Tin Man – Edgar's Page

Here, There and Home

August 26, 2016 by edgar62, posted in House, Garden and Dogs

MustafaAdelaide;

The Lower Flinders from, Port Wakefield Road

The drive down from home was uneventful and quite pleasant until I reached the Tin Man. I still had the best part of half a tank of fuel but I wanted coffee as well as fuel. Fortunately I went into the service station before I did anything or I would have really been in strife. Their computer system was down

and they could only take cash for fuel and food and I didn’t have more than $10 on me. It is over 150k to Port Wakefield but I felt I had enough fuel to get there. Besides there were a couple of fuel stations between the Tin Man and Pt. Wakefield if I should feel it was not going too well. As it happened, I had more than enough to make the distance so I was able to fill up with food and fuel.

Up until then the drive was pleasant enough but after Wakefield the rain started, a few light to medium showers with a couple of heavy showers in between. Nothing too difficult but it made for an interesting drive to Bolivar. I did some wandering around Adelaide and visited several camera shops looking for an item that I discovered in the very first stop ( Camera House ) is no longer made by Sony and thus no longer in stock. My old Sony camera will probably be put out to grass because the memory card is falling apart and I cannot find a replacement. Probably find something on line – ebay – but I feel when you have to do that and get something sent from China, it’s time to move on. Of course I have my Canon Canon but that’s too big to just shove into my laptop bag and wander around with, so I need a camera to replace the Sony. I did have a look at a couple of Nikon models in Adelaide and I will have a think about

them. I could, of course, stay with Canon, but I want an alternative and Nikon will probably fill that bill. Adelaide in between showers was not my favourite place to be over the weekend and I was glad to get out to Para Hills, attend the meeting, and then head home. I was home for two days and

then drove back down to Adelaide for another meeting – and these should be the last until November. This was the West Terrace Committee Meeting, which only occurs twice a year and unfortunately it occurred when it did.

Home: (Finally)

In the last ten days I have been away for five of them and to say My Man is not happy is something of an understatement. From the time I arrived home yesterday right up until this morning he has hardly ever left my side. At the moment he is not in his bed but underneath the desk at my feet. Perhaps he thinks I am going to take off and leave him again. We did go out for a walk last night so that kind of settled him down a bit. I think he might have some sort of separation anxiety but not knowing his background we can never really be sure. He was five years old when I adopted him last year so what happened to him in these years is unknown. We still have no idea what will happen regards the WaWa in October, and we have heard nothing from Sooah. I feel in a bit of a bind because in all conscience we cannot just get rid of her. Apart from being wrong it would be unconscionably cruel just to dump her somewhere, either with someone or with the RSPCA for Adoption. When Mustafa, our vet returns from Turkey (his mother has been ill) I’l have a good talk with him and see if we can come up with a solution. I haven’t really did anything because it was only until October, but I think that’s a bit of a dream now. The Arrium problems and the State Unemployment problems make it unlikely that they will be back in October – or, indeed, any time soon.

Road Trip, Adelaide and Bunnings

December 10, 2014 by edgar62, posted in House, Garden and Dogs

Let me tell you that I lurve you and I think about you all the time :o)

The recent trip to Adelaide was completed in excellent weather. No storms sneaking up and no nasty surprised lurking over

The Lower Flinders Ranges from Highway 1

hills. I made directly for Bunnings at Para Hills. I like Bunnings – different from most run-of-the-mill hardware stores. There is always an excellent range of stock and I can generally get things that I want and that are not stocked at home. They alsdo have a good garden center.

Provided the weather is good (and it was) the drive on Highway 1 is quite relaxing. The change in the vegetation is very noticeable the further south you drive – it becomes softer and you can find this strange green stuff, which I am told is called Grass. We had this in Scotland, but I had forgotten it.

We do not have the great multi-lane highways and intersections that are normal in the populous parts of Australia – Sydney – Brisbane – Melbourne and driving through Adelaide, although busy and frustrating at times, is not a patch on Sydney. What you see is the major highway linking the north of the state from the south. It carries on across the top of the state and links South Australia with Western Australia. You have, no doubt, noticed the distinct lack of transport – other road users – this is fairly normal. In our little world if we see more than four cars in a row, we wonder where the funeral is. There is not much in the way of wildlife either. People die on this road because it is long, little or no traffic, and minds tend to wander. I do not travel this road at night. I used to but it’s not a great experience – major trucks tend to travel at night. The one advantage of Highway 1 is the 4 klm long passing lanes. They occur every 10 klms, so the longest you are ever stuck behind a caravan or truck is about 20 minutes to half an hour. On the way down (or up from) to Adelaide is the “Tin Man” a BP Service Station and the Crossroads of South Australia for anyone traveling north or south. This is where I generally stop for coffee and a snack both going do0wn and coming back. You meet all sorts of people there – even family :o)

Highway 1 - the road behind — Highway 1 – the road behind

Highway 1 - The way ahead. — Highway 1 – The way ahead.

No roses here.

