House, Garden and Dogs – Page 81

Garden, Hugs and anti-social me.

03/05/2014 by edgar62, posted in House, Garden and Dogs

This is last year's photograph but the odd things is that it is starting to flower again in the same pattern — This is last year’s photograph but the odd things is that it is starting to flower again in the same pattern

There has been serious precipitation for ten hours now and if the weather heats up just a tad, I might go for a swim in the back garden – no I

don’t have a swimming pool :o) I may have to take a trip to a laundry and throw the dog beds in a drier. I think one of them has gone out, got soaked and came back into bed. Although, as the sun comes up – or as it gets light – things tend to change and I might be able to get them dry during the course of the day.

You would think that with all this wet stuff, grass would be knee deep and I dare say in other parts of the State ( Adelaide, the Adelaide Hills region and the South East) it would be. Here we do not have grass – ever. We have saltbush. Yes there is grass but not natural – it’s grass on well manicured lawns. Even this is dying out as water costs continue to rise and a government that is so strapped for cash, it wants to charge water fees if we have a rainwater tank and use the water we have collected. They are charging farmers for the amount of water they have in their stock dams. Well, yes, the State Government acknowledges that the water falling from the sky belongs to G-d, but once it hits South Australia – it belongs to them :o)

I’m good. I really am good. They say that Bougainvillea are hard to kill – don’t you believe it. Anyway, the plants I bought from the Garden Shop are dying, but the two I bought from the hardware shop are surviving. I have found this before, that some things from the Garden Shop do not survive as they should and things from “unusual” sources do. Also I have to say ‘rejoice with me” because my Sturt’s Desert Pea is starting to bloom. There are buds and a few early flowers and when they burst out I’ll take some photographs with the Desert Rose in the background. At the moment the Desert Rose has about five flowers on it, but as I said before they are so delicate they do not last for very long. The interesting thing is that the Gardner at the Arid Lands BG told me that the Desert Pea will only last for a year. If I wanted another flowering I would have to get another plant. However, mine last year didn’t die and after dying back, as opposed to dying off – resurfaced again and now it is about to flower. I am told that this is unusual

I have completed a nine page report and sent it to Adelaide. I have chosen a hotel equidistant between the two venues and far enough out of the way to wind down at night in preferred isolation. I just like to be on my own. It allows me to write up my notes and thoughst for the day, spend some time reading, eating and then bed. It’s not that I am anti-social but after spending all day with a group of people I prefer to be on my own for a while – and besides, there is the traditional Dinner along with the traditional group photograph – and no. I don’t go to the dinner either. :o)

Well, ok then, perhaps just a tad anti-social. As I have said before, this is a metro-centric State and they are the Adelaide Boys Club – I really do not have anything in common with them – at least nothing we could sit down with a glass of wine and socially chat about for an evening. Yes I will have a glass of wine and some cheese and either read, work on my notes, start writing up my report for the Magazine or listen to music – and that’s generally how I will spend much of the week – exciting – yes??

The wonders of a modern society: you pack your clothes and papers then you pack another bag with all your electronic devices – laptop, pad, phone, camera – and because you are away for a while – you also need to pack all the chargers. How did we manage in the past ? :o)

New plants, toxic plants and climbing plants

26/04/2014 by edgar62, posted in House, Garden and Dogs

Sturt's Desert Rose — Sturt’s Desert Rose

Tuesday and I have Herself at the doctor this morning. I expect to bring her back home and let her lie down for a while. Our appointment is at 9am, so we should be home by 10:30 and I’ll let her rest until lunch. If she is feeling up to it I may take her out for lunch. Yesterday I spent the day clearing the ground – covered it with fertilizer then a Blood and Bone mix, dug all that through and watered it all in. I planted two new flowering bushes – a Lemon coloured Hibiscus and a new bush called Mexican Orange Blossom (White flowers) AND I have fenced the area off. Unless they have mountaineering skills ( like some dogs I know) they should be kept out of the area. Not that I am not thankful for the work in watering they have done, but I feel this responsibility added to their extensive Guard Duties, is really too much to expect so, fencing it off is for their own good. I feel that this is a good time to plant these things (black thumb notwithstanding) because whilst it does say “Full Sun” I am not certain that it means South Australian Full Sun, so, now the bite has gone out of the sun and it is cooler, it might be better and give them time to get established. I have also planted Bougainvillea (Two) along the line of the fence in the hope that they might brighten up the place a bit. I have two different colours at the moment but I may well get two more during the course of this week and provided they all survive, it should be a nice coloured wall

The doctor appointment well and I think we are clear for a couple of months. Still waiting to see if we need to go visit the other specialist, but at the moment, she is not too bad – tired but well. She should be ok provided she does not overdo things.

