RFDS – Page 2 – Edgar's Page

Going Nowhere

14/02/2019 by edgar62, posted in House, Garden and Dogs

Left home Friday morning – a bit later than usual – and headed off to Adelaide. I made sure that everything was set up for Annabell before I left. The drive down was uneventful until just outside Port Wakefield where a serious crash had blocked part of the highway. My lane was clear – but slow and the other lane was backed up from the intersection to Port Wakefield itself. This is where the Copper Coast Highway joins the Interstate Highway 1. It’s a bad junction and has been the site of many accidents over the years. Governments have thrown money at the place in at attempt to contain the flow of traffic but it’s still a problem and on holiday weekend is the site of a major bottleneck. The present government has proposed a solution and is willing to fork out $90million to sort the problem. Most people believe that this also will not work until governments do what needs to be done – build a new road that bypasses Port Wakefield altogether. But they wont do that. Despite being a bottleneck, Port Wakefield heavily relies on the traffic for its survival. Because everything has to go through PW, there are more food outlets and service stations, bakery, repair shops than anywhere else and all the coaches coming from and going to the North, stop at PW ( BP Service Station) for refreshments and a break. Therefore, despite all its problems, PW is a major supply and service center and a bypass road that takes the traffic away would cause irreparable damage to the local economy and, to a lesser extent, the State Economy.

The remainder of the drive to Adelaide was quiet until Adelaide and city traffic. I managed to get most of the things Annabell wanted and did

some shopping for myself – mainly things from Officeworks for my diary – which – by the way is getting harder and harder to find. I think I said before that ordering things from the UK and the USA is getting too expensive because of the postage charges. Some time ago there were two outlets in Adelaide, but they have closed down.

The hot weather is coming back again for a bit but I don’t mind, it’s already done all the damage it can do and my plants are all dead. I did have a hope for a little while that it was only the outside leaves that had been burned by the sun and the plant and roots were still alive. I kept watering all the plants – even if they looked dead. Well, I now realize they are dead and no amount of water will change that. So, the hot weather kills the plants and the wind assaults us with 87,000 leaves.

This has been a slightly frantic week with three fundraisers to organise, two unplanned medical appointments and a funeral to get ready for. Well, the hopes that my last two months as Secretary of the Whyalla RFDS would be quite and trouble free, were always wishful thinking. The specialist in Adelaide has been unable to recommend any suitable medication for Annabell. There is another drug that she could take which would fit the bill, but the problem is that that has to be taken with a partner drug and the second drug is toxic for her. So, we both may have to go to Adelaide to visit a specialist who will teach us both how to administer insulin injections unless there is one visiting here. No idea when that will be. I may be an apology for the next church conference because Annabell has an appointment to see the eye specialist and that’s when his next visit is.

Why “Going Nowhere”as the title? Simply because Neil Sedaka’s song has been running through my head these last few weeks and that’s how I have been feeling sometimes – sort of running around in circles going nowhere. Well, I suppose it’s preferable to standing still and stagnating :o)

On the news this afternoon there was a major accident at the Highway 1 and the Copper Coast intersection this morning. Sadly two people were killed and a third one flown by ambulance helicopter to Adelaide. Honestly this intersection really needs sorted out – soon..

Moving, Benji, and Water for Wildlife

01/02/2019 by edgar62, posted in House, Garden and Dogs

Thankfully, the weather has calmed down from its hissy-fit last week. A warm week this week but temperatures will be no more than mid 30s. The Hay Convoy of 50 B Double Trucks went through on Friday and I did get a lot of photographs and a video that had been sent to me. It really was something to behold and I am sorry that I missed it but watching the video was incredible. Perhaps next time they go through I will be able to see for myself. They always go through that way but this is the first time we have ever had notification of the time they were going through. Actually, they have to go through where they did – there is no other way. – Well, there is, but it would add about 1100 klms on to the journey and not really achieve anything. Saturday was Australia Day, which started out fine – a bit cool, but fine. By 6:30, the temperature had fallen and the rain came down. It wasn’t really all that heavy but it was constant and the latter part of the Australia Day Celebrations were canceled – although the fireworks did go ahead. John Jnr and I spent Saturday at my niece’s place moving furniture. She was only here for seven months and she is now heading back to Adelaide. Some things she didn’t want to take back with her, so they went onto my trailer and into the garage and the church may dispose of them.

