G'day JennyO,

I really should reach back a few decades into our traditions ... and start singing Duke Tritton's Send It Down, Hughey!. This was always held to be good for a quick downpour back in the ealrly days of the Bush Music Club's Concert Party ... and, thus, banned from any outdoor performances!

Incidentally, Duke wrote the song back in 1905, on his first shearing job ... sessioning with the rouseabouts, including the mate he calls Dutchy in his autobiographical novel Time Means Tucker, rather than the shearers, to whom he was just a raw new chum. Of course, the rousies wanted rain ... they got paid anyway, but the shearers where just on rations as long as the sheep were too wet to shear.

BTW: Duke and <>Dutchy just picked on the name "Hughey" to fit the song, using the music hall tune Swing me just a Little Bit Higher, Obadiah, Do! ... and thus gave a name to the Australian personification of God (at least, in re rain). As someone remarked ... "Only the Australians would presume to be on first name terms with God!"

Regard(les)s,

Bob Bolton