Gunning girl Tegan Morris prepared and saved for over a year to go on a big overseas adventure this year, working as a camp counsellor at a YMCA summer camp in Calgary, Canada at the foot of the spectacular Rocky Mountains.
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Tegan worked in two roles. Firstly as a camp counsellor sharing responsibility with another counsellor for eight children aged 10-14. Her second role was as resource staff, setting up various activities offered that included horse riding, canoeing and archery.
With her background in polocrosse, Tegan was a natural to work with the horses though she did note that their western saddles were very hard. Over 80 horses needed individual morning feeds made up and 40 bales of meadow hay had to be fed out each afternoon.
Mexican holiday
While Tegan certainly enjoyed her time in Calgary, it was the holiday in Mexico that was the highlight. Swimming with dolphins was the best experience. She visited the Mayan temple Chichen Itza and experienced the Coco Bongo show that was something amazing, with cover tributes to artists like Elvis plus acrobats and trapeze artists.
Tegan is sorting out what she wants to do now, but veterinary studies is high on the agenda. Tegan needs another mount that can take her further with polocrosse. Last season with her horse Barney injured, she had the opportunity to ride more experienced horses and that increased her skills and confidence.
LA BELLE FRANCE
La Belle France
Another globe trotter, returned to Gunning is Irene Barerra who visited France. Among the most intriguing shopping experiences was finding a sex supermarket with trolleys that begged the question of whether the French buy sex aids in bulk.
Full steam ahead
The Lachlan Valley Railway’s steam train to Cootamundra stopped at Gunning on the Labour Day Monday on its way to the 'Steam on the Southern Line' event.
The train, hauled by LVR steam locomotives 3237 and 5917 with assistance from an LVR heritage Diesel locomotive puffed into Gunning whistling loudly. Passengers alighted to return to Goulburn on the XPT.
There is something magical about the old steam trains and if this is an annual event, it will certainly go on my calendar for 2015.
Garden dreaming
Last week a keen crowd of gardeners and land carers were on hand at Gunning Shire Hall to hear what Jennie Curtis and Renae Palmer (Fresh Landscape Design) and Graham Fifield (Greening Australia) had to say. Perhaps the most important part of the landscape advice was couched in the form of questions to ask oneself such as “Do you want to be a slave to your garden?”
Amongst the many pieces of advice one struck a chord with me. Mass plantings make for more spectacular gardens. Look to plant structure such as strappy or weeping plants and combine these types of different plants in different sizes but all of the same structural type.
Subdivisions as well
Graham Fifield presented a series of photographs that showed how planting in the landscape can not only enhance the aesthetics but have many valuable advantages in relation to shade, erosion and salinity control, bird attraction, habitat retention and production. Greening Australia is now available to help in subdivisions to do whole-of-property makeovers.
Coming up
Saturday October 18: Table tennis at Uniting Church Hall from 6.30pm.
Saturday and Sunday October 18 and 19: Aus Stock Horse Soc camp at the Showground.
Sunday October 19: OcTUBAfest at the Shire Hall. Tickets $25 from Gunning Ag or at door.
Friday-Sunday October 24-26: Steven Hart Performance horses at the Showground
Saturday October 25: Marli Martin benefit dinner at Gunning Shire Hall. Tickets at Gunning Service Centre or Gunning Early Learning Centre.