I hope everyone has a great New Year and that 2017 will be all you hope and pray for. I hope this works, if not, well Happy New Year to everyone from John, Annabell, Benji, The WaWa and the visitor
Month: December 2016
Blizzards and Binders
The storm went on for the night and into the early hours of the morning. The WaWa slept as did Benji – Yogi not so good, so I ended up staying awake looking after the dogs – well at least my two – until I finally fell asleep myself. This morning I was up and dressed and took Benji and Yogi out for a walk. It was quite strange – everything was as calm and there wasn’t a sound to be heard. Normally I hear birds and in the distance a cock crowing, but not this morning for some odd reason. What I did hear – much to my annoyance – was flies buzzing around my head and face. One thing the tourist guides never tell you about outback Australia when they wax lyrical about the rugged beauty of the ancient landscape, is the three things common to outback Australia – heat, dust and flies – lots of flies. I took Benji out at 5:30 am because it was quite, peaceful and dark with dark meaning no flies. Now as we move further and further into summer it is getting lighter and so at 5:40 I have a baseball cap that is more of a fly swat than a hat. I may have to go back to the fly -protection hat netting that I sometimes use when I took Benji down to the Wetlands. I hardly ever go there (the Wetlands) now as it continues to be upgraded and become more and more popular with walkers, joggers, mothers with prams and dog walkers – which is good for the wetlands and its acceptance as a recreation area. I was happy to see that there was no structural damage caused by the storm – at least not in this area – not even a tree down. There was also very little water around – some on the roadway and some in gardens, but not nearly as much as I expected. However, we do have very good stormwater drains here that can clear any flooding water quickly. However, at the very far end of the area is the runoff area where the storm drains empty out – that’s not so good and it is fairly close to overflowing. I think they must have constructed part of the runoff area, run out of money and then forgot about it. Another night last night and we could have problems
A couple of posts ago I talked about my use of Ringed Planners – Filofax and recently Van der Speck (VDS). I also mentioned that I had bought a new VDS but I don’t think I put any pictures with that post. It is Bleu de France and it the very first coloured binder/planner I have ever bought. Now that the year is almost over I have activated my new Planner/Binder with 2017 inserts and it is already in use, although I will be glad when the year ends in a few days and I can stop carrying two planners/binders around with me as I have been for the last week. I was told that the French Blue was the same colour as the French Flag however, I thought the French Flag was a bit darker, but I could be wrong.
A year or so ago I featured an article over two issues of the Magazine and the article was a serious study by researchers at both Washington University in St. Louis and Notre Dame University, led by Professor J.M. Zacks of Washington University, which found that doors are sort of an event horizon called “The Doorway Effect” – and that walking through doors can make you forget. Your mind collects all the extra information you need to function and do what you have to do in a room, but when you walk out of that room into another room, passing through a door, your brain dumps (purges) much of the stuff because you will need the space for the new information that will come to you in the new room. In essence ( works for me!!) we’re not cracking up and it’s all perfectly normal.
I went out for a drive this morning and it was hot and sticky – humid. There were a lot clouds around not dark and heavy but white and heavy looking – if that kind of makes sense. Like most people I was surprised that despite the ferocity of the storm, there was very little tree or structural damage. I think we got off very lightly. However, I don’t think Adelaide did so well. Anyway, it’s just after 6pm, the sky has started to darken and there is a lot of thunder around and some rain. By the looks of things I think we might he heading for a second round.
Bringing Easy Home
* Reblogged from Tails Around the Ranch*
While today is normally referred to as Wordless Wednesday, as we all know, sometimes a few words just need to be spoken but words for today’s post comes hard and tears flow much easier. Today we acknowledge our favorite Weim is now back home where he should be, with his family. Welcome home, Easy. While he may not be with us in the furs, he will always remain in our hearts. For your mom and dad, we send our heartfelt thoughts and hope the tender thoughts and sweet memories of you and your life provide them with some measure of comfort. For them we offer our deepest sympathies. We will miss your posts, your joie de vivre for life, and the voice you shared about your life with us. We love you, buddy.
Wednesday
Quickie
Just a note to say that wild storms and flooding have been forecast for tonight and tomorrow in the Upper North (us) Mid-north and Adelaide down to Mount Gambier. Rainfall of 55mm plus and winds of about 90-10o kpm. Should be an interesting 26 hours and it’s chucking it down at the moment and has been for much of the day.
Boxing Day and it’s raining again !!
38:35:40:41:32 – No that’s not some secret number code – it’s not even Bingo numbers – it is the local temperature for the next five days. After the second 40c on Sunday it drops to 32c with rain and possible thunderstorms for the next two days. The boys and I were out early (5:30am) for our walk this morning before it got warm and we will be out late tonight – after the sun goes down Generally these figures are fairly conservative and the possibility is that it could change quite quickly as the cyclone of the Coast of West Australia makes landfall – flooding rather than heat.
The one think I dislike about this weather is the fact that I get such a pained look from Benji when I go out without him and I feel bad at not taking him with me, but I can’t. In this heat I cannot. If I were to go into the supermarket and leave him in the car – even with the windows cracked open – he could go into heat distress very quickly – I know this, but he does not and I get the “why are you abandoning me daddy?” look. He always comes out to get the mail with me and I don’t let him do that in this weather because the ground is hot and could be too much for his paws. However, in a few hours that will all be academic since the storm clouds are gathering and there has been a drop or two. But as far as I can see we are still on track for 40c on Christmas Day. – Actually – it was 40c today and it’s not Christmas Day – yet.
