Month: October 2024

Emails, Trains and Hospitals

by edgar62, posted in Garden and Dogs

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–*What was it again – ” If at first you don’t succeed, give up before you make a fool of yourself”.  well, something like that. Try number three. I have had no reply to anything I have written over the last few months – not that I have written much – but still…..  However, I think I know what the problem is and although I have tried to fix it, I do not know how. I have said  several times that  the internode address is being cancelled and there is a new email address. A few have  started to use the new address but most have not and I’m not sure if this is working. I warned that soon the internode address will be removed and  be active no longer. This has now happened and internode is no longer active. I have also had problems with  WordPress and instead of simply changing email address they have  decided that it should be a new  person. Actually I have no idea who I am anymore :0)  I think the original page is still active and the people who did change email addresses are getting through. So here we are – Effective immediately: sargon0844@protonmail.com   Please disregard anything that has the old internode address.

The Explorer

I have been spending some time back at Quorn, only this time I am going there for the Steam Trains. This particular photograph was taken at Woolshed Flat and taken from the road since the area is privately owned. I took a number of photographs and decided not to go on to Quorn. I regrated that decision and felt that I would have been able to get closer to the train and the engine at Quorn. The following week, however, I did correct that mistake. I did have son John and Benji  with me. The reason for the  quick return was that the ” Coffee Pot” a small steam  “train” was running. It’s only brought out a few times a year and it is an “Adults Only” unit in that there are no children’s tickets and no concession tickets. The reason for the adults only tag is that there is alcohol on this unit

The Coffee Pot.

–  “welcome aboard” cocktails  a three course meal in Woolshed Flat with a choice of Wine. The Coffee Pot was built in 1905, came to Quorn in 1906 and has never left. It is the oldest unit of its type still running anywhere in the world.

The last six or seven weeks I have spent running back and forth to hospitals in Adelaide. John had a tear  in his shoulder that required surgery so that was done at  Flinders Hospital    I took him down, stayed for a couple of days until after the op. then brought him home. Then there was the driving to Adelaide and back to see his Specialist several times before he was admitted to hospital and then  follow up after the ops..  Ten days later  he had pains in his abdomen  and after a scan he was  put into the hospital here. He was here

The Queen Elizabeth Hospital

for two days then the RFDS were called in and he was flown to The Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Adelaide.  Turns out he had gallstones – simple enough, BUT  one of the stones was partly blocking the duct to the liver and that presented problems which could become serious.  If I get these medical things wrong feel free to pick me up on it. I offered to sing to him – Donovan’s  Mellow Yellow – but he was not keen on that idea… That was on a Tuesday and I drove down on the Wednesday. It was suggested that I  don’t need to go down, but that’s not how I view things – I will not leave a family member alone in an Adelaide hospital. I stayed in Adelaide for two nights while he was in the Queen Elizabeth. I was there when two doctors came in  and spoke to him, suggesting that since he had Private Insurance, perhaps he would like to be transferred to a Private Hospital with the chance that the operation might be done quicker. John agreed and arrangements were made to transfer him. Friday afternoon I went home to  see Benji and then come back down  after the weekend. The operation was completed on the Saturday morning and provided all was OK he would be discharged on Monday.

I drove down on the Sunday morning, went to see him  and stayed for a bit then went to my hotel. Monday he was discharged at 11am and  we drove home. He stayed with me for a few days then moved to stay with Andrew before going home. Everything has settled down now and John is back in his Lab again and quite happy. As for me, I am just happy not to have to go  driving so much and so often. Well yes I drive to Quorn but that’s My choice.

 

I think I wrote some of this in the last post. Some may have read it  since  they were able to use internode, but not any more.  So here it is and please I have been with some of you for so long I don’t want to lose you –    looking forward to reading your posts again.

