Tag: Trench

The Dark, the Ghost and the Rosebush

by edgar62, posted in House, Garden and Dogs

Friday:  The workmen came this morning to fill in the trench. That’s all they were contracted to do – they have no idea when the concrete work will be done. Still, at least I can get the car back into the driveway – I think – I haven’t tried it yet. —– I have just been told that the concreting will be done tomorrow, so it will probably be Sunday before  I can use the driveway again. I am quite pleased that it is completed now because for the month of August Annabell will be hosting the Ladies Coffee – Tuesday evening and again on the Wednesday morning.

Ready for the Concrete
Ready for the Concrete

The other news is that I do not have to go to Adelaide to have the Laptop fixed. It has been done. I telephoned the Apple Shop to make an appointment with the Tec, and instead I ended up with one of the Senior Tecs and together we sorted the problem out over the phone. It took a while and  I will expect to see a jump in the telephone bill because of it, but whatever it is it will be nowhere as much as  going to Adelaide either by coach or driving. So the Laptop is now  running El. Capitan the newest AppleMac OS. I am quite pleased about that.

Took BJ out for our walk this morning and by morning I mean 5:50am, and just as we passed a fence we were suddenly confronted by an apparition in white, scared BJ who started barking like crazy ( unusual) and set my heart off racing at a rate of knots. It was only for a few moments before it vanished behind the very large caravan in the driveway. No it was not a ghost, what is was, was the lady of the house out laying towels over her rose bushes to protect them from the cold. Admirable to be sure, but at 5:50 am – still dark, dressed in white ( white dressing gown carrying white cloths) reflected in the street light on the opposite side of the road – scared me half to death!   Not quite what you expect at that time on a cold winter.  morning. I told a lady in the church today and her comment was “that’s good, John, as long as it was not dressed in black carrying a scythe and an hour glass, you’ve nothing to worry about”.

All completed - just needs to cure
All completed – just needs to cure

The concrete is laid, the area blocked off and all the workmen gone. Looks good and the men have  done a really good job. I can walk on it as from tomorrow but not drive on it until at least Tuesday.  Busy week ahead – Wednesday I go to the Specialist and hope that he will organise  the surgery for my collapsing right knee-cap in the not too distant future. Then I have a day off and of Friday I go see my Cardiologist. I only see him once every four months and there is a good chance that the visits may well be finalised since everything has been great for the last year.

In mid August I head off to Adelaide and will be away for two days. I am no sooner back than I set off again, but this time just for a day, at least that’s the plan. The  second visit may also be for two days and that should be me (Officially)  until November unless I decide to go down for the weekend and take the trailer with me to Bunnings. Having said that I probably will need the trailer for ten square meters of  Synthetic Turf for my plan. I have already started on that and as the weeks progress I will add more to it until I have things the way I want them.

Trench, Gas and a T-Rex

by edgar62, posted in House, Garden and Dogs

Last night my son suggested that after I have done the backup (which I have) I should do the factory reset and reinstall myself. Not keen on that idea. I was reading on line – always a dangerous thing to do – of people who did just that, made a stuff-up of it and locked themselves out- then had to send the machine to Apple for repair and that was not cheap. I sometimes think that we go on line to find information and end up scaring ourselves half to death  :o)  We are fortunate in that there if a fairly large Apple Shop in Rundle Mall in Adelaide, so it’s an easy thing to hop on the coach, do what has to be done and coach back home. Well yes it does mean 10 hours on a coach ( 5 x 2) but at least you know that it has been attended by Apple Techs. Or, if I am feeling generous with myself, drive down,  get the machine attended to, book into the Sage,  spend a quiet night in Adelaide and drive home the following day. Not going to happen mainly because I am going to be in Adelaide several times in August so  I’ve waited this long I can wait a few more weeks – I think…..

Nice Trench
Nice Trench
Isn't this exciting??
Isn’t this exciting??

With regard to the weather, Adelaide is taking a bit of a battering and another storm front is moving in. We get some of the  left over rain, which is always welcome. But looking at the path of the storm front, it has gone through below us, which is about  normal for these things.  You may remember – or you may not know – but in November of last year an electrical fault was discovered underneath my driveway, which had to be part dug up. The fault was fixed but then they discovered a gas line fault and that could not be fixed. There was not a part available in Australia. They put in a temporary patch and filled it all back in, promising to come back soon as they had the part and repair the fault and re-concrete that part of my driveway. As I said, that was last November. The workman arrived today and not only did they open the trench, they extended it. They kindly came yesterday and suggested I park my car out on the roadway. Anyway there were trucks and vans and a back-hoe and men with shovels and they dug up the area. Then some other men arrived and they inspected the hole and the pipe and  dug two more holes, then extended my trench on either side and I had to go out and move the car so that they could do this. Anyway, that’s it for today and they will be back again tomorrow to carry on working.  Looking at the trench I thought it would look just right with a couple of WW1 Soldiers sitting in it. I know, I have a very warped sense of humour!!

Benji's T-Rex.
Benji’s T-Rex.

Took Annabell shopping and as we entered the supermarket she met a friend and chatted. I wandered off. When I came back, she looked and shook her head. Well, what can I tell you – it’s a nice Dinosaur and I know BJ will just lurve it.  (He does!) Then she wanted to know if he has enough toys already and I thought, you can never have too many toys. Feel free to disagree.

The work on the trench continues and the gas to the house has been disconnected for the moment. I can make myself as much tea and coffee as I wish, but I can’t cook anything since we have a gas cooker. By the time Annabell comes home ( I go and collect her) from her ladies Coffee Morning, it might even be back on again, although after talking to the gas fitter, it might be off for most of the day – do the repairs, test it, then turn the gas back on. Anyway, if I get peckish there is always the Microwave.

Wednesday evening:   The new gas pipe has been installed and the repairs completed – howeffer…. the trench  – nice though it is – will not be filled in until sometime tomorrow. Then we will have another wait until they finally get around to doing the concrete – in the fullness of time… Although, having said that, they could actually surprise me.