Tag: Adelaide

Creeps in this petty pace from day to day.

by edgar62, posted in House, Garden and Dogs

Well, so much for the “Best Laid Plans”and everything is shot to bits. However, I have completed all of the main edging and this afternoon I will start on the center area. I wont be able to get the chips until next week mainly because I have filled up the trailer with all sorts of rubbish. There was also a setback when I discovered that the old letter box pipe was never removed – only cut down to ground level and covered up. I hit it when I tried to move the edging there. I was forced to stop, dig down to the concrete and  cut the pipe off at the base before I could move forward. That and the weather set me back a bit – and I didn’t get to Adelaide after all. Because of the hot weather then the rain then the heat again the flies have been breeding like crazy and they really a nuisance I gave up a couple of times because the personal fly spray seems to attract rather than repel them. As I said before, this is an aspect of Australia that the travel books don’t tell you about.

Once I had cleared the obstruction I was able to continue on with the edging. I have now started on the center part but I can’t do any more until I clear away the stones from that area, which I had hoped to do this week. Actually I  did hope that I would finish it this week and head off to Adelaide full of satisfaction for a job completed. But not to worry – as my dad used to tell us when we were children “when the Lord made time, he made a lot of it”. I will continue with the work today, rest Sunday and start again on Monday. Everything seems to be taking longer than I had expected it to – or perhaps I am taking longer to do things than I expected to. I finished early because I  had a call to go down and open up the church vestry to let the Technician in to service the photocopier. Little things, but hey set me back a lot of time. I look back and wonder where this week went and why I am not further forward than I am. Perhaps I have an unrealistic expectation of the time it takes to do things. Oh well, not to worry – it will get finished.

Where has all the weather gone?

by edgar62, posted in House, Garden and Dogs

The way I see planning is when I gt up in the morning and I think, “I will do this today”. Long term planning is as follows: Today Barbecue with family: Sunday, Church:  Monday, Garden: Tuesday. Garden, take herself out to Ladies Group: Wednesday Take herself out to ladies group, work in garden: Thursday, go to Adelaide – and that’s far enough ahead for me. And even then Thursday is not definite because I have a meeting out of town on Saturday. We have the barbecue today and Andrew heads off up north for another ten days.  The place will be quiet again. On Monday I should have all of the edging completed and on  Tuesday I hope to get the decorative  chips delivered.

This is the area I wanted decked/Now here we are on Monday- so let’s see how the planning is getting on. Oh look, it’s chucking it down and since I do not have welly boots and a raincoat, I will not be working outside today. This means that in my attempt to plan working in the garden, I am already a full day behind. Should have stuck to just getting up in the morning and deciding then. But now that I decided to “plan” I will spend the rest of the week feeling guilty that I am behind schedule. From the hottest start to April in 40 years, to heavy and continuous rain in one fell swoop, is about par for this area. And we had a family Barbecue on Saturday evening and I had moved the table and chairs out to the open area (lovely evening) and we had a good night. I didn’t move them yesterday so now my table, the tablecloth and all six chairs are soaking as is the padded seat on my park bench. You just gotta love the weather here at times. I took the dogs out for a walk last night and had a cap and a heavy jacket on.  Crazy weather at the moment. This time of the year  should be warm and pleasant not fluctuating between wet and cold and bursts of mid summer heat.

All Change!!

by edgar62, posted in House, Garden and Dogs

As it happens I will not be going to Adelaide after all.  The business that needs to be done is no longer important enough to warrant a 500 mile round  trip to Adelaide so it’s been cancelled.  I was going to go down with him but there you are. Now I’ll have to stay and work if  I get the call. Pity, really – I was quite looking forward to the day in the city.  If there is no progress at the Hardware shop here by Wednesday I will call Port Augusta and check if they have  the treated pine logs in stock. If they do I will take the trailer through on Friday and load it up. This will give me the weekend to get started. I’m really quite looking forward to seeing it finished, although I realise that this could take a little while. I tend to become impatient at times and I should learn to  take things easy a little bit more. I have started to become frustrated with the cement block  at the  other area I am working on. I bash and smash but it never seems to get any smaller. I think the previous owner much have hired a whole freaking cement truck!!  I thought gardens were supposed to be places of relaxation – how wrong was I !?!

I took the dogs out for a walk after I got changed yesterday. It was a bit warmer than I thought and I should have taken the bag with the water bottle and bowl with me. As it was the little man ( who is 10 years old – 70??) became a little bit tired so I ended up lifting him up and giving him a carry for a bit. He was quite content to be in my arm for a little while. I put him back down about five minutes from the house and he managed the rest of the way. I must remember to take the bag in future.

Freedom is a noble word!

by edgar62, posted in House, Garden and Dogs
The Maltese Terrorist

Tuesday the bark was removed and it was my intention to go out and start the tidy up and levelling off. However, in the morning it was blowing a gale and in danger of creating a dust storm so I decided not to add to the problems by stirring my stuff up . I had to go out for a little while and when I came back I was horrified to see that the wind had blown open the gate. Chienna was still there but the little man, my Maltese,  was gone. I secured the gate and took off in the car to drive around the area looking for him.  Couldn’t find him so I came home, only to see him walking, unconcerned, up the driveway. I stopped the car on the roadway and went over and lifted him up. I was just so relieved to see him.   I picked up herself from her meeting and took her to lunch – then the heavens opened up and we had a real good thunderstorm. Got back to the house and Chienna was going gaga. I had to medicate her to calm her down. The thunder terrifies her and the medication from the Vet is to  relief the stress and calm her down. We find half a tablet is enough – poor thing. The thunder lasted well into the late evening.

The storm cleared and headed off to wreck havoc in Adelaide – or so the news tells us. Tomorrow is forecast to rain so I don’t know when I will get back into the garden and get things cleared up. A less than good summer and now an Autumn that seems to be headed in the same direction – cool and wet. I’m a simple person and I really don’t understand such things, but the weather institute tells us that the last two years are the coldest Australia has been in ten years – they also been the wettest, but overall we’re getting warmer. All very confusing. Interesting though that Wednesday lived up to its name ‘Wet Wednesday”Now for the cleanup and redoing.

If  it stays dry I should get the trailer filled this afternoon and  get it ready to get off to the dump tomorrow morning – early – like opening at 8:30. I try to get in as early as possible when I am on my own because I am not really good at backing trailers. I’ll do the final measure for the edging shortly and order that for tomorrow after I clean the trailer. Should be another busy day.

Barking Saga

by edgar62, posted in House, Garden and Dogs
Looks dirty, untidy and cheap.

Since I started clearing the bark away things have come to a screaming halt. I have already decided that I will get the bark moved rather than move it myself, however, it will cost me extra because of the rocks. That being so I will move the rocks. Friday i had eye tests and lots of drops so I was unable to function out in the sunlight for most of the  day. By the time I was able to go out, it was too late. Saturday I was in Adelaide, but I will get started tomorrow morning. Just as well it’s a public holiday so I won’t get called into work. I don’t have to dispose of the rocks at this time, just moved them out of the front garden so the backhoe can have a clear sweep through. The job should not take any longer than 45 minutes – and that’s being generous. However, it would take me the best part of a week to do- longer if I also get called in to work. Once it’s cleared I will be happy and I can take my time getting it altogether again.  The rocks have been removed so I’m just waiting on the workman to come and clear the area.