What’ll we do
when the dam is dry
and the sheep stand by
and they look at me,
and they look at you?
What’ll we do?
What’ll we do
when you stand at the sink
and open the tap
and nothing happens
what’ll we drink?
What do you think?
We’ll put the sheep
on the barbeque
and open a beer,
for me and for you.
And the kids?
The kids’ll have light.
Yeah, that’s right.
That’s what we’ll do.
An old but previously unposted one, dusted off for the Thursday ONL “Oh my! It’s April Fool’s day” at dVerse – which I can’t join live because of the time difference. 😦 So here is one with a climate difference as well – a contrast to all Lillian’s snow.
anotherKate 
oh the pressure of drought! I love the contrast between the light rhyming tone and the actually quite difficult conversation within. This season has been wetter, at least.
I originally titled this “What would N_ do?”, N_ being my indomitable neighbour and someone I admire immensely. I hadn’t posted it before because I wrote it before things got really bad and locals were having to shoot stock. It’s felt “too soon” until now for me, but the intent is to depict the indomitableness and humour of people like N_, not to make light of the devastation of drought.
Oh yes. I understand the need to be indomitable. I have never lived in the land. But my parents have been growing olives organically in a farming community for around twenty years. I have come to a much better understanding of the pressures, difficulties, etc. And the beauty too.
My grandparents grew citrus, and my husband’s grandparents farmed sheep. It’s tough alright. I love living out here, but I’m glad to have a regular job in town!
Makes me miss home.
❤
don't forget the many deadly snakes, spiders and drop-bears…
And now I miss it more 🤣💚
If you’re in the mood for a homesickness wallow, check out https://outofthecave.blog/2021/04/03/good-friday/
complete with kookaburras and currawongs.
Lovely 💚
I listened to kookaburra and magpie calls yesterday morning on YouTube. The kids are fascinated by Australian birds even though they have never seen or heard them in person.
Hopefully you’ll be able to take them home for a visit in the not too distant future. 😊 They can listen to the birds in real life and eat kanga bangas from Coles.
That’s the dream. Still a few years away yet. Tickets alone will set me back more than five grand.
I miss coles, and liquorland, bundy and Cadbury, meat pies and big M. I’ll get back eventually.
$5k… ouch. All those things are still here, but Cadbury blocks keep getting smaller. They’re down to 170 g.
What!?! I’d swear they were 250g when I left.
Fazer blocks here are 200g. I don’t think that’s changed it a few lifetimes.
Last year I bought a magnum ice cream, first since Australia. It was tiny, around 50g. I looked it up online, the aussie version was 20g bigger.
I guess it’s better for our health 😏
They were 250g! I guess it’s portion control, except now it’s too easy to eat a whole block. Chips have also gone from 250g to 175g or 150g. ☹ Things really were bigger when I was a kid.
We have the megapussi here which is almost 300g 😂 Finns really like chips.
Im going to be very disappointed when I return to oz.
Definitely not sniggering… because that would be immature.
We have “party size” bags at 380g, but only in two flavours – plain and salt and vinegar. There are many, many flavours in the smaller size, including weird transients like meat pie, sausage sizzle, and…. although I never tried it and it didn’t last long (can’t imagine why)…. lamington! Timtams also come in a bunch of flavours.
I know. It took me years to get over that. Finns seem unfazed.
Sausage sizzle and Lamington are new to me. I look forward to trying them.
As of my time of leaving oz I had tried every kind of Tim Tam, and since have had most the new flavors sent to me.
This is so good, unsuspecting and delivers hard hitting in the end! 💜
Thanks Shruba ❤
This one solves all dilemmas! Well done.
Thanks Beverley – the best solutions are ones that solve multiple problems 😀
A good description of the realities of a severe drought…and then a douse (pun intended) of satirical solution at the end. Well done!
Thanks Lillian! 🙂
What’ll we do …. Bev is right, problems solved through wonderful poetry! If only.
Thanks Helen! 🙂
I kinda like this….it’s sing-song cadence. And, yes, what would we do??
When our dam was dry and our tanks were empty or down to the last murky inch my kids volunteered to stop washing. 😀
Excellent post for this April 1st. Made me smile. Remember, be nobody’s fool Kate.
Thanks Rob, that’s good advice. 🙂