Mount Gambier – Page 4

Post storms and mining.

14/11/2015 by edgar62, posted in House, Garden and Dogs

The place is slowly drying out. One Mall shop is still closed as repair work is being done, everyone else is back in business until the next belt of rain – whenever that may be. But it’s great – $56 Million upgrade and the roof leaks !! The garden is drying out and once that happens -probably sometime today – I can start to clear up everything. I can do that in between packing and getting ready to head off to Mount Gambier (900k West). I will be away for four days. I will, of course. take my camera with me, the question is, should I also take the Tripod? Probably, if I have enough space. I’d like to take my dog with me so I can say I have at least one friend in the area. I always liked that comment by Sean Connery in “The Last Crusade” – “My Boy, we are pilgrims in an unholy land”

I have been out and about this morning and everything is drying out fairly quickly. Once the rain finally stopped the flooding dissapated as the storm drains caught up. The mud at the far end of the street is also drying out – but the ruts are nice. A new form of gardening perhaps?? Was awake at the crack of dawn this morning, got dressed and took Benji out walking for over an hour and a bit. I have extended our area so I roughly do about 12,000 steps a day, which is about 6 miles. Perhaps not a lot for some people, but a lot for me in a day.

Today (Sunday) everything is definately drying out – well, it would with the temperature at 36c. ( 96F) The walks take place earlier in the morning ( to avoid the heat and the flies) and later in the evening ( oddly ehough to avoid the heat and the flies) Even so, I will have to start taking my belt with me – a waist belt that has pockets for a plastic bowl and another for a water bottle and one for black bags. It’s interesting in that he already equates various items of clothing with walks and if I go near them he thinks we are going out and generally speaking we are. We had a hotish 37c yesterday and a milder and cooler 26 today and everything is just about dried out. I spoke to John over the weekend and he will come over each day I am away and take Benji out walking, so at least he will get some exercise. The mining boom has just about gone “Boom” but new houses are still being built, however, not quite as many as there were six or eight months ago and some of these

Can't remember where I got this from. — Can’t remember where I got this from.

houses that were build are already up for sale. With the current unemployment rate in Southg Australia ( the highest in Australia) I can see this increasing and the “for Sale” signs becoming more frequent that they already are. It is a very uncertain time not just in South Australia, but Australia in general since our State and Federal Governments have based their budgets on the revenue from the mining and comodities boom – which is just about finished. Interesting times!!

Catherine, Road Trip and Introducing Benji

04/10/2015 by edgar62, posted in House, Garden and Dogs

He was unknown now he is "Benji" — He was unknown – now he is “Benji”

The drive to Adelaide was uneventful. I took Catherine shopping – mainly to the duty free and then along Rundle Mall before heading off to the hotel. I was staying – she was not. The car came for her at 19:45 and her flight was at 21:45. I did not go to the airport with her since there would be a wheelchair and an assistant waiting for her at the other end and she would be taken to the Emirates Lounge and, not being a passenger, I wouldn’t be allowed in there. Her bags were checked in for her. It seemed little point in my going out there and having to get a taxi back for no real reason. She will be well looked after. I watched some television, sent s few emails to Annabell and went to bed.

I was up fairly early on Saturday morning, checked out and set off to Mount Gambier arriving there just after 1pm. The “Unknown” was waiting for me – we had formal introductions ( of course) and he took his place on the front passenger seat – seat-belted and clipped in. After driving for about 15 minutes I had to stop and make different arrangements. For some reason he was unhappy in the front seat, so I set up the carry case with a blanket and set him up in the back seat. Being slightly elevated he put his head on the window and sat and watched the world go by. Then he slept. As a traveler he was very good and slept most of the way. We were slightly delayed and I had decided that I had to make Bolivar on Saturday. I did but it meant doing something I always said I would never do – travel the Expressway and negotiate the Steep descent from Crafers to the end of the Expressway then drive through the city in the dark. Not the most enjoyable thing I have done of late, but we made Bolivar where we stopped for the night and I was finally able to call Herself and let her know how things were.

We left Bolivar at about 5:30am and drove to the Tin Man for fuel and a walk. I was asked – since the forecast was for 36c – why I was wearing a jacket. I answered that my car was almost like an ice-box. I had a youngish dog in the car and was keeping the temperature down for him.

We arrived home when Herself was still at church so I was able to get him settled in and a wander about the place – inside and out – a bit of food and a drink. Apart from anything else I was slightly stuffed since over 1200 miles in two days is tiring and my hand feels like it has been stomped on by half a dozen, big longshoremen – with boots on. I think I need my head examined, but that is something I have to avoid at all costs – mainly because of a concern that they will find nothing in there.