Back to the doctor with Annabell this morning. This was a planned visit, but not a good one. Generally her blood sugar level has been controlled by diet, but that is no longer working. Doctor wants to put her on diabetes medication but can’t. He has to contact a specialist in Adelaide, explain the situation to them and they will decide what medication is suitable for her, given her health concerns and her current medications. So we just have to wait.

I had a telephone call this afternoon from one of the major Hardware firms and they wanted to give us (RFDS) the space to run a fundraising event at the store. I said I would see what I could do and try and get a team together. I will call them first thing in the morning and accept since I have a team available for them. Ten days and I head off to Adelaide for conference. We plan these days away and both of the boys either telephone her or just come over and see she is ok, The Weather people lived down to their reputation yet again. Fine weather, they said – temperature in the mid to high 30s, they said. What they didn’t say was 43c today. It be a wee bit warm. Ah, look on the bright side – We survived 48.9, we can survive 43c. The danger period will come in about two hours when people start getting home from work and cranking on air-conditioners, which could overload the system. Might even blow a fuse again.

As it happened a cool change swept in and brought temperatures down quite a bit. Temps came down, wind came up and we had dust problems which I could see in the distance when I was walking with Benji. Come the weekend and we are looking at high 30s again, but that’s fine. I think one of the things that has made people grumpy is that many Australians have been unable to do what they would normally do in summer. Generally, in the backyard with friends and family – barbecue and a few beers, a glass of wine – backyard cricket with the children, and so on – in the park or down the beach. Not so much since it’s been blowing every day for weeks, then the heatwaves came along and all of this has disrupted the Australian lifestyle. I don’t do any of this but I like to go walking with the dog or dogs and I can take them out despite the wind, but the heat causes problems for dog paws, so it’s after 9pm when the sun has gone down and it’s starting to get dark. From time to time Benji will dig his front paws into the ground, lock them and refuse to move. I have no idea why he does this but after a minute or so he will start walking again as normal. I think he does this because he wants to see if my arm can actually come away from my shoulder since he does this without any warning. The heat is not only causing problems for us uprights and our companions, it is also causing problems for our wildlife. This is mainly exacerbated by the drought and just the general lack of moisture in the bush. It is really pleasing to see that more people are filling buckets of water the leaving them in their gardens. .

Winds of Change

23/11/2018 by edgar62, posted in House, Garden and Dogs

The daytime temperature has been nice but the mornings are cold – probably not in Adelaide – but up here, cold. The evenings have been much the same

Some of the larger birds at the wetlands. Swans have gone, though.

and I have taken to be rugged up if I take Benji for a walk around the wetlands in the evening as the sun is on the wane. The other day my son sent me a message – “Wetlands in 30 mins.” so off Benji and I trotted to the wetlands and caught up with him and the pram The day is great, warm and sunny, but the mornings and evenings are still cold. The month of November is a very busy month for the Royal Flying Doctor Group here. I said in the last post that I was asked to organise a fundraiser for this weekend – which I did – but this coming weekend is particularly busy with three events all going off on the one day. Next Saturday I will be on the go from 8am to at least 9:30 pm. Still if it raises funds for the RFDS, it’s all worth it. I will be doing a fundraiser at the hardware store from 8;30 until 1:30 – a quick change and over to the Ada Ryan Gardens and the RFDS Simulator and showing people through that until the close of the After Pageant Fair at 9pm and by the time we tidy up and get everything put away, it will probably be close to 10pm. Never mind – worse things happen at sea, or so they tell me.