Our local hardware store also sells a limited number of plants. Once upon a time we had three Garden Shops – now we have but one. I bought two Bougainvillea at the hardware store at a cost of $9:50 each. That was the last two they had. The two I bought yesterday at the Garden shop cost me $16:95 each. This is part of a big chain and since it’s the only place in town they can charge what they like – mainly because the nearest Garden Shop is over 100 miles away. Although— having said that – I do know a young couple who had a house built then took a trailer to that particular Garden Shop and filled the trailer with plants for the garden they had started to lay out. In a few weeks I will be going to Adelaide and be there for a week. On the way home I will stop off at Bunnings on Main North Road and have a look to see if I want anything in the way of plants. I’ll probably stop at the Arid Lands B.G. on the way through. Oh, I did buy one plant the other day and I am unsure what to do with it. I liked the flowers and thought they would look nice. But I decided to look it up on Google and was horrified to learn that it is toxic to dogs, cats, horses sheep and cattle. It also gives off a perfume that destroys other species of plants around it and encourages the spread of its seeds. It is called Lantana Camara and, I think I may have to be careful where I put it.

We had a little bit of precipitation (not using the other word – don’t want to cause upset) this afternoon so that helped to get things settled in – I hope. In another section I have the trailer parked and I am digging out the gravel from that area. It is unlikely that I will be able to plant anything there but I will put down weed matting and refresh the area. There is also a very large area that’s covered in gravel but it’s the cheapest stuff you can get so it does not look all that nice. I will, over time clear all that away and again refresh it with some decent gravel – granite chips perhaps.

I have never had any problem feeding my associates. Well, not strictly true in that I have to have a gate between them – one on one side of the gate – one on the other. Chienne gets right into the food dish as soon as it is put in front of her. She raises her head only when her bowl is empty. The Man, on the other hand, herself calls O.C.D. He has a ritual he has to go through – sniff, walk away – sniff, walk around daddy’s legs, – sniff, walk around daddy”s legs – sniff, walk away, return, eat. If I fed them together after the first walk away, Chienne would be in there and finished before he came back. Ok, so he’s weird, but I guess he fits in quite nicely. He sleeps a lot and I still carry him when we go for “walks”.

I am still undecided about accommodation in Adelaide for the State Assembly and I’m leaning towards a hotel closer to town and about equal distance between the two places I have to go. I think that might be the place.

Remembrance, RFDS and watering the garden.

21/04/2014 by edgar62, posted in House, Garden and Dogs

In just over a week, we will hold ANZAC Day – for those of you in Europe – that is our Remembrance Day (although we still recognize that particular day) and for my American Friends I think the nearest thing is Veterans Day. However, it is the day that we remember the Australian and New Zealand men and women who fell in battle to preserve the freedoms that we take for granted today. I have often argued that this is not a glorification of war, far from it. ANZAC Day is a time of Remembrance and Thanksgiving – remembering those who did not come home, AIF who paid the ultimate sacrifice for us and a time of thanksgiving for all the men and women who did come home and whom we honour that day. Generally, after the dawn service, all the former service people and their families head off to the Returned Serviceman’s League (RSL) for breakfast. I have never gone because I am not ex-service and and I don’t deserve to be there with them. Those of us in that situation generally head off to Maccas and have breakfast there. Last year herself was unwell, so I just got a take-away for two and came home. When I was in Adelaide I walked through West Terrace Cemetery and the Military Section. Whenever I walk through a Military Cemetery I am always reminded of the words of Eric Bogle – the Scottish/Australian songwriter and singer and his words from ” The Green Fields of France”

But here in this graveyard it’s still No Man’s Land

The countless white crosses in mute witness stand

To man’s blind indifference to his fellow man

And a whole generation that were butchered and damned

Tomorrow is Good Friday and our service will take place at 10am. I will be leading this service. Saturday I have a RFDS function. This was fun to organize since I have two functions running at the same time. The majority of people will be at the foreshore at the big function and I have a team at the smaller function. I will be doing the smaller

function until lunch and then heading over to the Foreshore to assist if required.

