She has affectionately been dubbed the 'sign lady'.
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Pappinbarra dairy farmer Mary Reynolds' penchant for making homemade signs, which she places by the side of the road, literally saved homes and potentially lives during the terrifying bushfire which gripped her village on Friday, November 8.
She first began making her trusty signs during the debilitating drought earlier this year.
The family needed a second income and unable to leave the farm as she was a carer to daughter Charlotte who has Lyme disease, she came up with an innovative idea - to sell horse manure by the side of the road.
"I put up a sign advertising for $2 horse manure," she said.
It worked.
She raised $140 dollars.
"After that I put up a sign for pots because I had run out and I planned to set up a plant stall," she said.
Again passing motorists donated generously.
She even received gift vouchers, the kindness touching her deeply.
But it was during the bushfires that Mrs Reynolds' signs really came in handy.
As the Stockyard East fire threatened homes in Pappinbarra, west of Wauchope, she became aware her neighbour was in trouble.
"His house and sheds is surrounded by bush and he had resigned himself to the fact he was going to lose it," she said.
Determined to help but with no power or phones to call for assistance she turned to what she knew - a cardboard sign.
"It was a pure act of desperation," she said.
"It is what neighbours do, you can't stand there and not try."
Again, it worked.
"Within five minutes a neighbour had noticed and 20 minutes later a fire truck had pulled up after seeing the sign," she said.
Her beloved neighbour's property was saved.
But then a new crisis emerged.
With no power on the street there was no way to keep their milk refrigerated.
"We lost all our milk for almost six days," she said.
"It was enough to make a deep impact on our income."
Already struggling with the debilitating drought she again turned to her signs for help.
And it worked.
The next day the power was restored.
"My husband Peter said he could have kissed the Essential Energy worker he was that happy," she said.
Mrs Reynolds acknowledges times have been tough as of late.
"The drought has been horrendous, I have never experienced it so dry," she said.
But she loves living on the land.
"I know deep down I am a very lucky person," she said.
"You are either a city person or a country person and we wouldn't have it any other way."
It's her marriage of over twenty years to husband Peter and their lovely children which has sustained her during difficult times on the land.
She met Peter after he conveniently stopped by the shoe shop she was working at in Settlement City, Port Macquarie, when she was in her twenties.
"We didn't hold hands or kiss for six months, we just really enjoyed getting to know each other," she said.
"I treasure that time."
Mrs Reynolds is fiercely proud of her children, Charlotte an exceptional artist and Jack who has just finished school.
She is also eternally grateful to the firefighters, neighbours and passing motorists who have read her signs and helped out where they can.
"Their kindness amazes me," she said.
As for her next sign?
"No power, no phones, the drought, it won't stop us," she said.