Oh and I don’t have photographs (yet) since I was too busy concentrating on other things – like driving

Road Trip, Lovely people and Gazinia

01/10/2015 by edgar62, posted in House, Garden and Dogs

This weekend I head back down to Adelaide. It’s been a quick and not uneventful holiday for Catherine, but we have been out and about as much as we could and I think she has been happy enough. She is talking about coming back in two years. Once I take her back to the airport and stay overnight in the hotel, in the morning I may be heading off to Mount Gambier, which is about a four mile drive from Adelaide. I have been as far as Naracourte and Mt. Gambier is about 150 klm further on from there – Have Camera – Will Travel ! There is no certainty that this will actually happen and I wont know what I am doing until another day or so, but I am hopeful.

I am starting to come back to the world after a traumatic week. After having lost The Man and then Chienne, I was starting to get a bit on the down side and slightly depressed. I am not sure if it is just a cliche or not but people talk about “The kindness of strangers” and I was overwhelmed by the messages of kindness and sympathy that seemed to just keep coming. The kind thoughts expressed by people I had never ‘met ‘ was very humbling and something I will always remember.

A few days ago I pulled the car off the highway to the side of the road, got out with a camera and took some photographs of roadside flowers. These very pretty flowers are

called Gazinia and in many parts of Australia they are considered to be weeds and councils have attempted to eradicate them. I am quite thankful to say that here they have not been successful and I do believe they have given up trying. The flower that grow in perfusion are full of life and colour and make a very welcome change from the (beloved by a very few) Saltbush. Here in my little corner of the universe, I find the saltbush that I am familiar with dead and boring = dead boring! I suspect there are species of saltbush that flower and look pretty ( never seen any) and I suppose that saltbush is part of Australia but then, so are flies and I can’t recall anyone ever waxing lyrical about them. The South African Gazinia, however, have become so popular that many people have taken some of the roadside plants and replanted them in their garden and have been rewarded with an explosion of

colour. Before you ask, yes I am thinking about it!!

As it happens I am heading to Mount Gambier on Saturday morning. I was not sure for a while but a telephone call this morning confirmed it. I am overjoyed. Bit too early for the Blue Lake I suspect. If I get away from the hotel early on Saturday morning I should be in Mt. Gambier by about lunch and back in Adelaide by mid-afternoon. I don’t think I will be able to drive the whole way home, so we will probably stop off some place for the night – I expect Highway 1 Caravan Park. A lot will depend on how I feel and it might well be that I will stay in Mount Gambier rather than drive the four hours back to Adelaide. In fact the more I think about that the more I warm to the idea.

On the Road again!

10/09/2015 by edgar62, posted in House, Garden and Dogs

Still working on the area at the side of the Crazy Paying. I have, as I said the other day, completed all I have to do for the moment, but once I get settled down a bit I’ll make the change I want. However that’s not likely to happen until the crazy paving area is underway. In the top planter I have Purple Lavender and in the lower planter I have White Jasmine. I will get some more plants when I am in Bunnings. With my black thumb I don’t expect them to last. However, I take comfort from the fact that you can’t kill river stone :o) Also, on the way home I’ll take Catherine for lunch at the Arid Lands Botanic Gardens and perhaps get a few things there. Well, depending on how she is and when we leave Adelaide, it may well be afternoon tea and scones.

I went down to buy a set of car stands which were on special for Father’s Day ( today only 60% discount) Couldn’t find them so asked an assistant who went off to look for them. Little while later he came back – “Sorry Mate, that’s a typo error, we don’t actually have them” Was not very impressed. Didn’t think it was worth the effort to kick up a fuss since I’ll be down in Adelaide on Thursday and will hit Bunnings Thursday morning, so I’ll have a look then. I wanted a Ryobi Cordless Drill and these are only sold by Bunnings so the Boys gave me gift cards for Bunnings – I’m very easy to please!!!

Only two days left and I am off to Adelaide. The weather looks to be good – 20c Thursday / 24c Friday so it will be two good days for driving. Depending on the traffic and time, I would like to be able to stop somewhere along the way and take some photographs but the point here is that the road is much the same and I have just about taken

Bells Beach where the Australian Surf Championships are held

photographs down and back many times. Which is why I am looking forward to the meeting in November. This will be held in Mount Gambier and I have not been there before. My family lived in Drysdale, Victoria for a while and I was out there a few times. Last time I was there was for my sister’s funeral. I drove to Kaniva, stayed there for the night and drove to Drysdale in the morning. My Brother-in-Law decided to take me touring the Bellarine Peninsula and out as far as the Memorial Arch at the start of the Great Ocean Road. We also went to Bells Beach and Fort Queenscliff. Alan never got over my sister’s passing and six months later the children moved him to Adelaide. I was against this move but not my decision. He was comfortable and settled where he was and his friends were there. His health deteriorated and died 18 months later.

Going off to pack for the morning – and no, I do not travel light, one holdall for clothes and things, and another for cords, chargers, laptop, Modem. The camera batter is on the charger at the moment, but I’ll still take it – you never know…

Travel and Changes

24/08/201524/08/2015 by edgar62, posted in House, Garden and Dogs

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

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.

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