Down by the River

I giggle as I remember one person who stood out. Father Mulcahy from the TV show MASH (CBS 1972) who in one particular episode personified life as I endure it.

As the sunset paints its ochres across the river into the gums lining the Murray, we have parked in what seems to be quite a well used picnic spot.

As the sunset paints its ochres across the river into the gums lining the Murray, we have parked in what seems to be quite a well used picnic spot.

There are small winding tracks, straight ones, those that could only be walked, others which a large truck could traverse but all with the same point – going somewhere. All on the river with its scenic grandeur poking around every corner.

If one was extremely keen, the dead bodies would be accumulated and munched into bait for the fish, but I couldn’t be bothered feeding good quality bait to carp.

We get colour and to my disappointment its only a large carp. A large fish and a great fight but still a carp.

It reminded me of something someone once muttered while cleaning a haul under a flickering lantern light: “The river doesn’t change, not really. Just how we see it.”

That day, in the weird theatre of wind and water, I finally understood what he meant.

Did I end up making the 200 – yes and then one. 201 in the ranks of “caught by hook”. But when added to those silly enough to get themselves caught in the shrimp net, the number was well over 400.

The One Tree Plain slowly becomes the wooded hills of Goolgowi and then back onto the plain country of the Lachlan into West Wyalong, Lake Cargelligo and finally Condobolin. By the time we reach Condo the wildlife is stirring. The big red kangaroos are seen hustling toward their evening travels. Hopefully we dont see any on the road.

Fishing with him reminded me of the importance of taking time out of our busy lives to just relax and enjoy the little things in life. We often get so caught up in our work and personal lives that we forget to enjoy the simple things in life.