Coaches, Meetings and Rundle Mall

The Hibiscus that I planted the other week is doing well although I suspect the cooler weather has a lot to do with it.  Still, it’s all good and I look forward to some flowers. I was informed that the Sturt’s

Stateliner Coach
Stateliner Coach

Desert Pea has to  be replanted each year – howeffer – it seems that my plant has re-seeded itself and after cutting all the dead wood away, it’s looking pretty healthy. I hope to get another display of flowers out of that this year.  The three pines I planted out front are still very small but I hope that will develop and grow soon. They still look healthy enough. I have another bag of sand so I will probably take a run over to the Garden Center and see what I can find.—————- Goodness me ( or words to that effect) this sand has set like concrete. Very nice, it’s crushing the poor plant to death. In the morning I may have to dig it out and attempt to rescue it – if it’s not too late. That was unexpected and it worked in the video – but perhaps I missed something or perhaps it’s the wrong sand – who knows?

I have decided that I really need to go to Adelaide on Wednesday, but since I need to be back for a medical appointment for Herself on Thursday, I will go down and back by coach. Not my favourite mode of travel but needs must. We used to enjoy coach travel many years ago when Interstate Highway 1 was realigned and  practically rebuilt as the Federal Government Bi-Centenary Project,   but the coach company, in its infinite wisdom decided to desert the new highway, and  moved to the alternate Highway with all its ups and downs, twists, turns and ruts as well and going in and out of every small town on the way down – and back. So to drive down by car  takes just over four hours;  the coach takes  five and a half = leaves at 6am arrives Adelaide 11:30am. Once the 5am (now 6am) coach was the “Express Coach”  that  went directly down Highway 1, arriving in town at 10:00. There was also, once, an overnight coach that left at midnight, which was good for an early morning meeting – arrive in town, walk along North Terrace to the Royal Adelaide Hospital and have a good breakfast in the  Canteen. The return journey will get me home just after midnight. Anyway the meeting is not until 2:30pm so I will have a couple of hours to spare to hit Rundle Mall  :o) – It’s not all doom and gloom.

It is true that simple things can give pleasure. I have not been able to use my camera recently (Sony) because the battery died and I cannot get a replacement here.

Stationery Shop of Choice
Stationery Shop of Choice

In under 30 minutes in Adelaide I had a replacement battery and my camera working again. The other pleasure was giving away a large box of Lindt chocolates to                       ” Strangers”. Why?? Well last time I was in Adelaide I left my Filofax in a stationery shop – Kikki.K  ( actually I think I mentioned this) Anyway, they were kind enough to post it to me, without charge, so, when I was down this time I bought a large box of chocolates and  gave it to the staff (three) to say ” Thank You”.  I managed to cram in a few other things before heading off to the meeting, but the battery and Kikki.K were my main concerns. I took a taxi to the meeting and at the conclusion, I still had a bit of time, and, since it was a nice day,  I decided to walk to the bus terminal — OK, not perhaps the brightest idea I have come up with recently. I thought  because I take the dogs out walking every night for over an hour that walking back to the bus terminal would be no problem but what I didn’t take into consideration was that with the dogs I have no timetable – not so when I have to navigate my way through the heart of the city and be on time to book in. If you have been reading you will know that not so very long ago I caused damage to the arch of my foot, (planter  fasciitis ) which is still not fully recovered – so,  walking back to the bus station was not my best idea. However, good me – I made it in time (barely but we wont go into that)  booked in, grabbed a bottle of water from the kiosk and staggered on to the coach – which,  fortunately was almost empty (12 people),  and I was able to stretch out in a double seat, and yes, I did take my shoes off  :o)