Two of the old Orange water supply dams Lake Canobolas and Spring Creek are also running over so everything that holds water is 'chockers'. Including farm dams.

When the concrete arch Suma Park was built across Summer Hill Creek in 1962 civic leaders described it as being able to 'hold 4,000 million gallons and supply water for 50,000 people...'

We still haven't hit 50,000 so it's done a pretty good job although there's been three metres added to the wall sides and one metre on the spillway to increase the dam's capacity and make it safer. This brought the dam into line with contemporary safety standards in the event of a one-in-a-million-year flood.

When full the dam holds 17,290 megalitres of water. Its surface area is 1.3 square kilometres and the catchment is 179 square kilometres. Despite the criticism we haven't got enough water for an increase in population, Suma Park is doing a good job and will continue to do so in the future.

It's welcome news Lithgow's Zig Zag Railway will soon be getting up steam again years after a NSW Government statutory authority safety regulator listed faults in the railway's safety management and then after being devastated by two bushfires.

The historic Zig Zag was hailed around the world as a masterpiece of engineering when it was opened in 1869 but major bottlenecks forced its replacement in 1910. The tourist railway is Lithgow's most popular attraction and the city obviously has been the loser since it's been closed.

Thousands of people a year rode the Zig Zag to the pungent smell of coal smoke and soot, the hissing of excess steam and the ear-splitting screech of brakes as the great tin dinosaurs lumbered down the precipitous journey to the valley below.

The classic smiley face with squinted eyes is on top of the five most popular emojis people have used in Greater Sydney since the lockdown. It's followed by the folded hands, pink heart, thumbs up and the grinning face. Orange could cash in on the popularity of emojis by having its own. Imagine what we could have to spread our identity? We're the roundabout capital of NSW so a roundabout should be top of the list and because we can't convince the government to overnight the Bathurst Bullet here a two-car Endeavour emoji would be a reminder of what we want.

A snow-capped Mt Canobolas would be a reminder of what people miss through winter because Cabonne Shire closes the road when it snows.

A gold nugget would promote the discovery of the first payable gold at Ophir and a train with bits falling off would be a link to our worn-out XPTs that the government is replacing in a year or so.

We could have a cherry, an apple, a grape or a wine bottle but they'd be pretty ordinary. We've got a big opportunity here to promote ourselves to the world.

St Peter stops a man at the Pearly Gates. 'You've told too many lies for me to let you in,' he tells the man.

'Have a heart,' he replies. 'Remember you were once a fisherman yourself.'

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