The drive down to Adelaide was partly cold, wet and miserable to start with but by the time we were about halfway there, the sun came out, everything brightened up and it was quite a pleasant day. Parked in town and spent some time shopping. I wanted to go to the camera shop at the Central Market but I think the old camera (which still takes good photographs) is now so old technology has passed it. Amazing how things can change in 10-15 years. I was not able to get anything new – nor even pre-loved. Serves me right for buying a Sony all these years ago. The new camera is a Canon and I have yet to figure how to use all the bells and whistles and get the best out of it. I have bought a number of books and downloaded some things to the computer and I’ll see how I go with them. Booked into the hotel in North Adelaide and walked with John down to the
Memorial Hospital. As I said the day brightened up so the walk down to the hospital was fine. However, during the time we were in the hospital things changed. His appointment lasted longer that was anticipated and by the time we got out of the hospital it was raining, so the walk back was not so enjoyable. And that was the rain in for the rest of the night. I watched some television, did some things on the computer and went to bed. When I rose in the morning, it was still raining. It was a frustrating drive in that it was showers, sometimes heavy sometimes not so heavy, but windscreen wipers switched on – then off – then back on again. Took John directly to the local hospital where he made a follow up appointment for an MRI then probably back to Adelaide again to the Memorial Hospital
By the time I got home it was mid-afternoon and a short while later Jim brought Yogi over. He will be staying with us until they come back from Adelaide on Saturday. Jim is taking his wife Fay down to the Breast Cancer Clinic. Chienne was no problem. Yogi has been here several times before so she is fairly used to him. I took them both out walking last night – all well rugged up for the cold. Do you ever think that weather forecasters make information up as they go along? I distinctly remember the weather people warning us that it was going to be a cold, dry winter and to expect droughts. This would be followed by a hotter than normal summer. Here we are, well into winter and thus far it’s been cold, wet and fairly miserable. Rain here and floods further up north and no sign of drought – Yet! Some places have had average rainfall some much more than average and not much of a sign that it is going to change any time soon.
Not far from where we lived were the ruins of an ancient castle. The castle was once a home of Mary, Queen of Scots and was owned by the Earls of Lennox. The Earl rebelled against King James IV and the castle was partly destroyed by the canons brought over from Edinburgh. The present castle dates from around the 15th century but there is evidence of an 11th century structure. The castle sits atop a hill and as children we went there to sled and have snow fights. We used the South side of the hill to sled. The north side was a bit steeper but the south side ended in an area of flat land whereas the north side ended at the river. What brought this to mind was thinking about the long summer days and the concerts we put on as children. We all had something to do and sometimes we entertained the adults, who always encouraged us. Of course, all this was back in the “Middle Ages”when there were no mobile (cell) phones, no computers, Steve Jobs and Bill Gates were still at school, and – most importantly – no television. I remember reading somewhere, that we were the last generation that went outside to play.
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