Annabell – Edgar's Page

Wetlands: Benji: Closed Church

July 19, 2021 by edgar62, posted in House, Garden and Dogs

The modern way of thinking is that if something can be corrected or cured without the need to resort to major surgery, then that is what will happen. The major surgery then becomes a “fall-back:” option. This is what Annabell is going through. The Innovations Centre occupies a fairly new and large area in the Flinders Medical Centre.. It also, has a very nice and well stocked cafeteria. When Annabell goes for her consultation and exam, I go down there and wait for her. I let them know where I am and they bring her down to me Then we head back to the Lodge.

As you may know Benji was attacked by a large dog and required medical (Vet) attention.

Not very long after that he jumped down from a chair and landed badly. We thought it was just a sprain because he was still walking and seemed to be in no pain. We expected that the sometimes limp would be gone in a short while. It was not, so an examination by the Vet showed that he had torn a ligament. I had to take Annabell to Adelaide and Flinders so Benji’s surgery was delayed. It was a couple of

weeks. When we returned from Flinders I had some things to do with Annabell, so it was after that he underwent the surgery. With only a short break he has been in the stroller since after Easter, I have had him out a few times and walked with him, and when he has tired, lifted him and put him back in the stroller. However, he has been getting stronger and today was a great day.

It started off not too good. I was up and dressed as normal but he refused to move. No amount of cajoling would encourage him to move.. So I just went back to working on the computer and downloading the new Covid-19 Plan for the church and working through the implications of that. I decided that I wanted to go for a walk, so I got ready and I had no sooner reached the door than he was at my side. I thought “Oh now you want to go out” Anyway, out we went = harness on, no stroller – and we walked a total of 2.17 miles and he was fine. I kept thinking that we would turn back any second now – any second now – but he kept on going and by the time we finished at home, we had covered 2.17 miles. and he never flinched. I was very impressed. Love my rascal so much. Between the two of them, Benji and Annabell, I have been fairly busy since Easter.

Our borders remain closed to the other mainland states. Thus far South Australia has stayed clear of the new wave in

NSW and Victoria. The church has been closed this week and I have the feeling that it will be closed until this outbreak in Victoria and NSW is contained. We have told the congregation ( by telephone) that we will let them know by Wednesday what is happening. However, with New South Wales recording 100 cases a day it is unlikely that there will be much change in restrictions for at least two weeks..

After yesterday I thought I would give the Wetlands a try and I drove there with Benji this morning and I did not take the stroller. We generally do two full rounds of the Wetlands but this morning with Benji walking and the rest of the AM gang delighted to see him walking, I cut it down to one and a half turns which was a total of 1.68 miles – which, to say the least, is impressive. Not for me – but for Benji.!! He has really done well these last few days, so I think we can “retire” the stroller for a while.

Wetlands; Stroller, Chestnuts and Lockdowns

July 2, 2021 by edgar62, posted in House, Garden and Dogs

I have to admit that I have not been doing a lot of posts this while back. I think all the trips to and from Adelaide of late have kind of washed me out for a while. They were interesting and I did get my new Laptop, but at the same time they were tiring. I have gone back to walking at the Wetlands in the early morning. I had simply been going around the district but decided to return to the Wetlands. And apparently I was missed. Even in the early morning people were wondering where I was and if everything was ok with Benji, Annabell or even me. They actually stopped their walk to come and talk to me and make sure everything was ok. I was very touched. It was really very thoughtful of them. On the subject of Benji, he is not recovering as well nor as quickly as I thought he would. Ok, so he is 11 this year but he is still good and active. I think the initial attack has had a greater effect than we realised. I have tried walking him and he is very slow and ponderous but he is quite happy to be in the stroller and we are wondering if he is sort of looking on the stroller as a protection barrier between him and other dogs – it lets him feel safe. If that is the case, then I am fine with that and I am also fine with lifting him in and out of the car. The Fitbit then, becomes a semi-permanent feature strapped around my ankle

The weather of late had been fairly cold and overnight it has gone down to 1C. The day temperature is bout 15 – 17c and for us that is cool to cold. I think I said before that the one thing I really like about the winter in Australia is the fact that there are chestnuts in the shops, and I love roasted chestnuts. I think I did say before that one of my joys of

growing up in Glasgow was going into town with my dad in winter and going to the Hot Chestnut men and dad would buy two bags of fresh roasted chestnuts – one for me and one for himself. These days I use a microwave and I am really not sure if dad would approve. I could do them another way but it would mean buying a cast-iron frying pan and I don’t know if Annabell would approve. Talk about being caught between a rock and a hard place :o)