The RFDS apart, it is going to be a busy time at church over the next month. The Lutheran Church are holding an Advent Service next week to which Annabell (my wife) and some other members of the congregation will be attending. With the other lady still on the sick list, I am still the Tuesday and Wednesday driver, and to add to that I have to take Annabell and pick up another lady for the Lutheran Advent Service on Wednesday afternoon. I thought after Mount Gambier things would start to calm down – oh sure, lead up to the Pageant, Christmas, Carols in the Park and New Year and you think things will calm down?

I had a bit of a “wake-up”call on Monday evening. On Sunday, the family come here for dinner. This Sunday Andrew did not come. We held off dinner, but still no Andrew. I tried to telephone him, but no reply. He was on call, so we assumed he had been called out. Monday I tried several times to call him and again after dinner on Monday -still no reply. So I got into the car and drove to his place. He opened the door and he looked fit and well to me, but I asked how he was. He said he was fine. Talked to Trish and she was fine too. Trish quietly left the room leaving

me with Andrew. I had just done what Andrew believed I would do when he did not turn up on Sunday and his phone remained unanswered – I would get in the car and drive over – and that is exactly what I did. His reason for doing what he did is that he believed that this was the only way he could get me to come to his house. In the last year I have not been there to see my grandson, or play with him, because there has always been a reason to prevent me getting there – organising some function or event for the RFDS – a church function or I am away for days at either Para Hills, Naracoorte, or Mount Gambier on church business. And if i’m not doing that, I am up to my eyes in paperwork. He asked if I had to do the things I do – i.e. why me, why not someone else? I edit the church Magazine. This takes up time and effort but as much as I have tried to get people to even contribute – well, everyone wants a magazine but no one is willing to help. The same with the State Newsletter – write on what’s happening here for the State Newsletter – every other month I have asked for someone to do this- no one has ever responded. I have to go to the places I go to because that’s my role over and above running the service, if you like. There are three of us who run the church, neither of the other two are fit to undertake the stress of driving around the State – and by fit I mean medically – one is disabled and the other is recovering from Cancer, which leaves me. Helen take care of everything locally and undertakes many of the visits, I look after things beyond local – that’s my role. I have to prepare reports for each of these meetings and be prepared to answer any questions that may arise. But Andrew is right, I am so tied up in other things that I am missing the growing up of my grandson – and to be very blunt and truthful – he is the only one I am likely to have. Things will have to change and soon. I relayed all this to Annabell and she said she was not surprised at Andrew’s method of getting me over there. “Your son knows and understands you more than you think he does”

Model Trains and Kangaroos

16/11/2018 by edgar62, posted in House, Garden and Dogs

The Model Railway Exhibition was brilliant. Oh yes, it was a very busy weekend for the RFDS but there were compensations and one of those was that retired Senator Buckland who is President of the Club said that the RFDS people would be allowed into the exhibition free of charge. The setups were fabulous and I was really amazed at the amount of work that had gone into them. What really floored me was that some of the exhibits were large in their own right but amazing that they were really only part of a larger set up. There were model railway set-ups from as far away as Western Australia but also sets from Adelaide and various places in Victoria.

The weather was changeable over the last couple of weeks and we did have some rain during the Model Railway two days. Not long after that we were looking after Dougal for a few days as his people went down to the Royal Adelaide for tests. However, she is still not the best so she will have to go back down on the 20th of this month and we will have Dougal back with us again.

Not long after Dougal went home I left for Mount Gambier. Stayed overnight in Adelaide and drove to Mount Gambier on the Friday. Set off for Adelaide right after the meeting on the Saturday and stayed overnight before hitting the road again at 05:30 since I really wanted to be home at 11am – well not so much home but to be in the church for part of the 11am (Armistice Day) Service – which I was. The weather has warmed up and over the last few days we

have been in the mid 30c. I took Benji out for a walk at 6am before it started to heat up and the ground was still cold. I was surprised to see Kangaroos around since I assumed the rain for much of the week just gone, would have been enough to keep them happy. They only really come near the town when there is little to drink and not much feed out in the bush. Not the best of photographs but they were a bit back off the road and trying to hold a dog, hold the smartphone steady and take a picture, wasn’t all that easy. Tomorrow it is supposed to be overcast with the possibility of rain and a bit of a storm – at least that’s what the state forecast was. The local news was not quite so certain in regard to the weather, so it might rain, but then, it might not. —- It did..