The back garden is still a disaster area but the front is doing well. The Sturts Desert Rose is producing flowers, the Sturt’s Desert Pea is growing away good style and the three small conifers I planted some months ago are still with us. They have not really grown much, but at least they are still alive – which is something. I would like to redo the plot with new topsoil so I might give that some thought and see if it will improve things. But I think the important thing is to make it dog proof. I think part of the trouble in this area of the back is that the dogs are doing their thing to help by personally watering the plants. The experiment with the propagation sand was a bit of a fizzier. I have bought new fencing which I will put around the area I want to plant in. It should be high enough to keep the dogs out and let me have the fun of watering things on my own – without any help. When we finished the function at the Hardware Shop, I made my way to the Foreshore to assist at the other function and was there until after 4pm. So, from 08:30 – 4:00 it was a long and tiring day. I was quite happy to get my feet up for a bit.

Sunday evening and we have the Clan for Dinner, which is something of a tradition. Well I think it’s a tradition with everyone that has children – they grow up – leave home then came back each week for Mum’s Sunday Dinner. I like this because it’s what we used to go with our parents when we were children – every Sunday we would take turns visiting the relatives and finally, after a while, they all met at our house – about every five weeks or so – and yes, we have been round to the boys places for dinner. I like that.

Cyclones, Microchips and Black Thumb

16/04/2014 by edgar62, posted in House, Garden and Dogs

Romp in the long grass - "sigh" — Romp in the long grass – “sigh”

As I am writing a Severe Category 5 Cyclone is about to batter into North Queensland. Here in our little corner of the Commonwealth, the rain has finally stopped. I have been out doing some stuff for the RFDS and on the drive back to the house, I could actually see the stars – which means, no rain clouds. This weekend will be a very busy weekend between RFDS and the Church I probably wont sit down much before 4pm Sunday after we put the Moderator on the aircraft to return to Adelaide. I have a trailer load of stuff waiting to get taken down to the dump and it’s been waiting for the best part of a week now. I hope to be able to get it attended to on Monday morning. Herself is still loosing blood, still tired but she keeps going on. Nothing else for it, really. We are still waiting to see the specialist and I have a feeling I may have to take her to Adelaide for that.

In May I have to be in Adelaide for most of a week to attend the State Assembly, then I’m fairly free until early June. I should be there twice in June, but I have the suspicion that I could develop a bit of a cold for one of them. I had thought of going to the Andrea Bocelli concert in September and then I had a look at the ticket prices and by the time I pay transport and hotel bills I would not have a lot of change out of $1100 and I really cannot justify that. I’m not being a cheapskate but $1100 for a two and a half hour concert is really not justifiable. Yes I could get very cheap tickets and I suppose people will, but it seems pointless to me to go to a concert and be so far away from the stage that you need a telescope to see it.

It’s Australia! The Category 5 cyclone was downgraded to 4 -3-2-1 -severe tropical storm, which caused some damage, but, thankfully, not as much as was expected. There was damage to power lines, trees and some structural damage, but mostly heavy rain and flooding. Thankfully, also, the weekend is over and I can sit down. It was a hectic three days starting with an RFDS function on Friday, then all day Saturday – 10am – 8pm and from 9:30 Sunday until 3pm. And to round it all off, we had the entire clan for dinner on Sunday evening. This morning I did, finally, manage to get the trailer emptied, so it’s all ready for use again.

I telephoned my Vet this morning asked about the Microchip of my dogs and how long does it last – it remains active for as long as the dog is alive. The only time any changes

This is what rain looks like... — Sneaky things, clouds..

are made is if the dog changes ownership and the registration has to be changed. Other than that – it’s for life.

