Author: edgar62

Semi-retired in South Australia. Interests are Music (Andre Rieu, Anna Netrebko) Reading (SciFi / Crime) and History Movies: The Day After Tomorrow, Casablanca, The Man Who Would be King Community: Secretary Support group, Royal Flying Doctor Service.

Dogs and thunder storms.

by edgar62, posted in House, Garden and Dogs
It’s been a rough week alright.

Now that I have returned to Classic Editor I can reply to people – all except two. For reasons , which are unknown, any comments I make on these post are deleted. I have no idea why this is happening because I thought we had fixed this. Seems I was mistaken, but I don’t know what the problem is. These are the  Monica and Annabell Marsh

Annabell is home but the problem is not  sorted.   Everything from the exploratory surgery on Tuesday (20th)  has been sent away for analysts  and we should have these results when I take her back to the hospital next Friday  30th.

Right at the moment there is a major storm front settled over the Eyre Peninsula. The noise of the storm was incredible with rolling thunder which seemed like it was sitting on the roof – not a lot of lightening. The thunder is still happening but it is a bit further away than it was when it woke me up at 3:30. I am happy to say that the dogs have not been bothered. Benji is ok and Yogi is deaf anyway :o)

Monday 26th. Jim was released from hospital yesterday afternoon and I took Yogi home late this afternoon. Too much happening on Sunday and this morning was shopping day. I had intended to take Yogi home after shopping, which would be about 12(ish) however, as the Bard wrote “The best laid plans of mice and men…” We were no sooner back in the house when the hospital telephoned and said they had a cancellation would Annabell like to have that appointment rather than Friday. We thought this was good and accepted the offer. I phoned Jim and told him we would be late returning Yogi and why.   I have to take her for tests tomorrow (Tuesday) and again  for another scan on Friday. However, the initial test results from last week are not good. We

Just passing time, Mummy – not buying Ice Cream or anything – just passing time…

do have a result but it needs to be confirmed. She’s comfortable with the result, or at least she has accepted it – I’m really not.  I just wish I was but I’m not. Sooner, rather than later, regardless of what

happens this week, we will have to go down to Adelaide for an operation. At this stage we believe it will be at the Flinders Medical Center. I wont be able to take Benji with us so I  either find someone to look after him, or I  lodge him in the Kennels for a few days. Adelaide – well most of South Australia really,  is not pet friendly. Yes, I know I look after other peoples’ dogs from time to time , but that’s different. We are talking about my Benji here.  Jim does not keep good health and has enough to look after Yogi – his own dog: Dougal’s family also have health problems and  would not be able to cope with Benji and although Max is a lovely Pug, Benji did not get on well with Max – so I have no place else to go other than the Kennels.

We had further blood tests and we go for the final scan tomorrow (Friday) these will confirm the results. Once that is done I will telephone the boys and ask them to come over and we can have a family conference. The boys  need to be told, something I was going to do on Wednesday but Annabell said to leave things until it’s confirmed and we know for definite. On a positive side we have been told that it is not a “deadly” form and she  should respond to  treatment after the initial infection has been removed. We can only hope and pray that this is so,  and on Sunday I will be obliged to let the congregation know.

Sanity returns – for a while.

by edgar62, posted in House, Garden and Dogs

Ah, thank you WordPress. I have now returned to  Classic Editor – at least for the time being. I hope I can stay  in this program and be able to return after a close down.  I was not impressed with the block editor and I have to admit that I found (find) it confusing and awkward to use. Apart from which, I’m all in favour of change – unless, of course, if affects me, in which case I am totally against it   LOL…..  Went out with Benji last night and used the stroller. He is starting to get used to it and is a lot more relaxed. Before he kept standing up  much of the time, now he is starting to sit down and still watch what’s going on around him. I still have him clipped in – just in case..