 

by edgar62, posted in House, Garden and Dogs
The Explorer

Well, I don’t quite know what is happening with Word Press, but I will give it another try and see how we get on. Nothing much has changed since my last post.  I think I already said in the last post I wrote that I have returned to the RFDS and the Camera Club.. I am also getting more time out and about with Benji. I have also been back to Quorn several times to take photographs of the Steam Trains.  There are two Steam Trains  with the Pichi Richi Rail Preservation and in the whole four and one half months that Annabell was in Quorn, the steam trains didn’t run – only the diesel and I have  a good photograph of that.  In early November the Camera Club and looking at a weekend in the Flinders Ranges for a photo shoot. Depending  on  one of the boys able to look after Benji for a few days, I might  go with them on that  trip.

Benji and I spend a lot of time at the Wetlands. We now have three pair of swans and the single lonely one. His/Her partner  was

Notice the Little One..

removed from the Wetlands after some “accident” and was never returned. Swans mate for life, I believe,  and the remaining single swan will not leave the area, so instead of having eight swans we have seven. We also have an odd assortment of  bird life, including ducks and wild geese – and, of course the usual assortment of seagulls.

I have also gone  out with Benji to the Lighthouse and Douglas Point. A good drive and pleasant weather. On the subject of weather,  being early spring, the  mornings and nights are cold, but the daytime temperature is generally  warm and sunny – for example the daytime temp is currently 28C and a really nice day. Today was a good day at the Wetlands and Benji enjoyed his ice-cream at the end

The Benji.

of our walk.

Yesterday was also good and I drove with Benji to Quorn  because the larger of the two steam trains was running and I wanted photographs of that. It was only running between Quorn and Woolshed Flat and I took the photograph  there and didn’t go on to Quorn. I regret that decision now because I would have closer and better photographs of the engine and the train itself at Quorn. Woolshed Flat is a private area and the photographs I took were taken from the roadway. However, the Explorer will be running  most of October and next Sunday – for one day only the ” Coffee Pot” a small steam train will also be running on the same day as the Explorer so I might just go up north for that and photograph both. The Coffee Pot is a special train and it is for ” Adults” NO not that meaning – “Grown Ups” probably a better choice of words – with ” Welcome On Board cocktails a three-course meal at Woolshed Flat with  the choice of wine.   There has been a relaxing of the Laws so I can not only take Benji with me       ( which I do anyway) and with the relaxing of the laws, I can let  him out of the car – not just in Quorn but also in the Flinders Ranges National Park – BUT strictly under control at all times. For me it’s a no brainer since I  clean up after

The Afghan Express

him anyway.

Given his age, I take Benji out in the stroller every morning and when I go to the Wetlands. He

The “Coffee Pot”   Built in July 1905

is getting on and will be 15 next Birthday. I was taking him out walking for a short distance after the evening news but I find that he is dragging and doesn.t want to walk until we turn for home and he takes off with unexpected bursts of energy. This is happening too often so I am reluctant to take him out in the evening. It’s not a long walk in the evening – about 7 or 8 minutes there and the same back, so at the very most it’s a 20 minute walk. But if I go out without him, he stands at the window watching me and looking deserted and he either stays there until I come back or he knows when I am coming back because he’s at the window when I walk to the door and that makes me feel bad.

Our major employer is in trouble and we don’t know what is going to happen. It is not only of major importance to Whyalla and South Australia but also to Australia itself. It is Australia’s  second largest steel-maker – after Port Kembla in New South Wales. This steel mill is privately owned by a man called Sanjeev Gupta and in Australian Terms he’s a “Gunner”   This is an insult.. What it means is that all  you get out of him is ” I’m gunna do this and I’m gunna do that”  and really , nothing much gets done. He hasn’t  paid his contractors but he just spent $12 Million on an apartment in Sydney and $18 Million on a place in London. So, we really don’t know what is going to happen and the state government is getting concerned because they cannot allow this plant to go to the wall. It is a major part of Australian Trade and Gupta knows that… It’s a  worry.