Tag: travelling

Groomers, Adelaide, Shopping and Conferences.

by edgar62, posted in House, Garden and Dogs

Really crazy pavingBecause of his many problems, I now have difficulty in getting a groomer to take the Man. One was recommended and I called her. I left a message on her answering machine and it took her six days to get back to me. In the meantime I went back to Fussy Dogs and had a conversation with Corenza and if I bring him in tomorrow morning before they open, she will wash and groom him for me. I am pleased about this because it will help to make him more comfortable and I’m all for that. I am down in Adelaide next weekend then one more and that will be me until mid-February. I can’t say that I am particularly unhappy about this – I mean,  even for a shopaholic, like me, there is just so many times you can get excited about Rundle Mall, Elizabeth or Tea Tree Plaza. Although, having said that, it will be slightly different because the places will be all decorated and that’s worth seeing. Anyway, once I get back from Adelaide I should be able to make a move on the work of at least one of the projects I started. I will move the Hills Hoist from the back of the house to the area at the side of the house – the area of the Crazy Paving. I have decided that it would be just too much to have the lot dug up, so I have  covered over the worst sections with concrete, so the next thing is to lay down plastic sheeting and/weed matting and put a decent level of topsoil, pack that down,  then artificial grass. That should make it a pleasant area for her washing line – and not so far for her to move things. Once I get this completed I will decide which of the remaining projects to tackle next. I’m not really thinking that far ahead at the moment – one

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

thing at a time.

The Man is starting to wear down and  I have tried to make him as comfortable as I can and been on hand when he’s needed me – even at 3am – but he’s been washed and groomed and he is looking much better. In “The Old Days” Chienne used to attack him when I brought him back from the groomer, but, interestingly, not this time.

I would like not to be running back and forth to Adelaide every few weeks. It is something I could very well do without and it is tiring. However, it is not my choice – well yes I suppose it is since everything really is by choice – but at the moment I am doing the work of two people. Generally Helen shares the workload but Helen has Breast Cancer and is undergoing treatment for that, so I have to fill in and do the traveling she would normally do – hence all the running around this year. I am also a member of two Assembly Committees, which I have to attend. One of these I will resign from after Christmas. Only three people have the authority to attend to the Courts and do all the other things – Me, Helen and Annabell (Herself)  Helen is presently unwell, Herself is disabled so,  lille ole me it is! Believe me, CDL there is nothing I should like better than to sit down, put my feet up and close the door on the world for a while, but I can’t – not just yet. And yes, it is something of an ego boost, but sad at the same time,  when you call to book the hotel and the receptionist asks you how you are by name because she has recognized the voice. I have the 6th December and the  15th December and that should be me until mid-February. As for the shopping, well I have to be down there the day before for an early morning start and I have no intention whatsoever, of leaving here at 4am on the day of the conference and driving down – so I go down a day early and I have to do something to occupy my time  :o)  See, it’s not all bad…

Welcome home. We missed you…..

by edgar62, posted in House, Garden and Dogs

A Foxy LadyI was only away for four days but it might just as well have been a month. The dogs set up a racket when I drove into the driveway and even before I emptied the car, I was on the floor playing with them.  At times I think I sort of felt like  General Custer because they did their little dog thing – run around t you in circles. It was so funny – I’m sitting on the floor they are running around me jumping in and out of my legs and every so often they would stop shower me with licks and kisses then  circle me again. She who must be obeyed just sat and watched in amazement. It t was ages before they settled down and I was able to empty the car and get my case in.  I love my dogs and I enjoy their company – they are my associates really.   The good thing is that when I was away this time,  my flowers and plants were watered. Normally she forgets to do this and I come home to dead plants, but this time she remembered.

The front of the house is starting to look nice now. During the course of this week I will start to look at the picnic area and see what I can do with that.  I have looked an a number of options and it was intended that this would be made into a clothes area so she wouldn’t have to move too far outside to hang the clothes up on a line. And no, we do not have a cloths drier because she does not like them and prefers to hang cloths on a line to dry. We did consider using the area  as is, but the crazy paving is just that – crazy – and was really not done all that well. Because she is partially disabled the ground is too uneven for her and I wouldn’t be comfortable having her even try to walk on it. I will replace and make alterations to the borders then decide what I want to do with it. I have bought her two laundry trolleys – one from the door to the dog gate and one from the dog gate to the Hills Hoist clothes

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

line.

Anyway, that’s me until next year.  The  next meeting of the Presbytery is not due until 2nd February, so all being well I should not have to  be away for a while. This is good – for me – for the dogs – for the plants. The meeting lasted two just over two hours – that’s  900 klms round trip for two and a quarter hours.   We have six meetings per year – five in the metropolitan district  (I go there) one in the country (they come here). There is only one place that I will not travel too, but five out of six is not a bad record.

All about dogs – past and present.

by edgar62, posted in House, Garden and Dogs
This is my Main Man – the MalteseTerrorist!

I have had both of my dogs for over ten years now. Chienna we bought when she was seven weeks old, Mannie we rescued from the Pound and, according to the Vet. at the time, he was about 18 months to two years. Over the years they have been great associates and I  miss them when I have to go away – even just for a couple of days. Thankfully that does not happen too often these days and the last two meetings have been cancelled.  When I come home after being away for a couple of days I get out the car and into the house and the dogs are going nuts and even my wife tells me “Go out and see your associates before they go crazy” so I do. Once I have settled the dogs down again I can then talk about the trip and the meetings to my wife . Generally, when I am not working, I take the dogs out twice a day – first thing in the morning , sometimes when it’s still dark, and later in the evening after we have all been fed, wife, me and dogs. The little one – the Maltese – is, I think, starting to show his age. Either that or he is a very good little conman because I have to carry him for a little while until he gets his second wind. He starts off well, but halfway through the walk, he starts to slow down and I have to carry him for a little while. It’s ok – he’s not heavy –  Ohhh a song title I believe.. If I am working, it’s only once –  in the evening. In the summer when it’s hot I carry a pack with me which contains two bottles of water and a dish – one bottle for me. In the last 34 years I have had five dogs including the present two. The previous dogs were Misty, a West Highland Terrier  Cross that we rescued, Buster an Australian Cattle Dog that attacked my son, and Scruffy, a bitsa that was given to me. She was a doll and everyone adored her. Unfortunately  I do not have any photographs of Scruffy on line. I must attend to that sometime. I am also Secretary of the local branch of the Royal Flying Doctors Service, fundraising group but , hopefully, that’s about to end soon. I have decided not to stand for re-election but knowing how this group is with no one willing to take a position, I expect I will be secretary again, although I would like to think not.

Do you have to point that thing at me?