Month: October 2022

Well, we are just about packed and ready to go. Annabell has to see her specialist this afternoon, then we are free until we head off to Adelaide on Saturday morning. It has been raining heavily in Adelaide this last weekl but I am thankful to say that Friday and Saturday are forecast to be dry. This means a fairly quiet run down to Flinders Lodge. I  expect the city centre to be busy but we should get through that  fairly quickly. Once I get Annabell settled in I want to  head up to Norwood Parade and the main  Shopping Centre.  It’s interesting going back down this trip since we

suspect that this is the last time we shall be at  Flinders Lodge.  Really, we didn’t expect to be back there again since we were told that the new building would be opened by now. Anyway, this is South Australia where no major building is ever completed without cost blowouts and delays – so why should the New Cancer Lodge be any different?

On the way down we will  stop off at Officeworks. Annabell needs a new tablet and  my ipad is getting much too old – Still serviceable – but only just. So, I said I would get her a new  tablet so she can continue to watch Foxtel. Not being a TV person it doesn’t really bother me. I watch the news and that’s about it. Although I have to say that this computer is causing a few problems. Like the ipad, it’s getting  on a bit and slowing down and I am sure I am losing some of my mail – at least on this machine. I have mail on my phone that has not shown up on here yet. When we get back from Adelaide I’ll take it to the computer center here and get it updated. Actually, I cannot  download  Windows 11 to this machine but from what I hear, that’s no loss

Other than a Tuesday night with the ladies, Annabell does not get out much these days – unless I am available to take her out and even then it’s generally shopping – or to church. She used to represent us at the various ladies group functions in  other churches, but  many of them have the same problems we have – declining numbers.

Currently we are in the midst on the local Council elections – both for Mayor and the Council itself. All positions end this year so it’s a full election. We have  2  candidates for Mayor and  19 people for 9 positions on council. On the agenda for the new  council to consider is  the building of a new Council Chambers, where, when and how much?

On Saturday the City Council are promoting an Air Show to celebrate the $10 million upgrade and development of the Airport. I  have tickets for this and, sadly, I will not be attending. What a great photo opportunity, but we will be on our way to Adelaide and Annabell’s Clinic. Still, not too great a loss – Annabell, however,  has the great Joy of spending 4.5 hours in the car and a live concert – starring  ME.

Slight change of plans. We were supposed to be travelling down on Saturday, however,  we are now not travelling down to Adelaide until the Sunday.  We decided that the “Sunday Rest Day” was really not necessary so we decided that we would put off our departure until Sunday morning.  Given the new arrangements I could now attend the Air Show, but  after some discussion on Wednesday night at the Photography Group, I might give it a miss. I don’t know, I will see how things are. Mainly there is really not the space available for parking at a major air shop. Goodness, it’s bad enough trying to park when an  aircraft comes in and you go to collect someone. Heaven knows what it would be like at an air show.

This afternoon was not a good afternoon for me. For reasons unknown, other than wandering all around the hospital getting Annabell to tests and then waiting on her specialist to see her, all of which took from 1:30  to 4:45 pm. and my right knee decided to play up. Sadly,  by the time we got home it was quite painful. Still, if I behave and don’t do too much this evening, it should settle down for tomorrow. At least that’s what I hope.

We had a lovely weekend, warm and sunny,  which lasted until Tuesday afternoon and then the rain came back. It rained much of last night and has been raining off and on all morning – well since I got up at 05:30 anyway. We did not go out at 6am since it was still raining, but it cleared up and the rain stopped round about 07:30 – or at least, that’s what I thought, It looked ok so I decided to take Benji for a block walk and the rain started again – yes we got wet and that’s twice in the last week I have managed to do that. At least on this ocassion  the showers were intermittant and not particularly heavy.  Fortunately I have a towell in the car so I got that out and dried off  Benji before we went back into the house.  Benji is a lot better now – the odd scratch from time to time – which is fairly normal – however the medication and the injection seems to have done the trick

Annabell has not been  at her best this while back and she has difficulty walking. She is slowing diown and thus walks very slowly. If she gets any worse then regardless of her protests I will get a wheelchair. But then again, that’s easy to say – not much use if I go ahead and buy it and she refuses to use it.  I still take her to the ladies night and she enjoys  her night out and if truth be known – I do too !!   She has a mobile (Cell) phone which is used for about two minutes per week.  She calls me to come and pick her up, then she switches it off until next Tuesday. Hospitals and doctors and clinics want a contact number –  what she does know, is my number so that’s what everyone has – they contact me and I hand the phone to her, or take a message if I am out of the house. It’s complicated, but it works.

