Aerial view of the breakaways taken during my 2007 trip to Oz.

6/18/00: Awakened at 6:45 A.M. to go to the bathroom.  Still very dark in the dugout.  As I walked, I bumped into the thick glass door that divides the main part of the dugout from the bathroom with my left knee.  And the glass shattered into a million pieces.  Steve thought somebody was trying to break in.  We had a LOT of opal buying cash and opals.  I could not reach the light switch, nor did I dare move, knowing there was glass everywhere.  Steve came out holding a rock pick in his hand expecting to confront a burglar.  After Steve composed himself and got the lights turned on, he gently moved me to a seat, began cleaning up the broken glass and mopped up the blood from my cut knee.  Deep cut, and should have had stitches, but we had brought a well stocked first aid kit, and took care of it ourselves.  Off to breakfast, and then over to Joe and Anne’s to tell them about the door.  While we there there, Joe lined us up with a miner working in Lambina…Johnny Dunston  We will meet with him later today to look at opal parcels. Stopped at the Underground Book Store and bought some more opal books and other treasures.  Made sandwiches at the dugout…and then Steve walked over to the car rental place “Budget” to see about renting a vehicle to travel to Lambina on Tuesday.   Our campervan won’t make this trip across a single lane track through the outback…a 4 wheel drive will be needed.

In the afternoon, we traveled with Ed to see other opal-fields, sunset at the Breakaways, a few kangaroos, the dingo fence, fossils, etc.  Sunset at the Breakaways was grand…watching the sun disappear into the lonely Australian red center.  Discovered Steve’s camera has not been working properly, and all pictures taken to this date will not be salvageable.   Back to town.  Briefly stopped to tell miner John Dunston we’d be back in an hour to look at opal.  Supper at “Tom and Mary’s” and then to John’s home.  John has 3 very protective dogs around his place for security.  Bought a parcel from John (Lambina opal) and shared conversation.  Home to bed.