Tag: dogs

Now the Wallaby!! Sorry.

by edgar62, posted in House, Garden and Dogs
rufus
Meet Rufus

The previous post was incorrect in that I forgot to remove the Wallabies part from the title. The Hospital part ran on (ok, so I’m long winded!!) more than I meant it to and I took the part about the Wallabies out. In essence it was that a friend  who lives in Tasmania has Wallabies who are frequent visitor to her garden. Recently she noticed that one the regulars ( she named him Rufus) had been injured – probably an altercation with a car. She called the Wildlife Park who sent out two wardens. She assumed that they would tranquillise  the animal and attend to his injuries. No so – under Tasmanian Law it is illegal to discharge a firearm (tranquilliser gun is a firearm)  within 200 meters of any dwelling.  Instead they tried to hand capture the the already stressed animal.  I can think of many  things I would like to do, but trying to capture a Wallaby (fully grown) by hand is most definitely not one of them  :o) She sent me a number of photographs and I’m sure she wont mind if I pinch one of them.

I see Kangaroos  from time to time and I keep a tight lead on the dogs. These silly  things would take off after it or them And I would be unlikely to see them again.  About 20 feet away from the end of the road  a fence has been erected  so we don’t see them as often as we used to – which is sad in one way, but in another it keeps them safe and away from any traffic since it can get busy at times when  strange people think this is a through road out to the main highway some  seven kilometres away. They stop at the end of the road and come back. I have redirected traffic several times when out with the dogs and pointed them in the direction where the road does go out to join up with the highway.

 

Adelaide – Again (2)

by edgar62, posted in House, Garden and Dogs

In a recent post I said that I had some Carpal Tunnel problems and seven hours behind the wheel of the car ( after I was geographically misplaced)  was just too much. Anyway, coming out of that Herself, ever the thoughtful person, was in the chemist and saw a pair of pressure gloves made from neoprene. She thought they would be helpful and bought them for me. OnWednesday, off  I set to Adelaide wearing the Neoprene gloves. I think I lasted about  30 klms. before The pain forced me to pull off the road onto the gravel and rip the things off.  I drove a further uncomfortable 170 klms and stopped for a good appleobreak, which helped. I was a  bit later getting into town but still in time for my appointment  with Apple and after that my meeting with the Moderator. The Apple Shop in Adelaide offers testing, advice and  a range of iPod, iPads and computers, laptops and phones, but no internal parts. For that I would have to go elsewhere – and I did – to an Apple agent in another part of the CBD. I wanted extra memory and was staggered at what they proposed to charge me for a mere 4 gig. I could just about buy a new Windows Computer with 500 gig for the price.  I  “reluctantly” declined. I didn’t even ask about the price of a new battery,.

Had a good night and made an early start in the morning. I had been asked to go out to Kurralta Park again and I said I would even although it meant, not once, but twice, travelling my  favourite road in all the world – The South Road. Still more detours but I didn’t get misplaced this time and I returned by a different route that I had just learned, which was good.  Ok for a direct return but difficult in getting there because of the twists and turns and the crossing traffic lanes, so I can’t give up the South Road just yet.

The journey home was interesting in that there were high winds all the way and at times I was having a “difference of opinion” with the steering wheel regarding directions. The gusts, I learned later, were up to 60kph which accounts for the car being pushed about a bit. Did my hands a power of good!!  I have to make a confession in that I got home and Chienne really made a fuss of me. I think she must have realised I had a bit of a hard time and was all over me.  My Man did lift his head from his bed to sort of

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

acknowledge that I was back. I understand –  he is getting quite old for a Maltese and I love him dearly — except when he starts barking at 2am for no earthly reason that we can see.  — “Excuse me, Daddy, I’m awake why are you not??”

I was saddened to hear that Schoep, the arthritic dog that his owner took to lake Superior every night because the temperature and buoyancy of the water, eased his pain and allowed him to sleep, passed on 19th July – a few days ago According to John Unger, his owner, Schoep passed peacefully at 20 years of age.

I have no idea if the computer or my settings are at fault but some posts I get some I just don’t. Odd, very..

