Lockdown day 1 – Walks and shopping.

Back area this morning.

Took Benji out this morning for a district walk  and, since I decided on a rest from the last few days, I had him out in the stroller. The reason for the District walk and not the Wetlands, was that my son borrowed my car yesterday. He called me to say that his brakes needed attention and  he had to get to work. He returned the car just before 10:30 this morning. I  told him that  we had a medical appointment at 11:30. While he was here there was a NEWSFLASH – as from 6PM this evening South Australia will go into lockdown. Yes there have only been five cases but we know how quickly it can spread so mandatory masks  immediately and the lockdown for  a minimum of seven days. After 6pm we are to stay indoors unless out for essential reasons. Not really very sure – is walking the dog an essential reason??  I think so but does the State Government?  o:)  Well, apparently so. – exercise is a valid reason for leaving the house.. However, there are restrictions  : I can travel no more than 2.5 kilometres and the wetlands is more than 7.5 klms. away.  I can exercise only once a day outside and for no more than 90 minutes, so taking him on a district walk  is about 40 minutes. This means that  I am well within the area and time limits for two walks – and I have to wear a mask outside – easy. The sunrise at the back area  was really great and I was a bit miffed that I could not get down to the Wetlands this morning because the sunrise there would have been spectacular.

Of course it will mean a lot of changes within the State and for some businesses it might just be too much and they will not reopen. The Flight Centre in the Shopping Centre is a good example. When all this is over I think we will be looking at a fair number of tax increases to pay off the damage (financial) that covid-19  has cost the world-wide economy. Of course, it’s not all bad. I am feeling very self-indulgent these days. With a massive harvest and  nowhere to sell them, there are  Avocado’s by the bucketload available in the

Part of the Main Entrance at Flinders.

supermarkets right now, with the prices as low in some shops as 65cents. Generally though $1. Anyway, that’s all very well,  but I have to tell you that smashed Avocado on toast for lunch is quite nice.

Annabell saw her doctor yesterday and I was called in halfway through the consult. I was called in because the information that was required was in my Filofax. It turns out that

Feeling a tad indulgent

Flinders had not been keeping Annabell’s doctor up to date and informed of what was happening. He knew nothing about the MRI and I had the dates, times and the appointment letter in my  diary. Once he had that information, he called Flinders and asked why he had not been kept informed and what this  MRI was for.  Seems that there was nothing wrong with the X-rays and everything is in place. The purpose of the MRI is to determine that the  cancer is still where it was first  detected and has not grown nor moved any.. If it has I think surgery may be suggested, but that’s a decision Annabell has to make.

As usual in this part of the world, mention the word  close or even Long Weekend and people panic buy. Throw the word Lockdown into the mix and the result is chaos. According to reports and  news, less than two hours after the Premier used the word Lockdown ( there I said it again) and shelves in the supermarket were being emptied of stock. People must be expecting to use the toilet a lot since the toilet paper shelf was emptied, despite the Premier and the Supermarket owners telling everyone not to  hoard or panic buy because we have plenty of stock and it’s not necessary – they did anyway.

Travel and Changes

When the world was young
When the world was young

I have downloaded Windows 10 on the computer in the office. Can’t get it to download on this one yet – have no idea why, the icon is there but it just hangs. Fullness of time I expect. I haven’t had time to really have a look at this new Windows but I hope to sometime soon.

Although it might not seem like it there are advantages/ disadvantages  in the dissolving of the State Assembly. Instead of 7 meetings a year, by dissolving the Assembly and amalgamating the two presbyteries into one, we reduce the meetings per year  from 7 to 4 –  1 meeting per quarter – two meetings in Adelaide -two meetings in Mount Gambier / and that’s the

The size of this place
The size of this place

sting in the tail. There was  a total of 5700 Klms for six meetings and the assembly.  The new system will mean 98ooKlms for four meetings and an assembly – with the assembly being in Brisbane, Queensland – which, from here,  is a 22 hour drive. Looks like a bunch of fun.