Next month I have to spend a week in Adelaide and have been looking for a hotel. Normally I stay in the same place, but on this particular occasion, it has been decided to divide the Assembly- two days at one venue, two days at another – stupid idea if you ask me!! So I was looking – on line – for a place somewhere between the two. Was asleep and just after midnight (00:22) I had a telephone call from a Holiday Inn who wanted to talk rates with me. I was not impressed and it took me a while before I settled down and got back to sleep. Guess where I wont be staying?? But after all that I would seem that the best course of action is to do nothing and go where I generally go and put up with the extra traveling for the two days. Still think it’s a silly idea and something we have never done before. I do hope it’s not setting a precedent.

I have two RFDS functions this week – one tomorrow (Wednesday ) and one on Saturday. Tomorrow should be a fine day but not so sure about the weekend. Thursday and Friday I hope to get some work done in the garden. I have not, as yet, ripped out the dead plants, but I will tomorrow. After that I think I really need to decide if it is worth continuing this struggle. – I think the “Black Thumb” has come back again. Sometimes all I have to do is look at a plant and it goes into self-destruct. I think it’s a talent !!

Highways, by-ways and Mother Nature

10/04/2014 by edgar62, posted in House, Garden and Dogs

Apart from a Football Match (Australian Rules) I have now discovered another reason for staying out of the City – International OZ-Comi-Con is being held at the Showgrounds. This is annoying because I wanted to go to that this year. My son went last year and bought me a Warehouse 13 T Shirt and had photographs taken with Richard Dean Anderson. However, I have to be at a conference on Saturday morning and be back in time for a Barbecue. However, with these two events, the place will be packed and although I do have to do one thing in town, I might not be able to if I can’t get parked. I will probably drive into town, judge things and either try to park or drive back out again. I might get away with it on Friday morning but certainly not Saturday, although I wont be in town on Saturday anyway. I’ll be navigating the South Road. Joy! I was asked to go to Karrulta Park on Friday which works out good for me. I can pick up the ANZAC Highway which runs into West Terrace and puts me on the side of the road that I wanted to be in. Well ok, Adelaide is not the world biggest metropolis, but coming into West Terrace from any other end means cutting across 10 lanes of traffic to get where I want to be – South Terrace, North Terrace, ANZAC Highway and Sir Donald Bradman Drive all converge in West Terrace. From there I can head up to Salisbury. This is also a busy place, but far enough away from Adelaide to miss the crowds.

I do not really get irritated with many things but one of the things that does irritate me is the way comments (awaiting moderation) just vanish into cyberspace. This happens on a couple of sites so I’m not really sure if I should continue with these sites, or just go. Of course, this could be a roundabout way of telling me to go anyway :o)

The drive to Adelaide was uneventful – thankfully. A lovely day and a good drive down. I I did turn off the by-pass onto

the South Road and I have to say that I am impressed. No detours and the elevated roadway was all but completed – just some cosmetic finishing touches. A super road – but then it’s cost enough so it should be. Well, that’s that section finished, now the fight starts about where the government is going to borrow the money to start work on the next section. My one criticism is that because of the cosmetic work being undertaken, traffic on the new 8 lane (4×4) roadway was restricted to 60kph – less stress, no detours, but not all that faster in getting to Kurralta Park. I did manage to get the last photograph for my report at West Terrace before heading off to Salisbury. After the conference on Saturday I decided to make a detour that would see me back on the South Road and the

new highway again. This was amazing because the South Road Highway now blends into the Salisbury Highway, which then joins the Port Wakefield Road and a direct run home on Highway 1. Bonus… I was home in plenty of time to feed the dogs and get us over to my son’s place for the Barbecue.

Since I came back from Adelaide it’s been raining almost constantly. It’s been good in that my 22,500 ltr water is overflowing as is the 1350 ltr. water tank. The small tank I use for watering plants – when they actually survive that is- which is not very often. The Hibiscus and the other bushes I planted have all died so we are slowly coming to the conclusion that the previous owners, who had a thing for concrete and gravel, may well have made sure that nothing will grow on the little area of soil they left. What I am thinking about is weed matting and woodchips and give up this one-sided, unequal struggle. Mother nature is bigger than me :o)

Elections, MPs and visiting dogs.

