Weekly Chat (Non-Osprey), 5 January 2020

Disturbing news from the Middle East and it seems as if contradictory statements are emerging from the White House. I had a bad night so was hearing it almost live.
AQ - Also heard that ? thousands of feral camels are to be culled in South Australia because they are using up all the water supplies. They plan to shoot them from helicopters.
LINDY - We stopped displaying photos some years ago. The walls in the family room were getting so crowded ( six children and ten grandchildren) and we started calling it the Rogues Gallery. Between wedding photos and graduation photos and then school photos, it was just too much.
I know that I'm behind with replies - apologies.

ROSY, LINDY, OG - glad I'm not the only one feeling wiped out!

LINDY Hope you and OH are soon better. Just got an E mail from a friend who I was meant to meet tomorrow. She has a sore throat and a cough so coffee is off. I will have my swim anyway.

DIBNLIB - good to see your post - but sorry for your friend - lots of throats and coughs about this month - need some frosts to kill off the viruses!

J was told his surgery date (subject to surgeon being happy with nurse's assessment today) is Saturday week - 18th January! His boss won't be very pleased, but he is no way going to turn it down! Will find out likely time off etc when it arrives in a letter.

Been busy, my OH has struggled on despite not feeling too good. We emptied the wall units and took them off the wall, which involved the two of us, one at each end, to get them down and then into the car for transportation to the Tip. Then my OH filled in the various holes in the wall and is getting prepared to repaint to make it all good again.

Now I just have to empty the large sideboard! - full of dinner service, lots of serving dishes & paraphernalia, including drink mats and glass bowls. Not long since I cleared it all out and put them all back, but maybe I'll find something else to throw out.

We have a lot of photos...... ...... a LOT..... small ones in the living room, large ones were paraded on the top of the cupboards just mentioned. Will have to make some hard decisions. My excuse has always been that I don't see my family as much as I would like to.

OG - Good that J now has a date, and it's not too far off.

ps. My OH was left in the conservatory after lunch, to have a snooze. When I looked up from reading in the sitting room about 20 mins later, he was outside washing the car!!

LOL!! He also mended my clothes airer (bolts coming loose), filled in and posted his Driving Licence renewal, called into Boots on the way home from the Tip, and did four Sodukos and two crosswords!!! EDIT: Took down my curtain pole so it's out of the way of the painting job. Took Bonnie out for half an hour before breakfast, and then again at 4 o'clock.

Oh, and cleaned off his golf shoes ready for tomorrow - I'm expecting him to go!! No such thing as man flu here!

LINDA – Could you have a rotating display of photos? Change then once a month or when the season changes? That way you would get to see them occasionally.

OG – It will be good to get J’s surgery over. Take care with your hip. Is it worse in cold weather?

HEATHER – The camels were imported to SA in 1840s as transport to the Outback. When railways & road transport took over, the camels were let run free. And how they have thrived! While few are exported as racing camels to Middle East, they are a pest, destroying the native vegetation, dying around the drying waterholes. In some town they are terrorizing the residents.

LYNETTE – Half of Kangaroo Island koalas have survived. A while ago there was talk of culling KI koalas as they were eating out their food source. Now Mother Nature has culled them in the form of fire which I suppose was the natural way before humans interfered.

The KI fires are still burning, Vivonne Bay town was evacuated last night ahead of today’s awful conditions. Hot & windy 40 C with  wind change expected when cool change arrives this eve. Very dangerous. Meanwhile there are frantic efforts to clear roads and make safe surrounds for the Tour DownUnder which has 2 stages cycling through the Cudlee Creek fire area later this month. Local businesses rely on those tourist dollars. I have covered my tomatoes and will hibernate rest of day. No cooking day. Salad roll for lunch, mince on toast for tea. The mince was cooked 2 days ago and laced with every grated veggie I could find.

AQ - I guess it can only get better in the long-term, but that is still to come.

Normal day for us - cleaner returns after holiday so two hours feeling under siege, but then it ends when she goes home at midday!

Dry here after a wet evening and night. My OH has gone off to golf, clutching a bunch of handkerchiefs, no doubt to spread his germs. I actually feel better now, but am tired because of his coughing in the night. I expect I'm incubating his cold and will have it by the weekend.....

Off to nearby town to stock up in Sainsbugs, and haul three of my charity bags to a good cause.