Der Anfang vom Ende – Perhaps.

Childred are invincible and for the most part,  immortal or so they believe. We once were children and we believed this to be so. As we grew to adulthood, we began to understand that  to all things there is a beginning and an end and  generally our first

taste of the reality of life was the death of a loved pet. With me it was  a road accident that killed my Westie. The odd thing is in all my years since and with all the dogs I have  cherished and loved over those years, there has never been another Westie. The nearest I came was “Misty” a Maltese/Westie Cross.

As we get older we recognise many milestones in our lives. Changes take place and we can – generally – see where a certain change had its beginning.  Things are changing for me now and I can point to where these series of changes began – 3am on Saturday the 4th December 2021 – the time and date of Annabell’s Seizure. Yes I expect the  information that she had cancer played an important part in the events that followed, but the 4th December was the main catalyst. This is when I began to devote much of my time to looking after her.  This has not gone down well in some quarters. I have not neglected  what I am supposed to be doing in the church- although I did take time off in the early weeks of her seizure,  but a complaint was made to the Moderator that I was not fulfilling the duties of my position . Actually, I think what they really mean is that I was fulfilling the duties of my position and doing all that I am supposed to do, but not doing all the  little extra things, I used to do. This is all by a small, vocal and influential minority and a Moderator who lives over 1000 kilometers away from here and whom we have not seen since the pandemic began. Irrespective of

what the outcome will be, I am of the opinion that a  way back from here  may not be possible. I have no regrets I believe I am filling the  promises I made in my Job Description  – For Better or Worse / For Richer or Poorer / In Sickness or in Health/ Until Death do you Part.

The weather here has been very mixed.. Over the last week or so we have had better warm and sunny weather for Autumn than we had during the  summer. Having taken  Benji to the Gardens I have already said that they were being well used – which is great. Over the last two days the weather has not been so good, cold, cloudy and raining. The oddest thing is that when I have gone out with Benji we have missed the rain.  I mean, we went out last night for our evening walk and it started raining just as we reached our driveway and shelter.

My Nikon has been damaged. No matter what I do the photographs are  very fuzzy. I spoke to a photographer and she tells me that it is

possible that the camera has  either been damaged (unlikely) or the lens has. Either way I  will leave it aside until I take Annabell to  Flinders next week and spend the free time I have at the Camera House in Adelaide CBD and get them to check it out.  I think I will have to use the Canon for a while. Of course I used the Canon for long enought until Annabell boiught me the Nikon as an Anniversary Present. Still, that was over three years ago so perhaps it really is overdue for being looked at by a camera technician.

Annabell is  fairly well  so that’s always good. She finds the mornings “difficult”as she does not sleep too well, so mornings are not her best time. This means that other than my morning walk with Benji, I am confined to the house until she does get up. Once she does sleep, I leave her sleeping. Means-  have trip to the  shed or the garage –  will mobile phone carry!!   Advice to me: (by me)  In the midst of all of this –  Always remember the words of  John F. Kennedy “Forgive your enemies, But never forget their names”