With all the Long Weekend Worriers, concerned about where to find a camp along Cobrams Little Toms Beach on the Mighty Murray River, Morningbird and Little flower did the noble thing and offered up our prime piece of camp real estate to the lucky ducks that were eyeing off our first class riverside camp. The eager camping buzzards were circling, so we high tailed it out of our serene riverside camp and made our way back to Tocumwal at Brother Ron and Roxannes for a weekend of family fun. It would all start late Saturday afternoon right in Tocumwal with a Hot Rod show and shine and a concert in the park with Elvis the King of Rock, entertaining the festive crowd in the balmy autumn sun. Brandishing deck chairs and eskys we set up camp in elprimo locale street side. Our entourage of Ronnie, wife Roxanne, daughter Stephanie, her gifted son Dominic and partner Dave, my other brother Robbie, partner Judy and of course Robs delightful daughter Jasmine. We were set for a fun packed evening with the warm up guy performing some pretty good covers on stage, before a pink Cadillac convertible pulled up, and out stepped
the King in all his majesty. Donned in bright red body suit, blue suede shoes and a thick shock of black hair slicked back, Elvis sashayed up to the stage and in customary southern drawl greeted his fans with, First time I have performed outside public toilets. But it was all about One for the Money, you know the rest, The King had the crowd on their feet rocking and rolling to all his hits,
Meanwhile there were almost a hundred amazing hot rods of all shapes and sizes and vintages, parading a circuit lap around the town. For a gold coin donation to a local charity, we piled into a fully restored 55 Buick Roadmaster. The car had to be fifty feet long or so it seemed, it was classic grandiose gargantualism of post war American extravagance. Driving the town circuit was just cruisy, until the friendly driver owner had to maneuver a 10 point turn at the end of a street. Hey but it was all a big dose of fun. Returning to Elvis Park, we could hear the King in full swing, I said to Littleflower Its Now or Never, nobody dances in broad daylight, but
the golden sunset with its amber glow on the pepper corn trees, was the perfect scene for some dancing in the park. We donned our dancing shoes and tripped the light fantastic to the Outhouse Rock.
Evening closing in it was time to head back to Ronnies, for a family dinner and to plan out tomorrows big event the Stellar Cup. For those not privy to this much coveted trophy, I will give the run down. The Thompson paternal Grandmother Stellar was the custodian of a large silver fruit bowl that Morningbird and siblings proclaimed to be the esteemed said cup. This cup is fought and won, over a big game of golf, exclusive to the Thompson family and extended members. So it was nighty night until the morning sun heralds a new dawn. Being the long weekend it was a very early Tee Off, at Tocumwal Golf club, with much flexing of muscle and general boasting, outside the pro shop.( I think golfers are very much related to people who fish. they also have very loose scruples as will self evident.)
of books to pass the time. The tyrannical Thompsons were pairing off into 2 groups of many, the days play. Ronny, son Max and buddy John ( ineligible to win because of wrong birth right ) and myself hit off first, before other brother Robs entourage took to the Tee. My first drive sailed off into the yonder far down the fairway, (pretty happy with that), however I could see consternation on faces, but secretly I knew it was a good jag). Why golf you may ask, well our maternal many greats Grandfather, Joseph Thurrowgood helped construct Australias first Golf course at Bothwell in the midlands of Tassie in the 1830s.