31/03/2014 by edgar62, posted in House, Garden and Dogs

Last week we had an election and to put it bluntly – it was a schnozzle. In order to govern – in South Australia – a party must have 24 seats to give it a working majority. We ended up with Labor 23 – Liberal 22 and Independents 2. There was still postal votes to count and the two party leaders were having talks with the independents. They couldn’t decide – then – one of them dropped a bomb by suddenly deciding that he was ill and went off on three month sick leave leaving the one to decide on the future of the state government. He decided that he would support the Socialists and subject us to another four years of borrow and spend. Still, he got a Ministry and a few Dollars for his trouble so he’s happy. Now comes the problem of the Westminster System – 24 Labor, 22 Liberal 1 independent – the first order of business is to install a Speaker which should be from the government party – not always but usually. Liberal will refuse to supply a speaker which means the government must, which then puts the numbers at 23 Labor, 22 Liberal and 1 independent. These guys play games like the nice clowns they are, thus if a government man/women goes off, the opposition supplies a pair (one of their members who wont vote) so that the balance of numbers is maintained, so in effect the opposition keeps the government in power whilst attacking it. Me, I have no such scruples, as leader of a party in that situation I would simply refuse to supply a pair ( this is a convention not a rule – a “gentleman’s agreement” ) which could and probably would lose crucial votes in the House and if the opposition forced a vote of no confidence it would, in turn, force the government to call a new election. The system is very much open to abuse. It is still

an active system in the UK Parliament and also in the US Congress.

Now, here’s a thing that gets me – and I am not intentionally insensitive – but the independent underwent brain surgery to remove a tumor and is now undergoing chemotherapy and cancer treatment and I cannot help but think that he and his family knew about this before the election, but , three days after the election he goes off for four months and maintains his full PMs salary and benefits. If it transpires that he is not well enough to resume his seat then we will have the added expense of a by-election to elect a new member. I don’t know, am I being overly critical here?

You know I look at dogs in conditions of heavy snow and I sometimes wonder how my two would cope in that kind of weather, but I suppose as dogs do, they would quickly adapt. Probably better than we humans.

Some time ago i wrote that I had a lady in my driveway and I looked after her until the RSPCA came. I later found out that it was the next door dog. She is a digger and digs her way

out or under fences. Anyway she had been an almost constant visitor this last week and I have been looking after her until her owner gets home and tries to block up yet another hole. To try and relieve the pressure I have been taking the dog – her name is Izzy – out walking bring her back then taking my two out. And because she had been digging again she had to stay here until her owner came home. I have no idea what breed of dog she is but she is a very friendly dog. However, it seems he no longer lives next door but has bought a house in another part of town. The fencing is still to go up and the place secured before he can move his dog over there so he is visiting her every day on his way home from work – which is when I have seen him. He says it will be another couple of weeks before the place is ready and he can move Izzy up there with him. In the meantime, I’ll keep an eye out for her and take her for a walk. She’s no trouble so she is welcome here.

On Friday I head off to Adelaide again. I’ll be away for two days so we just have to hope that everything will be ok until I get back. I want to leave Adelaide at a reasonable time and get home in time to attend a Barbecue at my son’s place. My son and his partner bought this place about four months ago and they have decided they are settled enough in to have a House Warming Barbecue for

family and friends. He was not too impressed when I said I have to be in Adelaide but I should be able to get back at a reasonable time. I wont be hanging about because there is a Football match on in town and the place will be crowded, so I’ll by-pass the city for the weekend and stay out in the suburbs.