Took Benji out this evening for a walk around the block. We did part of the walk in the stroller and some walking, He did walk for a bit and he did well, but then he seemed to fade so I lifted him back into the stroller and he was fine for the rest of the way. Just thought I would mention that Benji is not just put into the stroller and that’s that. He is strapped in and he had a good blanket wrapped around him. Well, it is cold and he – unlike me – is not moving so he needs the blanket. Looks like we are surrounded by States in Lockdown. South Australia is not in lockdown but our borders are closed to just about everyone and we have gone to mask restrictions. Actually I have just been sent a new set or Covid-19 Restriction Rules for the church , so I’ll have to read them and print them off so they are available in the church. – That should be interesting;;; singing by congregants is not permitted under the new rules. These restrictions came into effect at Midnight and are to last for one week only but reviewed by the Gov. Medical Team on a daily basis. The week is, of course, flexible, but, provide it ends in a week ( Next Wednesday) it should only be an imposition for one Sunday. The last thing we want to do is go into lockdown, which is what the Premier is trying to avoid.

Adelaide and Back again.

June 19, 2021 by edgar62, posted in House, Garden and Dogs

Years ago I used to drive down to Adelaide in the morning, do what I had to do then drive home. I don’t do that anymore. One time coming back from a conference I dozed off and I was fortunate that I simply wandered into the grass verge and woke. No harm done to either me or the car, but it gave me a right wake up call – forgive the pun – and since then I do not go down and back on the same day – at least not if I am driving. I will do that if I am on a coach because it’s a five and a half hour journey ( 11 hours there and back) and I can always have a quiet nap. That’s what I did yesterday ( Wednesday) . I was disappointed that I didn’t get the Laptop where I wanted to get it – in my preferred store – and I thought I was going to go home empty handed.. indeed, I felt that if I jumped in a taxi I could make the coach terminal in time for the 12:30 coach home. Then I decided to check out another store and behold, they did have the laptop I wanted at the price I wanted and a special in store 15% discount for the EOFY Sale ( End of Financial Year). How good is that? So, yes, I have a new laptop. I’ll have to set it up over the weekend.

Was “attacked” when I got home last night. You would think I had been away for a week the welcome Benji gave me. He is really looking well and he is

walking well. We went out at 6am this morning( Thursday 17th) and two thirds in the stroller and the last third walking and he has little blue and red lights on his collar, which I bought for him in Adelaide. Because of other things recently, although we have been walking, we have not been down to the wetlands. I will start taking him back there again after this weekend is over.

Annabell has been fairly well since we returned from Adelaide. I had to take her to the hospital once with a new infection but otherwise she has been pretty good. As I said last post new tests were done and we should have the results of those in a week or so. This will determine what happens next. She tends to feel the cold more so I bought her an electric throw blanket for her chair and that keeps her warm and comfortable. Otherwise she is good. Had there been any doubt I would not have gone to Adelaide.

On Friday morning my son picked me up and I drove with him to Adelaide. Quite a number of years ago, during a medical test it was discovered that he had a spot on his brain. At the time his specialist said he should not be too concerned and he told him that he, personally, had two spots on his brain. It could be something or it could be nothing but it has to be monitored. We shared the driving there

Well, that would depend on which one of them I choose.

and back. Going down we became part of the roadworks convoy on the Port Wakefield Road. That wasn’t too bad although after we had cleared the area it did slow down the driving somewhat. It is a 40 klm stretch of road and on the way back – late afternoon – the convoy was pretty big . There is a by-pass road but knowing me, if I took that I would probably end up somewhere in the Northern Territory. Still, we did get home about 7:30, so it wasn’t too bad. Before dropping me off we went and picked up Connor. Benji was glad to see me. I think Annabell said “Hello” but I couldn’t be sure :o) Anyway, an interesting two days to be sure and setting up the new laptop was much easier than I had anticipated. The SSD is smaller than I wanted but it will do for the moment and Solid State Drives are not very expensive.

Still Sinking, but not as quickly!

