G'day and welcome to my May update so sit back and read away or you could always go outside and mow the lawns or something like that.

The month started with this wet stuff falling out of the sky. After research and asking Mr Google I discovered it was called RAIN. Something not seen around this area and many other in land areas for some time. Any wonder I forgot what it was. Not a lot of rain but enough to settle the dust for a couple of days and give the ground and animals a drink. Unfortunately, not much more to none for the rest of the month. Temps varied from -1c - 7c overnight and 18c - 24c during the days so temp wise a nice month.

Now, that all said, the last week of the month, the week just gone, found a major change in the weather, rain, strong winds, ice on the car in the morning and a fitted gas heater in the aluminium tent working overtime. Yep, cold was the last week of the month.

The month also started with a visit down south. In my wisdom I decided to drive down to south of Melbourne, an 8-hour drive and visit my youngest daughter and her family. Grandsons, Max and Flynn have grown heaps and I really enjoyed my time there. While down south I also visited very good friends David and Carol, I was going to visit them at their home base but instead they were at their new base camp block near Ballarat central VIC so I visited them there first. It was great to catch up with them again and as I write this Carol should be very excited indeed as her son and his wife should have arrived to live here from overseas. A big welcome to them. I would have liked to visit other friends on the Mornington Peninsula but time was against me. Another time.

A little update on David and Carol, yes Carols Son and his wife have arrived and they were passing through Young on their way to see Davids family in Bathurst so made contact with me and we met up in Young for lunch. The son and his wife are very nice people in deed and it was great to meet them.

After a couple of days down south it was time to leave. I was back in Young, south slopes NSW on the farm 8 hours later.

The middle of the month arrived and I finally paid a visit to the Lambing Flats Chinese Tribute Gardens in Young. Lambing Flats was the original name for Young back in the 1800's during the Gold days.

The gardens are a tribute to the Chinese of the area that were looking for Gold but due to a riot back in 1861, left the area and went through the area the gardens are now. They are beautiful gardens with Chinamans Dam to the left of the pic I have included below. The dam was used in the 1800's to supply water for the Steam Locomotives that went through the area. A lovely relaxing spot with an easy walk around the gardens.

Around the same time during May I had another one of Doug's big day out. This day took me to Lockhart south of Wagga Wagga. A lovely little country town with plenty of history of the area and some old shops and buildings. One spot, in the middle of town is the CWA Park. I found some more Silo Art, well to be exact, it wasn't really a Silo but it was a Water Tower beautifully painted.

Not only that but as well even Lockhart proudly displays plenty of scrap metal sculptures around the town, starting in CWA Park. Just on the edge of town on the Wagga Wagga side is another area set up with great sculptures from times gone by. There is what is called the Pastoral Shadows self-tour. Depending on how fast you walk around it and how many times you stop it is about a 15minute return walk but in that time, you wouldn't do much at all. It took me one hour as I stopped to take pics and read the signs.

The day ended by heading back to Young via Wagga Wagga and the Chocolate/Liquorice factory in Junee. A great day out yet again with good memories of places and things seen. OH! A couple of goodies found their way into my car from Junee as well but didn't notice them until later so too late to take back.

It never seems to end! What does I hear you ask? Problems is what. I have a Truma gas heater fitted in the aluminium tent and got that done during the build. Lately due to the weather cooling off rapidly overnight I have wanted the heater on to warm the getting older bones but every time I turned it on, about 30seconds later it would go out, I would start it again and off it would go again. This actually got worse over a week so found a Truma service man here in Young NSW. I rang and he came to me and visually checked everything outside then went in and checked fittings etc and turned on. Started as has been and shut down 30 seconds later. He said it is starved of gas so went outside again and made an adjustment to the gas regulator. He then went back inside, turned on and BINGO, all good. It was starved of gas and the regulator adjustment solved the problem.

There was another problem he noticed was wrong though, the exhaust piping going to the outside of aluminium tent was not fitted properly so he sorted all that as well and for $85.00 all fixed and safe. It has been working a treat since.

The biggest news of the month of May was, wait for it, hold on tight,

After the return of Roxanne from over on the South NSW Coast and Garry and Roxanne's daughter giving birth to a lovely little boy, I was made redundant for now and finally, with my health 95% mended it was time to make a move SO,

I have left Young, only just though, today in fact and now as I speak, on my way to the tropics. Lookout Townsville, here I come. My plan, yes plan, is to arrive in Townsville on the 6^th of June, if not then the 7^th (Weather permitting) after some one-night stands on the way. Maybe that should say, one-night stays. So, with that fresh in your minds this update needed to stop so I can shake rattle and roll, so until next month, keep safe everyone, Ill try extra hard.

Some pics below as usual.

DOUG