Thundershirt – Edgar's Page

Home and Away

December 9, 2015December 9, 2015 by edgar62, posted in House, Garden and Dogs

France, and Paris in particular, are recovering from the recent atrocities inflicted on that beautiful city and people are returning to normal life and revisiting the places they once felt safe in. One restaurant owner said that all traces of the damage had been erased and the place repainted and customers, albeit slowly, are coming back. My son spent last year touring Europe from Vienna to Casablanca spending the longest time of his tour in Paris. He greatly enjoyed wandering the

The Tomb of Napoleon ( son's Photograph) — The Tomb of Napoleon ( son’s photograph)

streets of Paris, paying his respects to the Unknown Soldier at the Arc de Triomphe and then paying My respects to the Emperor Napoleon. John liked Paris a lot and was greatly saddened by the damage inflicted on her. Oddly enough , and I apologise to any Italians, he didn’t like Rome at all. Some of the photographs in parts of Europe that I use were sent to me by my son

Been a tad on the warm side this week with temperatures hoovering around 40c. Cooler today – only 38c – but a day of extreme fire danger since high winds and possibly dry lightening strikes are forecast. However, I think there is a cool change forecast for late Monday or early Tuesday.

Our Moderator and his wife visited us yesterday (Sunday) conducted the Service and joined us for Christmas Lunch afterwards. We had been criticized by some for the money we spent on the installation of two reverse-cycle air-conditioners, but at 41c, there was not a single adverse comment in sight – a very pleasant lunch in a pleasantly cool hall. Of course, safe to say that the majority voted in favour of the air-conditioners, but the dissenters were very vocal, however, fact is that without these air-conditioners the hall would have been much too hot and uncomfortable to spend any length of time in, let alone have the whole of the congregation sit down to lunch.

The expected cool change came in a little earlier than expected and there was widespread lightening strikes across the State – we even had some rain. However, we were not too bad but parts of the lower state are without power and will be for some days. We have our own power station here – Northern Areas Power Station ( NAPS) – but this is a coal fired station which is coming off line

during 2016. From then on we will be part of the main system and whatever power failures they get, we will probably get too.

The good aspect to all of this is that Benji never missed a beat. The noise of the thunder and the rain – such as it was – didn’t seem to bother him in the least. It didn’t last long at all. Herself always felt really sorry for Chienne because the noise so severely affected her and there was not a lot we could do other than the Vet

medication to try and calm her down. We did buy her a Thundershirt, but it didn’t work for her. It’s cleaned and packed away since Benji has no need of it. I have also been trying to give away one of the dog houses but no one seems to want it and BJ has no need of two. Actually we did have three but I dismantled one and stored it in the garage – will probably do the same with the other one.

Annabell and Benji get along well, so much so that at lunch she becomes his BFF – I get ignored because he really doesn’t like my diet food – I guess he figures he’s a dog not a rabbit. Benji is still not registered yet. I have written to the Canine Animal Register in Victoria and they still have not sent me his Registration and Microchip papers yet. It is now ten days since they informed me that the papers would go into the post that very day, and I believe that either this was a falsehood or there has been a mail holdup by highwaymen on the Cobb & Co Stagecoach ( Australian Wells Fargo) because using a stagecoach is the only way a letter could take ten days to come from Melbourne. Why don’t I register him here anyway?? I cannot because his microchip still lists his previous owner and if anything happened here and he went wandering I would have difficulty getting him back because he would be shipped off to Victoria and I have no proof that he is my dog, so I need these papers.

Chienne and The Man

March 23, 2014March 23, 2014 by edgar62, posted in House, Garden and Dogs

Chienne (Chi for short) as a young puppy

Her name (Chienne) means several things but I prefer the term “Female Dog” Unlike the Man, Chi was not adopted or rescued, Chi was bought by me – well, actually both of us –