May 25, 2021 by edgar62, posted in House, Garden and Dogs

We seem to have cleared things for the moment. I was in contact with WordPress and they were telling me that it was a common problem recently, but that it is not of their making.. There has been some malfunction in many browsers and the cache is not being cleared. WordPress suggested that I clear the browser history and see if that worked. It seems to have at the moment but we still have a few problems. However, I am happy to know that I am not alone in this particular problem. I don’t know though, I sometimes think WordPress have forgotten the old adage “If it’s not broke – don’t fix it”.

I will take Annabell out for some shopping tomorrow and then take her for coffee. It’s the first time she will have been out of the

house in over a week, so we will see how things go. She is very much better than she was so perhaps the outing will do her the world of good. I would like to go to the photography group on Wednesday but we will see how she is then.. All going well tomorrow should be fine. I’ll take the dog out and then get her breakfast ready when I come back.

Well, so much for morning plans the night before. It has been heavy rain most on the night and still raining now. I’ll do many things for my dog, but going walking in the rain is not one of them. I know, I’m a meanie. However, if it does clear up – as it generally does – I will take him out to the Wetlands later in the day. Actually, I got him into the car at 06:30 when the rain eased off. By the time we got to the Wetlands the rain had stopped and although I sat there in the car for a good half hour, no one showed up, so we just drove back home again. Still Benji doesn’t mind as long as he was out in the car, that’s all that matters. The reason for not going out is simply a concern that if anything should happen, there is no one around to help or call for help if needed. Mind you, calling for help is a bit of a joke ATM. Last night (according to the news) a lady called emergency as her son had an accident. She was told that she should take the boy to hospital herself, or call for a taxi since there was no ambulance available. . No one wants to talk about it but our medical and emergency system is in trouble across all of South Australia and we had to bring an ambulance from 50 miles away (Port Augusta) to respond to emergencies here. Take our problems here and multiply them by 20 and you just about have the current situation in Adelaide. There were 17 ambulances ‘ramped’ at the Flinders Medical Center and a similar number at the Royal Adelaide – emergency patients stuck in an ambulance at the hospital because the A & E was over capacity and was unable to cope. This was repeated in all the main city hospitals over the last two nights.

I really don’t want to abandon WordPress and I would prefer to stay, but this is driving me crazy—- let me re-phrase that — more crazy than I already am. There are alternatives to WordPress, but none of them come anywhere near the market leader. I already looked for alternatives but was not really impressed with what was on offer. I thought that it was probably better to “stay with the devil you know”. The song from the Muppets Movie comes to mind –

“You can’t live with em, you can’t live without em, there’s something irrisistabullish about em, we grin and bear it cause the nights are long, I hope that something better comes along.”

We had a telephone call from Adelaide and we now have a date for the day surgery at Flinders Clinic. I take her to Adelaide on Monday 7th June and then to the Clinic for day

surgery at 8am on Tuesday 8th June. All being well, we should be travelling home on Wednesday 9th June. I have the feeling that I did mention this but the way things are, I can’t go back and check. I keep saving this every few lines just in case I lose it all again. Goodness – talk about paranoid.

Benji is as well as can be expected. We missed our walk today and since I have had to take Annabell out this afternoon, I wont have time. That should please him no end. He can complain – but what about me? It’s not doing my fitbit any good this no walks. Once he has had this operation, I shall really miss being wakened by a bark at 2am because he wants up on the bed beside me, and since he can’t jump, I have to lift him up. Honestly – the things we do for “family”

Wetlands, Stroller and Adelaide.

May 17, 2021 by edgar62, posted in House, Garden and Dogs

The wounds from the attack have cleared up and the fur is growing back, so there is no on-going concerns there. However there is a concern in that we know what is causing the limping on the right back leg. It appears when he jumped off Annabell’s chair to run to meet me when I came home, caused more than a sprain when he landed badly. Examinations at the Vet. show that he has torn the ligament.

