susan contacted us and said, its all on ,come and get it. I would just like to add at this point that Gill who had sung the praises of the first ute when he had convinced me to buy it has suddenly done a huge veer in the opposite direction and is now telling me how the Ute he is being given is so much better and we can sell the first ute and buy a car. Ok sounds good to me. Go with the flow Kye!

Like all things that are meant to be, within a day Gill heard that two people that lived near us were driving the 1,600 kilometre round trip to the city the ute was in and Gill grabbed the lift. He left at 6 am one morning,

They drove all day ,had various break down mishaps and Gill didn’t arrive to pick up his ute until 8pm.  He then turned around and drove all the way home in his new beaut ute. He was on the go for 36 hours non stop, but he arrived home RADIANT and BEAMING,

Now let me tell you about this awesome gift, for some things come straight from the heart and Gills new ute Darrence certainly does. It had belonged to a lovely womans husband who had died twelve months previously. The ute was full of memories…Oh you only have to sit in it to feel all the love and passion. You can feel all the adventures its been on. Its equipped with everything we could need for outback adventures and can easily manage the heavier jobs involved in running an animal sanctuary, carrying huge bales of hay, loading up with wood. It even has a Royal Flying Doctors radio in it, which for our remote lifestyle is a good safety net to have ,for us or someone we meet!

Susan wanted to give Darrence to a good home, where he would be used. It was a huge thing for her to part with him and I had felt concerned about how she would feel when Gill came to collect Darrence . She told me later she had thought she would cry, but she felt her husband standing beside her giving a huge sigh of relief! and nodding in agreement that she had done the right thing. Gill even felt Susan’s husband, Bryan sitting on the seat beside him on the way home,coming for one last ride and happy that Darrence was out in the world being useful again.

So Gill drove straight back, beaming with Joy. Susan told me his face had almost split he was grinning so much when he saw his new ute and as he drove in here he was still grinning. “It even look as if its my Ute ” he told me on the phone before he got home.

Now let me tell you a little tale from his trip home.

He had passed a car on the side of the road and decided to turn around and see if the people were ok. It was an elderly couple and they had a flat tyre and expressed relief that help had come, ” I’m only half here ‘ the woman had replied ‘Ive had that many operations and that many bits taken out and my husband has cancer’

Well dont worry, Gill replied, I can fix it for you

I wish we had something to give you ‘ the old lady said

Oh dont worry about that replied Gill, Look what Ive been given,an AMAZING ute!! I’M so happy,I dont need anything,Ive been given enough

The old couple were delighted to hear of Gills good fortune,but still wished they had something for him

Just pass on a good deed when you can Gill replied and got back into Darrence and drove off with a wave.

So outside,after carlessness for so long we now have TWO utes and I was looking at them both parked outside the other day, and I suddenly saw all these fencing materials being loaded into themn both. Oh MY ..does this mean we could be close to getting fences up!!! Im getting rushes of energy..I actually feel it does.  I began to think ..if we are about to get the lease here..two utes could be so handy. We could have people doing different jobs at different parts of the property and I have to admit,Im getting rather fond of Diddly and he came so serendipitously,surely its meant to be ?

When a friend who was staying for Christmas came in 5 minutes later and said to me..I keep feeling you should keep the ute you are thinking of selling because it will be very handy for you to have two. You could have two teams out fencing at the same time!!!!!!

When I heard from Susan that she had a vision of Darrence parked by a wire fence and the sun going up…oh my. You see we dont have any fences…YET!!!

Well Im letting go. Two utes,not what I put out for, but Im happy. Can I say THANK YOU again.

We have known for a long time that we have something amazing to build,we just didnt know that we would have quite so much energy to clear before we could begin…I am gonna bloomin well read the small print if I ever come on any earth missions again lol

So yes, thank you everyone that donated, shared, prayed, loved and thank you Susan and Bryan, who we often feel smiling contendedly when he sees Gill cossetting Darrence, which he does…alot lol

We are overjoyed to have not just ONE, but two amazing vehicles in our life and already lives of birds caught in fishing line have been saved because we now have wheels to go and check popular fishing spots for casualties, which sadly happens alot!

Yes we have enjoyed our time of isolation but something new is being birthed and Darrence and Diddly have an important role to play in this new cycle. They have both come because they are needed.

As Gill went on his big journey to collect Darrence, I remained at home caring for the animals. It was a full moon and late at night I was just about to go to bed when i felt compelled to go outside. At our gate was Shirley our rescued sheep, she had brought her new born lamb to meet me. I sat under the moon, giving little Lunar a cuddle, while Shirley gobbled up a bowl of much deserved feed. Yes something new is being birthed and I am so ready.

And at the tip shop I bought a wheelbarrow…so handy for when we begin the building and Im getting lots of wonderful plates coming my way. I can see a long trestel table outside and lots of great vegan meals shared with people that have come to help us.

I am sooo excited THANK YOU ..we love you,we couldn’t have done it without you xxxx