May 31, 2014 by edgar62, posted in House, Garden and Dogs

Have no idea what the meeting is about on Monday afternoon, but I do know ( by email) that the venue has been changed and instead of using two venues – North Adelaide and

Norwood the entire Assembly will be held in only one venue – Norwood. Just as well the hotel I picked was at a halfway point between the two, although if I knew it would be all Norwood, I would have picked something a bit closer, like the Royal Coach Inn at Kent Town. Still at least I will be well out of the way which feeds my Anti-Social tendencies :o) I was doing some work out back and decided it would be a good idea to caress the thumb of my left hand. I thought about this and a hammerhead seemed like a good idea at the time. Actually I didn’t do it any damage and really, I only “caressed ” it but with some diabetics even the slightest knock is enough to cause bruising. Sadly I am one and although the bruise may look painful, it’s not. Did spend last night finishing off the packing now all I have to decide is what toys I am taking and what power cords I need :o)

The Desert Pea with the Desert Rose in the background

A lady blogger I follow ( a gardener) has recently moved house and she did a post on the history of the house and the area . The house was built in 1885 and the history of the area was interesting. I have no such tales to tell. This place has only been standing since the late 1970s. I did say, I think, that the previous owner didn’t like gardening and everything is all concrete and gravel with only a limited amount of earth to play around with and even that is limited again because we have the feeling that he may have sterilized the soil before he put bark in the area. I have removed the bark and cleaned the area up, but it has very limited growth. I put fertilizer and blood and bone without success I wanted a rose garden there and spent a small fortune on roses and without exception every one of them died. A friend has given me Frangapini cuttings and I will try them, but I am not hopeful. My successes are still the Desert Pea and the Desert Rose and I am really very pleased with the masses of flowers and buds. It’s interesting; I have loved these flowers since I came to Australia and have tried several times to grow the Desert Pea but without success, so I gave up. Last year I gave it another try and was rewarded with masses of blooms and the same again this year.

It rained a tad whilst I was in Adelaide so that, at least, saved Herself from trying to go around and watering the plants. The drive down to Adelaide was uneventful but on Monday evening it was so dark and the rain so heavy I took a taxi to Norwood rather than drive. A very interesting week which threw up some interesting problems one of which has reached crisis proportions, which will have serious implications for all of us. My only hope is that when the dust settles after a meeting on 14th June, we will be able to live with the solution. Personally —- I’m not hopeful!

Fortunately the day I did leave Adelaide was a lovely day. No rain, no cloud, just sunshine all the way. To make matters even better, it was a lovely drive home. I had intended to stop in

at the Arid Lands Garden but since I had bought a few plants during my stay in Adelaide I just went home. I didn’t even stop at the Tin Man this trip, although I did have a ” pit stop” at Port Wakefield. It was good to be back home again and after greetings by Herself, I sat down on the floor with the dogs.

I keep saying that because of the gravel and concrete I only have a limited amount of space to plant things. However, I am in the process of removing some of the gravel so perhaps this might change. When we first moved here I accepted the concrete and stuff and decided pot plants were the way to go but although I bought good potting mixture I now have a plethora of unused empty pots – the occupants died long ago.

The Tin Man and Native Plants

September 5, 2013 by edgar62, posted in House, Garden and Dogs

Halfway between here and Adelaide is “The Tin Man” an institution in this part of the world. The Tin Man is a BP Service Station, Motel, Rest Stop, but it’s more than just that, it’s a crossroad for travellers in this region. Almost everyone stops there for fuel, comfort, food. It’s one of these things where no explanation is necessary – everyone knows what you are referring to. I remember one time when the older son and I were coming back from Adelaide and we stopped at the Tin Man only to meet the younger son and friends travelling to Adelaide for a concert. People wanted to know if this was a family reunion :o) What’s this got to do with anything, you ask?? Well simply this – I have been travelling back and forth to Adelaide so often recently that some friends have suggested that the only way they can get in touch with me is to leave a message at the “Tin Man”

About six or seven months ago I planted a Native Hibiscus that I bought at the Arid Lands Botanic Garden. Since then it, like the Desert Pea, has taken root and grown like wildfire. I have had to trim it back somewhat since it was spreading branches over the pathway and Herself was having to push through it to hang out a washing. The Seedling is very tiny but it certainly grows high enough. I am particularly happy with that and the other Arid Lands plants. Some of them are still on the small side but they are supposed to grow to a reasonable height. I am impressed with the Hibiscus but even less so with the Sturt’s Desert Rose, which does not seem to have taken at all. When I get the opportunity to go through to the Arid Lands BG I will buy two more of the Hibiscus plants and replace the desert roses, which have done nothing. I don’t mind waiting for results if I feel that I am going to get results but the desert roses have not progressed in any way, shape or form since they were planted and they were planted before the Desert Pea.

This morning I had to step in quickly and break up a nasty fight between my

This is my Main Man - the MalteseTerrorist! — This is my Main Man – the MalteseTerrorist!

Associates. Actually, the little man is very lucky he still has his head on after what he did . Just picture a dog sleeping peacefully on her bed, not a care in the world, stretched out and completely relaxed. Suddenly there is this white blur as the little man goes charging past my legs, takes a flying leap, lands right on top of Chienna and bounces off on the other side of the bed. Struth did she go ballistic!! I mean, I can’t blame her, poor thing, and there’s me trying to keep them apart while laughing. I know, it probably hurt her a bit as well as scaring the living daylights out of her, but it was so funny. Talk about living dangerously!!

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