No place more welcoming than the country

Went cross country today to visit a lost contact single farmer friend whom a friend nurse found for me again some months ago . He was never home when i visited so I rang or called all the local hospitals none of whom would 

tell me whether he was there (.He lived in the middle of nowhere with three or four possible care centres ). In future I won't ask over the phone , I will just turn up and assume "he's there " and suggest you do the same.

I was devastated that privacy laws prevented me getting even basic information . Out of the blue about 3 months ago a friend nurse  said my name had come up in conversation. Went there to visit today and found out he had died some months ago . He was a grateful inventive and tidy bloke who had no family, kept to himself, lived off the land with few comforts using his cattle sales to pay for improvements like soft drink and stores on the monthly visit to the city far away.

Single people are at great risk and single independent farmers are at great risk. Like many blokes though he would have loved the attention in the "the home" .

As many of you know too our nephew Luke lost his dearest precious and key friend yesterday too- unexpectedly due to ill health.

I hope we all make the most of remembering friends and being friends with whomever you can, somehow this Christmas . 
Thinking of you all out there- many for whom Christmas will mean remembering a loss much greater than mine . As if to bless us all "Lord of the Rings "is on the TV.

I dropped into his property on the way home . After finding the bits for his letterbox  I went into his home area in search of some flowers ( he used to grow a few sometimes )to display there -the path was all overgrown . All I could find was some fruit from his orchard of pears apples and nectarines  ) I enjoyed a bit of fruit remembering how he would want me to have some - so generous. Stuffed my pockets with fruit to share with family back home This is the country . where abundance and scarcity share the same home  . The birds from the extensive native forest (you can hear them on the video) nearby would get the rest of the fruit -the cows were already sharing the shade.

Heard a police siren while i was walking back to the car -Couldn't see the car because of all the bushes  Had I been noted as a trespasser ?. No, but find out what i was charged for that day---on another blog.

This day is too precious a time to continue here and now
Its a day _
to remember

- our friends and to talk to them 

-people in need around us  

-farmers who grow us our food only to be poorly fed 

- the great abundance and beauty around us 

- the wonder of the gifts we are given and
- our need to share those gifts   ( and if Lord of the Rings is right - to fight for them )