Play Pens and cancelled functions.

by edgar62, posted in House, Garden and Dogs
DSC01444
The Air Ambulance of the RFDS

The RFDS have a very busy period this weekend and today they are out at an auction in another part of the area – yet another property that has been taken over by a compulsory purchase order for use by  the military. This is even more land that is now closed of to the  rest of the world so the military can play their games in an area larger than most European  countries. I said this to a military person and the reply was ”  have you any idea of the range of modern tank shells?” My reply was , ” no but  do they cover an area larger than say, Holland, Belgium, Denmark?”  The SA Government Web Site extolls the virtues of South Australia as a  Defence “friendly” State with the largest land testing range in the world – 127,000  square kilometers and to that we can add another 24,000 square kilometres that they now control in this area. Not a bad play pen for a defence force smaller  than that of  Switzerland.

The sun has not been shining for the last two days and it’s still not shining People are out at  the Auction and I’ll be interested in hearing how that went. I have my  thing tomorrow and again next Saturday. There is another function this Sunday, but I’m out of that one.

Saturday:

Pause, think.
The cupboard on the right is now gone and I have that area to use.

I decided, after consultation with the trader, to cancel my  event for today. It’s chucking it down  and the wind is playing havoc in the area, so there would be little or no protection. I sent the girls home. I went our to the other function that we were also running and having navigated my way through ( a power boat licence would have helped) a sea of water and mud, saw nothing there and departed. There is no cover there at all so if that group decide to do that, a) I think they would be foolish and  b) they could be setting themselves up as potential clients of the  RFDS  because we are on our way to breaking even more records. I used to say that “we don’t do floods, just big puddles”  – this last month I am not quite as sure as I was.

I will be heading off to Adelaide in the morning so Herself will feed and water the dogs for the next two days.  The electrician has completed the work so I will have to give John a call and get him over to help me move the  big old cupboard and get it to the dump. So now that that’s done I can think about what to do with the space and I will have a look for a good sized toolbox that will fit in that area and can hold all the barbecue tools. Should be a good asset to the area and part of my rehabilitation of the  place, and it’s good to get rid of that redundant  electrical wiring. It’s getting there…slowly

Garden Chips, RFDS and summer flies

by edgar62, posted in House, Garden and Dogs
Looks dirty, untidy and cheap.
Looks dirty, untidy and cheap. This is what it looked like when we took over the place nearly two years ago.

Been a quiet week. Not a lot has happened.Our weather has much to do with that, I suppose. It is dark by 5pm and it is cold. The other night it was down to 9c – which might not seem cold in your corner of the world, but it is cold here. We took the dogs out last night and they enjoy their walks in the dark.  The one thing I find good about winter is that the cold means that there are no – or very few – flies around, and it’s possible  to walk and work outside  without being pestered by constant flies. That’s one thing you wont see on the tourist brochures. I think if you are born into the society and are brought up dealing with it it takes on less significance, I wasn’t and they bother me. When I take the dogs out out during the warm months I am covered in personal fly spray – I hate them buzzing around my face  and because this is a new area at the very edge of things and  surrounded by bushland, we tend to get a lot of them.

Our weather had been fairly mild and it’s been good walking weather.On Monday evening is the Annual General Meeting of the Royal Flying Doctors Support Group and I have been trying to drum up someone to accept nomination as Secretary – unlikely but you can’t blame a fellow for trying. It’s a big job and no one is really interested in assuming the role so I guess I will be  it for a fifth year. How did I  become Secretary in the first place, you ask?? Well, five years ago I was just a member and I attended the AGM. I was shocked by the lack of response to requests for nominations for the various posts and I also have to say, in view of the  Adelaide Central Operations Guests, somewhat embarrassed. I refused at first because I felt someone more qualified than I would surely  take the position, but no one did. When I was nominated a second time – at my request –  I accepted. I have been Secretary ever since.  Despite a high membership, participation is low, but people have constraints of work, so that’s understandable.  In the last four years this handful  of people  that I have the pleasure of working with, have raised and donated $135,000 to the RFDS. In the last

This is what I did to it.
This is what I did to it.

twelve months the RFDS have made 556 landings at our local airport.

The area at the very back of the photograph has still to be done. I will do that sometime over the next week or so.  Not sure, probably edging and granite chips with the native plants  being left alone at the top right corner (out of frame) Since that photograph was taken the gum tree that you see to the right has shed bark and leaves like you wouldn’t believe and that area is just dirty brown and covered in litter.