In a few days the Officer Cadets of the Military College , Duntroon, Canberra will be here for three weeks to conduct exercises. There will be command posts set up around the town and the army is calling for volunteers to take part in the population evacuation exercises. I didn’t do that last time but I think I might have a shot at it this time. At the moment the Cadets are doing some training at Cultana before they come over here for the next three weeks. As it turns out I wont be since the registration is this coming Saturday and I had a call from the Mitre 10 hardware wanting me to organise a RFDS Fundraiser for this Saturday. I have been on the phone much of the afternoon getting a team together

The Ambulance Ramping crisis continues with 18 Ambulances at the Royal Adelaide waiting to be attended to. Whilst they are there, they are not available for any emergency. The photograph was taken by

18 ambulances with patients on board – waiting…….

an ambulance para-medic. But there you are – the most expensive hospital on the planet and it doesn’t work and it can’t cope. If a real medical crisis, where many people are affected, ever hit Adelaide and South Australia, we would be well and truly stuffed.

Benji and I have been out and about. I took him back out to the lighthouse and then to the wetlands. Sometime over this weekend I really must get the model railway photographs sorted out. I take hundreds of photographs but am not the best of photographers.

Around the area.

13/10/2018 by edgar62, posted in House, Garden and Dogs

Benji relaxing – which he is good at :o)

I mentioned before that the day I was outside was a lovely warm, sunny day. The contrast is that yesterday afternoon it started raining, was cold and Adelaide had a major thunderstorm. We got a little bit of a side swipe, some lightening, bit of thunder and some rain. Today it’s dry but cold and overcast – very much back in winter mode although not quite as cold, but still cold. The army has now left their Cultana Playpen so we have a military free month until the next group come over from Canberra. The next group will be the Officer Cadets from the Military College in Canberra who will come here for their final exercise before returning to the College to undertake their final exams. This group will not be out at the PlayPen, but will be under canvas at the showground – same as last time – and they don’t have tanks. Not that we saw much of the tanks this time round. Interesting in that we were told to expect live-fire shooting from tanks and artillery. We heard nothing, but then the Training Ground ( Playpen) is over 2500 Square Kilometers in size.

Much of the last week has been cold and miserable with rain off and on. Also it is now dark again in the mornings since the clocks went forward an hour. My 6am walk with the dog is dark with the light not happening until close to the end of our walk at 7am. The forecast for the week is dull and overcast with possibly some rain. The weekend, however, should be warm and sunny. Today and tomorrow the RFDS Local Group are guests at the new On The Run (OTR) Service Station. Apparently the billionaire owner of the OTR is now a sponsor of the RFDS so we have been invited to the pre-opening tonight and the official opening tomorrow.

The problems and concerns with WordPress are not getting any better and I have to rescue more and more posts and comments from the Spam Folder. In fact most of the posts from Tales around the Ranch, Glasgow Galavanter, Spoon you, My Golden life (sort off because they do vanish and I have no idea where to). These are the main ones but there are others – Scotland with the Wee White Dug, is a frequent visitor to the Spam Folder. I am really thinking of adding a new comment when I reply to people – RFS – Rescued from Spam :o) Always providing that I find them in the first place. Others have either stopped writing or they are somewhere else and I have not found them yet. – but I will. This is only recent and I have no idea why it is happening.

The pre-opening of the OTR Service Station was interesting and attended by the Mayor, Deputy Mayor, The State MP for the area, the Federal MP for the Region, councillors, and business

leaders and the RFDS. It was quite an evening, lots of food, some speeches and some presentations. The Regional Manager of OTR will attend the RFDS Meeting in November and explain to the members how the sponsorship works and how the charity money is distributed by OTR. The RFDS is their preferred sponsor but they have a few other charities that they contribute to.

