Adelaide, Funerals and nothing changes.

by edgar62, posted in House, Garden and Dogs
The Loaded Dog – inspired by a story by Henry Lawson. The same sculptor that created The Kelpies created this.

With all the new security systems that have come into force in Europe, I don’t know if I will continue to get posts from there. I have filled in all the forms and answered all the questions and ticked the boxes I thought were appropriate, so I hope to continue to see you.  I have just come back from a funeral in Adelaide. The funeral was in an area called Para Vista ( Montague Road). I no longer get up early, drive to Adelaide and then drive home again. That’s 9-10 hours of driving  and add to that if you take in breaks – and I just wont do that. I stayed overnight in North Adelaide and came home on Saturday afternoon. The way the Benji behaved you would have thought I had been away for a month instead of just overnight. Two funerals in two successive weeks, is a bit hard particularly an overnight stay. I suppose I could have missed the Adelaide trip and just not went, but the lady served the church for many years and although we were not all that close to her husband, those of us who knew her felt it was right thing to do to support her at her husband’s funeral.

Annabell has been progressing well and has been getting back out again. This evening I’ll take her to the coffee ladies and then pick her up again. We were at the doctors this afternoon and he is quite pleased with her improvement.  – BOTHER……. I must have pressed publish instead of Save. Anyway, I’ll just go on writing and update. Don’t think I can do anything else. Tomorrow is the last day of Autumn and then winter starts in earnest.  I have to say, though, it was just a tad fresh when I was out walking with Benji this morning. There was not a cloud in the early morning sky; the stars were  all visible and sharp and bright: the moon was bright, round,  very white and quite vivid and it was  cold, very cold and I regretted leaving the gloves on the chair.

The Memorial in Naracourte

Everything has been very quite of late and we do not have a single function booked  this month, so we are well down on what we contribute to the RFDS Central Operations this year. Thus far we are down about $15,000, but then it has been a bad year year all round and although there are major changes in the pipeline, it’s a long pipiline and it will be a while before they flow through and we start to recover and see the benefits. But there is disquiet in that it is being said that Mr. Gupta talks a lot and negotiates a lot, but there is nothing  we can really lay a hand on and parts of the shopping area of the town looks abandoned. It will be interesting to see how it all plays out , although Arrium is secure. I just wish the rest of the town had the same degree of certainty.

Annabell, Funerals and Monday again

by edgar62, posted in House, Garden and Dogs
Annabell

If being away this time was full of frustrations being at home this week has been full of concern and anxiety. Annabell  is ill and on Monday I booked her into the doctor. He saw her, examined her and decided that she needed to go to hospital to have an infection attended to. She could barely walk. The infection is on both legs.. I got her up to hospital,  she went into A & E and I called the boys. Andrew drove down to the hospital. John was away but he called me  after a bit to find out how things were with his mum. The consulting doctor was a  Gentleman from the Sub-Continent and at times difficult to understand but he ordered a whole bank of tests so we were there for much of the night, but he would not admit her, gave her  a prescription for an anti-biotic and we were sent home. The late night chemist was still open so I was able to get her medication. I also stopped off for a take-away for dinner – a late dinner but we were both hungry. Tuesday I telephoned some people and said that Annabell not would be at the coffee evening or morning for this week.  After left to go to the Conference, the Session Clerk  called me to let me know that one of our parishioners had died so when I came back I not only had to look after Annabell, I  had a funeral Order of Service to organise. I have also been taking care of the housework and the cooking as well as everything else. But all is well and I  can manage. The funeral is today, not the best Order of Service I have done, but time was a factor – or rather, the lack of it.  Still,  by this afternoon things should start to settle down into routine. I will book Annabell into the doctor on Friday for a follow up and let him know what happened at the hospital. I will do that when I get back from the funeral. Annabell will not be going out. For the  time being I wont be doing much outside of the house, other than shopping,  until Annabell is well again. Benji is fine and he and I  go out for our walks in the evening. However, at the moment I make sure that Annabell is settled before we go out – and I take the phone with me and make sure the house phone is close to hand for her.

I did mean to say that the other week when  the ambulance arrived and she was taken to hospital, one of the neighbours came over and asked if there was anything she could do – which I thought was very kind of her. I have had  several telephone calls to ask how she is so that’s been nice. As it turned out I was able to book her into see Doctor this afternoon, so that’s good and at least will allow her a good rest starting tonight. The funeral went well, despite a few problems but everything worked out in the end.  Raymond had been a Lodge member, and  a dozen of his lodge brethren said prayers outside the church before the casket was put into the hearse. They then formed a  Guard of Honour at the church gates as we led the hearse and following party out into the street. It was quite interesting. Took Annabell to the doctor this afternoon and he was concerned that the hospital had not contacted him to inform him of her treatment, but was pleased with regards to the tests that were undertaken as well as the  EKG – which will happen in a few weeks.  He has put her on a course of antibiotics – flucloxacillin – and will see her again on Tuesday.