Ladies groups and dog walks :o)

by edgar62, posted in House, Garden and Dogs
The New Look
Next stage is the area at the very back – at the green fence

It’s good to be back home again. Adelaide was just fraught with problems, and not just driving ones either. Governments aren’t the only organisations that are metro centric, it’s just the whole South Australian culture and the way South Australia has developed as a one city state with everything being concentrated in that one area. The meeting scheduled for here in October has been rescheduled back to Adelaide, which didn’t really surprise me.

I find it interesting that Google Earth is still operating on maps that have been out of date for the best part of five years. I say this mainly because it is showing the South Road as it used to be before the major construction and upheaval began.  Tuesday and Wednesday for the next two weeks I hide in my room, or go for very  l  o  n  g  walks with the dogs. For the next  four weeks herself is hosting the ladies group  (18) on a Tuesday Evening and a Wednesday Morning. However I get the fun job of rushing around setting everything up for her on Tuesday afternoon and then put it all away on Wednesday afternoon – if I am home.

The weather has been dry  but cold, particularly in the mornings and at night. Adelaide Airport had to be shut down and traffic diverted for several hours the other day as fog blanketed the area. We had some fog here but nothing as bad as Adelaide and the Adelaide Hills area. I bought new beds for the dogs and they have adapted to them quite well. They are much thicker padding than the old beds, so they seem to like that idea.  This is also good because the little man seems to spend a lot of time in his bed sleeping.

Got a request for the RFDS to do a catering function next week so I have been busy today trying to organise people for that. I have four thus far and I think we may well be able to manage on that.  Should be a fun day.

House phones and Teddy Bears

by edgar62, posted in House, Garden and Dogs

It’s been an interesting few days  without the house phone. The calls were supposed to be transferred to my mobile (cell) but I only got some and I know that I did miss several – a couple that I shouldn’t have missed. Oh well  things happen.  Anyway, the landline was repaired today so we’re back in business.

Samsung the noo 036
Me and my Teddy Bear

I don’t know what’s wrong with the little man at the moment. There appears to be nothing amiss, yet he just stand there and “cries” and I have no Idea why. I lifted him and sat with him on my lap for a little while and he seems to be ok. Perhaps he was just having a “Moment”   He was ok when I took them out for a walk a little while ago and I didn’t even have to carry him, so he seems to be fine. I will have this weekend at home and the following weekend back in Adelaide.  There are a few things that I should mark down and make sure that I get this trip. I also want to  go out to the far end of the city and visit Alan in his new place. I haven’t told him I’m coming so it will be a surprise for him. Certainly it’s a long way but I will be staying in town overnight so it’s not too bad. I can still get back to the city in time to get the things I want and then settle down in my hotel. With any reasonable luck the conference on Saturday morning should be over by lunch and I can get back home before it gets too dark.

Politics dominates the news and has done for some time. We have a very unpopular government, which, if the current polls hold up, is heading for a historic defeat at the General Elections in September. I understand the Prime Minister was offered a Job with the White Star Line. They wanted to know how good she was in moving deck chairs.  The best description I heard of our government is that it’s like being on the last hours of the Titanic : the Third Class Passengers realise they’re locked in and there’s no escape while upstairs the first class passengers are running around trying to decide what dress to wear.

The downside of spending the next weekend in Adelaide is that I will miss two RFDS events. I will also miss an event organised  by the ladies group – one which I have enjoyed every year for quite some time. Herself is not letting me forget THAT too easily. However, I cannot not go to Adelaide. I put in an apology for the last meeting I cannot afford to miss two meetings – at least not one after the other.

Rain, Drought and Cattle Drives

by edgar62, posted in House, Garden and Dogs

I arrived home on Late Wednesday afternoon. It started raining on Wednesday evening and has hardly let up since, Adelaide has suffered flooding in some areas and little  creeks have become torrents. There are no reports of any injuries, just flooding and damage to  houses – roofs have caved in. The emergency service has been busy answering calls for assistance – in Adelaide.  Here it has been heavy at times with only minor flooding of roads, not houses as in Adelaide. My son walked to the gym from his place, then as another rain storm hit, called me and asked if I would come and pick him up and drop him home. Well, isn’t that what dad’s are for??