Presently he is in no serious pain but I have to go to Adelaide this weekend so I will get him booked in for day surgery as soon as I get back. I cannot do it before I go since Annabell would not be able to look after him, as would be required. And here was me thinking that a few days in the stroller and he would be as right as rain. Oh, I have ordered a new stroller/ walker since this one is doing him good and killing me :o) This one is way too low for me. Pushing it for any distance is really painful on the arms. I thought at first that it was mainly because it was many years since I pushed a pram, but it’s more than that – the lowness of the unit itself. So, the new stroller should arrive on Friday and that is 105cm at the rear – the pushing end. I think that will be a lot more comfortable; well for me. Benji just goes to sleep in the mornings. The new stroller is larger giving him more room to spread out and it is easier to set up and collapse

We do not go walking around the area at the moment. There are too many dogs. We still go out at 6am, but I drive to the wetlands and we do our walking there. There are quite a few people there at that time even although it is still dark – mainly female walkers and joggers. They are all very friendly and Benji has a bit of a fan club.. I was asked to go with the Wellness Group on a Friday morning, but they have several people with dogs, and dogs are what I am trying to avoid at the moment.

I was given an old camera – a Canon Power Shot S1 IS. I was asked to take it to a shop in Adelaide that deals with Camera equipment and the best offer I got for it was $25. It is a very old Digital Camera – good in its day and has been well looked after but it was suggested the best I could do is donate it to an op-shop and let them get a few dollars for it. I didn’t and I still have it. I was instructed to get the $25 and donate it to the RFDS, so that’s what I will do. There is also an old tripod that goes with it, but that’s not all that great, so not really worth anything – I wouldn’t use it.

The drive to Adelaide was uneventful, although there are road works everywhere – and I mean everywhere, the Port Augusta Road for about 30 klms. The main North Road. the Port Wakefield Road – three places including Port Wakefield itself. The road works are so extensive, with single lane traffic and in one place, a convoy system. I was at meetings all day Saturday and did not arrive home until after 6pm. Annabell was a bit concerned because she knows I do not like being on the Port Augusta Road at dark because of the problems of Kangaroos. Not a good idea to hit one at 110 KPH.

The Old Canon Camera – still in great condition after 12 years.

The funeral I spoke about in a previous post is this coming Wednesday. I’ll travel down Wednesday morning and come back home Thursday Morning. Benji wont be too pleased that I am going away again, but there we are and unfortunately it means delaying the operation on his back leg for another week. Yes, today this is a fairly simple day surgery but he needs to be looked after until he is recovered and Annabell – unfortunately – can’t do that.

Benji, walks, weather and Glasgow

April 22, 2021 by edgar62, posted in House, Garden and Dogs

Two weeks since Benji was injured in an attack. He is recovered fairly well and we are out walking again, but on a different route. Actually we are back on the original route which is in the opposite direction from the area where we were injured. He still has antibiotics to take twice daily and I will take him back to the Vet on Tuesday as a follow up when the antibiotics finish. Apart from the surface wounds there seems to be no internal damage, for which I am most thankful. After three days in the stroller, he was ready for walking. He was glad to get out again and enjoying the walks and the fresh air. We stick mainly to the Ada Ryan Gardens and the Wetlands during the day when there are very few people with dogs around. Since we are surrounded by National Parks and Conservation parks, there is not many places we can go to. There are a number of places further down the coast that are pet friendly and the nearest of them is 70 miles away (think Glasgow to St. Andrews) so just going there and then coming back again seems to me very wasteful. In order to justify travelling that distance it is necessary to make a day of it. At the moment I am not happy going off and leaving Annabell. Yes the boys are here and that’s fine when I have to go to Adelaide for

It’s real!! Lobey Dosser’s Horse, really exists !!

Presbytery, but leaving her on her own while I go off on an unnecessary road trip with my dog is a different matter altogether In fact it almost ranks as being self-indulgent. When we have to go Adelaide and the Clinic, John usually looks after Benji, makes sure he is ok and feeds him. With the dog door, Benji can get in and out as he needs. When we come back from our afternoon walk to the Wetlands we go in the back gate and I take his harness off. Annabell’s comment is “What kept you? The dog was in ages before you!” Me: “Ah yes, but he has a private entrance”

The weather over the last week has been great and the boy and I have got out and about. However, with the cyclone in Western Australia and the effects reaching to us, this will change over the next few days with forecast rain and high winds. Well yes, it was a bit on the windy to very windy when we were out walking this morning but we didn’t get blown away and made it back to the house safe and sound. Sitting hear I can hear the wind rushing through the carport. It’s not constant and comes in waves. Anyway, a very warm welcome to Bogie. He is lovely and I did reply to the post but it seems to have vanished into some void. I am finding this with a lot of

things recently. Fortunately not the photograph I found and thought about Anabel Marsh – because I thought only a Glasgow person would really understand what it is all about. The photograph is real but it was part of an article I read about photographic mishaps and when I saw that one, Lobey Dosser was the first thing that entered my head. Weird, I know, but there you are.

