Today our thought for the day was Vigilance, as one grandmother on the walk described it:

‘Once you’re a mother, you know what the word vigilance means, because you have to be vigilant 24 hours a day 7 days a week, mothers know what vigilance is.’

We walked down Old Agnew Road yesterday, through the deep red sand and amongst the mulgas. Kado walked with us, showing us sandalwood trees, where we collected sweet smelling wood and ate sandalwood nuts. It was the hottest day so far, and the sand slowed us up. Extreme chafing stopped one walker, but after a break and some ointment we were away again. It is so much drier this year and there are far fewer desert flowers as a result. I realise how blessed we were last year, after a wet winter.

A worker stopped and someone went over to talk to him and gave him a flyer. The first thing he said was ‘I’m the guy you hate’. We took the time to explain what we were doing, and why we didn’t hate him. Kado and him talked for quite some time. People from all walks of life are interested.

Once in a blue moon, and today being a day of the blue moon, things go a bit askew. The support vehicle got bogged after the first break, and took a bit of convincing to keep going, by the oldest and youngest walkers seeking a rest. A tyre blew up on the kitchen truck and Marcus and Laura spent most of the day sorting it out, while Bilbo drove Jo, Bernadette and Andrew into Leonora to catch the bus to Perth.

Another car arrived from Leonora with Sheryl, and Walkatjurra Rangers Ethan, Braedon, and Mingan and special guest star Irandia, a junior ranger before she was born.

Aunty Lizzy and Vicky made damper to the delight of everyone. Enough damper for 40 people, for dinner, breakfast and lunch. A load of damper.

While we talked in the evening circle, the blue full moon rose above the mulga trees, the sky darkened into deep purples and pinks, and the stars slowly appeared. Another day of walking done.

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