Right ...

... that's it people! I leave in two more weeks for my next congé and this time Italia is calling - BUT - you are getting no more pictures or words from me until I receive some news from YOU! Yes that's right, no feedback, no blog!

You can't tell me that nothing is happening out there - I know that you are all doing interesting things, buying houses, having babies, going on holidays and changing jobs. I don't want to have to wait for another run of 40 degree days and complaints from you all to precipitate news from home.

Enjoy your week everyone, lots of love, Ali

It's official ...

... I have an exciting life!

Yes folks for the last week I have been holding the fort on my own. Kev, Marcus and Simmo are all out on congé leaving me behind as 'exploration manager-acting'. I don't know if you all recall how Simmo looked, when I left him to do the same thing, but he reminded me that it was one of the most catastophic weeks of his life. And I did approach it with impending panic as all the things that were supposed to be well and truly started before I left, still hadn't eventuated by the time the boys headed out. A new challenge to rise to, so I took it on in the only way I know how ...


Oh, yes!

So in fact, my week started in much the same way as Simmo's did. I arrived to work on my first day as guardian of the troops to discover that the office was completely flooded! We were 3cm deep in water - imagine an office full of paper and perhaps too many electrical cables lying on the floor! So we set about cleaning up and that was my first catastrophe averted.

Thank goodness for the arrival of the helicopter crew! Yes we are starting an aerial survey, so at our preliminary safety meeting they agreed that we could have a 10 min ride to take a few pictures over the mining area, so I got in next to Gianni and buckled up!


Before ... "I'm just a bit excited Guirou!"

Now I've seen the aerial images of the area, and I've driven over a lot of the site and certainly I've headed out on the roads out to Tabakoroni and Bamako and over our exploration leases, but, my friends - there just isn't anything quite like seeing it all from the air!


Administration building and the camp, SE side of the airstrip


The working part of the mine, NW side of the airstrip


The pit in the background

... love how the boys have their Malboros tucked away handily in their Pronto Soccorso" kit!


This is the life

And just because he could, Gianni took us back to the helipad in a spinning rapid descent!


After ... "you betcha!"

I may have missed my calling, I'm thinking about that chopper licence now!


Gianni and Paolo - the air crew