Readers Write

___________________

Brett’s Monthly revisited:

Email from Brett B (the US one, not the Oz one): 

Too late, I see a problem with dates this month: the 13th is not on a Friday, and Blame Somebody Else Day should have been in April. The other dates seem right. Mea culpa, I should have checked before sending. Looking closer, these two dates apply to Sep of next year.

I get this list from http://www.holidayinsights.com/moreholidays/, and have not seen this problem before.

2018 - 2019 Daily Holidays by month. Wacky, Bizarre Days ...

www.holidayinsights.com

2018 - 2019 Daily Calendar Holidays, Special days by month. Wacky, fun and bizarre days. 

Thanks,  Brett.

I also had not noticed.

__________

And more:

From an unknown person responding to Brett’s Monthly online:           

Correction to calendar: 6 - Fight Procrastination Day 7 - Fight Procrastination Day (observed) on Brett's Monthly

But this is a spot of humour, right?
___________________

More drought sadness:

An email from David C B in England: 

Reading Harry Lawson's poem Past Caring had me, after drying my tears, looking at the Eric Bogle "Now I'm Easy" and playing the title track which expresses similar sentiments from an old homesteader.  Brough the tears back to my eyes.   What heroes those men and women were and I hope that their part in building the modern nation of Australia is never forgotten. 

Fully agree, David, and thanks for responding.

Hear and see Eric Bogle sing the song, written by him, by clicking on the following link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u61mw3VfS2o

You can hear June Tabor’s version at:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LAUz8vgbCj0

The lyrics:

For nearly sixty years, I've been a Cockie

Of droughts and fires and floods I've lived through plenty

This country's dust and mud have seen my tears and blood

But it's nearly over now, and now I'm easy

I married a fine girl when I was twenty

But she died in giving birth when she was thirty

No flying doctor then, just a gentle old black 'gin

But it's nearly over now, and now I'm easy

She left me with two sons and a daughter

On a bone-dry farm whose soil cried out for water

So my care was rough and ready, but they grew up fine and steady

But it's nearly over now, and now I'm easy

My daughter married young, and went her own way

My sons lie buried by the Burma Railway

So on this land I've made me home, I've carried on alone

But it's nearly over now, and now I'm easy

City folks these days despise the Cockie

Say with subsidies and dole, we've had it easy

But there's no drought or starving stock on a sewered suburban block

But it's nearly over now, and now I'm easy

For nearly sixty years, I've been a Cockie

Of droughts and fires and floods, I've lived through plenty

This country's dust and mud, have seen my tears and blood

But it's nearly over now, and now I'm easy

And now I'm easy

_______________________

Btw, for those wondering at the origin of the word “cocky” to denote farmer in Australia and New Zealand, the following will assist: 

cocky A small-scale farmer; (in later use often applied to) a substantial landowner or to the rural interest generally. In Australia there are a number of cockies including cow cockies, cane cockies and wheat cockies. Cocky arose in the 1870s and is an abbreviation of cockatoo farmer. This was then a disparaging term for small-scale farmers, probably because of their habit of using a small area of land for a short time and then moving on, in the perceived manner of cockatoos feeding. 1899 Australian Magazine (Sydney) March: 'Cockie' was a contemptuous title by which the big farmers distinguished themselves from the little. 2006 Stock and Land (Melbourne) 4 May: Removing the stereotypical image of farmers being whinging cockies is also important. 

http://slll.cass.anu.edu.au/centres/andc/meanings-origins/all