Gazette August 2023 p24 Final

RITCHIES COMMUNITY BENEFIT
PROGRAM
Girgarre Community Group Inc (‘The Cottage’) provide
many services to the local community including; food
Girgarre Gazette August 2023 pg 18
parcels, community meals, library, tech help, the community
car and many, many more programs - all at little
or no cost.
The Cottage needs funds to be able to continue to provide
these services and we are appealing for your help
via the Ritchies Community Benefit Program.
Ritchies IGA & Liquor stores will give a percentage of the
amount spent (excluding tobacco, gift cards & phone
recharges) by all
members who nominate Girgarre
Community Group Inc to receive the funds.
All you need to do is:
Download the Ritchies App, or pick up a Ritchies
Card in store and register it online (we can help
you with this… )
Nominate Girgarre Community Group Inc as the
beneficiary Shop at Ritchies and 0.5% of your
purchases will go to The Cottage.
Ruby and Olivia
KYABRAM TOWN HALL
Writers’ Group
kyabramwritersgroup@gmail.com
Girgarre Gazette August 2023 pg 7
The Bride
It took a little while to untangle the bride’s lovely long dress from the Lincoln
Continental. The music began to play the wedding song as the bride entered the church on her father’s arm and they started
up the centre in a slow walk towards the groom.
The bride remembered how they had met in the pub and she had fallen in love with him. The groom looked at the
bride and felt his heart beat faster – as it did the first time he saw her across the bar. They could not take their eyes off each
other. It was a wonder they even heard the priest and gave the right answers at the right time! Finally the priest said, “You
may kiss the bride!” – and they were walking down the aisle as Mr and Mrs Smith for the first day of the rest of their lives.
When they got to the outside door, Mrs Smith’s beautiful gown swirled around her feet and so she did not notice the
step. She missed it and fell all the way down to the bottom! Mr Smith was shocked! It took him less than two seconds to get
down there. He hugged and kissed her and asked if she was hurt. She said she was fine and that they had to get to the reception.
Mr Smith lifted his new wife up off the ground and carried her to the car.
Mr and Mrs Smith had a very wonderful time at their wedding party.
She would tell him later where it hurt.
© Mirkku Tynkkynen 2023
Backyard Misadventure
Rusty, our small fox terrier dog, was a fabulous pet. We could do anything with him and he loved us very much. We had
been playing dress-ups, with my sister – all of eight years, looking so grown up in high heels, handbag, the works – out walking
and holding Rusty’s paw like he was a child. I can’t remember how, but in some way, poor Rusty ended up with his leg all
entangled in our Barbie dolls’ miniature rotary Hills Hoist clothes line.
Dad was trying to free the dog’s leg when Rusty struck out of fear, biting through the skin on his arm and hand. Mum
insisted she clean it up but he wasn’t one to fuss over such things. Soon after, he came home from work not looking good,
his skin colour grey. Mum called the doctors. He was admitted to Fairfield Infectious Diseases Hospital for a number of tests.
Mum had to get a swab of saliva from Rusty. They found Ratsak in the sample! Dad was in Fairfield Infectious Diseases Hospital
for a few weeks with blood poisoning – his condition so serious he had been given his last rites by a priest.
My sister and I visited him a week before he came home. Dad had made friends with Ron – who was delighted that Dad
had bought us to meet him. Ron lived in a room in what is called an iron lung. Very confronting! The man had polio so all you
could see was his head. He said the iron lung helped him breath. Ron was a happy person and thanked us for visiting him.
Early one day, Mum prepared a beautiful meal and went to the hospital to pick up Dad. We were so excited our Dad
was home and well again after such a scare. Rusty our dog was in the backyard, and as they walked in, Dad stopped to give
him a pat. He had forgiven him as he knew Rusty was frightened when he bit him.
At last, all was well in our world as we enjoyed the lovely meal, happy to be together as our family again.
© Julie Roberts 2021
Old Man Roo
Old Man Roo lay casually on his side, hidden by the dried summer grasses of the plain – perfectly still but for the occasional
twitch of his ears listening to the sounds of activity only half a kilometre away. Roo was tired of the chase;
he’d only narrowly avoided the two men as he bounded over the wire fence. Their dog had barked uncontrollably as
Roo made his escape. Thank goodness it was on a lead or Roo would’ve been a goner!
Damn! He could hear the pad, pad, pad of Wombat’s paws on the ground as he approached Roo’s hiding place.
He was going to have to move again if Wombat gave him away. Roo was willing Wombat to change course but no such
luck. Wombat stumbled right over Roo’s tail and rolled quite some distance before righting himself and returning to
see what had so rudely tripped him up. Roo glared at Wombat. Wombat snuffled all around Roo’s tail and then sat
upon the very tip and curled up into a ball for a quick nap!
“Well! At least he’s not drawing further attention to this perfectly good position,” thought Roo.
Then it happened! Kelpie was crashing through the bush, hot on Wombat’s trail! Roo had to make a quick decision:
stay put and risk discovery, or create a diversion. With one mighty leap, he was off again, saving not only his skin
but also Wombat’s. Roo jumped into the swiftly running river, swam to the opposite bank, and hoped Kelpie wouldn’t
follow.
The two men often told the tale of the eight-foot Old Man Roo that swam away – mighty thankful that Kelpie
hadn’t cornered him and have all of them ripped to shreds by that unmatched muscular specimen of Australian fauna.
© Judy Campbell 2023