Edgar's Page

No roses here.

31/05/2014 by edgar62, posted in House, Garden and Dogs

Have no idea what the meeting is about on Monday afternoon, but I do know ( by email) that the venue has been changed and instead of using two venues – North Adelaide and

Norwood the entire Assembly will be held in only one venue – Norwood. Just as well the hotel I picked was at a halfway point between the two, although if I knew it would be all Norwood, I would have picked something a bit closer, like the Royal Coach Inn at Kent Town. Still at least I will be well out of the way which feeds my Anti-Social tendencies :o) I was doing some work out back and decided it would be a good idea to caress the thumb of my left hand. I thought about this and a hammerhead seemed like a good idea at the time. Actually I didn’t do it any damage and really, I only “caressed ” it but with some diabetics even the slightest knock is enough to cause bruising. Sadly I am one and although the bruise may look painful, it’s not. Did spend last night finishing off the packing now all I have to decide is what toys I am taking and what power cords I need :o)

The Desert Pea with the Desert Rose in the background

A lady blogger I follow ( a gardener) has recently moved house and she did a post on the history of the house and the area . The house was built in 1885 and the history of the area was interesting. I have no such tales to tell. This place has only been standing since the late 1970s. I did say, I think, that the previous owner didn’t like gardening and everything is all concrete and gravel with only a limited amount of earth to play around with and even that is limited again because we have the feeling that he may have sterilized the soil before he put bark in the area. I have removed the bark and cleaned the area up, but it has very limited growth. I put fertilizer and blood and bone without success I wanted a rose garden there and spent a small fortune on roses and without exception every one of them died. A friend has given me Frangapini cuttings and I will try them, but I am not hopeful. My successes are still the Desert Pea and the Desert Rose and I am really very pleased with the masses of flowers and buds. It’s interesting; I have loved these flowers since I came to Australia and have tried several times to grow the Desert Pea but without success, so I gave up. Last year I gave it another try and was rewarded with masses of blooms and the same again this year.

It rained a tad whilst I was in Adelaide so that, at least, saved Herself from trying to go around and watering the plants. The drive down to Adelaide was uneventful but on Monday evening it was so dark and the rain so heavy I took a taxi to Norwood rather than drive. A very interesting week which threw up some interesting problems one of which has reached crisis proportions, which will have serious implications for all of us. My only hope is that when the dust settles after a meeting on 14th June, we will be able to live with the solution. Personally —- I’m not hopeful!

Fortunately the day I did leave Adelaide was a lovely day. No rain, no cloud, just sunshine all the way. To make matters even better, it was a lovely drive home. I had intended to stop in

at the Arid Lands Garden but since I had bought a few plants during my stay in Adelaide I just went home. I didn’t even stop at the Tin Man this trip, although I did have a ” pit stop” at Port Wakefield. It was good to be back home again and after greetings by Herself, I sat down on the floor with the dogs.

I keep saying that because of the gravel and concrete I only have a limited amount of space to plant things. However, I am in the process of removing some of the gravel so perhaps this might change. When we first moved here I accepted the concrete and stuff and decided pot plants were the way to go but although I bought good potting mixture I now have a plethora of unused empty pots – the occupants died long ago.

RFDS, the Man and Orchids (Triffids)

22/05/201422/05/2014 by edgar62, posted in House, Garden and Dogs

I only found out very recently that there is a Royal Flying Doctor Service – Support Group, in Germany. They raise funds, just like we do – for the RFDS of Australia. To date the German Group have raised over $110,000. I thought this was pretty amazing. In order for the group to be legally established, the Australian Ambassador in Berlin had to write to the German Financial Authorities confirming that the Royal Flying Doctor Service, and thus the support group, is a non-profit organization. Amazing – The Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia – German Division. :o)

Put the car in for servicing and repairs today. Glad to note only minor repair, and usual oil and coolant change. All ready for Adelaide on 26th. Once the Assembly is finished – probably late Wednesday – I will stay over and attend a training course to update my First Aid Certificate.I figured that since I was in Adelaide anyway, I might as well get that done at whilst I was there. All going well I should be heading home on the Friday.

My groomer informed me – reluctantly – that she would prefer not to groom the Man. Not that he is a “problem” dog but she is concerned about him. Because his back legs are a bit of a concern she is frightened that she might hurt him and that makes her nervous. She’s a young woman and I understand her concerns. So, I either try to find a new groomer who has experience in working with a dog that has

The Maltese Terrorist in "our"Chair — The Maltese Terrorist in “our”Chair

unstable back legs or I think about attempting to do it myself and really making a mess – and don’t say I wont because I know I will. I can leave him until I get back from Adelaide, by which time he will be just about ready for a groom again. He has some problems at time standing still to eat his dinner, so when that happens I stand behind him and support him with my hands underneath him. He’s only little, a slow eater and boy after a while it gets a bit painful on the back bending down., but we’ll think of something. The good news is that I have found another groomer and I have made an appointment with her when I get back from Adelaide. – Chienne is short-haired and does not need grooming – just a bath and I can do that :o)

Like the song says “All my bags are packed, I’m ready to go” and it is so. I did hope that I would be able to do some things in the city before the General Assembly begins, but I have been called to a meeting at Para Hills in the early afternoon. Anyway, first two days in North Adelaide then over to Norwood for the remainder. I have no idea what the Para Hills thing is all about – most unusual to say the least, to call such a meeting only hours before the General Assembly. Very strange!!