I have decided that I am well and truly over walking in the morning dark and the sooner we get into summer the better. Apart from being dark, it is cold and windy and not really the best time of the day. It was fine until the clock change. If I leave it until later his biological clock gets put out of whack and there could be an “accident’. When the alarm goes off he’s up and ready to go but he has to wait for me getting dressed – “come on dad, hurry up” . The Wetlands Kiosk has its opening today, so, sometime during the morning I will get down with Benji and have a coffee and a walk – depending on the weather, of course and the length of time I am at the OTR Service Station. I did drive around that way going home from the Service Station last night and there were a few cars and light on in the Kiosk and the area around it getting everything ready for the opening today, I expect.

Lazy Spring Days.

03/10/201803/10/2018 by edgar62, posted in House, Garden and Dogs

I have not written for a while, mainly because I was reluctant to do so until such time as I knew what was happening with this account. Well that can be summed up in a single word – nothing. I have written twice to WordPress without reply so I have – for the time being – decided to treat my spam folder as an alternate inbox. A sort of halfway house really since posts and comments do appear for a few seconds in the inbox and then dissapear

into the spam folder. Why is it so?? I have no idea!

A few weeks ago Benji and I went out to the garden. It was a lovely, warm spring day – about 28c -. I put up the umberella, brought out my laptop and my Filofax and intended to do some work. I had papers to sort out and a couple of emails to write for the RFDS. Benji plonked himself down on the padded bench until it became too warm for him so he slid under the table where the tablecloth and the umbrella protected him from the sun. It

was such a lovely day and I was sorry that spring and summer could not remain as this was. It will, however get hotter as the weeks go on, so I just enjoyed the day as it was. In the time since writing, we have been back to the Port, but, sadly, not the Arid Lands Botanic Garden, we have spent quite a few afternoons at the Wetlands and a couple of afternoons out at the lighthouse. I found some interesting birds at the Wetlands and put a photograph on line. I thought them to be pretty birds and at another part of the walk one of these birds approached me, then Benji moved and the bird walked away. I have since found out that these very pretty white birds are Feral Geese, and (so I am told) very aggresive. They seemed harmless enough to me. The Kiosk has been opened for an afternoon, selling coffee only and trying to get some feedback before official opening, which is the 10th. October. The above photograph of Benji was taken at what used to be a very popular beach on the way to the lighthouse. It was one of the areas we used to take all the children to fish and play – my sister’s children and my boys. Then it was decided that the point would be just right for the Santos Liquids Processing plant so much of the area was closed off for a long while. Now it is very rarely visited and even then only by people on the way to and from the lighthouse who see the expanse of white sand from the road, or people, like me, who remember it from ages past.

At the Wetlands the birds are slowly returning and we now have two pair of Black Swans. I hope the third pair will return. I did mention the Wild

(Feral) Geese and then there is this fellow and I have no idea who he is, but I have seen him a couple of times at different parts of the area.

I have also been doing some work in the garden. There is an area that has not been neglected but it seemed that whatever I planted there – died. I decided it must be the soil, so I dug it all out, removed it and replaced it with fresh soil toppoed by potting mis and fertilizer. Watered it all in and planted some flowers. They lasted for two days until the next door 87,000 cats dug them up. Kind of them, I thought.. I am not giving up and have bought new plants, posts and chicken wire. We’ll see how that does.

It’s all happening……….

17/08/201823/08/2018 by edgar62, posted in House, Garden and Dogs

The fall-out over the sudden collapse of the South Australian Construction/ Engineering company, York Civil, continues with sub-contractors owed hundreds of thousands of dollars and projects in Adelaide, Western Australia and New South Wales now under threat. I was not being facetious the other day when I said that staff arrived at work on Monday morning and by lunch had all their things in cardboard boxes and were heading out the door – that is exactly how it happened. By Monday evening there was some hope – by Tuesday it was gone and the company ceased trading. In the last few months we have lost two Engineering Companies here – Stassi Engineering and Ottaway Engineering, which is not helping. However, York Civil was not involved in any projects here. I thought the big City Council / GFG Alliance Joint Announcement was yesterday but I was wrong -it is today (Wednesday) The reason for today is that the

State Premier, Steven Marshall, will be here today.