Ada Ryan Gardens
No idea what they are

After several days of 30 – 32c warmth, which was very nice, it has been raining for much of the morning. Not the heavy rain of the other week, more like light showers, which, in Scotland we would call a drizzle. It’s still warm – but wet  :o) Over this week Benji and I have spent a fair bit of time at the Ada Ryan Gardens. Not so much the wetlands at the moment mainly because there seems to be a lot of dogs around the area. I think I already said that this is why I don’t join the 6:30 am Friday Wetland Walkers, because a few of them bring their dogs. The Wetlands Kiosk has become the  ‘in ‘place at the moment. It is closed Monday and Tuesday but open the rest of the week and open late night Friday and Saturday. I asked about the closures and I was told that it is to give the staff a break from working flat out when they are open, daytime and late nights.  I think credit is due to the council workers for the time and effort they put in to keeping the gardens  clean,  tidy and  really looking well kept. There is no Pageant nor are there any activities in the gardens at all this year, which is giving parts of the gardens time to recover from stalls,  marquees and people.  Given the current “state of play” it’s unlikely that there will be any activities in the gardens until Australia Day in mid January 2021.

Seems the hospital is unwilling to let me off the hook.  Not had to take Annabell there for a bit, but got a call this morning to say that Jim had fallen and was waiting for an ambulance to take him to hospital because he seems to have broken something.  He wanted to know if I could come and collect Yogi. Well I was dressed for church, and I drove down and picked up the dog.  A short while ago  – 3;30 this afternoon –  he called me and asked if I could come and collect him from the hospital. I did, of course and he asked me if I could hold on to Yogi for a couple of days. Not a problem, Benji and Yogi get on well together – except when Yogi tries to encroach on Benji’s sleeping spot at night. Yes, Jim has broken his wrist. He was telling me that he will not be going to  Perth at Christmas. It is unlikely that the Western Australia borders will be open before next year and he is not going to go into a hotel for two weeks hotel quarantine in Perth and another two

The Almond Blossom

when he comes back to South Australia – all of which he would have to pay for.

Benji and Yogi in happier times

We did not go out walking yesterday nor this morning. Yogi has a number of medical problems – which I aware of – and requires medication. I really don’t know how fit he is and although we three have gone out walking in the past – it has been a while and I don’t want to take any chances. It is only for a couple of days and Benji can manage that.

OK, Jim took a bit of a turn and telephoned me and asked me if I would take him up to hospital. I went down, picked him up and drove him back to the hospital. It was decided that he should be admitted so I stayed with him until they were ready for him. I made a couple of telephone calls to let others know he was in hospital. This means that we will have Yogi longer than was intended.  Oh well, he’s really not too much of a problem at the moment.

Tomorrow I take Annabell into hospital for the Exploratory Examination or whatever it is. I will let you know how things progress. Hopefully it will be nothing serious.

Settled down for a while!

by edgar62, posted in House, Garden and Dogs
The medical collar – stop him licking his paw.

Everything appears to have settled down with Annabell  for the time being. We only had one visit to the emergency Dept. this week, so that’s good. The UTI we can cope with  (sort of) it’s the unknown that is causing the concern, However, all being well, she will go into hospital on Tuesday 20th for “exploratory” surgery to determine what the problem is. If we can find that out then perhaps we can quickly fix it. So between doctors, hospital visits and late night visits to the emergency dept, it’s been an interesting month thus far. Then there was the Vet with Benji ( front paw problem)  and to add insult to injury – so to speak – WordPress decided that my log-in to WordPress.com had expired and I can’t reply to anything – so I am not sure what is happening at the moment. I am reminded of an old Greek proverb  “whom the gods condemn to die they first make mad” However, this part of things seems to be ok but trying to reply to anyone is not. I did a reply to Monica (Tails….) and three times it was deleted  because it said my log-in to WordPress,com had expired. I have checked and double checked and  everything is clear and active to mid 2021, so I don’t understand what the problem is. I need to get in touch with WordPress. Either that or what my “Greek Friend” is telling me  – that it is time to go.  At the moment, however, I have managed to return to Classic Editor although I don’t know what will happen when I close down and go out. What will happen when I reopen WordPress when I get back.?

