Tag: Southern Expressway

Catherine, Road Trip and Introducing Benji

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

 

Water, plants and Organics

by edgar62, posted in House, Garden and Dogs
20130416_103116
Kind daddy started clearing a new sun area for us

What actually happened with the GPS ws that it was doing the right thing and directing me towards the Southern Expressway , the fastest way out of the Southern Suburbs. However, what it didn’t know was that that particular section of the Expressway was being upgraded and where the GPS was taking me was a construction site. Adding to the confusion was the fact that I had never been there before, had no knowledge of the area and was totally dependant on the GPS for directions. It was all very confusing but I survived, although I have to say that sometimes the GPS can be a real trial.

I hope to be able to get out to the Arid Lands Gardens sometime this week. At the weekend, I will be heading off to Adelaide again –  for a Conference.  I’ll be away for three days this time. That should be me until the last week in May when I will be away for a week – well almost. The conference will finish late Wednesday and I’ll stay over until Thursday.   I have not been out in the garden since I came back from Adelaide, I have just had so much that was set aside for three weeks that I now have to catch up on and things that I borrowed  and hired to be returned. However, I hope to get out later this morning. The area I am working on is not a big area but if it is  fixed out and some nice plants will take and grow, it could look nice. Even the local garden centre admits that the soil in this area is very thin and not all that good and I rather suspect that  there has been strong weed killer and possibly poison used by the previous owners. When we first bought this place and moved in I started to clear that particular area and planted roses – not one of them survived.  Sixteen rose bushes, bought from different places and all died – despite feeding, watering, mulch and rose food – not a one survived, and of the six additional roses I planted out front, only three are hanging on for dear life. So given that track record, I will do this area and plant the things I get from the Arid Lands Garden and see if they survive. If not, well I hear the  new season concrete is very nice this year  :o)

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Nasty little things

When I finally  moved the dogs I  covered the whole area with two bags of organic soil improver, dug that in and then used a wetting agent and watered the whole area. I think I have given it a fair chance, so, now all I need is some plants and a bit of cooperation from the dogs. Mind you, I tried to avoid anything that even had a whiff of Blood and Bone to keep the dogs from digging. We will see how things go.These nasty spiky things are growing outside. I have no idea what they are but I don’t like them and I think they could injure the dogs.