I hope Christmas is fairly quite in the air. What I mean by that is that we have a small but busy airport and I would like not to look up and see the Red and Blue of the RFDS coming in because there is no base here so they come here for emergency reasons. Last year there were over 572 landing of the RFDS here making it among the highest number of landings in Australia. It would be really nice if the RFDS didn’t have to come here at all over Christmas and New Year. Although, having said that, it’s not all bad – sometimes they are bringing a patient back home, or at least for on-going treatment at the local hospital. I think I mentioned before that we do not have any Therapy Dogs here and only in Adelaide. However, having said that I do remember they there was a Golden Retriever in one of the nursing homes many years ago
Christmas Day and we had a short service in the morning. The Watchnight Service last night was well attended but the Service this morning was not. Still although short it was an enjoyable service
none the less and no coffee after since people were going home to prepare for family arriving or to get ready to go out to family. Annabell and I went over to my younger Son’s house and we had all the family there for Christmas Dinner and drinks afterwards. It was a really nice meal and getting together of the family. Annabell and I didn’t stay too long since we had to get back to feed the dogs and let them out for a bit. After the sun went down the rain started and continued on for a while. There was also rain and high winds during the night and it was starting to rain again when we were out for our walk this morning – a short walk but at least we did get some done. It was over 42c here on Christmas Day and pretty hot but a cool change for the next couple of days. The Church Magazine is ready so over the next few days I will get that printed, collated and ready for distribution, so other than shopping with Annabell, this should keep me occupied for the next few days. It should have been completed last week but one of the contributors was late and since I had reserved two pages for her article, I couldn’t finish until that was in. Anyway, it’s done now.
Our friend is still hanging in and has defied the dire predictions of his doctor and a week after he was expected to depart from us, he is still here. A special meeting will be held in Mount Gambier on the 19th January, so I will be away for a few days and unable to help if anything happens. I can’t put this off – it is a Special Meeting that I need to attend in Mount Gambier. I thought I would put in the photograph I tool this morning of the ATM – even in our little backward place, we have our share of drama. And it’s raining again and has been for most of the day.
Hebrew Festival
Christmas
Wednesday
Adelaide CBD and Home
Got me baffled!! Monday, 39C Hot / Tuesday 40c Hot ( cool change expected in late afternoon) Wednesday ( Today) it’s chucking it down expected maximum 23c – wet and cool. No dogs out today. No it was not a mistake, I did say dogs. Every year our friends go off to Perth to be with their family for Christmas and New Year, and every year we have looked after Yogi, their dog. Like Benji, he’s a fairly placid dog so no problem. Last year Fay was ill and they stayed home. This year, of course, we have the WaWa, so with THREE dogs the next month is going to be interesting. No word from Sooah so we have no idea what is happening there, how things are going and when – or if – they will be back. They did give me an email address and I have used it, but it keeps bouncing back. I looked through my Organizer and the last time
we had Yogi was in early April of this year when Jim went into hospital – before we got the WaWa. We expected that by this time the WaWa would be gone and we would only have Benji and Yogi – Best laid plans and all that! However, as I said, Benji and Yogi get on well together, walk together and play together.
Friday I went down to Adelaide to do the last of the Bunnings things. Since I have a RFDS Fundraising event today ( Saturday 17th) I went down and back by coach – a bad mistake as it turns out. I have had some problems with this leg and it has been playing up. Sitting in the one position for five hours, then trying to walk was not great. However it eased up a bit but by the end of the day I was tired and quite painful. I got the things I wanted at Bunnings although I have to admit that although it was the closest to the CBD it is also the smallest store in South Australia. In fact, this Bunnings is so small that it doesn’t even have a Cafeteria. Once I had completed what I wanted to do there, I got back into town and spent time at a number of shops, picking up a few things. I decided not to walk and instead took the tram from Rundle Mall to the Law Courts, and then over to the Central; Market. From there it’s a short walk to the Bus Station. I like wandering through the Central Market. I always find it an exciting place and so full of life and it seems to be different each I go there. Next to the Central Market is Chinatown, which has its own atmosphere with Chinese shops, Supermarkets and Restaurants. The coach was due to leave at 4:30 but didn’t leave until almost 5pm, which, of course, made us
late arriving home. Sitting in the same position on the way back – although I did get off at Port Wakefield for a walk, well, I was not the best when my son picked me up and I finally got home. However, this morning I did take both dogs out for a morning walk although I did change our route and
was a little bit short. I managed through the RFDS Funding event, took Annabell shopping, then sorted out all the fund raising equipment – now I is sitting down and intend to stay that way for the rest of the day. I did say to Annabell, that I will try very hard not to have to travel down to Adelaide by coach again. I can quite happily drive all day if needs be, but sitting for five hours is painful. Oh it is a large and comfortable coach but it’s still a coach and it’s still a five hour trip. Last night, we had our Carol Service and a collection we took up was a donation to the Royal Flying Doctor Service. Anyway, here I am and here I intend to stay. I don’t want to move again until such time as I have to – probably Saturday night. (dog walks allowed)
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