As we move further into April the weather is starting to cool down in the mornings. This morning was positively fresh with a fine – but slightly damp – mist for a little while. Good for a 50 minute morning walk. I still have my Glasgow Street Director ( yes it is out of date,) and Queen Margaret Drive to the Broomielaw is about two and one half miles, so there and back is as much as I do in a day. :o)

Had Benji back at the Vet. He is very pleased with him and now that his fur is starting to grow back no more treatment will be required, but we did discuss how lucky we were that the teeth of the big dog did not damage anything internal or we would have been in strife. However, that has never happened to me in this area in all the years I have been here and I find that it has made me wary of other dogs and has made me change where I walk and and be in a position where I can see what is well ahead of me. No, we do not go out in the early morning dark any more. Sunrise is now our time.

Benji, Walks and Photographs

April 16, 2021 by edgar62, posted in House, Garden and Dogs

One week today since Benji was injured in an attack. He is recovered fairly well and we are out walking again, but on a different route. Actually we are back on the original route which is in the opposite direction from the area where we were injured. He still has antibiotics to take twice daily and I will take him back to the Vet on Tuesday as a follow up when the antibiotics finish. Apart from the surface wounds there seems to be no internal damage, for which I am most thankful. After three days in the stroller, he was ready for walking. He was glad to get out again and enjoying the walks and the fresh air. We stick mainly to the Ada Ryan Gardens, the Wetlands, the lighthouse and Stoney Point during the day when there are very few people with dogs around. Since we are surrounded by National Parks and Conservation parks, there is not many places we can go to. There are a number of places further down the coast that are pet friendly and the nearest of them is 70 miles away so just going there and then coming back again seems to me very wasteful. In order to justify travelling that distance it is necessary to make a day of it. At the moment I am not happy going off and leaving Annabell. Yes the boys are here and that’s fine when I have to go to Adelaide for Presbytery, but leaving her on her own while I go off on an unnecessary road trip with my dog is a different matter altogether, I think the term self Indulgent kind of fits the bill. When we have to go Adelaide and the Clinic, John usually looks after Benji, makes sure he is ok and feeds him. With the dog door, Benji can get in and out as he needs.

There is a photograph exhibition in May and I have been thinking of submitting photographs to it. I like my photographs but I’m not so sure others will. I was at the photograph club

last night and photographs that I thought were good were criticized by the judge who found many faults with them. I guess the idea is that the criticizing and pointing out the faults – as the judge sees them – is supposed to assist you in doing better, grow and mature, so to speak, in all the aspects of photography. I shall never succeed in this because I found many of the comments, pointless and excessively picky. Just as well I had no photographs there or he would have had a field-day, What I have is an excellent camera but I don’t know how to use it to get the best out of it. This group is “Competition Based” with only some minor practical nights. They are really very nice people but this is not what I want and really not helping me much. Many years ago the TAFE (Technical and Further Education) ran a number of Community Courses. A course on Photography – a Basic Computer course, the wife of one of the local doctors, ran a course on Indian Cooking, another lady ran a course on Italian Cooking. The fees were reasonable, cooking people brought the ingredients as required each week, and so forth. There were no Diplomas nor Certificates at the end, but they were well attended. But the Government of the day spent money on other things and when it needed money, it started closing down TAFE Campuses. It tore the heart out of the TAFE system and it never really recovered – it still has not.

I seriously dislike Blocks!

April 2, 2021 by edgar62, posted in House, Garden and Dogs

I had already completed a post with over 800 words and several pictures but a malfunction in WordPress – or me – lost everything. It had gone back to blocks and I tried to get it and load again in Classic and lost everything. I have no idea if this will survive. Anyway – What I do remember from the lost post is that I did recall on seeing an item in the news about a unit that is similar to a pacemaker only this unit is for the brain. Once activated it send signals to the brain and can reduce the trembling of hands as well as other aspects that are associated with Parkinson’s Disease. There was a demonstration on the news and once activated the difference in the man’s hands and in his overall demeanor was incredible. The reason I mentioned this was not really to highlight a breakthrough in Parkinson’s but the fact that the Medical Scientists are looking further and feel with further investigation and development it could be used to control and contain the effects of epilepsy. That would be some breakthrough.