Poor Thing :o)

Well, there you be – it’s Monday again. On Saturday we had a double function at the church. I attended the first, which was  a lunch, but the second I did not and came home to see to Annabell. Once I was sure she was ok, I took Benji for a run out to the Wetlands. Sunday I left her sleeping and went to church. Normally we have coffee and cookies in the Hall after the service, however, I made my apologies and  after the service, I went over to the shop for bread and went home.  It was just the boys on Sunday evening,  so dinner was fine. The boys and I did the washing and tidy up afterwards. John’s car is in for repair, so although Andrew brought him over, I took him shopping and then home. So that’s ended our week and here we are at Monday again. Should be a quiet day and tomorrow we are back to the Doctor. It’s all go!!

 

 

RFDS, Travels and New Friend

by edgar62, posted in House, Garden and Dogs
The RFDS Cake

In the wee small hours of Thursday (3rd) the rain came pounding down. By 9:30 there was still rain and heavy cloud cover  and I was just a tad concerned that this function would go ahead, but by 9:55 the RFDS aircraft touched down. Everything went well and the food provided was extraordinary  brilliant catering.  Our two major sponsors were represented – CEO of Elders and CEO of SA Power Networks, the Central Operations Chair and CEO,  the  RFDS Coordinator, one Flight Nurse and the Pilot. The event was well attended and there were Long Service Awards (10 years ) for a number of our members. There were, of course, speeches,  but short. The  newspaper people were there and after the speeches and the traditional Cutting of the Cake,  everyone was free to

Some of the service Awards People.

wander around, chat and mingle. I – of course – had the camera. I am not the world’s greatest photographer, but if I have the camera and wander around taking photographs, I don’t appear in any. Clever -yes?? Since there were no other aircraft due in, we were free to wander on the apron and inspect the RFDS aircraft, talk to the flight nurse and the pilot. By 11:30 it was time to go and head off to Jamestown, the last stop on the three day tour. We said our farewells,  snuck in a few more photographs and by 12:00 the aircraft was on its way.

Going back to the weather. It rained for hours on Wednesday and Adelaide, for example, had more rain in one day that it has had all this year. Ours was pretty heavy too, and I have yet to go and see if the rain has made any impression on the wetlands. : Quick response – it didn’t. However, it did clear up just before the RFDS arrived at the airport as I said earlier.

I just returned from Naracoorte last night after having been away since last Thursday morning.. The drive to Adelaide was cold and wet and with a sudden rush of blood to the head, I let the GPS take me to Elizabeth via  the Gawler bypass instead of going the way I generally go via the Salisbury Highway. Wont ever do that again!! By the time I got through all her – turn left at the next / turn right at the next/ and on and on, I could have piloted the space shuttle to the moon and back. By the time I finally got to where I was going I was starting to feel like a modern Allan Quatermain. I  stayed in North Adelaide overnight and headed off to Naracoote in the morning. It was cold and damp

Just Because
New friend I made in Padthaway.

and other than fuel, I didn’t really stop much. I stayed overnight in Padthaway and drove to Conference on the Saturday morning. It was understood- or at least that was the expectation- that we would be finished by about 2pm  and I was quite pleased about that since it would give me ample time to get to Tailem Bend before it got dark. Yes, well, by 4.45 pm I was on my way and got as far as Keith and stayed there overnight. Another thing I wont do again! Suffice to say I had a troubled night and was not quite at my best when I left as soon as the dawn hit the sky – 6:20am I believe. I drove through to Port Wakefield  and  had a coffee. From there to the Port Augusta – more coffee and fuel – and then home, where I sat on the floor for a good twenty minutes  until Benji settled down and for much of the night I could hardly move without him. Annabell said that he did his usual – sulked in my room, came running through when the doorbell rang and when Annabell opened the door and he saw it wasn’t me, he went back to my room again. I discovered on this journey that I have a very odd wife. This is the first time I have been away on Mother’s Day, so I telephoned her from Adelaide and asked if she wanted anything for Mother’s Day. She said “Yes” so I asked her what she wanted and her answer was   “you home safe and well”  Jings, I would have thought after all these years she would be glad of the peace and quiet. Anyway, apart from Padthaway this was not quite my best journey. For some odd and strange reason it was filled with concerns and frustrations . Still that’s me home until August.

Weather and Hospital Visit

by edgar62, posted in House, Garden and Dogs
Extent of the water loss at the wetlands

It’s been a very odd week – odd in that we had rain for a whole two hours and the two hours were in the wee small hours. That’s the first rain we have had since last winter. And it was very selective – some areas got wet, some didn’t. Farmers in the  farming areas watched the clouds ( as they do) and yes, the lightening flashed and the thunder crashed and that’s all that happened. There is some concern about planting seeds in the dry ground and hope that rain will come to begin germination. It’s risky but that is what some of the farmers have started to do.  In  the last few days we have had a drop in temperatures. Not enough to consider going out walking with a heavy jacket just yet, but it would seem to be heading in that general direction.