Droving
The modern cattleman with his horse and his mobile (cell )phone

The dogs have not been for walks for a week now and even as I write it is raining again. Hate to go on about this weather but it really is quite wild – the wildest it has been in ten years. And it’s strange to think that despite all the rain and flooding in Queensland last year – it’s in drought because of the failure of the monsoon. I think they are getting our dry cold weather and we’re getting their wet, cold weather. Not impressed – they can have it back anytime they wish. Anyway, because of the drought conditions in Queensland the graziers (cattlemen) have started doing something that has not been done for  nearly a century – they have started droving.  Droving is a particularly Australian word  which simply  means  “A Cattle Drive” with horses, chuck wagons and camping out at night. In other parts of Queensland there is plenty of feed and water but the law states that they must move the cattle 10 miles per day. The are not allowed to stay in one area – other than an overnight stay. All very cool – shades of Rowdy Yates and “Rawhide”. It’s cheaper to pay  and feed a dozen men  for two or three weeks than it is to transport the cattle by road. The cattle are not the best because of the drought, but the water and feed on the drive will get them in good condition by the time they reach the stockyards.    Yes, like America, Australia has the “Tourist” cattle drive, but this is the real thing. There is talk of opening up parts of the national parks, which has the conservationists  in a tizzy. I think they would rather see the cattle die rather than let them touch a blade of grass of take a drop of water from their parks. Yes, yes, I will no doubt get told that it is a lot more complicated than that, but it’s an emergency – not a permanent arrangement and things are only complicated because we make them so.

Adelaide and back again – part 1

by edgar62, posted in House, Garden and Dogs

I didn’t know what to call this so I sort of borrowed  something from Tolkein  “There and back again” otherwise known as “The Hobbit”  I don’t think I have violated any copyright..

Not quite fully packed – but close. I will set off at 7am tomorrow and should, allowing for breaks, be in Adelaide by noon. The first session will start tomorrow night around 6:30. Sounds odd, I know, but that allows everyone to get there, get settled and for the general business of roll call and agenda to be gotten out of the way, a get together for light refreshments  and that concludes the Ist Session. From the 2nd Session onwards it will be full on for the next two days.  The Dinner is on the Tuesday night, but I will not be attending that. I will, instead, stay in my hotel working on things that I need to get brought up to days – like my  diary. I’ll probably go out and bring something in and have  food here in my hotel room.

Monday am

20130527_103520
Ah yes, they were built to last in these days. This was at the service station when I pulled in.

Our visitor dog (Yogi) is still with us and he should be going back home today. It is only 6:20 and I don’t leave until about 7am. I do not like travelling on the road out of here in the dark so I generally wait until the sun is up. In summer time this means leaving about 6am. As far as I am aware, Jim is doing fine after his operation and should be home tomorrow, however, I think his wife is coming to collect Yogi sometime this afternoon after she has been at the hospital.  He’s been no bother and my two are still ignoring him, although I have to say that they let him use their bed yesterday  :o)  Regrettably, my two, whilst loveable , are not really very sociable when it comes to other dogs. But then, they have always been with me, Chienna six weeks after she was born and  Mannie  since he was adopted ten years ago. They are very much family dogs and they like people – just not other dogs.

The drive down here to Adelaide was very quiet until just about ten miles out of town. There was a smash on the inbound highway and two of the lanes were closed off and traffic was backed up for miles. Took me longer to travel these miles than it took me to travel down from Port Wakefield – 100 kilometres away.   In the early stages of the drive I was thankful for my  instance of not travelling at night because there was quite a few Kangaroos dead at the side of the road, plus a couple of foxes. Ok for a big truck not not in my  Ford.

Tuesday

After the introduction last night the first real session starts today. Good sleep, but it’s cold down here. I think it’s colder here than it is at home. Glad I brought a really heavy pullover with me :o) Although I have to say that the conference centre was well heated, so that was not a problem. Calling home during a break I found out that Yogi went home on Monday afternoon. And on the subject of going home, we believe that the business of the conference  will be concluded by noon on Wednesday and since the emergency meeting has been cancelled, I may get home on Wednesday afternoon. Depends what I have to do here.

continued.

Pergola, Aloe and noxious weeds.

by edgar62, posted in House, Garden and Dogs
20130524_193855
This is part of the covered in pergola that I am working on

I have already started packing the things I want to take with me to Adelaide – remembering that I will be away for a week. I had intended to come back on the Thursday afternoon but I have decided to stay on and go visit Alan who has been moved to a facility in Hackham West. Once everything is finished I’ll go over and see him for a while. North Adelaide is at one end of the city and Hackham West is at the extreme end of the other side of the city. It takes nearly two hours to get there so it’s not just a quick jaunt.  By distance it’s not great  (29 klms) but it is through some to the busiest areas of the city and  with all the reconstruction and delays, the South Road is not my favourite place.  My hotel account is paid until Thursday but I’ll pay  Thursday/Friday and come home sometime on Friday afternoon. So this time they have not changed the dates – I have.