We now have a new Government.  The last one of this colour, built a new hospital – the New Royal Adelaide Hospital. At over $3 Billion it was the third most expensive building on the planet. It was costed at $2.1 Billion but with  blowouts in cost and major delays, it ended up costing $3.9 billion, for a building we wont own for a generation.  We will be paying for this for the next twenty years- or more.  Now this new  Government, of the same colour, want to build another Hospital – the Women and Children’s Hospital- bulldoze a herritage building  to accommodate it and with a cost of well over

the perevious record of $3.9 Billion.  I did mention that South Australia  has a total population of 1.7 million and that the greater mass of South Australia is desert and  Grassland ( Arid Land) .

It is my  Son’s Birthday this coming Saturday, so Annabell and I are taking him, the family and a few of his friends out to dinner. Should be a good night, and we are looking forward to it. With any reasonable luck, Connor might actually behave. Annabell and I have not been to this Hotel before. It used to be a senior BHP Officer’s Accommodation when they visited here but BHP sold it off years ago. I have never been  to it since then. I was there at a function once  many years ago. I have not been  there since and that was about 1985(ish).  We had  a telephone call from Flinders Medical and they want Annabell down in Adelaide on Monday 31st October. This means that we will be away from Saturday 29th. October until Wednesday  2nd November with the Tuesday being a “rest day” after the procedure and we head for home early Wednesday.

Saturday. I over slept this morning. The alram went off as usual and generally I touch it once and wait until  the next buzz  in two minutes. I must have touched it twice and it went off altogether. As a results I we did not get out until 06:20. I am so glad it was not later since we are now in the middle of a rain storm. Ther clap of thunder that started it off was so sudden and so loud I  felt like chicken little (The sky is falling!!~the sky is falling!!)  However, we can’t really complain since much of this week was dry,  and at times, warm and sunny.

Oh no!! It’s only been four months and the black ink on my  Epson tank has gone below the top line. Is it ok to panic now?  :o)  By this time, considering what I hve been doing lately, I would have gone through  at least two sets of ink cartridges, so that’s quite a  saving. If it continues at the same rate  then it will  have paid for itself in no time. However, even at the present it is still the best investment I have made recently. Strange morning. When we went out last night the moon was high in the sky,  bright and white. This morning ( 06:10) the moon was low in the sky and a pale yellow – very odd. Well, I thought so.  Did look on-line and it’s just atmospheric dust, least that’s what it says, and there was me thinking it had some significant  importance.

Had a telephone call from the President of  “The Pink Ladies” (Hospital Ladies Auxillary)  and they would like to use the church hall for their meetings twice a month and also asked how much we would charge. They have been told  that we do not charge but if they  wish to give a donation once a year – at Christmas for example – that would be quite acceptable. However, before we make any final arrangements we will have to contact our insurance people and  talk to them first. We will do that this week so we can give an answer to the request as quickly as possible.

Well, it’s Monday again and this morning was fresh but with a fantastic sunrise. Trying to operate a camera and control the stroller with Benji inside it not so easy so I don’t. However, I do have a half decent Android Galaxy   Phone and it does take some really nice photographs. I haven’t at this moment downloaded them but I will.  I wont be able to do this for much longer – take photographs in the early morning – at least not from the area I walk in. Much of the land is being cleared which means that there will be new housing, so not going to have an interupted view over the  spare ground for much longer.

The  Royal Flying Doctors ( Local Branch) continues to expand and  at the meeting we welcomed three new members. I will be out of things for a while. I can’t take on any fundraising projects  until we hear from Flinders and get the dates for Adelaide. I felt it would not be good to agree to do something and then have to back out. Not only that but the lady that works with John Jnr and I will not work with anyone else. So I can’t agree to anything until I know when we are due in Adelaide – and probably not until after Adelaide. Mind you,  the “team”and I have managed four events since the last Adelaide visit. Provided everything goes well this next visit to Flinders,  we should be fine for Christmas and New Year.