During my Adelaide trip Yogi went home. Jim’s son came and collected him. We don’t mind looking after Yogi – he is no trouble and he and Benji get on well. Jim is not allowed to drive and Fay is looking after him, so I have become the taxi driver for the Coffee Ladies ( well, three ) until further notice. Jim’s son will be going home to Western Australia to his own family today. I have spent the last two days organising people for the RFDS Stand at the Show this weekend. We have one and a half days to be on duty and I have managed to get everyone organised and ready to go. I will be there on Saturday covering two shifts from 1pm to 8pm and close. It’s really an information only stand. We can have donation tins and we can run a raffle but we are not allowed to sell anything. Still it should be an interesting day and a half and I would like to think that we get to talk to a lot of interesting – and interested – people. I spoke to the chairman of the Men’s Shed and they were offered a stand at the show, but couldn’t get any volunteers to help run it — which I thought was sad.

1st Announcement: The Premier has just announced that the State Government will commit $100 million to the building of a new 7

-12 High School to replace the three current, and declining High Schools. The Senior High School, was a 1960s style school and it showed it. The students did not like it, mainly because it was quite depressing and its facilities were old and worn. The labor government did an assessment of the school and suggested that it was too big for the number of students, so they wanted two wings closed down and classes merged – and – they would no longer pay for the cleaning of these areas. Three teachers refused to move because of the disruption it would cause their students. They were told by admin. that their classrooms would no longer be cleaned. Fine!! The three “rebels”bought a decent Hoover between them and undertook to clean the classrooms themselves. Their students decided that they would help out so some came in early to help their teachers clean up. Recently the School has spent a lot of money trying to brighten up the place. It’s not too bad looking now, but it’s still tired.

2nd Announcement: British Billionaire owner of GFG Alliance has announced the launching of a $1Billion energy program, the first phase of which will begin outside of Whyalla in early 2019. This will be a 280 Megawatt Solar Power Station capable of powering 100,000 homes and the larger part of the needs of the GFG Alliance Steel Plant. Initial creation of 350 new jobs. The company said the 600 gigawatt hours of generation per year was enough to power 96,000 average homes, with its 780,000 solar panels spread across 11 square kilometres, an area 550 times larger than Adelaide Oval. It would offset 492,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide each year.

3rd Announcement: GFG Alliance will supply the steel for the construction of the 165 metre Jetty. The Jetty was damaged in a storm surge over a year ago and has been out of commission since. A public debate was held and suggestions made for the shape and size of the new jetty and the final plans will now go out for tender. Once approval is granted, the Council, State Government and GFG Alliance will each contribute to the funding of the project. Again, the creation of new employment

There were a few minor announcements but these were the main three, so it is possible that things will start to look up and I hope this will start to rebuild the confidence since it is now certain that the major players, the State Government and GFG Alliance have illustrated their commitment to the future of the area.

Cutttlefish and Cold Water Diving

09/07/201809/07/2018 by edgar62, posted in House, Garden and Dogs

The AGM of our local RFDS Support Group took place on Monday. This is out tenth of operation and, of course, we had a cake to celebrate. Also highlighted was the fact that for a small group we have raised, over our ten years, $315,000.oo, which is not too shabby. It being the AGM, our Coordinator, from Central Operations was here. Now a new year begins for us and it starts off with four days looking after the cuttlefish divers, the last three days being this weekend. It started a few years ago with only a handful of people brave enough to endure the coldness of the winter waters. Now it has grown with people coming from all over Australia to take part in going out to see the Giant Cuttlefish which come to this area year after year to breed. Although it is classed as “diving” it is not really. The majority of people are only about twenty or so feet out from the shore, on boards, face down and the only part of you that is under water is your head – and you use a snorkel – but the water is so cold that you have to gear up in a diving suit as ‘protection’ from the cold. We are out there for all five days of the dive providing hot food and soup. No – I am not making a mistake it was five days, but one day was in the last month 30th June, with the remaining four days in July. I am not on duty this weekend but I will probably go out anyway – even if it’s just to take photographs. I did some years

ago, but I can’t find them – probably in another hard drive.

