The Swag

A marvellous invention,
Of antipodean origin,
Humped on the wallaby,
A non-complaining partner,
Who will let you lay as is your want,
Keeping out cold and rain,
But allowing a vista unparalleled in beauty,
The majesty of heaven itself.

The subject of verse and song,
Or meandering yarn,
Told at leisure by a campfire.

When a long day of crutching,
Or mustering or marking lambs,
Fishin or huntin,
Is at an end,
Or after a night partying too far from home,
This is the time,
To find a soft flat piece of ground,
( or the back of a ute,)
And roll out,
Your swag.

Sleeping Out

Lay my bed in soft dry grass,
On the dependable earth.
Make my blankets reassuring lambswool,
And my sheets, sun-kissed cotton.
My bedroom, a hill-top,
And my window the star-filled skies.
Let me hear the sweet music of the breeze,
As it plays 'piano' on the leaves,
With the accompaniment of nocturnal animals,
Rustling about their business unobserved.
Let the fresh wholesome scents of air and earth,
Waft gently into my olfactory recesses,
And lull me into rejuvenating sleep,
'Neath the trustworthy radiance of the moon.
Let me lie unmolested,
By any troubles of mind or spirit,
But go in and out of restful dreams.
Until the coolness of the predawn awakens me,
And I may greet the day.

The Simple Things

A sunny Winters day.

A gently ticklingly cool breeze.

A warm wooly jumper.

Soft dry ground.

A campfire.

Fresh mountain water.

Some happy pork sausages.

Bread, butter and tomato sauce.

Ham, cheese and baked beans,

And a jaffle iron.

Cast iron pan containing roasting chestnuts.

Kids, bikes, dogs and a treehouse.

All of these 'simple things',

Make a memorable day.

Sleeping Cold

Two nights I have been sleeping cold.
Well,
One night really.
The other I didn't,
Sleep that is.
I was too cold,
To sleep.
Minus ten sleeping bag,
Thermarest on stretcher,
Tent on tarp,
Everything sealed up,
Wearing thermals,
Trackies,
Socks,
Three layers of shirt,
Plus a polar-fleece jumper,
Woolen beanie.
Second night,
Even resorted to a hot brick from the campfire,
Wrapped in newspaper.
Still cold.
All the bits not near the brick.
Until eventually the brick too,
Cooled.


.

Sleeping in a tent.

A stretcher is definitely more comfortable than a mat.
Some stretchers are easier than others to assemble.
Soft ground is never soft enough for hip bones.
Touch the tent and you're wet.
Always carry sufficient pegs.
Be gentle with tent and sleeping bag zippers.
Tents with ceiling apparatus for hanging a light are preferable.
Good ventilation is imperative in hot sticky weather.
Avoid embarrassment,
Learn to erect your tent before camping with friends.
A hot water bottle can substitute for a missing partner.
Find level ground and clear it of debris,
Before erecting your tent.
Look out for ant's nests.
Dig a drain away from your tent if rain looks persistent.
Always dry your tent well before storing.