Chienne and The Man

23/03/201423/03/2014 by edgar62, posted in House, Garden and Dogs

Chienne (Chi for short) as a young puppy

Her name (Chienne) means several things but I prefer the term “Female Dog” Unlike the Man, Chi was not adopted or rescued, Chi was bought by me – well, actually both of us –

from a Pet Shop. Now when you have calmed down and brought your arms back to your side after throwing them up in horror, let me explain. This was a small town pet shop – it was not part of any big group – animals were not generally part of what the shop did : it provided boarding – short and long term, was a grooming service; herself and I knew the owners and the dogs she did have from time to time, were checked by the Vet – who, by the way, is still our Vet. He still looks after Chienne (Chi (Chee) for short)) and has done for the last twelve years.. However, there was adoption of a sorts because – and we do not know why – Chienne adopted Andrew. Andrew moved out years ago but work commitments meant he had to leave her behind but he did come over a couple of times a week just to take her out . Even now, she can tell when his car pulls into the driveway and she goes nuts – the excitement is amazing. Heck she never gets that excited for me when I come back from Adelaide but then I only feed her and walk her, look after her and pay the Vet bills. I suppose by extension Andrew and Trish’s girls get nearly similar treatment. Chienne revels in all the attention from her beloved Andrew and the girls. The Man, on the other hand is different. He is a rescue dog. He had, from all accounts, a pretty rotten time and was sick, matted and looked really sad and pathetic. There were other dogs at the pound that day but for some reason I asked for him. He was brought home bathed and cleaned then taken to the groom. He was pretty sick and spent time in “Hospital” with our Vet looking over him. He had been kicked about the mouth and a good number of his teeth were in a bad way. The Vet tried to save as much as he could but in the end, over

about a year, all his teeth were removed. I just have to cut things up smaller but he eats well. Unlike Chienne he dislikes the girls and tries to go away and hide when they come over. They think of him as a puppy and want him to play so he tends to get grumpy and I have been quite happy a couple of times that he has no teeth. The little one – Tallia – wants to keep picking him and and trying to cuddle him like a little doll and this makes him very unhappy. I generally open the door and he takes off to his secret den in the garage and only comes back when they have all gone. I can understand – he’s old and he doesn’t like being pulled about, poked and prodded not to mention being treated like a doll – it’s just so undignified. I think if the girls went to the UK they would qualify for entrance to one of what I think is one of the top schools there – I believe it’s called St. Trinians :o) The man sleeps for much of the day and although he gets excited when I

get ready to take them out, he only walks for a little while then I have to carry him for a bit, but this is fine – he’s not heavy. In the early days, when we moved here, there were Kangaroos around the place and I would see them when I took the dogs out. However, over the last few years most of the land has been fenced off and earmarked for future house development, so we don’t see the Roos any more, glad in some ways, sad in others. I have looked at two sets of wheels for him, one set being metal the other being PVC – the PVC only recommended for dogs under 6 kilo and he is only 3 kilo. Over the next week or so I will give thought to getting him measured up and the measurements sent off to the United States. And before you ask, I can get a set of wheels made in Australia but it is cheaper to buy the good in the USA have them shipped over here and pay the postage costs than it is to have them made in Australia. Still, it could be worse, they could be made right here in South Australia, then we really would know what charges are all about in the highest taxing state in the Commonwealth. We have a government that wants to play with the big boys but in order to do this, it needs money – so it borrows and spends and borrows again – hence the fact that 1,oo9,000 of a working population have a collective debt of 75% of revenue with an interest bill alone of $780 Million per year – and that’s before it spends the next four years accumulating even more debt. And it will because they are addicted to spending

A Man and His(?) Office — A Man and His (?) Office

because that’s what the big boys do.

Cell phones, Flowers and Teddy Bears

20/03/2014 by edgar62, posted in House, Garden and Dogs

Aren’t mobile (Cell) phones wonderful. During the trip back home I was able to call herself and get her to have a taxi waiting for me when the coach arrived at the

terminal. Thus, I was home at 11:50 – before midnight :o) Apart from the crazy idea of walking through Adelaide, I was fairly fresh by the time we got in and then home. I stayed up for a while and worked on my notes and report – which I have about four weeks to complete. It was a good meeting, interesting and very worthwhile and I am really glad that I made the decision to go. Thursday I took herself to her medical appointment and spent most of the day in and around the house keeping an eye on her since she had had pre-op medication. Friday and she was admitted into the hospital – Day Surgery. I took her up to the hospital at 7am and at 7:30 they came to collect her. I came back home. As the time started to wear on past lunch I was just a tad concerned. I didn’t get a call to go back and pick her up until 2:30, but I spent a good deal of the time working on the introduction and the first part of the report. I went to the hospital when I was called but it was after 3pm before we were finally on our way home. The rest of the day was fairly quiet and I let her rest. Dinner was light and simple and after the news she watched Rugby and I vanished into the room to do some work. I did take the dogs out for a while. Anyway, we don’t have to go back to the hospital until 5th June, so we have a bit of a break, which should allow us to return to semi-normality for a bit.

