The Week that was.

by edgar62, posted in House, Garden and Dogs

It has been an interesting week: Monday 3rd. State Newsletter arrived. Printed it off then went down to the church to photocopy it for distribution. The photocopier started playing up, somehow the settings changed – fixed that (Shredded paper). Started again – paper jam. Fixed that (shredded paper) Second paper jam – cleared that, shredded paper, closed down and went home. AMP Papers arrived, downloaded them to fill in shortly. Annabell started getting things ready for the church Christmas Lunch found her trifle bowl was missing. Last used at Anniversary Service last week. Back to church – opened up gates again – unlocked kitchen and searched for missing bowl. Not found. Closed up and went home.  RFDS Meeting ended the day.  Temp 28c

Tuesday and we drove all around town looking for a new glass bowl – without success. Made a feeble attempt to clean up the  untidy bomb shelter that is sometimes referred to as my office.  Picked up ladies and took them and Annabell to the coffee

Early morning walk

evening.  Collected and took them back home.  Temp 32c

Wednesday and I sat and made out RFDS Greeting cards to send to people who have been a help to us over the last year.  Had serious brain fade and decided to hand deliver rather than post. Did that.  Wrote a thank you letter to the Woodworkers Association for the two Gavels they made and donated to us – signed, sealed and also hand delivered to the far end of town. Official temp 42.  Temp on the industrial thermometer under the pergola – 46c.

Thursday decided to make another attempt with the State Newsletter. Clear run. No problems at all. Not having found a new glass bowl by conventional means I suggested we try  Lifeline and see if they had anything suitable. They did and I bought it for her. Filled in AMP Papers and took them to the post office for Registered and Express Delivery. Collected Jacket from dry cleaners. Phone call from Adelaide – Husband very unwell and will be operated on soon. Might be a little bit before they are home again. Assured her Dougal was fine – missing her – but fine. and not to worry too much about him.  Temp. 40c

Friday. Took Annabell shopping. This took up most of the morning and by the afternoon I was here at the desk writing. Phone call from STRATCO to ask me if the RFDS would be able to help them out on Saturday 15th.  Sent email to all members asking for three  volunteers.  That done – contacted STRATCO and told them we would do it. Annabell reminded me that the church kitchen needed milk and could I attend to that.  Supermarket, bought milk, took it to  church.  We decided that we should put the tree up so I got the boxes from the garage only to find that the support legs for the tree were missing. Searched everywhere for them. Decided to get new tree- not a fiber optic tree to be had anywhere. Without the support legs the tree is unstable. I will have a good search and if I cannot find them, I  will drive through to the Port and see what I can find there in the way of a new tree. Temp. 37c

Raining a bit here and my stick now has small flowers.

Saturday and Sunday morning it rained and we were having more concerns about the Christmas Pageant and Market. It did clear and although it remained cool it also remained dry, so the pageant and the market were able to go ahead. I was at home and didn’t attend. And here we are, back to Monday again, cold wet and miserable – so much for the summer weather. The Eastern Seaboard battered by storms and it looks as if  much of December will be cold and wet. Sumer is coming – have no idea when but it is coming. It’s like a hair shampoo advert that was popular here some years ago with the catch phrase “It wont happen overnight, but it will happen”

December – Good Grief!!

by edgar62, posted in House, Garden and Dogs
The RFDS Simulator last time we used it.

I took the dogs out for their walk this morning, I was at home starting to get ready for the three events today.  I would be involved in two of them.   About 7:30, down it came – heavy rain, no wind but heavy, straight down rain. It didn’t  let up  but my fundraising was under cover  ( not the best of cover, but still cover) and we were mostly protected. The other one was not and they bravely  took the rain in their stride. By 11am the thunder started and then some lightening. There was some concern regarding the  Children’s  Christmas Pageant due to start at 5pm today. There was no let-up in the rain and the thunder so it was decided at 3pm to cancel the  Pageant and the After Pageant Fair. It will now take place on the 9th December. Sadly the RFDS Simulator started back to Adelaide and it is unlikely that we will be able to get the simulator back up from Adelaide again. This is a great pity because it’s a great draw-card and it is very popular, giving people`the opportunity to see how the inside of a RFDS aircraft is set up and all the equipment it contains. This also presents problems for the organisers of the After Pageant Fair in that some of the traders who would have been at the Fair will not be able to come back on the 9th December because of other commitments. We will just have to see how things  work out, but the decision not to go ahead with the Pageant was the right decision given the weather at the time. Actually it has been raining again today (Monday) I have to get my terminology right and it’s not the After Pageant Fair anymore – it’s the After Pageant Market

Referring back to the last post, I did resign as Secretary four years ago. The person that took over lasted for less than a year, then left and I was asked to  take it over again until the AGM and new elections. LOL, I’m still here…