Last night the weather presenter said that there would be rain today. However, she did say,  and showed  charts,   to back up her presentation, all of which indicated that the rain would come in the mid afternoon today. I took Benji out for our morning walk at 6am and the rain started when we were at the furthest distance from home.

Yes, we got wet and it is now 7pm and the rain is still falling. It has not stopped the whole day. At the moment there is some small  flooding here with little sign of the rainbands moving out of South Australia for the moment.  I have a problem with all this and and that problem is that  this kind of weather makes a fellow feel homesick!!!  I was out at the Photography Group this evening and now – at 22:05 – it is still raining.

The visit to the vet  and the  injection seems to be working.  He is still scratching a bit – mainly his ear – but he is a lot better than he was.  I’ll take him for a follow up on Friday this week.  On the subject of injections, there is now talk about a 5th vaccination for a new Covid stain. Is this ever going to end???

 

October started off well with the first few days being warm and sunny. Well, yes, we did have to give up an hour of sleep but it’s Monday and I’ve got over it. Today, Monday,  started off well and still sunny but as the day wore on it became cloudy and by late afternoon the rain started. The forecast for the next few days is wet and overcast.. The rain didn’t start until Benji and I got back from our walk and I was able to get things under cover  whilst it was still light. On the subject of light, I was getting used to it being bright in the early morning but now that the ckocks have moved, it’s dark again, but it is lighter at night. – not much yet, but getting there.  The rain started  mid evening on Monday and continued all through the night and into Tuesday. We did not go out  for our walk on Tuesday morning. Well, yes I could have put on the Cagoul and gone out on my own, but he wouldn’t have understood why I was going out without him. Even as I sit here

at this moment I can hear the rain bouncing off the Carport. It is pretty heavy. Perhaps if the rain clears up we’ll get out later. Yes it will have to be much later. I have recieved a message from the Post Office that a package is being delivered to me today. If It is still not arrived before Annabell wakens, then I will have to stay until she does.  The package is coming from a Department Store – David Jones. Got mail from them some weeks ago telling me I had money sitting in my account and I had not purchased anything for almost two years – would I like a refund?  I thought about it for a bit then decided no, I would use it. So I added some extra to what was there and bought myself a new Fitbit – Charge 4. SE.  The Fitbit I have is nearly three years old.  On the subject of Fitbit, it has been having a bit of a rest.

Although not as heavy as what is happening in Adelaide, it has still been raining up here so we have not been out walking these last two days. Aparently the weather has been pretty wild in some parts of Adelaide and surrounding areas – flooding, trees down, homes and cars badly damaged. No reports of any serious injuries thankfully.  Today we are told that it will be warm and sunny until mid to late afternoon then a rain-storm will roll in from the Bight. So that’s something to look forward to.

Annabell has not been too bad. Still  not a morning person – but she’s getting better. The up and down of her illness is taking a bit of a toll on her and she tires easily, but otherwise,  we are managing. We are waiting on  the date for the next visit to Flinders Medical. All they could tell us at the time was that it will be late October – November. I suppose at the moment that’s about as specific as they can be, so  a  spot of patience  for the time being.

I had Benji at the Vet at the start of the week. He is still scratching and we still do not know what is causing it. The Vet believes he has an alergy  but we have no idea what. However, he has given him a cortisone  injection and we’ll see how that helps.  Apart from that he is well still likes his food and  we still go walking.. There is a possibility that it could be a grass alergy so I have been keeping him away from the Ada Ryan Gardens. We have gone back to the Wetlands but only in the afternoon when I know Annabell is okay and  Benji and I can take off for a little while. As long as we stay on the path and off the grass we should be ok. I have Synthetic Grass since real grass would be murdered by the toxic leaves of the Eucalyptus Trees.  Go across the road – still in my street – and things are different. That is all new housing and no trees, except trees that have been planted by the owners.  The trees that were uprooted causing serious damage to houses, cars and structure in Adelaide these last few days have all been Eucalyptus Trees. They are great in the outback where they belong but not in an urban environment.