However, we did drive to the Cuttlefish area, along Cuttlefish Drive only to find the wind was quite strong, the water fairly rough and the place deserted. I had a look around and found a notice tied to the table that said that due to the water conditions the diving had been moved to the other side of the point where the wind and the water were calmer. We headed off round there. I was very surprised in that I had taken Benji out here many times ( just down from the lighthouse) and I never suspected there were cuttlefish here and so close to shore. It was a fairly quite dive when we were there but I was told that it got quite busy in the afternoon. Actually, as we left the carpark, the cars were starting to arrive. After

this we had a wander to the lighthouse, had a bite to eat, then headed off to the Wetlands for a further wander before heading home. We had a good morning out. This morning (Monday 9th) we spent three hours up at the hospital and Annabell bravely sat in the waiting room for this time while I underwent a procedure to cut out a melanoma from the bridge of my wee nose. It was deeper than first thought so it took longer than expected but it was all out and I was all stitched up. The offending bit of me will be sent to the lab in Adelaide and I’ll get the result in about ten days. Apart from stitched and plastered ( in a nice way) I am fine; some pain and discomfort, but nothing I can’t live with.laid I will get the stitches out in a week or so. All the stuff is now starting to wear off and it hurts, but I am told that this is normal and will fade in a little while – although I think there might be a variation between their little while and my little while. Go on – ask me what idiot put on a white shirt this morning :o)

Today is Annabell’s shopping day and we generally go out in the morning. Of course, that was off but we did go out mid afternoon, which I was not keen on doing mainly I didn’t want to meet people and keep answering questions about the plasters on my face. Anyway, it wasn’t too bad and I got through the shopping. Home and I lay down and my dog laid down beside me and Annabell said he was a sook.

RFDS, Travels and New Friend

15/05/2018 by edgar62, posted in House, Garden and Dogs

In the wee small hours of Thursday (3rd) the rain came pounding down. By 9:30 there was still rain and heavy cloud cover and I was just a tad concerned that this function would go ahead, but by 9:55 the RFDS aircraft touched down. Everything went well and the food provided was extraordinary brilliant catering. Our two major sponsors were represented – CEO of Elders and CEO of SA Power Networks, the Central Operations Chair and CEO, the RFDS Coordinator, one Flight Nurse and the Pilot. The event was well attended and there were Long Service Awards (10 years ) for a number of our members. There were, of course, speeches, but short. The newspaper people were there and after the speeches and the traditional Cutting of the Cake, everyone was free to

wander around, chat and mingle. I – of course – had the camera. I am not the world’s greatest photographer, but if I have the camera and wander around taking photographs, I don’t appear in any. Clever -yes?? Since there were no other aircraft due in, we were free to wander on the apron and inspect the RFDS aircraft, talk to the flight nurse and the pilot. By 11:30 it was time to go and head off to Jamestown, the last stop on the three day tour. We said our farewells, snuck in a few more photographs and by 12:00 the aircraft was on its way.

Going back to the weather. It rained for hours on Wednesday and Adelaide, for example, had more rain in one day that it has had all this year. Ours was pretty heavy too, and I have yet to go and see if the rain has made any impression on the wetlands. : Quick response – it didn’t. However, it did clear up just before the RFDS arrived at the airport as I said earlier.