We went out walking last night- lovely evening after a 32C day. We went out on the stroller and he was quite happy taking in the slightly different view of things. I mean, all he had to do was sit there and take in all the sights and sounds,  whilst muggins at the back did all the work. o:)  Had to take Annabell to see doctor – not for a medical reason – well, sort of.  She was summoned for Jury Duty for the month of November and to be quite honest she is simply not able to do this, so we had to see the doctor and ask him to write a letter explaining this to the Sheriff Officer and having her exempt from jury service.  This was something completely out of left field –  something  we never  expected. Anyway, the letter should sort that out – we hope.

Benji is starting to show his age and is getting slower when we walk. Actually, we have not done much  walking, more the use of the stroller.  I took him out a little while ago and we managed about two hundred yards before he just stopped, so we came home. I will take him out later, when the sun has gone and the flies along with it.. At the moment I have got the post back to Classic Editor but I don’t know if I can do it again if and when I close down. When we went out earlier, I just didn’t close down at all. Apart from other things, working with the computer and WordPress today has been an exercise in frustration.

It still is  ( an exercise in frustration) and it has gone back to blocks and I have no idea what I’m doing. If this is going to continue and I am unable to go back to Classic Editor, I think I will have to consider what I do next.  PS This stuff underneath, I have no idea where this came from nor how I get rid of it. Everything is a shamozzle!!

DownPours, high wind and Hospital

by edgar62, posted in House, Garden and Dogs

Wednesday 7th October 6:03am. It has now been raining here since 9:30 pm Tuesday. The rain continues to be quite heavy and the  storm drains are no longer

C’mon – that’s a bit mean, don’t you think Benji? :o)

clearing away the volume of water that is  now flooding the roads.. My garden is under about three inches of water. Yes, I know, it is not what you would call “major flooding” but this is only what I can see from the front and back windows. I just hope it is not too much worse in the lower areas of the town. I think it is safe to say for this region the drought is well and truly broken. At about 08:20 the rain stopped. The storm drains have managed to catch up and the roads are now clear of water – well in this area anyway. Yes that was short lived and it started raining again and continued until late

Never been like this before.

in the afternoon, by which time the outback and the Flinders were flooded and weekenders trapped for a while. All good stuff – rain to snow to rain to flooding to dust storms – and that’s just the Flinders!  We were not too bad,- some minor flooding with heavy rain that was “interesting” to drive through. Although the rain  stopped mid afternoon, we did continue to have some very light showers for a little while longer. For that reason I didn’t go out with Benji last night because the mood Mother Nature seems to be in at the moment, a Cyclone could well be on the cards.

I have said in the past that my house was the last house in the town – there was nothing beyond me. Then came the mining boom and all the new houses and the extension of the  storm drain. The storm drain was to connect to the main drain but it never was  and since there seemed to be only light showers for this area and not enough to be too concerned about, the pit was dug to accommodate the water until such times as the  road was extended to the main highway and the storm drain connected to the main system. The little amount of water there would be in it, would drain away into the surrounding soil.  It never happened and with the change of climate there has been more rain in this area and the 20ft, pit is frequently filled.  This time, however, it is

I can see clearly now the rain has gone!

not only filled, it is overflowing.

This morning, however, we did go out. We completed about three quarters of the outward section before the limp and the paw up. I merely lifted him and placed him in the stroller and we

continued the walk and like the other day he looked all around like king of the castle.. I would say, off-hand,  that the stroller had been a great success – but only for one of us at the moment. It has been a long time since I pushed a stroller (Pram) and I forgot how tiring it is on your arms.

Took Annabell to the hospital this afternoon. She had several tests. Also an ECG to determine that she is able to have the operation on the 20th. We left the house at 12:30, arrived at the hospital and she was taken fairly quickly – about 15 minutes after we booked in. I was not allowed (because of the restrictions) to go in and had to wait outside in a much reduced waiting room . Hospital Kiosk was closed  and I was in that waiting room until after 3pm. Anyway, everything is  fine and all is ready for the  surgery on the 20th. She doesn’t seem to be concerned – which is good. I’m probably concerned enough for both of us.