The meeting with the RFDS, the  Airport Management and  the catering organiser went very well. I had last moment panic attacks as  members of

our group telephoned me to tell me that they had not had an invitation to the  function. Calls to Adelaide to be told that Adelaide didn’t have these people on our data base. I sent Adelaide all the necessary information and they were sent their invitations by email rather than send them

by Australia Post. The reason for the stuff up in this instance was simple. The coordinator  retired and in the fullness of time a new coordinator was appointed.  After a short time in the job ( months) she decided that it was not for her so she left. We don’t know what was done and what was undone, so I ended up with membership badges for people who already had them- mostly, of course, new members. We think this is the  cause that the data base in Adelaide was incomplete. Or again – it could well have been our fault – I don’t keep our data base – but it’s sorted now

RFDS Aircraft on the tarmac ( My Photograph)

– or at least, I think it is…

The main entrance to the Hospital
*copyright unknown*

Tuesday: We have been in the ED of the hospital for most of the day. Annabell had a slight fall and was taken by ambulance to hospital. We were there for most of the day while she had examinations and x-rays to make sure everything  was ok – which it was. She was well looked after by the Ambulance Para-medics and by the nurses at the E.D. Nothing damaged or broken, except perhaps her pride. We are home and she is resting. She will not be going to the coffee evening nor will she be going to the coffee morning tomorrow. I think she needs rest.  Just as well it was this week when her stint of hosting the ladies was over. The fall was a bit of a shock for her and she is a bit shaken and quite tired.  I will see how she is on Thursday, which is the RFDS Function at the Airport and decide if she is well enough to attend – although having said that it might be good if she does since I will be able to keep an eye on her.  Good start to May.

Out and about – again.

by edgar62, posted in House, Garden and Dogs
Part of the Wetlands

Well, that’s one task almost completed. I have finished writing the Church Newsletter and have now sent it off to my two proof readers, one of which is Annabell. Once they come back to me and I make the corrections, I will send out the Newsletter by email to those who have it and by snail mail to those who do not and a general after service distribution to the congregation. There is no charge for the newsletter and we pay for this  ourselves.   It takes a lot of work but I enjoy doing it ( mostly). Next task is an article for the State Newsletter, the minutes of the RFDS

Wetlands Bridge

Meeting and a letter of resignation from the West Terrace Consultative Committee. My  church are unhappy with my membership of this committee in that, due to increased costs in fuel and accommodation, it is no longer a cost that the church is willing to continue to meet. It’s costing about $800 a year and it’s high time someone from Adelaide started doing their share of the work and being part of Adelaide committees. At first it was acceptable and I could travel down by coach, go to the meeting, walk back to Franklin St.  and get the coach back on the same day. With the downturn in employment and a decline in population and thus coach use, the timetable was changed and no longer meets our needs,  ( last coach leaves Adelaide at 4pm. – Meeting starts at 3:30 ) so it requires a drive down and an overnight stay, and that’s bumping up the costs,  and hotel charges change with the season or what’s happening in Adelaide. I think it is a great pity but fully understandable and it is an amount  we could put to better use.

We have not been wandering this week – other than the wetlands – and I have spent much of the time trying to catch up on  cleaning up.  After the windy conditions over much of the week, the place is covered in leaves.  The morning we head to the wetlands and the afternoon I clean up around the place. Weather has been odd – to say the very least – and we have now experienced the warmest April on record with  10 consecutive days with temperatures over 30c. This week it is going to drop down to the mid 20c but then it’s going to build up again. According to what I read part of the problem is that the Ocean is warm and that’s helping to drive up temperatures and as far as I have been reading the warmth of the ocean is causing problems for the coral on the Great Barrier Reef.

RFDS over water

Tomorrow (Monday) and the RFDS will be flying into town for a meeting to discuss the arrangements for the function on 3rd May, to see what facilities there are, where things will be set up  and the catering arrangements for all the guests. I will also discover if it is the responsibility of the RFDS to notify the newspaper or if it is my responsibility to do so. I kind of suspect that will be my job.

We have an organization here called RICE – Remote and Isolated Children’s Exercise. Three ladies – a Nurse/Midwife ; A Health Care/ Social Worker:  A Child Care Professional. They go out from their base and visit outback and isolated properties. They announce their dates in advance so other families have the opportunity to join them at the designated property. The Land Rover is filled to the brim with toys and games.. The Nurse/Midwife Practitioner talks to the  moms and  discusses health and children related matters- the Health Care person talks to any Aboriginal women that may be there and feel more comfortable talking to an Aboriginal person and the child care person, sets up the games and toys and spends the day playing and looking after the children. Other than toys and medical equipment, there is also bottles of water and baskets of fruit. The base is at the Port and their “Clinic” covers  covers 620,000 square klms. The Nurse Practitioner  ( Marg. MacDonald-Ashe)  racks up some 50,000 klms a year in her Land Rover. I was going to put an outback photograph here, but they are all copyrighted