I just returned from Naracoorte last night after having been away since last Thursday morning.. The drive to Adelaide was cold and wet and with a sudden rush of blood to the head, I let the GPS take me to Elizabeth via the Gawler bypass instead of going the way I generally go via the Salisbury Highway. Wont ever do that again!! By the time I got through all her – turn left at the next / turn right at the next/ and on and on, I could have piloted the space shuttle to the moon and back. By the time I finally got to where I was going I was starting to feel like a modern Allan Quatermain. I stayed in North Adelaide overnight and headed off to Naracoote in the morning. It was cold and damp

and other than fuel, I didn’t really stop much. I stayed overnight in Padthaway and drove to Conference on the Saturday morning. It was understood- or at least that was the expectation- that we would be finished by about 2pm and I was quite pleased about that since it would give me ample time to get to Tailem Bend before it got dark. Yes, well, by 4.45 pm I was on my way and got as far as Keith and stayed there overnight. Another thing I wont do again! Suffice to say I had a troubled night and was not quite at my best when I left as soon as the dawn hit the sky – 6:20am I believe. I drove through to Port Wakefield and had a coffee. From there to the Port Augusta – more coffee and fuel – and then home, where I sat on the floor for a good twenty minutes until Benji settled down and for much of the night I could hardly move without him. Annabell said that he did his usual – sulked in my room, came running through when the doorbell rang and when Annabell opened the door and he saw it wasn’t me, he went back to my room again. I discovered on this journey that I have a very odd wife. This is the first time I have been away on Mother’s Day, so I telephoned her from Adelaide and asked if she wanted anything for Mother’s Day. She said “Yes” so I asked her what she wanted and her answer was “you home safe and well” Jings, I would have thought after all these years she would be glad of the peace and quiet. Anyway, apart from Padthaway this was not quite my best journey. For some odd and strange reason it was filled with concerns and frustrations . Still that’s me home until August.

Weather and Hospital Visit

04/05/201804/05/2018 by edgar62, posted in House, Garden and Dogs

Extent of the water loss at the wetlands

It’s been a very odd week – odd in that we had rain for a whole two hours and the two hours were in the wee small hours. That’s the first rain we have had since last winter. And it was very selective – some areas got wet, some didn’t. Farmers in the farming areas watched the clouds ( as they do) and yes, the lightening flashed and the thunder crashed and that’s all that happened. There is some concern about planting seeds in the dry ground and hope that rain will come to begin germination. It’s risky but that is what some of the farmers have started to do. In the last few days we have had a drop in temperatures. Not enough to consider going out walking with a heavy jacket just yet, but it would seem to be heading in that general direction.

The meeting with the RFDS, the Airport Management and the catering organiser went very well. I had last moment panic attacks as members of

our group telephoned me to tell me that they had not had an invitation to the function. Calls to Adelaide to be told that Adelaide didn’t have these people on our data base. I sent Adelaide all the necessary information and they were sent their invitations by email rather than send them

by Australia Post. The reason for the stuff up in this instance was simple. The coordinator retired and in the fullness of time a new coordinator was appointed. After a short time in the job ( months) she decided that it was not for her so she left. We don’t know what was done and what was undone, so I ended up with membership badges for people who already had them- mostly, of course, new members. We think this is the cause that the data base in Adelaide was incomplete. Or again – it could well have been our fault – I don’t keep our data base – but it’s sorted now

RFDS Aircraft on the tarmac ( My Photograph)

– or at least, I think it is…

The main entrance to the Hospital
*copyright unknown*

Tuesday: We have been in the ED of the hospital for most of the day. Annabell had a slight fall and was taken by ambulance to hospital. We were there for most of the day while she had examinations and x-rays to make sure everything was ok – which it was. She was well looked after by the Ambulance Para-medics and by the nurses at the E.D. Nothing damaged or broken, except perhaps her pride. We are home and she is resting. She will not be going to the coffee evening nor will she be going to the coffee morning tomorrow. I think she needs rest. Just as well it was this week when her stint of hosting the ladies was over. The fall was a bit of a shock for her and she is a bit shaken and quite tired. I will see how she is on Thursday, which is the RFDS Function at the Airport and decide if she is well enough to attend – although having said that it might be good if she does since I will be able to keep an eye on her. Good start to May.

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