Benji and Dougal at the Wetlands

Dougal is still with us and will be here at least until  the weekend, perhaps even beyond that, depending what happens in Adelaide. The were home during the week and I spoke to them and it was my suggestion ( and the right one) that Dougal should just stay here until they  finish all the medical appointments Adelaide and be back home. I thought that was preferable to him

being moved back and forward – Benji and Dougal get on well so it’s not a problem. — Wife phoned and Sam is not too great and still in hospital. Not very sure about when he would be allowed out and home. She was concerned about the imposition on us. I assured her Dougal was fine and I was happy for him to be here. It was not an imposition in any way and we were happy to help — better here than in some Kennels ( however good they might be)

Since I started writing this we have had an RFDS Workshop which was run by Central Operations during which we were told that it would be unlikely that we would get the simulator back but they would see what they could.  Well, they did very well and the Simulator will arrive here on the morning of the 9th and be set up.  The tentative date for the Pageant was Saturday 8th Dec. but it turned out that the Ada Ryan Gardens had been booked out for that day with a big wedding and  that date could not be moved, so it became Sunday  the 9th. I am not sure if I will be able to  assist – actually it is unlikely that I will be able to assist. The same will apply the following week – Carols in the Park –  which clashes with our own Carol Service at church.

Just Because.

During this coming week we are in for a few days of hot weather somewhere between 28c on Tuesday up to 37c on Thursday and a cooler 30c on Friday. I think the weather should be ok for the children’s Pageant and the Market afterwards.  Annabell has not been at her best this last week, so we will have to keep a close eye on her and make sure she does not overdo things. Only two more coffee nights and them they break up until next February.

 

Winds of Change

by edgar62, posted in House, Garden and Dogs

The daytime temperature has been nice but the mornings are cold – probably not in Adelaide – but up here, cold. The evenings have been much the same

Some of the larger birds at the wetlands. Swans have gone, though.

and I have taken to be rugged up if I take Benji for a walk around the wetlands in the evening as the sun  is on the wane. The other day my son sent me a message – “Wetlands in 30 mins.” so off  Benji and I trotted to the wetlands and caught up with him and the pram The day is great, warm and sunny, but the mornings and evenings are still cold. The month of November is a very busy month for the Royal Flying Doctor Group here. I said in the last post that I was asked to organise a fundraiser for this weekend – which I did – but this coming weekend is particularly busy with three events all going off on the one day. Next Saturday  I will be on the go from 8am to at least 9:30 pm. Still if it raises funds for the RFDS, it’s all worth it. I will be doing a fundraiser at the hardware store from 8;30 until 1:30 – a quick change and over to the Ada Ryan Gardens and the RFDS Simulator and  showing people through that until the close of the After Pageant Fair at 9pm and by the time we tidy up and get everything put away, it will probably be close to 10pm. Never mind – worse things happen at sea, or so they tell me.

The RFDS apart, it is going to be a busy time at church over the next month. The Lutheran Church are holding an Advent Service next week to which Annabell (my wife) and some other members of the congregation will be attending. With the other lady still on the sick list, I am still the Tuesday and Wednesday driver, and to add to that I have to take Annabell and pick up another lady for the Lutheran Advent Service on Wednesday afternoon. I thought after Mount Gambier things would start to calm down – oh sure, lead up to the Pageant,  Christmas, Carols in the Park and New Year and  you think things will calm down?

I had a bit of a “wake-up”call on Monday evening. On Sunday, the family come here for dinner. This Sunday Andrew did not come. We held off dinner, but still no Andrew. I tried to telephone him, but no reply. He was on call,  so we assumed he had been called out. Monday I tried several times to call him and again after dinner on Monday -still no reply. So I got into the car and drove to his place. He opened the door and he looked fit and well to me, but I asked how he was. He said he was fine. Talked to Trish and she was fine too. Trish quietly left the room leaving

My Grandson.

me with Andrew. I had just done what Andrew believed I would do when he did not turn up on Sunday and his phone remained unanswered – I would get in the car and drive over – and that is exactly what I did.  His reason for doing what he did is that he believed that this was the only way he could get me to come to his house. In the last year I have not been there to see my grandson, or play with him, because there has always been a reason to prevent me getting there –  organising some function or event for the RFDS – a church function or I am away for days at either Para Hills,  Naracoorte, or Mount Gambier on church business. And if i’m not doing that, I am up to my eyes in paperwork. He asked if I had to do the things I do – i.e. why me, why not someone else? I edit the church Magazine. This takes up time and effort but as much as I have tried to get people to even contribute – well,  everyone wants a magazine but no one is willing to help. The same with the State Newsletter – write on what’s happening here for the State Newsletter –  every other month I have asked for someone to do this- no one has ever responded. I have to go to the places I go to because that’s my role over and above running the service,  if you like. There are three of us who run the church, neither of the other two are fit to undertake the stress of  driving around the State – and by fit I mean medically – one is disabled and the other is recovering from  Cancer, which leaves me. Helen take care of everything locally and undertakes many of the visits, I look after things beyond local – that’s my role. I have to prepare reports for each of these meetings and be prepared to answer any questions that may arise. But Andrew is right, I am so tied up in other things that I am missing the growing up of my grandson – and to be very blunt and truthful – he is the only one I am likely to have.  Things will have to change and soon. I relayed all this to Annabell and she said she was not surprised  at Andrew’s method of getting me over there. “Your son knows and understands you more than you think he does”