The back is still a disaster area and the lovely weeds are thriving. The two Bougainvillea are still surviving (sorry CDL) as are the three other flowers. I am pleased that the Native Hibiscus – which I really though had died, has sprung to life again and is growing like crazy. Have had salads – I know it’s nearly winter here but I like salad – and I am pleased to say that I have been using the lettuce leaves from the raised vegetable bed. In a day or so I should also start to use the parsley. But that’s no great feat – parsley will grow anywhere and good as I am, even I would have difficulty killing it. Brussels Sprouts -hmmmmm – early days. So everything is not quite a total disaster out back. Front – no movement from the Fir Trees – still at the height they were when I planted them – Sturt’s Desert Pea is going like wildfire. I want to take a few photographs of this and take it into the Arid Lands Botanic Garden on the way home – also the Sturt’s Desert Rose, which is also thriving. The weeds are too, but I am getting on top of them out there.. The big Shadehouse has been abandoned for the time being. With a limited access to a good

Gives me the creeps - like Orchids :o) — Gives me the creeps – like Orchids :o)

garden shop, I can’t get the shade plants that will survive. One “friend”suggested that I give it over to Orchids. I couldn’t do that – I would freak out every time I looked at them – Triffids – miniature Triffids..

Peas, Roses and Orange Blossom

07/05/2014 by edgar62, posted in House, Garden and Dogs

Nationwide our youth unemployment is, according to a recent press release, in the region of 21%. As a nation we are on the horns of a major dilemma – actually a twin dilemma – youth unemployment and age pensions. About to be announced in the National Budget this month is the decision to raise the pension age from 65 – 70, which will deffer the payment of pensions for five years, but will make the youth unemployment worse than it currently is. Well, yes, I have no doubt that the government will come up with all sorts of plans that their tame academics have devised to tackle the problem — More training and development – get them ‘Job Ready” not that there are many jobs around for them to be ‘ready’ for – but let’s not quibble over semantics. ´South Australia is facing a generational crisis,” warned Brotherhood of St Laurence Executive Director Tony Nicholson. ”For young people caught up in this jobless spiral this can be a road to long term poverty and reliance on welfare.” Raising the pension age from 65 – 70 might, in the short term, solve one problem but creates a whole lot of other problems. As one person put it – in the event of a major fire – or indeed any fire – do you really want someone 70+ trying to carry you out of a burning building? Do you really think a 70yo police officer is a running match for a 22 year old offender? Also the longer you keep older people in jobs the less opportunity for employment there is for younger people. We have had six years of a Socialist Government that spent money like it was going out of style. But all socialist government do likewise – borrow and spend – and to quote the late Baroness Thatcher – “The trouble with socialism is that sooner or later you run out of other people’s

Orange Blossom - Not my Photograph — Orange Blossom – Not my Photograph

money”. Have you heard of the PIIGS – Portugal, Ireland, Italy, Greece, Spain – all socialist governments – all up to their little eyes in debt – and the UK is not all that far behind. Ireland is slowly starting to recover but it’s a long slow grind and not popular because the population have gotten used to “Let the good times roll” and if and when you threaten that – look out. That’s what’s happening here right at the moment. The Labor Party Government threw money at everything and anything and people liked it until their lies started to come home. This government wants to repair the damage but it’s having a hard time to do just that. The previous government promised billions for programmes that we cannot afford and people still want them – even although we can’t afford to implement them. I look at Europe and I really do wonder how much longer the European Union can continue to survive because it’s really only Germany that’s holding it together – well German money at any rate. But this is not a political thing and I don’t intend it ever to be, so I will simply say that we are in a mess right now and it’s not going to get any better – well it will, but later rather than sooner.

The flowers of the Desert Pea are really starting to take off now – just as they did last year, and in the same pattern and I am more than happy to leave them alone and get on

My Sturt's Desert Pea — My Sturt’s Desert Pea

with what they want to do :o) I am happy about this because it’s my one of only two real success stories – the other being the Desert Rose, so it’s fair to say that I’m quite chuffed. Oddly enough the three pines I planted months age are as big now as they were when I planted them. In other words they haven’t grown an inch. I have a friend in another area who is going to get me some cuttings from a frangipani plant, which should be nice Out back, the Mexican Orange Blossom is progressing well as is the Flamenco Hibiscus as well as the new native Hibiscus, so it’s not all a dead loss. Two of the Bougainvillea have died – but I mentioned that before – but two have survived. What have also survived are the masses of weeds that the wet stuff produced. I have a problem with them because they just love the weed killer I feed them with. It’s a worry :o)

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.

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