"Always Something To Do"...

...Yes, John was born of pioneer stock, and they worked hard to clear the land, they were cane cutters, banana growers and workers in sugar mills...workers of the land, never complaining and some lived long lives, some did not...They came from Ireland on his Dad's side and his grandfather died only young with many mouths to feed, as did his own father -and on his Mum's side they were Irish as well as Scots and they had many children...

...There is a monument dedicated to his Irish grandparents and great grand parents, as well as to other pioneers, near the coast in New South Wales, it's still there, although I believe it's surrounded now with tall weeds as tall as the monument itself..but at least there is some recognition to those hard working pioneers of the mid to late 1800s..still there even though amongst the weeds...someone knows the story...

...I've never known anyone to work as physically hard as John, and when the day is done, there is tomorrow's work to look forward to..yes, there's always something to do...even if we find something to do...in this case - shift the clothes line just a little way - yes, it's in the wrong place...it'll be better over there...

...We remember meeting his dear old cousin - his Dad's 1st cousin - he worked on the prawn boats on the Clarence River - and for something to do - he thought he'd dig up the front lawn and thin it out a bit, a strong man for 87 at the time..!!