from a Pet Shop. Now when you have calmed down and brought your arms back to your side after throwing them up in horror, let me explain. This was a small town pet shop – it was not part of any big group – animals were not generally part of what the shop did : it provided boarding – short and long term, was a grooming service; herself and I knew the owners and the dogs she did have from time to time, were checked by the Vet – who, by the way, is still our Vet. He still looks after Chienne (Chi (Chee) for short)) and has done for the last twelve years.. However, there was adoption of a sorts because – and we do not know why – Chienne adopted Andrew. Andrew moved out years ago but work commitments meant he had to leave her behind but he did come over a couple of times a week just to take her out . Even now, she can tell when his car pulls into the driveway and she goes nuts – the excitement is amazing. Heck she never gets that excited for me when I come back from Adelaide but then I only feed her and walk her, look after her and pay the Vet bills. I suppose by extension Andrew and Trish’s girls get nearly similar treatment. Chienne revels in all the attention from her beloved Andrew and the girls. The Man, on the other hand is different. He is a rescue dog. He had, from all accounts, a pretty rotten time and was sick, matted and looked really sad and pathetic. There were other dogs at the pound that day but for some reason I asked for him. He was brought home bathed and cleaned then taken to the groom. He was pretty sick and spent time in “Hospital” with our Vet looking over him. He had been kicked about the mouth and a good number of his teeth were in a bad way. The Vet tried to save as much as he could but in the end, over

about a year, all his teeth were removed. I just have to cut things up smaller but he eats well. Unlike Chienne he dislikes the girls and tries to go away and hide when they come over. They think of him as a puppy and want him to play so he tends to get grumpy and I have been quite happy a couple of times that he has no teeth. The little one – Tallia – wants to keep picking him and and trying to cuddle him like a little doll and this makes him very unhappy. I generally open the door and he takes off to his secret den in the garage and only comes back when they have all gone. I can understand – he’s old and he doesn’t like being pulled about, poked and prodded not to mention being treated like a doll – it’s just so undignified. I think if the girls went to the UK they would qualify for entrance to one of what I think is one of the top schools there – I believe it’s called St. Trinians :o) The man sleeps for much of the day and although he gets excited when I

get ready to take them out, he only walks for a little while then I have to carry him for a bit, but this is fine – he’s not heavy. In the early days, when we moved here, there were Kangaroos around the place and I would see them when I took the dogs out. However, over the last few years most of the land has been fenced off and earmarked for future house development, so we don’t see the Roos any more, glad in some ways, sad in others. I have looked at two sets of wheels for him, one set being metal the other being PVC – the PVC only recommended for dogs under 6 kilo and he is only 3 kilo. Over the next week or so I will give thought to getting him measured up and the measurements sent off to the United States. And before you ask, I can get a set of wheels made in Australia but it is cheaper to buy the good in the USA have them shipped over here and pay the postage costs than it is to have them made in Australia. Still, it could be worse, they could be made right here in South Australia, then we really would know what charges are all about in the highest taxing state in the Commonwealth. We have a government that wants to play with the big boys but in order to do this, it needs money – so it borrows and spends and borrows again – hence the fact that 1,oo9,000 of a working population have a collective debt of 75% of revenue with an interest bill alone of $780 Million per year – and that’s before it spends the next four years accumulating even more debt. And it will because they are addicted to spending

A Man and His(?) Office — A Man and His (?) Office

because that’s what the big boys do.

Heat, Chienne and Road Trips

December 20, 2013 by edgar62, posted in House, Garden and Dogs

After discussions with herself and the fact that the temperature is going to be extreme , I telephoned Adelaide and cancelled my booking. I will not be going to Adelaide after all. Probably just as well. The high to extreme temperatures will cover about two thirds of the continent according to the Bureau of Meteorology – should clear South Australia by late Friday but with a second front pushing in and lasting until at least the New Year. Already there are reports of fires in the Adelaide Hills and the fire Services are on alert. Sadly, two 9 (NINE) year olds have been picked up by police for lighting fires. Police are patrolling the back country roads looking for anything suspicious. Temperature (Official) is expected to reach 43c with the chance of a thunderstorm in the late evening. This means it will really be about 45c+ since the Official Temperature is taken from a protected area and does not really reflect what’s beaming down on your little head as you walk outside – somewhere between 109f and 113f. However, thunderstorms – with or without rain – are not uncommon after a bout of high temperatures.

I have an industrial grade Thermometer under the pergola and when I checked in at 3:50 it was nudging 47c. On the news this evening the Official Temperature was 44.5, which is only 2.5 degrees of a difference. I will probably dress Chienne in her Thundershirt again tonight as we are advised that there will a severe weather warning for tonight – High Wind Thurderstorm and Lightening strikes, but probably no rain – which is what I suggested a paragraph or so ago. I spoke to Alan and he seems resigned to not being able to spend Christmas with us. However, I will make time to go down to Adelaide sometime after Christmas and visit with him for a while. Perhaps we could get a wheelchair and I could take him out for a coffee somewhere – that should be ok.

