Well, I have joined the ranks of the gullable and I have been scammed. I told  you that I had ordered a new 18-140mm lens for my Nikon but the company

has still not sent it and I am still waiting. I have found out that they have done this quite a lot and there has been many complaints against this company, but still nothing has been done and they still continue to advertise. I have written and there has been no response, so  unless I start legal proceedings and – really – just talking to a lawyer will cost more than I paid for the lens, I just accept my loss, give myself a slap on the back to the head and get on with things.  Needless to say that I have not got my lens – ho well – you lives and you learns and I learned to go to a well known and recognised company next time. Having said that, next time might be a while  – this time cost me enough.

As I said last post we have the date for the  clinic in Adelaide regarding Annabells  health. However, I do not believe that I  said that the clinic will be by telephone. That should be interesting.  Annabell is doing well. She has an infection at the moment, but nothing to be too concerned about and it is being attended to.  The weather this last week has been C.W.M.  ( cold, wet and miserable) but I have still managed to get out with Benji most mornings. I just make sure that whilst he is in the stroller he is well rugged up and protected from the cold.  I was asked recently if, when we were in Adelaide,  seperation anxiety was a concern. I said it was but Annabell helps me cope with it.  :o)

Going back to the weather again. I go out with Benji at 6am, and this morning was – in fact the last few mornings have been – quite mild. I work at my desk and I am finding that

as the morning wears on, it gets colder. We did get out to the garden and get some work done for a  little while. At about 3pm it started to rain and the rain stayed on, sometimes quite heavy until about 6, which means it had stopped by the time I wanted to take Benji out for our evening walk. The evening walk is a walk in that  Benji is not in his stroller. However, the evening walk is only about 3/4 of  of a mile – which he can do rather than the 2.5 miles in the morning. The early mornings have been beautiful and the dawn has been  worth getting out for. I would like to be at Point Lowly or even at the Wetlands for the sunrise, but I have still not got over that seizure and don’t stray too far away – just in case…  The afternoons are ok and when it’s calm  the boy and I get down to the Ada Ryan Gardens, Oh and I need to mention that this is not a people chair that Benji has taken over – this chair was  bought for him. The old red one that he used to catch the sun was getting a bit  tattered, so we dumped that and bought him this new one. You may notice that he is not settled down to get some sun – that’s because he is protesting. He may not look like he is but he is..  The shadow from the  umbrella was blocking his sun – so I had to go over and move the chair so that he could have his full sun.

The weather at the moment is strange. According to the Tuesday weather forecast, on Wednesday there was to be sun – no rain and no wind. The heavy wind warning was for the far west coast. Got up Wednesday and it was a bit of a wind when the boy and I were out. It picked up and by mid morning it was  almost gale force and that lasted the entire day. We didn’t go out last night. This morning, Thursday. not a breath of wind, very calm and  clear sky. We finished our walk and we were only just home when the rain started. Where the heck did that come from – there was no rain forecast. I think the forecasters need a new  Ouija Board. According to the long range forecast, Spring and early Summer are to be wet with the possibility of flooding. Great.. that should make Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland very happy!!

News continues to come in  about the major fires and the searing heat in Europe as well as  the temperatures across much of the United States. The UK and Scotland in particular,  are quite the opposite from South Australia – our houses were designed and built to withstand the heat, and are shockingly cold in  the winter.  Houses in the UK and in particular Scotland, were  built for the cold and  people suffer badly when there is  high heat, with little or no way of cooling houses down and to either heat up or cool down –  the costs are prohibitive . Our government and  the the weather people have  suggested that all of this is coming our way in about three months or so- only we will also have further flooding to cope with as well as the excessive heat.  I have complained about the cold this last week or so and it has been very cold, because the skies are clear so any heat that  is generated during the day is not being held in and thus  vanishes in the night and early mornings.

We have have looked after Dougal from time to time. Ina, Dougal’s mom ( who has the  P.S.P.) has been moved into a nursing home. This is sad but  Sam is over 80 and not really able to look after her as she needs. She will get all the help  in Copperhouse Court and Sam can visit her every day if needs be – Copperhouse Court is here.

Flinders have been in contact with us and confirmed our appointment for 2nd August, but no admittance time yet. So, everything is going pretty much ahead and we will head off to Adelaide on Monday 1st August. I would like to get away fairly early because there are some places I want to go to before we settle in the Lodge for the  rest of the day. ( This never happened!)  At the moment the hospital are going to call us on Tuesday to discuss the final arrangements and times.  In the interviening time I had to make a quick trip to Adelaide so  that meant getting home on the Friday and driving to Adelaide again on the Monday.

The drive down with Annaberll was  quiet with no drama. Much of the road works are starting ti wind down, so not many delays. Annabell was tired so once we had settled in and I unloaded  the car . Instead of me cooking in the guest  kitchen we decided just to order meals from the  main kitchen. Anyway, the`Good  Old   “Fish and Chips” were on the menue so we settled for that. We were upstairs again so I was able to  pop outside the door and feed the Cockatoos, but only on the Monday night. Tuesday and  Wednesday were raining so no birds. On the Monday, however, I had the  Cockatoos perched on my shoulder which was quite exciting. Sadly – no photograph..

I took Annabell to the hospital on Tuesday and stayed with her until the nurse collected her. I was told to come back in about 4 hours. I walked up to the train station and took the train back in to the city. I didn’t do a lot but I did have a good wander thriough town and bought  the things I wanted to set up my Filofax for  next year. Now that this is done, I can put it aside and leave it there until mid-December.  Wednesday, being a “rest day” Annabell felt she had rested enough so we went into town and took the train to the Elizabeth Centre. We had a slow wander from point A to point A ( Elizabeth Centre is a  large square)  She managed to get some things as did I We had lunch at the Elizaberth Centre which was not as good as we had  expected it to be – Annabell didn’t finish hers. Back at the lodge she settled down while I went to the guest kitchen and cooked dinner for us.  Annabell settled down whilst I packed the car and oput away as much as I could.  We were upo early Thursday morning, finished packing

the car and clearing up,  locked the room, leaving the keys inside. By 6am we were on our way home. I like to leave that early because where we are means crossing one of the bussiest roads in Adelaide, and I need to cut across it. At 6am it’s  reasonable and I am able to get over without too much trouble, then head  through the City Centre and oput to  Port Wakefield Road and head north to Port Wakefield. Having made a few stops we were home by 11:50. Benji was very glad to see his peepel home again.

It was a good three days and we are delighted to say that the treatment seems to be working and the cancer has decreased. We have to go back in  six weeks for an update and a consult

In a very recent post I  complained that although I had  thick gloves on, when I was out with Benji my hands were still cold. On the news the other night I found out why – the 6am temperature  here was -4C.  That kind of explains that – the coldest day in two years. This last week has not been all that much better. It is so  very odd, the skies are a pretty blue with white fluffy clouds, the sun is shining and it’s  bitterly cold. I have the heater on in my room here and i’m still not warm enough. A lot of the discussion with the cold has been raised recently with regards to  complaints  by Australians. In essence, Australian houses ( including this one) were built to  accommodate  the heat of the Australian Spring, Summer and early Autum – they were not built to cope with an Australian Winter. Traditional house sits on a quarter acre block and are general large rooms with up to the owner to provide heating and cooling.  A recent study by Adelaide University said that most Australian Houses were not even meeting the WHO standard for a house winter temperature of 18c. The study referred to them as “Winter Tents”Everything is geared to warm to hot weather – even the clothes. I was cold and wanted a heavy pullover so I went to the clothing shop. There were lovely pullovers there – very fashionable – but so blooming thin I could poke a finger through the material. I’m thinking of immigrating to the UK- I hear it’s quite warm there at the moment. :o)  I always find it amusing to see people all rugged up yet still with bare feet and thongs. – Makes me cold just looking at them. Anyway, the temperature in the room – where I sleep – was 12c about an hour ago. The temperature here in this room – where I work and a heater is on – is currently 20c

We are very fortunate in some ways that we are in the area known as “The Arid Lands” and rain is intermittant at the best of times. This is  unlike our fellow Australians in New South Wales who are experiencing their fourth flood  in less than two years. Someone  – locally – said that they should do something to fix the problem.  This is not a fixable problem – the ground is waterlogged and just cannot  absorb  any more water – it needs time to dry out and  with the constant rain it’s not getting that time – thus flooding.

I ordered a new 18-140mm lens for my camera. It’s coming from Sydney in NSW so it will probsably  be here in — soon –I hope, but it is coming via Australi

a Post who are not as reliable as they once were. It is coming from a company I have not  had any dealings with, so we’ll see. Going back to the weather for a moment. There were major problems at Adelaide airport yesterday. A heavy  fog settled and and some flights were cancelled or delayed. Great stuff = right at the start of the school holidays. Amnd in the latest news, NSW people have been warned that the rain is likely to  continue until December. Many places have suffered  flooding but Lismore  has been hit hard. We have friends in Lismore and this is their third time that their business has gone under water. There wont be a forth time as they have decided to  see this flood out, clean up and get everything in order then sell what they can and leave.

One thing I find irritating about these posts is that you spend time getting it set out the way you want it but when it’s published it’s never (or rarely)  posted the way you set it out –  going to the review is not much of a help because it shows you how you have set it out, but not really how it will look when it’s printed and published.

Annabell has been fairly well and we go  for the 4th Covid injection on Monday. Benji is still in the stroller and he seems quite happy with that. We go out walking at night but as I said, it’s only a short walk whereas the morning walk is 2.35 miles or about 5349 ateps – give or take a few hundred steps. Perhaps not as much as others but a fair enough result for the area since I no longer go to the Wetlands.

HAPPY 4TH JULY TO ALL MY AMERICAN FRIENDS

The results of the last test bode well for the future. I am sort of looking forward to going down to Adelaide in August. I may have a look  for the camera lens I was thinking about – but we will see how things are by then..  Tomorrow is Monday ( Again!)  and sometime during the course of the day Dougal will be going home. It’s been great having him here and he and Benji have always got on well. I will be sorry to see him go home.  I have a medical appointment in the morning so Annabell will stay at home and wait  in case Sam turns up early. I will call her after the appointment and if Dougal has been collected I’ll go home and collect Annabell and then to to the shopping centre.  Sam came about 9:30 so Annabell was able to get showered and ready and  we went out together, She sat in the waiting room whilst I saw the doctor and had the biopsy  done on my upper arm..  Monday – time to take the dogs out and I am not even dressed. Well, it is raining and has been since the noise woke me up over an hour ago. If it

were just Benji I would take the chance between showers since I would have rain gear on and Benji would be protected in the stroller. However, with Dougal here I decided to suspend the walks until tomorrow (Tuesday) and it;s just Benji and me. I might try and  sneak out on my own but the trouble is that Benji knows these things –  he’s not silly.

When Annabell and I go back down to Adelaide, I think it will be the last time we will be booked into the Finders Lodge. If we are down again after August ( possibly November/December) we will be booked into the new building in Greenhill Road. That will be interesting in itself – to be in the new Lodge. Of course,  there will be only one Cancer Lodge and

both of the current lodges have been sold but have been leased back to the Cancer Council until the move to the new lodge takes place.  Interestingly this August visit is on a Tuesday rather than the normal Friday. This means that we will not be spending the weekend in Adelaide – which I suppoise is a good thing.  If we leave early enough I might get the opportunity to  drive out to Tea Tree Plaza Shopping Centre. There are some things that I would like and I can get them at TTP. Also want to go to the Spotlight store and get some things from their Stationary Dept.  Many people think of Spotlight as merely fabric, sewing and  household things but they do have a very good stationary section. I have included a photograph of the new Lodge under construction behind the old lodge.  Nearly completed and should be ready  when we go back down next time.

This weekend is the end of the quarter and  generally I would be compiling the stats for the  Assembly. However, we do not have a Commissioner and I don’t see it as my responsibility since I am no longer the  Commissioner to the Assembly.  Annabell does not want me to take it up again and I am not really all that keen to do so – thus it may prove to be a bit of a problem`.

There seems to have been a lot of rain in Adelaide recently yet up here it has been fairly plerasant – cold at times but  mainly dry with some sun during the day. Benji  has been quite lethargic these last few days but  he ius still eating well and sleeping perhaps more than he generally does. We still go out in the morning – that hasn’t changed nor does the  physical walk in the evening. Actually it has been very cold in the mornings and Benji is in the stroller but well rugged up. I had on heavy gloves and still my hands were cold when I was out this morning.  I am getting  just a tad miffed with the boy – he’s great at opening doors but not so good at closing them  :o)  I’ll have to show him hpw to close doors. Don’t see it happening, though…

Dougal arrived yesterday for a short stay. We went out for a walk this morning and  I had Benji walking alongside Dougal. Roughly the same time and distance despite the fact that Dougal kept stopping, but otherwise the two walked well together. That’s the longesr distance Benji has walked in weeks. I didn’t use the stroller this morning since I felt it would be too difficult to control the stroller with one hand and have Dougal with a leash on the other hand. Anyway, they both walked well.   Benji is over in his bed and Dougal is here with me, curled up at my feet.  If Flinders call in good time, I might try and get both dogs down to the Ada Ryan Gardens for a little while.  Today being the 17th.  Flinders will telephone sometime today so we should have a fair idea  of where we go from here in Annabell’s treatment.

I ordered a new printer last week and it arrived on Tuesday. I spent all day Wednesday setting it up. Up until this new printer I was using an HP Ink-Jet but recently the cartridges were starting to get too expensive – $29 for the Black Cartridge and $36 for the colour cartridge — and— they were not lasting all that long, Doing the Orders of Service for two Funerals plus the magazine and I  had ro replace the cartridges. I felt that this was  just getting too expensive – yes I did get repaid for the cartridges and the Special  Paper for the OOS but that’s not the point – it is too expensive. So taking a lot of things into consideration, I bought a new printer. I bought an Epson Tank Printer. It does not use cartridges it uses ink. Each Ink Bottle costs $14 and I need 4 bottles  – $56. I know it seems like not a lot of saving really, but the cartridges last about 6 – 8 weeks  ( if you’re lucky) whereas the ink tank should last about 8 or more months.  The printer came with four bottles — AND, I  took advantage of an offer to buy four bottles extra  at a reduced prince so, I should not have to look for more ink for this machine for at least the  next eighteen months. Well,  that works for me.

Despite the fact that it is cold in the mornings, Annabell is fairly well. Tuesday night is still her coffee night with the ladies and I still drive her there. She calls me to come and collect her and that two minutes is the total weekly use of her mobile (cell) phone. I answer, she  turns the phone off and it stays off until the next Tuesday.  I tried to get her to use it and even pay the phone company for her, but I ‘ve given it up as a “lost Cause”.

Was reading an interesting article about why Australias feel the cold so much and it has a lot to do with the buildig industry. Most Australia houses – particularly in the country areas – are designed and built to cope with  cooling during the heat of Australian Summers with little regard given to heating the house up in the cold of winter. The rooms are cold and what was difficult to start with – heating – becomes harder  by the week as gas and electricty prices soar. – fuel  has gone above $2.25 per litre.

We have just had the telephone call from Dr. Tamara at Flinders Cancer Clinic and all I can say is “Rejoice with me!”  The treatment is working and the recent tests have shown that  the cancer has declined. Thus we are going back down to Flinders  on 1st  August and they will continue with the treatment. There was some concern regarding the findings of the last  test but the people at Innovations in Cancer have examined the  results of the tests and the findings of the latest one and have concluded, based on the latest test, that the  cancer had, indeed, shrunk. Agreed, not as much as they wouldf have liked but it is a start and they will continue with the treatment.  Annabell tends to take these things in her stride- me?? I’m overjoyed.  The last few weeks have been a bit of a roller-coaster with all that has been going on, so with one thing at least settled, perhaps things will start to calm down in other areas – we can only hope. Just as an aside, Flinders was supposed to call at 1:50 but the call didn’;t come until  after 4pm which made it too late to go to the Gardens- not that I was in a mood to go to the gardens anyway, but there you are…

While not as wild as it was earlier in the week, it is still very cold in the mornings and sometimes wet.  I think we got spoiled last year with such a mild winter so we are feeling the cold with this winter. Benji and I still get out and about in the morning, cold as it is. He is in is stroller, well rugged up and even with his own personal Hot Water Bottle. Yes Well, the way I see it is that he is in the stroller and not really moving so he would feel the cold more than me walking alongside him. Perhaps I do tend to spoil him – but just a tad, you understand.

Amnabell is still good and we are expecting some information from Flinders later on this week. I hope it will give us some direction of where we go from here. However, that apart, we are not really dué to go back to Flinders until late July or  early August but this call could change that. I don’t expect it will but then I really dont know what we should expect. All very confusing, really.. What with one thing and another, I have not been  to the Gardens recently. I really must try and get down there sometime this week while the weather is still fairly reasonable. Talking about weather, the Victorian Snowfields have had the best start to the skiing season in  20 years – the snow fell steadly for days and all the lodges are booked out.  Rescue was called out inTasmania to rescue people that had been caught out in an unexpected snow blizzard. You might remember that a couple of years ago I posted  some photographs of snow in the Flinders Ranges – didn’t last long but still, it was snow. I like the photographs but unlike  many of you, I don’t have snow – or anything like it – on my doorstep. Mount Hotham is about 670 miles away from here.

The weather remained fairly mild for most of the afternoon so having made sure that Anabell was ok, I took Benji to the Ada Ryan Gardens and then a walk along the foreshore. I remembered to take a  couple of biscuit (cookies) with me to feed the Sulpher Crested Cockatoos. There were a few people around but it was not busy at all considering it was a mild

day and a long weekend. Still have no idea why the second cafe is being built right beside the first one. I dare say we will find out sometime. Can only rarely get Benji to look directly towards me when I want to take a photograph.  On the subject of photographs I finished and printed off the Church Magazine. I was told by  several people that they missed it.  Don’t know why –  I published the last one in March – one a quarter is enough I think. They might like to have an issue more often but it’s not an easy task to do on your own – as I do. Once a quarter is about as much as I can manage.

We had a quiet weekend in that we had John Jnr. only for dinner on Sunday. Connor is with his mother this weekend and Andrew is in Adelaide. This is good since it’s been a while since Annabell and I had a  reasonably quiet  Sunday evening. John  was good but he’s fairly quiet,  has dinner, stays for a bit, plays with Benji   then goes off and does his shopping.. Having the rest of the evening gives me

time to get things done and  sort out what I am doing in the morning – other than taking Benji out on our morning walk.  Benji was a bit sick early this morning  so I had to wash his blanket and clean out the stroller. He’s been fine since then, but I have kept an eye on him. Perhaps it was just something he  had eaten.

We will be having a visitor for a few days. Sam has to go to Adelaide so he has asked us if we would look after Dougal  from Thursday to Sunday. Haven’t seen Dougal for a while  so it will be nice for the two boys to get together for a bit. I like Dougal. I wont see Yogi again.  Jim has gone to be with his family in  Perth, Western Australia, and , sadly, Yogi has died. However, Jim did tell  us that he had Yogi creamated and he is taking his ashes with him to Perth.  Be good to see Dougal again and I think Benji will enjoy the company.

Thursday 2nd June. The second official day of winter, which, thus far has been cold, wet and miserable:  rain and  high, cold winds, Also, today is Connor’s 5th Birthday. It does not seem like  five years since the rascal  came into the world and now here he is starting school in July.  Benji has not  been at his best these past weeks and I have been taking him out for our main walk ( 2.75 miles ) in his stroller, and, since it’s been cold, well wrapped up.  For the evening walk, which is  a twenty minute walk   around the block – he walks and it’s not too much for him. I   think he enjoys both outings. These days we don’t venture very far from home.  Benji  may well be 12 this October, because he is a rescue there is some  confusion about his actual date of birth, but I am ok with 12 and if  taking him out in the stroller helps  I’m all for it.   It is winter and Annabell gets cold easily, so we bought an electric throw blanket to keep her warm  when she is watching TV. The photograph shows the Benji making use of the bottom part of it.  LOL  I tell you, what a pair…

At the moment there is no word from Adelaide, so I guess we will have to wait until the 17th to find out what the next steps in the process will be.

As you have no doubt heard, we have a new Federal Government.   Not going to say a great deal about this new government other than = Pray for us.

Winter has arrived in an unhappy mood and already there is wild weather and  major flooding in Adelaide due to heavy rainstorms that are coming in from the gulf. We have had a fair bit of rain here but not much since the bulk of the rainstorms went below us – struck the lower peninsula and crossed to the Yorke Peninsula and the Adelaide plains..

As far as I am

aware the bulk of the damage was Adelaide North – Elizabeth and Salisbury although there was some in town. We did have a bit of a belt this afternoon – quite heavy for a little while, but it has now passed over. Don’t know if we will have any more, but at least  we don’t have to water the garden. Having said that, I took the car to the car-wash at 7am this morning = LOL that was a waste of time.  By the time that it has has taken me to get home and write this last couple of sentences, the rain has passed and the skies are   a nice blue again.  If this stays like this I might actually get down to the Ada Ryan gardens.                  (I didn’t)

Annabell has been a lot better these last few days and I am really pleased. She is up and about more but still gets a little bit flustered at times, but that’s ok – still good. We have had our third Covid injection but to tell the truth, I don’t think anyone really cares much now. I think there are still some places that require  to see a Covid Digital Certificate but these are few and far between – mostly aged residential places.

I have a cataract  in my right eye and I was at the  hospital to see about it this afternoon. What a performance, different rooms different machines different tests. Anyway, I  had this wild notion that I would have this done   fairly shortly –  yes well.  I don’t get to see the specialists until  mid August and it will be at least 12 – 14 months after that before I would be admitted to hospital to have it attended to. I never for a moment imagined that it would take that long to get things done.  Just as well it’s not too bad.

As far as I know, the main cafe at the foreshore is not doing all that much business so why we are building a second one right beside the first one has got me puzzled. Perhaps we will find out – in the fullness of time.

I think I have only written once since we came back from Adelaide. There has been no news since then – well not from Adelaide anyway. On the home front, Annabell has been slightly unwell, member of the congregation died, I have two funerals – one Wednesday and one Thursday., Friday doctor and Saturday the General Election. So all in all, it’s been a sort of hectic time. Still I  have coped  with each crisis and I am still on my feet. but most important, I sleep at night.

I have still managed to get out with Benji and I have to tell you of my crazy stunt. I woke up and for some reason I was convinced that my wrist alarm had gone off. I got up,  dressed and got Benji ready to go out. I had a quick glance at the clock and I swear that  the hands were straight up and down — I.E.  6am. So off we went. Had a look and the moon

seemed to be in the right place so I continued with our walk. Then I kind of started to notice the lack of the cars I generally see in the morning and the place, I felt was a bit quieter than usual. Still on we walked and finally we finished and I  got back into the house. That is when I discovered that the actual time was not 6am but rather 2:45am which means I had left the house to start our walk at 2am. I have heard that men in white coats have been looking for me but I have managed to avoid them them   :o) One person I cannot avoid and  when Annabell found out what I had done, she was less than amused. Ah well- – these  brain storms .happen.

Annabell is well. The hospital sent her a letter this  week regarding her last examination and they will telephone her on the 17th June to discuss issues with her. Can’t see why they could not have included the information in the letter or simply telephoned her rather than mail her. Adelaide hospitals do strange things. I can’t remember if I  said that the treatment  after two years is not working, so I don’t know where we go from here. I dare say we will find out “in the fulness of time” – as the saying goes.  I take copies of all the mail and the information she  receives from the local hospital, Flinders or  doctors. There is no sinister motive, I just want to have a record of what has been happening.   The cats have gone but they have left a calling card that my doctor and I are presently dealing with. I never knew but it turns out that I am allergic to cats.  I have a rash and the doctor and I have been trying to work out what is causing it. We did believe it was an allergy of some kind and  have been treating that but it was only yesterday that I  mentioned cats and alarm bells went off. Turns out I am allergic to cats and I have developed an annoying rash which is being treated with medication and  cream. I am not in any way confined since the rash is not contagious -however, it is very annoying!!

Currently there is a new tearoom – Cafe Hub – being built  at the Foreshore next to the current Cafe.  Can’t think why we should need two beside each other – unless there is something Council are not sharing  :o)  Every year, starting in early June though to August, the Giant Cuttlefish arrive for the breeding season. What has happened is that people have come from all over, donned  wetsuits and braved the cold waters to  observe a rare sight. After all the years that this has happened 2022 will be somewhat different with the arrival of a Glass bottom boat. Now you can have the pleasure of viewing the Giant Cuttlefish without getting wet or cold.

I have a new 18-55mm lens for my camera – now I just have to save my pennies for an 18-140mm.  I am not too happy atthe Photography Group. They are lovely, friendly people and I feel very welcome, but, really, I am not learning anything. It’s more of a social group for people who are interested in photography.