Baby-hood and child-hood memories

I went round the road yesterday to visit someone who could help me with the correct naming of the flowers in my photographs, to find Southern Water or whatever they call themselves, fixing a leak in her water pipe.

Me and my beloved Poppy - sadly I have
little or no memory of him.  A rare one of him without his hat

Nanny and her adorable 'Little Lizzie

Well, it was raining - typical Tasmania spring weather, and whilst one guy was trying to fix the leak with his doohickey the other guy was there helping - checking other people's pipes etc.  He had on this old, battered leather hat. I looked at him and his face said - I'm a worker.  Even the shape of his face seemed familiar.  I guess the had was kinda the leather Slim Dusty type - but the brim wasn't as wide.  But it took me back to my earliest memories - and I told him so.

When I was very small, I used to stay with my Nanny and Poppy on a property aptly named "Sweetbanks" - don't know if it's classified as at Rosegarland or at Bushy Park - but that's it's approximate location.  You go up Cawthorns Lane from the Bushy Park end - and we would pass the old house that apparently my eldest Aunt and her husband lived in when first married....

So - - this is feeding me from a bowl - but she also used to do
it from a saucer.  One of those things that was
'normal' in those days

The old house, Sweetbanks, is no longer there.  Anyway - I was staying with Nan - naughty lady who would feed me a little tea or milk out of a saucer - I have photographic proof of this - and I think I was sick at the time. All around the property, there were potatoes??? in the paddocks or hay.  I remember the big hay baler! But I also remember Mr Duggin.  Whether he was the crop duster or not I do not know - but I connect him - who wore this kind of hat - this old hat - with the crop dusting.   I could be wrong - my parents I'm sure will correct me.  One time my Nan said, as you come past the house - can you waggle your wings so Lizzie can wave at you.

Across comes the plane and sure enough - it waggled it's wings and I remember Nan pointing up and me waving.  I couldn't have been very old at all....but it's one of those things that just stick in my memory like glue - the cropdusting plane waving at me and Mr Duggan and his old battered  hat.

For the record...I do not actually know if these photographs were taken at Karanja or at Sweetbanks itself.