All in a day's work...

When I hear or see some of what Simon's day has been like at work, I feel the familiar shudder of worry settle in my heart. Worrying about him whenever he puts on the uniform or goes off to search and rescue someone is so familiar to me, that it's like an old friend - except it's not a friend at all. And that's just about the stuff he does tell me. 

There is so much more that Simon doesn't tell me because it's either not right (out of respect for the persons involved), not professional to discuss it, or can't/won't for reasons of confidentiality or because going into every single bit of detail, especially if it involves car accidents, would freak me out.

But he sees things, smells things, hears things, touches things that many of us just can't comprehend.

Simon has gone away today for a three day winter search and rescue training where he will sleep outside in the snow. I couldn't think of anything worse... brrr! The sad part is it's his birthday tomorrow so he will be spending it training in freezing weather for a day where he can use his training to make sure other people enjoy plenty more of their birthdays. :)

burst water main

going up in the police helicopter.

this photo speaks for itself.

Simon is going to be on the television show, Outback Coroner later in the year, and here they are filming him and a few others in relation to a missing person, that Simon found deceased a few days after they went missing.

rope work - Simon is one of the more skilled and experienced rope workers, having been in Search and Rescue for a number of years now.

This is what Simon loves the best about his job, not having to deal with the day to day stuff on the frontline, but out there in nature, in Tasmania's beautiful wilderness. I would like it too - just not halfway up a REALLY tall tree.

A group of bushwalkers stuck on one side of the Meander River.

People are more than willing to bag out the police and I see it in the media alot where police around the country are criticised over questionable behaviour that in my opinion is sometimes warranted and sometimes not.

But I wonder what they would say if it was their family member that these officers were risking their own lives for, to bring safely home to them.

the raging Meander River

As the rain comes pouring down on this wintry cold and windy Friday, I salute my husband and all the other men and women out there this weekend, up in the snow and rain and wind, training and sacrificing the comforts of warmth, family and a birthday cake, in order to time and time again, save  a complete stranger's life.... before their own...

... they are the real heroes to me.