I have been working on my little area at the pergola and there is still a lot to do, but in order to continue, I needs an electrician to move  an electrical point. No, it’s not just a question of moving the point from one place to another, there is a lot involved and part of this  means shutting of the mains box, cutting cable and installing a new point where I want it and then put the mains back on again.  I will attend to that when I get back from Adelaide. It’s not a five minute job. And no ! Me and electricity are not the best of friends.

I have, for the moment, three (3) dogs. The husband of one of our friends is going into hospital and they asked us of we would take their dog for a few days. Naturally I said yes, rather than the Kennels, The oddest thing is that my two, rather than being slightly put out, merely ignore the stranger and I think they pretend he’s not there. The little man is curled up on the chair in my room,  Chienna is with herself and I have the third dog under my desk. I think it might be a their version of     ” if we pretend he’s not there perhaps he will go away.” Or it could just be that since he has been here before,  (Yogi) he’s lost the novelty value he had the first time.Aloe_descoingsii

Handle with care

We found out what the “things ” I have growing out front and they are Aloe descoingsii. So, I dug one of the smaller ones up and replanted  it it in a nice pot with potting mixture and fertiliser. We’ll see what happens to it. Still not sure about it and these spikes bother me  just a tad, but I will try with it and see how we get on. The good thing is that it it does not survive – there are lots more of them outside. Turns out they are quite an interesting plant – and I just thought they were some kind of noxious weed  :o)  This, I suppose, gives you some idea of my plant knowledge – not to mention my gardening skills.

Easter, rain and digging dogs

by edgar62, posted in House, Garden and Dogs
The covered in pergola
The covered in pergola

The rain stopped for a while last night and as it was not fully dark yet, I decided to take the dogs  for a walk.  It was so funny, Chienna – being the lady she is – delicately  jumps over the puddles whereas, Mannie, on the other hand, just walks right through them – no variation of the path he wants to go, just directly ahead, puddles and all.

Because of the rain and my feeling not quite the best, I have not been to the Arid Lands Garden, but I really must try and get over this week. I said before it is  150klm round trip but  it’s a good morning out and the prices in the Nursery are very reasonable. I am not in a great rush because I have not quite finished the area I want to put the new plants into, but if it stays dry tomorrow (Monday) I will see if I feel up to continuing with the cleaning and preparation. It should not take all that long.  Tomorrow is a public holiday so we can’t go anywhere anyway All-in-all, it has not been the best Easter we have had for a while.. I also have some concreting to do. Some dogs  (Two) on the far side of the property have started to dig under the fence. They are big dogs and they can’t possibly get through, but they have dug a hole big enough for my little ones to get through. It is only an area  9 feet long by about 14 inches wide so it should be fairly easy to do. I have just  closed one of the gates to keep the dogs out of that area for the moment. I could complain to the neighbours about their dogs but that could led to complications.  The House next to me is a State Government owned house and it is a police house – we never see them, which is probably a good thing.. Better I  just attend to the area and leave well alone.  I hope to be able to do this in the next day or so.

The “Dreaded Lurghi”  is starting to loose its grip and whilst it still hurts a bit when I cough, it’s not nearly as bad as it was. Still, I have to be thankful in that I have heard of some people being confined to bed and being really sick and it’s only just the start of the “Flu Season”.   I will just have to keep an eye of things and make sure that I don’t overdo things and allow myself to get run down.  I have to take Alan to the hospital again this morning and  see how the Warfarin  is behaving.

I don’t think I am going to be able to get over to the Arid Lands Botanic Gardens until after I take Alan back to Adelaide. Given some of the things that has been happening I think it’s safer ( for  my peace of mind!) that I delay the trip for the moment. Anyway, colds and flu notwithstanding, I have enough to be going on with at the moment. I have to say that we are only a week or so into Autumn (Fall) and since it has been a hot and windy summer there are no further leaves to come down from the tree, so once I have cleaned up this present lot, that should be it for a while and I can retire the vac-blower for a bit.  I might even be able to sling mu hammock without getting it covered leaves.