The main entrance to the Hospital
*copyright unknown*

Monday 12th   Last night  I had to take Annabell up to the hospital Emergency as she was in pain. Turns out she has another UTI. It was after midnight before we got back home and at the moment she is still sleeping. I told her to turn off her alarm and  she can give me the list and I will go and do the shopping. Some people think I worry to much and perhaps they are right, but  after last night I think my concerns are justified. But then again, isn’t that part of the job description? o:)

It’s all Confused!

by edgar62, posted in House, Garden and Dogs

I have been away from this blog for a few days and I come back to find that everything has changed and I am not certain that I really like it: that I actually understand it or that I can

Nice and peaceful.

use it. I have no idea how I managed to get this far. I will keep on writing and see where it leads. I don’t know where my photographs are or how I can get photographs on to the page. I was particularly comfortable with the way the page was and if I knew how to I would try and return it to what it was before.   Somehow it went on to Block Editor and I don’t know why this happened, but I seem to have got it back to Classic Editor, which I am much more comfortable with.

The funeral on Wednesday was was very sad. Of course, all funerals are but this one was particularly so. It was held at the Funeral Home mainly because they have a large hall, and our church would not have been large enough – under the current restrictions – to accommodate enough people. There were a number of people from the hospital in Adelaide who traveled up. As I said, I was attending and had not intended to be part of the service. In the event I was asked to take part in the service. I was also asked to  undertake the Committal at the graveside.  William was a young man in a high pressure occupation – he was a psychiatric nurse and Team Leader at the Psychiatric Unit at a major hospital in Adelaide.  At the Cemetery, Annabell remained in the car . The walk would have been too much for her. 

I went out to the Photography Club in the evening but my heart wasn’t really in it so I came home fairly early. I want to really improve my photography and I thought joining the Photography Club was the way to achieve this, but I am not sure. I think what I really need is a hands on photography course, and that’s not possible here – in Adelaide yes, but I can’t remember the last time we ran  Community Courses here.  Yes I have tried  “On-Line ” courses, I have about three currently in the computer, but they just don’t work for me. There have been times ( yesterday, in fact) when I have gone out with the camera, taken photographs, came home and deleted every one. I was just unhappy and didn’t like them. With all the stuffing around the camera was a mess so I took the step of going into the  settings and returning the camera to Factory Settings, wipe out all the other setting except the basic  settings the camera came out of the box with. Start again from scratch without contradictory advice from assorted sources.

Oddly enough last Wednesday morning was the last fine day we had. It has been heavy rain throughout the state  for the last four days. It has also been cold and windy. It is supposed to start warming up by the end of the

Dog Stroller can be used if necessary

week, but it feels more like an extended winter rather than Spring. I have had Benji out and about and he is developing into a little con-man.  Of late we are out walking and after a while he will start limping then stop and lift his right paw up as if he was in pain. When I bent down to  feel all over his paw I could find nothing wrong, Even when I gently extended his paw he didn’t complain. He put the paw on the ground but when I started to move off, the paw went up in the air. Yes, I lifted him and put him on my shoulder and carried him for part of the way home.  This has happened several times and much of the time I have carried him – except for today. Off we went at 6am this morning, and about  three quarters of the way into the walk, the paw went in the air. I examined the paw,

There are definitely days ;like that..

found nothing amiss and told  him that we would go back home—-well I had hardly said the word home, than he turned around, the paw went down and he took off, no sign of any pain or discomfort or paw problem. I had a chat with Annabell and we have come to the conclusion that this is his way of telling me that he’s had enough and he wants to go home. He is getting older so really we should expect that he doesn’t want to be quite as active as he was. Anyway, I have a “Pet Stroller”which I bought for Misty, a Maltese we had many years ago,  who went blind. When we go out tomorrow I will take it with me and if he does the paw thing, I will lift him, strap him in the stroller and we can finish the walk together – like companions should.