Apart from a few days here and there, we didn’t have much of a summer. However, this early weeks in Autumn have been glorious, mild to warm and sunny – warm and sunny during the day, still warm in the early evening and cool to cold at night and in the morning. Yesterday Benji and I went for a drive in the car out to Fitzgerald Bay and the Shingle Ridge, from there to the Lighthouse. From there we drove to the Foreshore – which was busy so we went to the Wetlands and had a good walk there. This was followed by Ice Cream , Vanilla for him and Almond for me ( but don’t tell Annabell)

During the week I attended a Memorial Service at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church. Brian, a member of St. Mark’s, was also a good friend to us when we needed help. He died last year but because of Covid-19 nothing could take place. As of Midnight Tuesday most of the restrictions in South Australia were lifted and, with some assistance, I have put all the pews back to their positions and removed the seating tags.

Had a telephone call from Flinders yesterday and the reports from our last visit and not great but not bad. The cancer is still there but not moved nor enlarged. However, we will go back down to Adelaide in about six weeks and spend a few days there, There will be an investigation of what is happening and day surgery to replace the units. They will be left in place for six weeks and if there is no progress then they will consider chemotherapy.

The weather since the beginning of Autumn has been great – this is the weather that we should have had over summer. Yes we had a couple of heatwaves that lasted a few days each time, but other than that it was not all that great. This weather coupled with the Easter Holidays has people swarming to the beaches and

Part of the Shingle Ridge from the roadway.

holiday spots. After church today (Friday) I made sure Annabell was ok then took Benji for a drive in the car. We had a great time and went to Fitzgerald Bay, the Shingle Ridge, the Lighthouse and back to the Wetlands ( no ice cream) – a pretty busy afternoon and since we went much further along the coast road, this time, slightly different from last time. I drove to the end of the bitumen and went on the gravel until I was able to turn around and head back. When I go out I always make sure I have my phone with me. When the hands free speaker tells me I am “disconnected” I will turn back and get my phone. It does this about 100 yards away from the house and out of range. If Annabell were to call me I am only about 40 minutes away from home and can soon be back.

Hospital, Fires and Dog Problems.

January 14, 2021 by edgar62, posted in House, Garden and Dogs

Benji and Max walking – before the heatwave,

Friends, Jennifer and Milan, have left to go to Western Australia (Perth) Because of the covid-19 and border restrictions, they have not seen their children and grandchildren since Christmas 2019. They asked me if we would look after Max – the Pug – for a couple of weeks and I reluctantly agreed. Max is a lovely, calm and very placid dog, but last time Max was here he and Benji did not get along too well. I was concerned for Max because all terriers can get very nasty if threatened, or think they are being threatened. It’s only been a few days but Benji is older and wiser and the dog-door helps because Max spends much of time wandering in and out of the house and just wandering around the back. I have been out walking with them and for the moment Max needs to stop and smell everything .That aside, they walk well together and they are getting along fairly well. However, and here I delve into history. Many moons ago in the UK there was a Ballroom Orchestra led by a man called “Victor Silvester” – you may remember (Galivanter) that he had a catch phrase associated to him – “slow, slow -quick, quick – slow” Well being out with Max is like – “Slow, slow – slow, slow – slow. At night Benji and I generally go on a : Block Walk: from the house to the end of town i.e. the end of the street. This distance takes Benji and me about 8/ 10 minutes about 20 mins there and back. With Max, it’s 20+ minutes just to get there- and that’s when he’s not stopping every three feet. He is the most unflappable , placid dog you could imagine. He’s a Pug – a very overweight Pug – calm, quiet and peaceful. Sort of reminds me of me, really – except for the overweight bit!! :o)

Annabell has not been too great this week and tiredness is only part of her problem but we are getting there. The Ultrasound should give us more information in what is happening. Annabell says it’s like being a teenager again only with the “Month” happening every few days. Poor thing! The Ladies Coffee Group starts back tomorrow (Tuesday) so she is quite looking forward to that. I have to remember to remove the dog seat cover tomorrow since I will be picking up two other ladies. I’ll give the car a clean out and a spray so it will be nice and fresh for the ladies.

