Weekly Chat (Non-Osprey), October 15, 2017

Heather:  Sorry to see that you had a nerve wracking journey back - not ideal, after a pleasant stay away. But your visit sounded good. Glad that your son's shop is doing so well.

My Friend came around this morning and we had a comfortable chat and a cuppa: she is off to a funeral  taking place many miles away tomorrow, which involves a stay with her sister and also a chance to see other members of the family who she doesn't see often. That's the funny thing about funerals, they become social gatherings in the same way as weddings.

(Edit:  Friend is now "off" the pain killers at last, after many uncomfortable weeks since her knee replacement. She is hoping her appetite will return, she has lost a stone as not much interested in food)

All the autumnal colours at the moment, plus that wonderfully red sun yesterday, makes me want to break out into verse, but its been done so often by others that anything that I start to write just sounds trite.  Will just enjoy the colours!

Morning all:  Grandson and fiancee are currently winging their way over Hudson Bay en route home. Plane took off an hour late from Heathrow.  I must say that flying over Eastern Canada takes AGES - it must be something to do with the route (grand circle they call it) combined with the curvature of the earth, etc., etc.   I have stuff to do around here before I zoom off to LAX to pick them up.  Fiancees Mom is picking them up from our house to take them the rest of the way home and thus save me two hours of driving.  :-)   

Heather: All sounds rather discombobulating; no wonder you forgot your suitcase -  you were probably so relieved to be at the last stage of the trip you just collapsed into the taxi!  Did your son make it home okay with the car? How far did he have to go?

Clare: Not happy to read about Limpy not feeling so good. Did he have a bug or what?  Hope he's on the mend now...

AQ: Alas, I've not followed you closely on this last trip; too  much to-ing and fro-ing on this side of the globe, but I liked the photos.

Good that you and friend had a good chinwag, LINDY!

ROSY- t here is nothing worse, in my eyes, if I can't get online. Until we can't use the internet we don't realise how much we rely on it for so many things.

CLARE- LIMPY must have had cabin fever, so it is good to know that the two of you managed to get out to Minsmere. I hope that you feel stronger soon, LIMPY.

AQ- more super pics, thank you. The lampholder looks like one of Dr Who's daleks!

I've been pruning more of the vine, today. Lots of grapes. Still to do the baby one in the greenhouse.

OG   Glad you are all ok.  We heard that D&G had suffered quite badly and so relieved to hear from you.

HEATHER   Well at least you are home safe and sound despite the mishaps. Hope you have a good night rest.

Heather,   Glad you and your luggage eventually got home, after a rather fraught journey. I wonder what the 'item of concern' could have been?

AQ,  Interesting photos as always. I also thought the lamp holder was a dalek.

Annette, You really are Queen of taxi moms (or grans). You always seem to be haring around on one mission or another.

How is Lightning? Did she complain when you returned from the UK?

OG,   Glad about the good night's sleep. Hope it can be repeated (many times)

Clare,  Sorry Limpy is not so good. Great that you  seem to have so many 'birdie places' to visit within reasonable travelling time.

Hello to Dibnlib, Diane, and everyone else not mentioned

Another 33 C day and I didn’t sleep well last night, too hot. Cool change expected this evening, I’ll be home from nanny duty by then.

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Yorke Peninsula continued. Petersville (hall & derelict school). Inside, no window glass, no floorboards & gaping hole in one wall, but blackboard still there.

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Straight through Maitland to Port Victoria, icecream as feeling peckish, wandered down to jetty. See here nineteen ketches & barques off Port Victoria 1930 (click INFO to toggle pic & notes). Wikipedia says “From November onwards the town bustled with activity as the grain was harvested and brought into the town. The bags of grain were built into huge stacks around the town to await the arrival of the sailing ships. When the ships arrived the bags were taken down the jetty and loaded onto small ketches and schooners which took the grain to the large ships at anchor in the bay”. Pt Victoria was not a deep port & dozens of windjammers waited offshore for the ketches to load them; often it took 6-8 weeks to fill a ship, then they sailed to England via Cape Horn. You can imagine the rip-roaring goings-on with sailors, lumpers, farmers, grain agents and the girls! The sailing ships continued until 1949. Now Port Victoria is just a sleepy place for retirees or holidays. View through dirty bus window; jetty is to the left.

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A drive through Point Pearce to see war memorial & chapel. Farming land set aside 1868 as an aboriginal mission, it is now run by the Narungga people themselves. A chance to stretch our legs again in Balgowan. The houses on clifftop are probably holiday houses.

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Back on the bus, through Arthurton, around to Port Wakefield & home. I haven’t inflicted any churches upon you! If you want them they appear on flickr mixed up with other escapes!

Good  Morning,  All.  Dry here and the wind is now gone.

Enjoyed your journal and pics, AQ. It's sad to see some communities now deserted, where once there was so much bustle.

Hope everyone enjoys their Wednesday.

Here's today's pic:

This is another which I may have put on before, but it's worth repeating!

Good morning

I missed your post of yesterday, ANNETTE. Indeed you are busy - good that you don't have to deliver them all the way home. I wonder how they enjoyed their visit. Has your grandson been to UK before?

Have a good day, everyone.

Good morning, all.  I'm pleased to say that Limpy is feeling much better - it seems he was reacting to one of the tablets he was recently prescribed and now he's stopped taking it (under doctor's order's, for a change!) he's like a different Limpy!  Phew.