Annabell is as well as expected. I  will have her at the hospital on Wednesday and again on Friday.  We may find out  sometime after Friday what the problem is, but if not then it may be day surgery on the 22nd October.

Hospital, Adelaide and Flinders Snow.

by edgar62, posted in House, Garden and Dogs

Benji & Yogi

Saturday and everything has started off quietly. Let’s hope it stays that way. From today on I have “cleared the decks” of all unnecessary activities and will stay at home for the week.  Between Annabell and Benji I will have much to keep me occupied. Annabell has blood tests first thing on Monday morning and then an Ultra Sound on Thursday morning. Benji seems to have  damaged his paw so I have medication for him in the form of a spray. However, in order to make sure he doesn’t  try to  get rid of the medication I will put a medical collar on him for a couple of days. That should cheer him up no end! This weekend is the practical weekend of the photography club – dinner on Friday ( missed) meeting this morning, followed by the AGM, then a workshop. Sunday and  a photo shoot day out at Wild Dog Hill and although there wont be another AGM for a year,  there will be other practical days as the days get lighter, longer and warmer. I cancelled everything

The blood tests are clear but there is something showing up on the ultra-scan and the doctor does know what it is so he is going to organise Annabell to go and see a specialist as soon as it can be arranged, even if it means I have to take her to Adelaide to get it done. Other than that she seems  fairly well. I will be a lot happier in my mind when we get to see the specialist and those results. I agree they could be bad but at least we will know and we  work with that.  To ensure that this week was a good week, I was dropped at the last selection and neither of my two photographs will make it

Rundle Mall, Adelaide

to the Calendar  for 2021. Annabell said that it was good even to be just considered and be in the selection process.

The weather has started to warm up and the last couple of days have seen our temperature to hit 30C, which is fairly nice but would be nicer if it were not for the continual wind. We have not been too bad but Adelaide has had trees ( guess what species?)  crashing down on houses and cars. No one has been injured but there has been some damage. James was cleared from the Hospital in Adelaide a day earlier than expected. He flew home last night and picked up Yogi today. The news broadcast has reported widespread flooding in areas where there has hardly been any rain for a few years, so a lot of people are happy. One little farm boy had never seen rain before. Also

today here is Badge Day for the RFDS and tomorrow and Sunday are both fundraising days with four activities planned in four different places.  Annabell is still not the best, so all-in-all it has been an interesting day to match an interesting weekend.  On Wednesday I went down to Adelaide. There were things I needed to do that  had I had put off. Annabell was ok so I left on  the early morning coach and came home that same evening on the last coach. There is still social distancing applied so there are only 20 people allowed on the

Nice and peaceful.

coach at any one time. This means that all double seats are actually single seats with the front  two rows blocked off. Leaving Adelaide we had 12 people – after Port Pirie we had 5 people and after Port Augusta we had 1 – me.. Adelaide was cold and not very pleasant and the camera shop I wanted was closed because of the Covid-19 Virus.

Benji went gaga when I got home. I ended up sitting on the floor with him jumping all over me. I  couldn’t be sure but I think he was glad I was home. Thursday I took Annabell to see the visiting  Specialist. I had to get her a wheelchair because with the Covid restrictions, sections of the hospital have been closed off and considering the distance of the detours, it would have been too much for her to walk – so I got the fun of pushing her uphill on a wheelchair  :o)   Anyway, I have to take her back again on the 9th Oct. and if all is well and the results of the biopsy are known then there may be an operation on the 22nd. Hopefully  after the biopsy we might know what the problem is.

On a final note, Spring hath Sprung bringing with it, rain,  high winds, cold and more cold and more rain and to make sure that we don’t miss out on anything Mother Nature

Not my photograph.

decided in her wisdom that the  Flinders Ranges would look much nicer covered in snow, so that’s what happened. We missed out ( as usual) but there was also a dusting of snow on the hills overlooking Port Pirie. For us it was a very cold few days.

We have a funeral on Wednesday. Not a member of the congregation but the young son of a member of the congregation and it is at the funeral parlor not at the church.I was going, of course, but now I have been asked to take part in the service. Of course, I said yes – don’t know what I am doing  but I still said yes. I had planned a quiet week before the hospital appointments with Annabell. Not much chance of that now.. Oh well, things happen !!

Flinders Ranges
(not my photograph)

Spring has Sprung..

by edgar62, posted in House, Garden and Dogs

The Wetlands towards the bridge.

Spring be here! With the warmer weather and there being no restrictions, the wetlands has become a busy wee place. There are a number of reasons for this, the weather is nice, it’s quiet and peaceful and the kiosk is very popular. The food is good, well cooked, tasty and reasonable priced. Benji likes his Ice-Cream so when it’s been warm  and we have completed our walk I have taken him to the kiosk, bought a dog portion in a  cup for him and a cone for me. I get Rum and Raisin, he gets Vanilla. We have not been around to the ducks and geese for a little while. Benji has been having a bit of a problem with his paw so I thought it best to keep him off the gravel path.  The serious gravel at the back of the Wetlands going down to where the geese are, I generally carry him over.  Irrespective of the weather, the Wetlands has become the  ïn” place at the moment and although the walking areas are  fairly quiet, the kiosk is always active – and the Ice-Cream is nice.

Yesterday  was a lovely day, hardly a breeze and 24c – really nice and yes, the Wetlands was packed. There was not a parking space to be had. I drove through drove to the foreshore and

Looking up the hill instead of down.

we spent the afternoon there. There was more seagrass than there was sand but what sand there was Benji enjoyed. We left just before schools ended for the day and were able to miss the traffic through town. Today – another nice day – the Wetlands was busy but there were spaces in the carpark so I parked there and took Benji for a walk, doing our figure of eight (8) We start off at the bridge and go around until we reach the other side of the bridge, – we cross the bridge and walk in the same direction, returning to the bridge and  completing a circuit of the area. I took a few photographs and we went home. At home I removed the disk from the camera to load

The New Jetty – still not complete yet. Should be open in a few weeks.

the photographs onto the computer and had lunch. After lunch the boy and I took off to  Hummock Hill and the Foreshore. I tried to take a photograph and could not – I had forgotten to get the disc out of the computer. I  drove up to  the Electrical Retailers and bought a new disc – I needed a spare anyway. From there we drove back to the foreshore and Hummock Hill and spent the afternoon there. It was a lovely afternoon and the place was quite busy with a good number of people around.

This week was the AGM of the  local  Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) and I was asked to resume the role of Secretary- which I did. Annabell wasn’t terribly happy, but although I have had concerns I feel that the organisation and its goal is bigger than petty differences. Anyway, due to Covid  the group has not been operational for  four months so it was a fair break. Time to get back to work. Having said that, we have had three funerals in the last four weeks (the latest this afternoon). We hadn’t even started this funeral today when we were told that another of our friends had died. Sad, yes, but we wont be involved with that.

It’s only Wednesday and already I want the weekend to hurry up and get here. It’s been a very strange week – funerals aside –  and up to a point Benji has not been given as much

Spring Gazinias

attention as I would like. Sunday, sometime  after the boys had left, I ended up taking Annabell to the hospital; Monday the RFDS AGM: Tuesday, Ladies Coffee evening: tonight just

We will have Yogi back for a few days next week.

too tired to do much and Annabell wasn’t feeling the best.  The funeral today took a lot out of her. The Church Newslletter/|Magazine is due out next week. Well, that’s not going to happen! I would like it to but I am less than halfway through it. I do want our magazine to end up like the State Magazine to which very few contribute – which is very sad.

I had Annabell at hospital at 1am this morning and I have to take her back at 8:15 this morning when the two doctors are on duty. She is not a well lady and I am concerned about her. Acording to the nurse this morning she may require a whole bank of tests to determine the problem, so we will just have to look after her and support her. I need to be at church, but other than that I will cancel all my activities for this weekend – Annabell is more important.