With South Australia in the midst of a heatwave (37 – 43C) the dogs and I are out only in the morning (05:40) and even then it’s only for a short walk, Yesterday the temperature was 38c and today it is expected to be around 42c and the same again tomorrow. The fire ban across the State came into effect at midnight last night. We have one large fire in Tasmania – contained but not

controlled – and we had a fire at Salisbury. The Salisbury fire was believed to have been the work of an arsonist. Never mind, a severe look and a talking to by a Magistrate together with a good suspended sentence should sort things out – just like it did during the fire season last year. The favoured word by magistrates in South Australia is “naughty “, a term most people would not use in reference to a 18/19 year old male. Well, a week of heat and back to low to mid 20c for the next six days.

Annabell’s tests at the hospital here were completed without any problem, so that’s good. The results will be sent to the Clinic at Flinders Medical. At the moment she is taking things fairly easy. My frustration is that I cannot go anywhere – no – not because of Annabell – but because of having Max. Took a run out to the lighthouse on Sunday afternoon. Took four photographs and drove home. I got Benji out and got his harness on, then lifted Max out. I had foolishly left the front door open so Max moved to the door, jumped in plonked himself down in the seat well. and refused to move. I took a couple of photographs, got Benji back in the car and drove home, concerned about getting stopped by police and fined for having an unrestrained dog in the car. As for other things – I have just about given up making up the setps on my Fitbit and I don’t think I am going to get anywhere until Max goes home in two weeks.

On The Road Again

December 12, 2020 by edgar62, posted in House, Garden and Dogs

Again we are waiting on conformation from Flinders regarding the arrangements for next week. What I know (perhaps) is that she will be admitted sometime on Friday for an operation (procedure) on Saturday, recovery and tests Sunday and discharged Monday. It is not an “operation” as such but it does require anesthetic. Anyway, that’s what we were told, but that could change and until we get the letter we wont know. It makes it difficult for me to try and book accommodation. Still, not to worry I do have a tent, sleeping bag and stuff :o) It’s been a strange week and despite not reaching the predicted 43c it has remained in the high 20s but still fairly warm. According to our long range weather forecast this will be a warm but wet summer – lots of rain and perhaps some local flooding. Some of that forecast rain will start this weekend.

Saturday and still no word from Flinders – and it is raining. Not that the two are connected but I just thought I would mention that the for

ecast rain is here. No walk this morning. If it clear up I’ll take Benji for a walk round the wetlands later in the day. I meant to say in the last post that I am very sorry

about missing Thanksgiving. Of course I don’t celebrate but I generally make a post and this year I didn’t. I was in Adelaide and otherwise occupied. Apart from which I didn’t have my computer and my laptop (Apple) does not have this program. (WordPress)

Annabell is well – she gets tired easily but otherwise not too bad. I let her sleep and if I do go outside I generally take the mobile(cell) and the cordless with me – one phone for each ear :o) I have never been involved with cancer so I was unaware of the Cancer Council or the fact that they operate two lodges, the Flinders Lodge and the Eastwood Lodge. Both of these offer accommodation for cancer patients and their carers (if necessary) if and when they have to come to Adelaide for treatment.. I have only just found this out and had I known I could have made use of the

facilities when we last were down. There is also a volunteer transport service from the lodges to the treatment centers. Now that I do know this I will telephone them tomorrow and see about accommodation although I can’t book it because I still do not know the dates. The hospital telephoned today and although Annabell was on the phone for the best part of an hour, we are still no further forward. We now know that her “operation ” will take place around 8am on Monday 14th December and all being well she will be released late afternoon on the 15th. However, there is still the need to meet with the anesthetist on Friday. However, that could be done by telephone that’s up to him to decide and we wont get told that until Thursday. If it is by telephone, I can delay the drive to Adelaide until Sunday, which would be a great help. We have also been told that what they are going to do works for most people, but not all. We will work on the assumption that it will work but the major surgery is still possible in a year or so. Exterlunt!! The Anesthetist telephoned and we did the consultation by telephone. That being so, we will get the blood tests done here in the morning and I wont have to leave for Adelaide until Sunday morning for admittance to the hospital at 7am Monday morning. We have been told that Annabell is the first on the list Monday morning – so that’s good. Still no church but we believe most of the restrictions will be lifted on Monday so we should be back the following Sunday – 20th December. We will see what the Premier proposes next Monday.

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