Happy Birthday to Me

For the second year in a row I woke up in Birdsville for my birthday. 

What is the definition of irony? Kate completing a Responsible Service of Alcohol course on her birthday!! It was finished and the certificate emailed to Liz by 8.30am leaving the morning free for other things.  Each Birdsvillian wished me a Happy Birthday every time I walked past them or they walked past the van until at least noon, which was gorgeous.  Disy gave me a crocheted beanie the night before, I won $10 thanks to a scratchy from one sister, had a chat with my mum, a text from my son and a card that had made me laugh out loud from dear Will, so my day was going well. And it was only 9am! After a very brief catch up blog I headed to the Kenworth shed. 

Along the way I got Will’s and my volunteer goody bags, a few more birthday wishes and kisses and some sunshine on my back.  Lovely! I also had a lovely chat with David K who once again enquired about Will’s finger.  When I thanked him for the kindness he’d shown Will after the mishap which had led to the sore finger David said, “No worries, he’s a top bloke, a really top bloke!” My heart swelled with pride.

As I arrived at the Kenworth shed the radios were blaring – Will’s interview was due on local ABC radio sometime between 10am -11.00 am.  We were all excited!  To kill some time Will and Pete washed trucks, I wiped boards, Disy stood near the radio on high alert, Mr Kenworth wandered nearby and then David H popped in, so we took the opportunity for a semi Birdsville pose right next to ‘Black Beauty’ as our truck from last year has been christened.  Mr Kenworth grabbed the camera off me so I could be in it too – awesome!

All of a sudden the cries went up ‘Will, Will, shh everyone’ as Mr Will K from Fish Creek was introduced.  The interview went for about five minutes covering topics from why Will chooses to volunteer to what life was like trucking interstate, carting livestock and more.  Not surprisingly Will expressed himself articulately, confidently and with a hint of humour – my heart swelled again!

Lunch time arrived, Mr Kenworth joined us back at camp for the second day in a row and we all sat around enjoying ourselves.  Disy and Pete were with us too!  Then back to the grind (not for me at least), the boys headed off, I updated Facebook then wandered over a little later.  A little bit of mopping, a little bit of sweeping and we decided it was time for birthday drinks. 

As the afternoon progressed one more van pulled in – a lovely surprise awaited us, John, from last year had made it all the way from Queensland on his own; his wife Dot is off in Europe with the family. I quietly sat at the table watching Disy crochet a hat for Vonda as her birthday is on Saturday, I listened as Pete and John caught up on all the news as they set up John’s camp, Graham was busy fitting a new shelf into the car and Vonda popped in and out as her phone went off.  Will wandered between fixing the light in the ladies shower to helping John, to just chatting.  It was lovely to sit and just be happy with good people all around me. 

All of a sudden it was after 5.30pm and Rikki arrived to pick us up to go to Anzac Hill, my chosen place for my birthday.  I wanted to get some snaps of the sunset over Alice Springs.   Seven of us piled in her car, Vonda and Graham took their own and away we went.  Rikki and I had a great time taking snaps, Will and the others palled up with a very friendly non-English speaking photo crazy Asian gentlemen and managed to amuse themselves until the sun was nearly down and it was time to go grab a pizza.  Just then, who should pop up but Mr Kenworth who had come to join us for a drink for my birthday? As our driver was ready to go we left him there with his drink and a view of the town lights coming on. 

Pizza, fire pit, good friends and a glass of wine – who could ask for anything more!  But wait, out came a birthday cake, homemade dish cloth, birthday card and wine glass tag – another special Birdsville birthday.