To quote Paul, ‘this isn’t what I signed up for’.

In buying this caravan and becoming a Gray Nomad, our idea was to travel where the wind and whims took us, and we decided we’d do some work on the way around. We decided if we found ourselves in a job we weren’t happy with, ‘we were to be out of there’.

Nine months down the track – We’re in a job that is providing a moderate level of satisfaction for Paul. For me – not so.

Theoretically, the pay should work ok as the week-end pay should bump the rate up. However, last week-end we had a thunder storm that reduced work and resulted in cancelled shifts, and this week-end due to heavy rain Paul’s Saturday shift was reduced to 4 hours, and again all Sunday shifts were cancelled. I didn’t work at all on Saturday, and my shift today was cancelled. Paul has been working since 11am and probably won’t return until 8 or so tonight. He’s helping out on the bunkers at a different sight that is having some staffing difficulties.

For Pinnarro, rain has stopped the harvest, and it won’t start up again until the sun and wind dries it again. Too much rain and it could be ruined altogether. I suspect currently, it’s not looking good.

Yesterday was okay. We knew early enough so we could plan a day out. We went to the nearest bigger town of Loxton, which is around 130 kms away. Being a Sunday, not much was open, but we did find a winery to go to for lunch, and also a lovely historical home to visit.

Today Paul’s at work, I’m at home in the caravan. Pinnaroo has an IGA, a butchers, a news agency and a bakery, but we don’t need any supplies. There are no other shops, no towns nearby, no national parks or beaches near by, in fact there’s absolutely nothing near by except crops of wheat and barley within a 130 km radius of Pinnaroo.

I’ve read, and perused the internet until I’ve just about gone doolally, and am reminded that ‘I didn’t sign up for this’.

Looking at our current Schedule, we have a caravan park booked in Adelaide from 20th December to end of January. Then we have caravan parks booked  around the Great Ocean Road as we make our way to Melbourne to pick up the ferry to Tasmania, which is booked for the 9 March. Then we have flights booked towards mid April for Sydney and the UK, returning early in June. Including our time here at work, that means we have committed more than 8 months of our time with no room for the wind or whims to take us anywhere. Again, not what I signed up for. Grrrr!!!! We manage to do this too often, book our lives away, and get trapped by plans of our own making.

If I sound like I’m having a whinge, that’s because I am. Just a bit ‘over it’ today.

We’re both on afternoon shifts at Pinnaroo tomorrow. Hopefully, the trucks will be rolling in and it’ll be a better day. If not – well, I’ll think about that tomorrow……