A Novel Adventure – Page 21 – Jenn J McLeod

Posted on 29/08/201429/08/2014 by Jenn J McLeod — 4 Comments

Happy Barcoola Anniversary to us!

It’s one week since the house settled and WE settled into our new mobile home for life on the road.

Okay, so we are not ON THE ROAD exactly. We travelled about an hour north and stopped at Corindi Beach Caravan Park. We will make this lovely spot our base for a while as we find our ‘caravan legs’.

Dad is visiting a couple of times a week now as we are only 10 minutes up the highway (and he brings scones every time he visits!)

This last week has tested us, though: the notorious east coat low has brought five days and nights of pelting rains, lashing winds, thunder, and lightning strikes that saw the van park in black out for four hours. (Dad will be bringing scrabble when he next visits!!) Mind you, we got lots of reading done: Greg Barron’s Lethal Sky (another riveting read from Greg), Dawn Barker’s Let her Go (love, love, loved it), and about to start Anna Romer’s highly anticipated Lyrebird Hill.

Apart from having so much reading time, there are LOTS of things to get used to.

Good things: the roar of the ocean only twenty paces from our door, the endless entertainment provided by wives frantically waving hands at husbands for the Van Reversing Ritual that takes place every evening, and stare-offs with the local roos.

Not so good things: limited data for Facebooking and blogging and drinking too much coffee (yes, the coffee machine came with us!)

The pups seem to have settled in just fine and tonight we christened the Weber Baby Q because the weather is finally being good to us. Tomorrow I will be hitting the book again. Edits for Season of Shadow and Light going well.

Posted on 15/08/2014 by Jenn J McLeod

Where I was today: The best little station in the nation.

The sign says it all.

2NVR – Nambucca Community Radio – is an impressive facility tucked away in an old school house in Bowraville, NSW. (Some of you might know that my fictional Calingarry Crossing was inspired by four small towns: Sawtell, Ulmarra, Bellingen and Bowraville.)

So, what a thrill it was to be asked to spend an hour talking books and writing, songs and the seasons on Elizabeth’s Turning Pages program. (And what tremendous role community radio people play in regional Australia.)

A few days ago Elizabeth asked me to provide her with a list of my favourite songs — of course they were all season related: Summertime, Blue Skies, Stormy Weather, Summer Holiday — to be slotted into the hour-long chat, along with the news and the all-important sponsor messages. (Did I mention how amazing community radio is, yet?).

We discussed my writing process and how much I am enjoying mentoring a local writer. For aspiring writers I sung the praises of RWA. I got to share bits about book 3 – Season of Shadow and Light – but forgot to mention book 4 has a very Nambucca theme!!

We laughed a lot, talked about my impending adventures in a fifth wheeler and my writing of the song for Simmering Season. We also gulped in unison over a technical glitch, which Elizabeth resolved like the professional she is. (Did I mention how wonderful community radio folk are, yet?)

Sadly, we were unable to play my song, so here it is – below.

I did manage to leave books with Elizabeth and over the next week or two she will be telling listeners how they can win the signed copies.

So locals, do tune in to the ‘best little station in the nation’ – 105.9 FM – each Friday from 11:00 am and don’t forget to support those all-impotant sponsors. If you Facebook, head over the Elizabeth’s Turning Pages.

**READER SPOILER ALERT**

AMBER LEAVES
Music and lyrics by Jenn J McLeod.
Arranged and performed by John Watson.
Produced by Clive Lendich.

______________________

Posted on 14/08/201431/12/2014 by Jenn J McLeod — 9 Comments

Here she is! Our new home – Barcoola

On the outer Barcoo where the churches are few,

And men of religion are scanty,

On a road never cross’d ‘cept by folk that are lost,

One Michael Magee had a shanty.

From: ‘A bush christening’ by A B ‘Banjo’ Paterson (1893)

In their brochure, the designers of our new home (Southern Cross Caravans) called this 4WD edition “The Barcoo” so when I Googled the word I found the Macquarie Dictionary has three references featuring Barcoo:

‘Barcoo Rot’ a scurvy-like ailment from poor diet resulting in skin lesions, sometimes described as ‘outback scurvy’ and the scourge of explorers, stockmen and drovers.
‘Barcoo Salute’ meaning the ‘waving about of hands to keep flies away from your face’
and the ominous ‘Barcoo Spews’ which is vomiting caused by extreme heat.

Okay, so not a great start to our big adventure!

Thomas Ingham “Barcoo Rot Ointment” potlid, c. 1890’s. IMage and reference source John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland.

I then discovered the word ‘Barcoola’ is an Aboriginal word and the Barcoo River divides country belonging to two tribes, suggesting the Barcoo River serves as a boundary between two groups in the region [Yandjibara and Dharawala in the Blackall Region which is the headwaters of the Barcoo River].

THEN… I discovered that in these tribal languages ‘Barcoola’ is given as the word for ‘two’.

So, here we are – “two in a Barcoo” – writing in and under the southern cross – no scurvy, spews or rot in sight!! (But I do hope theBarcoo Hotel still welcomes country pub dwellers.)

Mail Coach at the Barcoo Hotel Blackall, 1897 Photo courtesy of John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland

Come August 21, 2014, we will be grey nomads, wandering writers and “of no fixed address” – time period unknown. I hope you will join us here (or as my friend/follower on Facebook) as we hit the road.

My thanks to John Oxley Library, State Library of QLD. For more reading: http://blogs.slq.qld.gov.au/jol/2012/05/22/the-meaning-of-barcoo/