Apologies for the lack of posts in recent days, but my mind has been on other matters. Sadly, my mother died yesterday morning. She had been unwell for some time and had been admitted to hospital on Christmas Day. We’d expected a stay in hospital would be all that was required, and that Mum would be on the road to recovery. Unfortunately, that was not the case. She went downhill and we got the word a few days ago that she was unlikely to pull through. At least I had the good fortune to visit her in hospital the afternoon before she died.

She was a very good mother, and always encouraged us to pursue our dreams. And Mum took the earliest photograph of me running, back in 1973, as I jogged along a dirt road near the village of Woolgarlo on Burrinjuck Dam. I mentioned recently that I revisited that very site a couple of weeks ago for the first time in 44 years. I told Mum about this (she always remembered taking the photograph) when I visited her on Friday afternoon. Although she appeared unconscious at the time, I hope she was able to hear what I said. She loved that region and would have been delighted that I took the time to see it again and run along the quiet dusty road.

Mum will be very sadly missed.