Story Archive
- THREE GENTLE STORIES IN THE AGE OF TRUMP
- THE STAGE - FINALLY I AM ON IT
- BROKEN
- THE ROAD
- THE WEIGHT OF THINGS
- RANDOM THOUGHTS AND ACHING BONES
- FOOD GLORIOUS FOOD
- Vale Tommie
- A BIG WALK - Step by Step
- IN DEFENCE OF NIMBIN
- SLEEPING WITH THE ANGELS
- THE LADY BUSHRANGER
- OUT OF THE SHIRE
- THE SOUND OF RAIN
- AND SO IT BEGINS - The Great Australian Crawl.
- NO MANS LAND
- THE FROG IN THE TOILET BOWL
- LEN BENCE - THE ARTIST WARRIOR
- SWAGMAN IN SEARCH OF A CONCEPT
- THE GERMAN ABORIGINAL
- NOT LONG NOW
- LOTS OF THINGS COMING
- DAD'S COMING
- THE BEING LEFT ALONE FEELING
- YES - I STOLE THE CHOCOLATE
- THE OLD COAT
- THE PARTY
- MEMORIES
- DOG WALKING IN A CEMETERY
- MY KENNEL IS GOING UNDER THE HAMMER!
- DAD'S BACK
- THE BIG CHILL
- THINGS HAPPEN THAT YOU DON'T KNOW WILL HAPPEN
- THE NEW KENNEL
- ALFRED STIEGLITZ - THE ELOQUENT EYE
- AN IDEA FOR DINGO DAY!
- THE GARDENS OF STONE
- DON'T RAGE AGAINST THE DYING OF THE LIGHT!
- MOTHER'S DAY
- TODAY
- THE NIGHT LINDA JAIVIN DROPPED ME
- Old Nana
- SIMPATICO
- Nuggets
- THE WUFFINGTON POST-2
- C-C-C-C-CHANGES
- THE WUFFINGTON POST-1
- MAKE MY DAY
- A NEW YEARS DAY LIKE ANY OTHER!
- RECIPES FROM OLD SOULS
- A DOG'S CHRISTMAS
- Well this is Christmas!
- MY NEW BOOK IS COMING!
- OLD MAN - OLD GRIEF
- GOD - WHAT A FORTNIGHT WE'VE HAD
- WILLIAM-JAMES HAS ARRIVED
- CAESAR'S ISLAND
- I HAVE LOST MY EAR-ECTION
- BUSTED IN BOULIA
- YEE HAA! ITS THE HARTS RANGE RACE DAY
- TRULY ... THERE WERE ANIMALS EVERYWHERE
- Old Man Hermann
- THERE IS AN ART TO BEGGING
- ROLL UP -- ROLL UP - ITS THE TRAVELING R&R SHOW
- MOLLY & ME
- EDITING A LIFE
- BUZZ ... BABBLE ... BUBBLE ... BURRA ... BACKHOUSE
- THE MAGIC KENNEL & ROAD TRAINS WITHOUT CATTLE
- I REALLY DON'T KNOW WHERE TO START
- CREATIVE DRIVES - BEAUTIFUL VOICES - MISSIONARY PLAINS.
- WHAT A WEEK WE'VE HAD
- I'VE GOT A MAN CRUSH ON BEN HALL
- GOING GOING GOING ..... GONE
- I LOVE WRITING ABOUT SNIFFING & EATING
- THE DIVING BELL & THE BUTTERFLY
- ROADIES, GERMANS & A JAPANESE ADVENTURER
- THE MAD DASH
- MY NEW COAT
- DOES DAD THINK I'M STUPID?
- THE ITALIAN PENTHOUSE
- I AM POWERLESS OVER COWS
- ON THE EDGE OF THE WORLD
- COMING HOME
- BLOG ON BLOGGING - THREE MONTHS WRAP
- ROLLING OVER
- CONTACT & THE DINGO
- SAD BUT BEAUTIFUL
- VICTORY WITHOUT TRIUMPH IN HAY
- ALISON HUNT - SENIOR DESERT WOMAN
- I AM NOT ANGRY - JUST A LITTLE DISSAPOINTED
- HOLIDAY WITH THE CHOOKS
- EAGLE HAWK NECK
- MAX IN HAHNDORF
- WHAT ABOUT THE HANDSOME PEOPLE?
- DRUGS & RADISHES
- MY NAME is TOM AND I AM AN OVER EATER
- BOGGED AND STRANDED
- BUTT NAKED IN MORGAN
- ON THE ROAD AGAIN
- The CHEF, the ABORIGINALS, the BLOND & the BULL
- A SADHU OF THE OUTBACK
- CONDOMS & BIRD SEED
- TOMMIE, STEVE AND KIRA
- ADELAIDE AND BACK
- GUNNING READY OR NOT
- AN IDEA IS ANSWERED
- TOMMIE
BUTT NAKED IN MORGAN

The Electronic Swagman
Morgan South Australia
When I rolled into the little town of Morgan, all I wanted was a Cornish pasty. Then it was so tasty all I wanted was another one. That meant I stayed in the bakery long enough to meet Joe.
After all the recent rain the first question on everyones lips out here is when the Murray River will break its banks.
How we got from there to the gross injustice of gay men being able to show their bums in public when Joe can't I don't know.
The Mardi Gras had been on television the night before and that may have put it at the top of Joe's mind.
"If you or I walked down the street with a bare arse we'd be arrested."
He's probably right, although I couldn't ascertain whether he actually wanted to walk down the main street of Morgan with his bum showing or not. If he did then I guess he had a point.
He had others as well. "It's a race between the Muslims and the poofters to see who takes over." He counted off the gay Members of Parliament by way of proving his point.
"Brown's one, Wong's one, that Billy MacMahon was one."
Anthony Albanese, recently lauded for his dignified stance over the leadership struggle, "is one."
"I don't think so" I said. "Yep, he was marching last night" countered Joe authoritatively.
My laptop was already out so within a minute we were googling "Is Anthony Albanese gay?"
Joe looked anxiously over my shoulder seeking further vindication. Turns out he "isn't one" but he supports them which is "just as bad" according to Joe.
Here's the dilemma. Should I tell him that just because I drive a troopie with a swag on top and I've got a dingo/cattle dog doesn't mean I am not "one of them". Didn't they get the Village People out here?
Or, do I just listen? Is there any point in arguing?
Tom goes up to him for a pat and immediately Joe says "he's got a lot of dingo in him."
Little did he know Tom spends most of his time in dog parks trying to mount other males. I have often thought he could be "one of them".
Anyway, turns out Joe had a full blood dingo when he was a stockman in the Northern Territory. He found him as a pup and loved him deeply.
"Best dog I ever had."
"I heard that dingos never bond with humans. Is that true?" I ask.
"That's bullshit. Everyone responds to love".
I tried to dislike Joe on ethical grounds, but I couldn't. I have experienced this before with people who actually liked John Howard.
Cornish pasty finished I said goodbye to him, unsure of whether I should suggest we walk butt-naked up the street as an act of defiance against the inequity of it all.
Something like "Come on Joe you old queen, you know you want to."
Once upon a time I would have. Those were days. I got punched a lot though.
c ya
Raymond
PS. Tommie writes about our trip in his amateurish way in eDogBlog-5