Sunday, June 17, 2007





Fast Lady




In an old tin box, yesterday while looking at cards and letters from before 1972, when Don and I met, I found an envellope full of at least ten speeding tickets... and the penalty at that time was $6 Australian (circa 1967-69).




This is the car he loved and finally smashed ...it was called as you can see on the driver's side front.."Fast Lady". He lived at Blackwater (Queensland) and aged 16,17 and 18 worked for the US company called Utah Mining.


But on second thoughts I think that the above car was a Vauxhall or older Valiant...and this car also named "Fast Lady" was his brand new Valiant. Car type people will pick it...


all the grass around the car as well as that car are is burnt...but not the lovely Don.


He went through the cars at that stage thats for sure, in his reckless youth...I am so glad he had an angel on his shoulder, or I never would have met him...


when he finally did get hurt seriously it was just at work and something which couldn't be helped and nobody could have forseen. Funny that.


I went out to the cemetary at Wauchope today - because I had to...like sort of reminding myself that "No he is not coming home"...he is not just down the street, nor asleep in bed...


Like most of us, our little family has had its fair share of close deaths, luckily no children of any of us... but the ache inside me is unbelievable. I know that this is grief, and its normal. When you lived as closely as we did, almost 24 hours a day 7 days a week , and live with the knowledge of the preciousness of life, because we knew that any day since his initial accident, something could go wrong...we lived in the present... not wishing and dreaming about this and that... not needing to travel, accepting not going to the beach, and being unable to visit people's homes (most were impossible to access)...we became very self sufficient...and happy...apart from the odd blue which is okay.


Right now it just feels impossible to think I will never see him again in this life, but even as I write this in my mind's eye I can see his eyes filled with so much love. He wasn't perfect, we were not perfect... our family was /is not perfect, but what we had was real...


and he sure had a good time in his misbegotten youth. This was taken at about 17 before the long hair, beard etc... and he assured me he was quite the catch in Blackwater, and in a town actually called Dingo (I kid you not)...another town called Bluff ( hm!)...girls every where he assured me...
I sure had good taste ... when I met him he had long fair hair a thick beard and moustache and the best set of shoulders I had ever seen (apart from my own dad) all from hard work not the pooncy gym...
and his "Fast Lady" days were over as the first car we bought was a Hillman Imp...from the wrecker's yard for $142 and we drove it up to Cairns in north Queensland and all over...rolled in on Port Douglas beach up there... and drove it back down to NSW with the back windscreen out ( a bit chilly to sleep in at night..)



13 comments:

JahTeh said...

What is it with their cars. My ex had an Austin A40 tourer, painted black with flames on both sides. He was pulled up on the Great Ocean Road and the police went all over it and gave him the all clear. He made it home to the top of his street and the wheel fell off. The boys picked up the corner and rolled him home.

iODyne said...

what a gorgeous boy he was.
you lucky woman.

Anonymous said...

AP6 Valiant I think. Re the young pic of Don, he would have been seriously molested if he had walked into a gay bar looking like that. Very nice looks.

Dan said...

I can't imagine what you're going though my sweet friend. I wish I could give you a loving, warm hug right now. Please imagine that I am.

Today (Sunday) is Father's Day in the U.S. It's the first without my dad, who died just before Christmas. I miss him very much.

Sara said...

Boys and cars... what did boys do before we invented cars? Great pics, as always. :)

Sling said...

Quite the handsome lad that Don.And bold as brass with his vehicles.
Lovely post MC!

Ann ODyne said...

Holy cow - and I thought I was a hoarder .... cannot possibly top 'parking tickets from 1972'.
Just lately I have had to trim my life severely
and I do it by considering the Dalai Llama,
who as we all know right?
'has no earthly possessions'.

no deodorant
toe-nail clippers
razor ....

oh! like everything else in this world "Disclaimers Apply, see below"
hhhmmm.
love and peace to you from the gypsy bwca.

Ann ODyne said...

holy cow 2 !

I just went over to Dan (comments above) place ... he gets 200+ comments on all his posts.

he sure doesn't need mine.

now i am wondering how he gets out to other blogs with his inbox so full.
(he does seem a lovely person though - there are so many NICE bloggers).

rosemary said...

Steve had wrecked 4 cars before he was 17...bad boys. I have never seen Steve without his beard...pics of course but not his clean face. Going thru old photos is a good way to reminisce and will bring back some wonderful memories.

Anonymous said...

a hillman imp for a blackwater imp? sound appropriate to me, MC :o)

jin said...

Really great pictures!
I think I like the second one best.

"He wasn't perfect, we were not perfect... our family was /is not perfect, but what we had was real..."
I really love how you phrased that mc.

Jules said...

I think that this airing of your life with Don is definitely good for your soul. Keep sharing!!

Anonymous said...

Hey MC,
It's amazing any of us made it to 20! Now if I can make it to 50 soon, I really will be amazed.
You're holding up very well dear friend....so glad you're keeping us posted.