John’s knee operation was successful and having been down to Adelaide to see his surgeon he has been given the all clear and will not have to see him again – unless there are any problems, so I can scrub the Memorial and Flinders Hospitals off my list. I  came back from Adelaide late last night and have no intention of moving again until I go back down and pick up Catherine from the Airport. I have booked us into the Chifley on South Terrace. Her flight wont get in until after 8p.m. so we stay overnight and head north in the morning. Good,  because I gets to chat to her first and catch up with all the news in Scotland. I am so looking forward to seeing Catherine again. It will be an interesting visit in that we had word from Scotland that Catherine had a fall and has broken her shoulder, but she’s still coming  over.

Other than two trips to Adelaide, one to collect Catherine and one to take her back to Adelaide Airport, I have no trips planned until November and Mount Gambier.  I had a trip to Adelaide on Tuesday for the West Terrace Consultative Committee. A presentation to the Committee on  Jewish Funeral Customs was made  by Dr. Klee Benveniste of the Adelaide Hebrew Congregation, which I found very interesting. She also gave  an explanation on some of the most common features within the Synagogue, which I also found  interesting and most of which I did not know. I would like to do a presentation but at the moment with everything sort of up in the air, I have no idea how things will develop. Perhaps November will bring some clarity and we can  work towards acceptable changes. There are two changes that we cannot accept and if either one is imposed on us, many of the people will leave. I am not sure about me but  I don’t think I could work with either of these unacceptable changes.

The last few days have been cold, wet with very high winds. I’m so over winter. Although I have to admit that the high winds and rain that were an annoyance here, caused a fair amount of damage  elsewhere. Being in the center of Australia we are “protected” from the excesses of weather that other parts of the country experience, The only really issue we ever have is when there is a coupling of high temperature and a north wind coming in off the desert – things tend to get a bit on the hot side then. I have  gotten used to Central Australian weather, but what I think I will never get used to are the flies. Still, two out of three is not bad – Central Australia, Heat, Dust and Flies.

Road Trip good – Man not so good!!

The lower Flinders Ranges
The lower Flinders Ranges

It’s almost three weeks since I actually wrote anything. I’ve read a lot and looked at new things, some associated with Filofax, but I haven’t really written anything or even taken any notes. I did spend three days in Adelaide and bought a new camera. I also did a full day training session – which was so exciting I generated an incredible desire to slash my wrists. Still  a day and a half of a quiet wander about the place was almost worth it – almost!  Late night shopping before returning to my hotel. The walk was a bit tiring but  it was good to be wandering again – the Roar of the Greasepaint / The Smell of the Crowd – or something like that.

The view from the roadway - Outside Port Wakefield.
The view from the roadway – Outside Port Wakefield.

I love it when people go on road trips and post exciting photographs or rivers and valleys and mountains and great sweeping highways. My

More flatness
More flatness

world is generally flat. Miles and miles of flatness and when you get to the end of that – more flatness. It’s only when you start getting up North that you have the foothills of the Flinders Ranges, which are not really mountains as we know mountains – just very big hills. Most of the road to Adelaide is much the same, not a lot to see. I enjoy the drive because it is generally quiet and peaceful with not much traffic and not a lot of distractions. Boring, really. However,  at the end of May I will be going over to the South East of the State. This should be interesting since I have never been there before. Five hours driving to Adelaide and another four hours to get to Penola. I will, of course, take the camera with me and take some photographs of places I have never been before. Have no idea where I am going to stay for the four days but I’ll work that out fairly soon. It will be interesting because, as I say, I have never been to that part of the State.

The Man is now totally blind and has just about lost control of his back legs. He can no longer walk and has difficulty in standing. We also believe that the medication is no longer working since he cries a lot. I was up with him until  after 2am this morning and I didn’t think he would last the night. He was falling and banging into walls. I tried to keep him in a well padded  dog basket ( cage) but he didn’t like that and screamed to be let out and started falling down again. I came up with the idea of turning part of my room into a sort of play-pen – covered in blankets with pillows against the wall to stop him from hurting himself. I brought in three heavy plastic boxes from the garage and using the side of the wardrobe as one side put the remaining three boxes into place – two down from the wardrobe and one across the bottom. Open and with enough room to move about and well padded with blankets to keep him from hurting himself banging his head off the side of the boxes and the wall.  He cried until I believe exhaustion took

The Young Man
The Young Man

control and he has been sleeping since about 2:30am. I’ve had a couple of hours sleep and herself is still sleeping. This morning  we will call the Vet and make an appointment for later today.  But I think we are running out of time, which saddens me considerably.