Friday 20th (am) and the forecast high winds and thunderstorm never eventuated. Of course, sometimes the forecasts are out by 24 hours and instead of a Thursday night, it could all happen tonight. Still that’s ok – Chienne looks good in her Thundershirt and she was a bit agitated last night but that could have been due to the change in pressure after the wind change. While I wont be in Adelaide now until after Christmas I hope (weather permitting) to take a run through to the Arid Lands and bring

This little fellow was abandoned and is now in the care of SA Dog Rescue.

back some plants. Oddly enough, I have bought Native Plants here and within months they die, whereas the plants I bought almost a year ago in the ALBG are still with us. I have three rose bushes out front and to be honest they have never flourished, never flowered and are half dead. I am going to replace them with natives. I might remember to take my camera with me and take some photographs along the road.

CupCakes, Organizers and Adelaide

December 4, 2013 by edgar62, posted in House, Garden and Dogs

Well so much for plan A and a rest between 15th December and 26th January! During the After Pageant Fare last night I negotiated another function on 28th December – for about 600 people. I actually didn’t want to but it was an opportunity too good to let slip away. I will take this to the meeting in a few days and see what they think. Friday morning and I head off to Adelaide. I have to do a couple of things for herself, which will mean going into the construction site generally known as the South Road. I had hoped to avoid this area by going in the opposite direction, but herself doesn’t generally want anything in Adelaide, but this time she does. Never mind, keeps me from getting bored. I have also been asked by another lady if I would get some glitter pens for her daughter at Typo, in Rundle Mall – actually, they have a place at Elizabeth.

This is the Malden, the Binder I currently use - at least for the rest of this week anyway.. — This is the Malden, the Binder I currently use – at least for the rest of this week anyway..

It will probably come as no surprise when I say that I use an organizer to keep track of everything. It would be really good to say that I remember most things, but the sad truth is that I don’t. I have to write things down. I use a Filofax and I have done so for many years. My current Filofax is a Malden Personal, which I have been using for a couple of years. I have a Cuban A5, which lives on my desk and that’s used for the dogs (Vet, Groom, Medication) and for church information. I have two binders on the go at the moment, the Malden and my old Scanda. The Malden replaced my Scanda a few years ago but I kind of missed it, so, I am going back to it next week. Why not now? Well my inserts don’t start until Sunday 8th December so until then I have to keep using the Malden. Once the 8th passes, I can go back to one Filofax again. the Scanda.

There is an old saying that “You should be careful what you wish for” – we had a pretty loud and bright thunderstorm yesterday. I had been using the thunder shirt as a tray (as suggested) and when the thunder started I talked to her and told her what a big brave girl she was and put the TS on her making sure it was pretty firm. But all was to no avail and she still stressed out. To calm her down I gave her 5ml of ACP (Half of a 10ml tabled) Poor thing, but I think her behaviour is ingrained – as Herself suggested – and I don’t think the TS is going to help in this case. I don’t like to medicate her because it takes quite a while for the effects to wear off. I have not had the dogs out since Friday – Saturday I was at a RFDS Function, Sunday we had the thunderstorm and tonight I am out again at the RFDS Meeting.

The meeting – collectively – decided not to continue with the function on 29th December. We have had a very busy six months and I think everyone was looking forward to the break. That’s fair enough and I’ll write to the organisation, thank them for thinking of us and politely declining. I was given a recipe for Mint Chocolate Cupcakes and I thought it would be good to try – that was until I priced the ingredients. The Coconut Oil alone was $22 for 12 oz, then there was the Shredded Coconut, the Peppermint essence, the Dark Chocolate. Very expensive cupcakes. I had a try using Shredded Coconut Honey and Peppermint (which we already had) to make a filling paste but herself thought the end result “too rough a taste” perhaps might be better if I put the coconut through a grinder first and broke it down further. I’ll have a play when I get back from Adelaide.

It’s 4:30am Wednesday and I am up and awake. Rain was forecast – never said anything about thunder.I tried to tell Chienne that it’s not my fault, but I’m not all that sure she believed me. It’s not all that loud so I expect it to pass soon. Two thunderstorms this week is unusual.

PS; Grind the coconut down finer and mix with cream cheese and peppermint essence – that might work.

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this: