Marble Bar continued

OK, so I left some stuff out in the last entry because I wrote it all before dinner. Anyway, we had such a good time at the Ironclad on Friday night that we decided to see what Saturday nights were like as well... Basically it was a case of same, same, not very different, which was a good thing. We had several good chats with Bill the holiday relief nurse. He is in his late fifties ans is the only medical person in town and is on call 24x7 as well as running the Nursing Station on week days. This is the fourth year he has worked the holiday season here, and he loves it. He said that while the pay wasn't great, the stress to dollar ratio was one of the best he has experienced. Not very many after hours calls, which explains why he has time to do the Guardian cryptic crossword while sitting at the bar. Matildie the 24 year old french barmaid (she calls herself Matilda as the locals remember that better for some reason) turned out to be a manager for a private aged care provider back in France, so Hazel and her bonded very quickly. The rodeo champion was there again as well, and we got to learn more of his story. "Windmill Jack" Brennan is well into his eighties, and is one of natures true gentlemen. He seems to have a story for everything, and kept us enthralled for ages. Originally from Queensland, he has been working around the Marble Bar area for five or so years installing and repairing windmills for some of the remote aboriginal communities. Repairing them can run from fixing the pump or greasing some bearings, right up to taking a twisted pile of steel spaghetti lying on the ground where a cyclone left it, and straightening every piece out by hand over a fire, repainting it, and reassembling it. The result being virtually indistinguihble from a brand new one (he showed us the pictures). The rodeo champion bit occurred in 2009 when Jack was already and OBE (Over Bloody Eighty). He just decided that he wanted to give rodeo riding a go as he had done his share of breaking horses in the past, but never riden one in a rodeo. Anyway, he climbed onto a bronco at the Onslow rodeo and they surged out of the gate. Two seconds later Jack is laying in the dirt after the horse fell over backwards. Offered a re-ride Jack mounted up again and did so well that he won the event!!!! Thinking this was a good lark, he entered the next rodeo at the next town along the coast but did no good at all, so he fronted up to the next one, but Rio Tinto (who were running the show) said that there was a new regulation that stated that once you are past retirement age (i.e. sixty four) you could not ride due to OH&S concerns. In other words, they didn't want to get sued when the old bones started to snap. So, rodeo career over, Jack went back to his windmills. Once this tale was told, Jack suddenly noticed the music playing on the jukebox and insisted on a dance with Matildie, as long as they put on Credence's Bad Moon Rising. Soon the bar was turned into a dance hall, with Jack & Matildie, the two French cooks, and the two of us waltzing, jiving and rocking up a storm. Where else but Marble Bar? He also hand makes stock whips, and we went round to visit him at home on our way out of town in the morning for a cup of tea and a look at some of his amazing work. Well the stories lasted until past 10:30 when we finally headed off towards Karijini.