The temperature was up a bit but with a fierce easterly blowing it seemed quite cool sitting under a tree by the beach at Cossack watching the footy. We were planning on heading out for a swing but with the noise from the wind that was going to be difficult. Anyway after the footy, Eagles won again, the wind dropped off so we packed off and headed out.
One look at these hills and it seems a shame to start digging holes in it but we're still eager to have a good reason to sink the pick in.
With Mrs M at the controls I released Sparky so that we could see the lay of the land up from the waterfall.
It revealed another valley that looked promising so I headed off with the 4500, a few snacks and a bottle of water.
I left Mrs M taking off to a familiar patch that had been good to us in the past.
I walked the hills swinging all day for zilch while Mrs M and Taz were hard at it.
The spinifex was taller and bushier than last year and it made chaining hard work.
Mrs M found it difficult to manoeuvre the coil over the spinifex and it covered a lot more of the ground as well.
Using a lighter shock cord and a new clip I made her a softer, more springy bungee to help support the detector over the grass.
I spent a couple of days looking for new ground while Mrs M started to make me look not so good :8
It's nice when at the end of the day one of the locals drops in to see how it all went.
Saturday started off as usual with me up early and off chaining the side of a hill in the hope of turning up a nugget or two. I'd pulled out 4 on Friday with one coming in at 1.53g. Mrs M rolled out at her usual hour or two later. I heard Zimmer start and saw her head off over the ridge. Fresh current bread for morning tea time was a bit earlier than usual as I hadn't made it back in to make her a cuppa, and one for me, before she got out of bed.
By the time we were due to go out again Mrs M had taken herself back to bed complaining of severe lower back pain. It quickly worsened to the point where I was fast packing everything onboard. It's never easy to get away quickly after you've been in one place for a few days but when it has to be fast you make it happen.
It's difficult to make a rush to hospital when you've travelled the last twenty five kilometres in 4WD but sometimes there's no other way. The trip into South Hedland took nearly four hours because even though we were in a hurry it was more important to make the trip safely and as comfortable as possible. Six and a half hours later after they had taken all the usual body fluids and scans they never really had a good diagnosis but she was pumped full of pain killers so was feeling a lot better.
The best diagnosis the doctor could come up with using the equipment available was that her spine is in a mess. In his opinion she's doing activities that are beyond her physical ability and some good drugs and good rest should have her back on her feet again. The goldfields are out for the moment but we're back leaving footprints in the sand