As an aside – I have to say that I told the doctor’s practice manager over the phone that I was going to charge her for all the white-out I was using as she changed times and dates on me. Next time I went up there she handed me a Liquid Paper unit. My comment was ” I was only joking” her comment was ” Yes but I’m not and I have to change the date for the next appointment ” :o)

Since the hospital I have been busy planting several rows of Lettuce and several rows of Parsley. I have also planted an attractive Lasiandra Jules, so it would be nice if that takes. The Sturt’s Desert Rose amazes me. The flowers are so delicate, but the bush on which they flourish is as tough as nails. It’s amazing the contrast between the hardy plant and the delicate flowers that never last more than a few hours.

I continue to take the dogs out each night and whilst I still carry the Man for a bit, I find that I am not carrying him for

as long as I used to. I think perhaps the cooler weather is good for him. I believe that and the fact that I take them out after the sun goes down ( no flies ) is a great help. He does sleep a lot but he is still eating well and he still gets excited about going out – in fact if I am slow in getting ready, the pair of them are not slow in t

elling me. The Man is about thirteen and a half and the problems with his life before he was rescued are really starting to tell. He has no teeth and when I give them their treat in the morning, Chienne takes hers out side and I close the door on her – that way I can break his treat up and hand feed him until it’s all gone. I have not measured him for a set of wheels since he seems to be walking a lot better in this cooler weather and I would rather he continues to walk whilst he can, but I will order them when I think it’s necessary.

Coaches, Meetings and Rundle Mall

14/03/201414/03/2014 by edgar62, posted in House, Garden and Dogs

The Hibiscus that I planted the other week is doing well although I suspect the cooler weather has a lot to do with it. Still, it’s all good and I look forward to some flowers. I was informed that the Sturt’s

Desert Pea has to be replanted each year – howeffer – it seems that my plant has re-seeded itself and after cutting all the dead wood away, it’s looking pretty healthy. I hope to get another display of flowers out of that this year. The three pines I planted out front are still very small but I hope that will develop and grow soon. They still look healthy enough. I have another bag of sand so I will probably take a run over to the Garden Center and see what I can find.—————- Goodness me ( or words to that effect) this sand has set like concrete. Very nice, it’s crushing the poor plant to death. In the morning I may have to dig it out and attempt to rescue it – if it’s not too late. That was unexpected and it worked in the video – but perhaps I missed something or perhaps it’s the wrong sand – who knows?

I have decided that I really need to go to Adelaide on Wednesday, but since I need to be back for a medical appointment for Herself on Thursday, I will go down and back by coach. Not my favourite mode of travel but needs must. We used to enjoy coach travel many years ago when Interstate Highway 1 was realigned and practically rebuilt as the Federal Government Bi-Centenary Project, but the coach company, in its infinite wisdom decided to desert the new highway, and moved to the alternate Highway with all its ups and downs, twists, turns and ruts as well and going in and out of every small town on the way down – and back. So to drive down by car takes just over four hours; the coach takes five and a half = leaves at 6am arrives Adelaide 11:30am. Once the 5am (now 6am) coach was the “Express Coach” that went directly down Highway 1, arriving in town at 10:00. There was also, once, an overnight coach that left at midnight, which was good for an early morning meeting – arrive in town, walk along North Terrace to the Royal Adelaide Hospital and have a good breakfast in the Canteen. The return journey will get me home just after midnight. Anyway the meeting is not until 2:30pm so I will have a couple of hours to spare to hit Rundle Mall :o) – It’s not all doom and gloom.

It is true that simple things can give pleasure. I have not been able to use my camera recently (Sony) because the battery died and I cannot get a replacement here.

In under 30 minutes in Adelaide I had a replacement battery and my camera working again. The other pleasure was giving away a large box of Lindt chocolates to ” Strangers”. Why?? Well last time I was in Adelaide I left my Filofax in a stationery shop – Kikki.K ( actually I think I mentioned this) Anyway, they were kind enough to post it to me, without charge, so, when I was down this time I bought a large box of chocolates and gave it to the staff (three) to say ” Thank You”. I managed to cram in a few other things before heading off to the meeting, but the battery and Kikki.K were my main concerns. I took a taxi to the meeting and at the conclusion, I still had a bit of time, and, since it was a nice day, I decided to walk to the bus terminal — OK, not perhaps the brightest idea I have come up with recently. I thought because I take the dogs out walking every night for over an hour that walking back to the bus terminal would be no problem but what I didn’t take into consideration was that with the dogs I have no timetable – not so when I have to navigate my way through the heart of the city and be on time to book in. If you have been reading you will know that not so very long ago I caused damage to the arch of my foot, (planter fasciitis ) which is still not fully recovered – so, walking back to the bus station was not my best idea. However, good me – I made it in time (barely but we wont go into that) booked in, grabbed a bottle of water from the kiosk and staggered on to the coach – which, fortunately was almost empty (12 people), and I was able to stretch out in a double seat, and yes, I did take my shoes off :o)

Barbecue, dogs and movies

06/03/2014 by edgar62, posted in House, Garden and Dogs

Saturday and I spent the morning helping to run a fundraising Barbecue for the RFDS. We were only there about three hours and managed to raise about $340, which is not bad. Herself had a good night last night and after I laid out her breakfast I set off to the BBQ. I did call a couple of times to make sure everything was ok. It’s not been all that bad of a week and we were able to relax for a bit as things calmed down. Monday we are at the hospital again and we’ll see how things go from there. I have been giving the Man a medication that was recommended to me and we have noticed that he is crying a lot less and is much more active. Well, yes, I still have to carry him for a bit, but just to get his wind back, you understand, not that he needs it, of course :o ) On the other hand, if he didn’t run around like a mad thing and expend all his energy in the first five or six minutes, it might be a tad different.

Not sure where I got this from, but it works for me.

Monday and we are back to the hospital again. This afternoon she goes to have an Echocardiograph, which is an ultrasound of her heart. They are, I believe, doing this because she failed the Stress Test last week. Well, she didn’t actually fail it, she couldn’t walk on the treadmill as fast as they wanted her to so they abandoned it. With this test the rules are that we MUST be there on time or the test will be cancelled. Should not be a problem. This will be our last appointment until Friday, so after today, provided all goes well, I should be able to wind down for a little. I don’t know – perhaps it’s just me but I really fail to see what these tests have to do with a blood loss, but I suppose they have to eliminate other possibilities. I am supposed to go to a meeting next Wednesday and I think I might just be able to fit it in. However, it means taking a coach to Adelaide and a coach home. I can get the 6am coach, go to the meeting then get the 6pm coach back home, ready to take her to the Specialist on Thursday. I really need to attend this meeting because I have to write a report and it would be better that I was there and talk to people rather than simply write the report from the information I have to hand – comprehensive thought it might be.

Interesting post recently with reference to the Oscars. The writer asked her followers to list their three favourite movies – mine being, Casablanca – The Man Who Would be King – A Man For all Seasons – these are the three I would take with me to a desert island, but I have to say that there are “Runners Up” that I like: Hatchi -55 Days at Peeking – The Day after Tomorrow ( yes I know the science leaves a lot to be desired, but I like it), Shadowlands – The Remains of the Day – On The Beach (with Fred Astaire not the remake) Braveheart – The Lion in Winter. I would quickly get fed up with the Lord of the Rings, but I would take the three Narnia Movies with me and one other probably surprising selection – Yankee Doodle Dandy – with James Cagney.

I have some worry about the Man and he is not only slowing down but there is a loss of strength and control in his back legs. He still runs about the house like a mad thing, but he does lose his balance a bit and falls. Still, he gets up and carries on. As soon as we get herself settled again, and whilst there does not seem to be any immediate concern, I will get him to the vet for advice. Other than that, this is a long weekend and Monday is a public holiday, so I have the weekend to sit down and contemplate the heavens – or something.

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