Well, we finally went & done it.. We bought a new DVD player that quite literally brought us into this century. Nothing really wrong with the old one except that I got tired of having to wind it up with a key. No, seriously, all it would play is photo's, MP3 discs & Dvd's. Wouldn't play anything downloaded straight from the puter, & I got sick of the 3 stage conversion process that I needed to go through to play them. So, they were on Boxing day week sale cheap, so we got one. Could have gotten one for $30.00, but decided to do the HDMI thing & lash out on the $90.00 one with an HDMI lead. Glad we did. The quality is so much better.
I like going to see Morty. I always take a flash drive or two & she always fills it up with games & movies. Up till now, the only way we have been able to view them is on the puter. Not now. Our new DVD has a USB port, so we have watched the latest offerings direct from the flash drive. My favourite is definitely the Johnny Cash Documentary. Some beautiful family scenes & awesome music. Thank you Morty. I sat through most of it with tears in my eyes. This track though, made me quite unashamedly cry.... Enjoy....
Friday, December 31, 2010
Monday, December 27, 2010
Well, thats Xmas that was....
We're home. We stayed a day longer than we intended. Chris & Melanie just made us feel that comfortable that it was easy to do so. Besides, we both had gift cards for a chain of book shops that we don't have in Thames, so we had to go shopping at one of the malls local to up there. A fatal mistake really. We ended up buying all sorts of stuff as well as redeeming our vouchers. That included a 12 place setting canteen of cutlery (Stainless steel) for 1/4 the normal retail price. (Well, you just have to don't you with a deal like that..)
We got some nice presents & had a wonderful time, which lets face it, is what its all about. Whispas was good. Didn't blot her copybook once & also totally ignored Chris & Mel's two guinea pigs & generally impressed everybody with her charm & good manners. Still, its good to be home though. We left early in the morning to dodge the heat, but I think everybody else did as well, as the traffic was quite heavy. So we're home.. Roll on New Years, so I can hoist a dram for Auld lang Syne....
We got some nice presents & had a wonderful time, which lets face it, is what its all about. Whispas was good. Didn't blot her copybook once & also totally ignored Chris & Mel's two guinea pigs & generally impressed everybody with her charm & good manners. Still, its good to be home though. We left early in the morning to dodge the heat, but I think everybody else did as well, as the traffic was quite heavy. So we're home.. Roll on New Years, so I can hoist a dram for Auld lang Syne....
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Christmas Blog
Merry Xmas you lot. Thank you for your support over the year. Its nice to know that there are actually folk out there who actually read what I write. You all obviously know how our years been if you've been reading this. its been a busy year. Jude remains reasonably well & in good heart. We are off to Jude's youngest son's place for Xmas & we are anticipating a wonderful time. So, what ever it is that you are doing to celebrate Xmas, enjoy it. I will leave you with my two usual Xmas songs,, Enjoy & take care..
Kirsty Mac as gorgeous as ever & Shane Mac Gowan at his glorious drunken best.. Enjoy & merry Xmas...
Kirsty Mac as gorgeous as ever & Shane Mac Gowan at his glorious drunken best.. Enjoy & merry Xmas...
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Hello, my name is Whispas..
And I'm an alcoholic.
We had a cruisy day today. Well, its rained almost all weekend, so what else can ya do? We got half a dozen movies out & have been quietly gnawing our way through them. Today, we didn't even bother getting Jude dressed. We weren't planning on going anywhere anyway. So the inevitable happened. We got visitors. One of the guys that I used to work with & his family to be exact. They came bearing gifts in the form of a bottle of his best home brewed whisky & a sample of his Irish brew, so naturally, I had to reciprocate with a dram or two of my finest Laphroaigh, then a sample of his. He does a nice brew, quite drinkable. We had a lovely time. They had the sense not to stay too long & tire Jude out, & she enjoyed a wee taste of the sacred drop smeared on her gums. Certainly not enough to get drunk on, but enough for her to get the taste anyway.
Whisky isn't usually an after lunch tipple for me, so a nice little lie down after they left was in order. There was nothing worth watching tonight after Joanna Lumley's wonderful programme on The Nile, so we elected to watch another movie. About halfway through, I decided that a wee drop o' whats good for ye was in order, so I elected to sample Tony's Irish brew. Very good it was as well. By this time the little dog, who is feeling much better now , was sitting on my knee. I sorta got engrossed in the movie & the glass came slowly down till my arm was resting on the arm of the chair. Next thing I knew, this long black snoot was in the glass & the tongue got in about 4 good laps before I realised what was happening. I debated tossing what was left in the glass but reason prevailed. They use alcohol to sterilise stuff & why waste good whisky. I could have given the rest to the dog I suppose. She doesn't have as far to fall as I do, but I didn't.
We had a cruisy day today. Well, its rained almost all weekend, so what else can ya do? We got half a dozen movies out & have been quietly gnawing our way through them. Today, we didn't even bother getting Jude dressed. We weren't planning on going anywhere anyway. So the inevitable happened. We got visitors. One of the guys that I used to work with & his family to be exact. They came bearing gifts in the form of a bottle of his best home brewed whisky & a sample of his Irish brew, so naturally, I had to reciprocate with a dram or two of my finest Laphroaigh, then a sample of his. He does a nice brew, quite drinkable. We had a lovely time. They had the sense not to stay too long & tire Jude out, & she enjoyed a wee taste of the sacred drop smeared on her gums. Certainly not enough to get drunk on, but enough for her to get the taste anyway.
Whisky isn't usually an after lunch tipple for me, so a nice little lie down after they left was in order. There was nothing worth watching tonight after Joanna Lumley's wonderful programme on The Nile, so we elected to watch another movie. About halfway through, I decided that a wee drop o' whats good for ye was in order, so I elected to sample Tony's Irish brew. Very good it was as well. By this time the little dog, who is feeling much better now , was sitting on my knee. I sorta got engrossed in the movie & the glass came slowly down till my arm was resting on the arm of the chair. Next thing I knew, this long black snoot was in the glass & the tongue got in about 4 good laps before I realised what was happening. I debated tossing what was left in the glass but reason prevailed. They use alcohol to sterilise stuff & why waste good whisky. I could have given the rest to the dog I suppose. She doesn't have as far to fall as I do, but I didn't.
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Striking a happy medium...
I did something tonight that I wouldn't normally do. I went with Jude to an evening with an extremely good & very well known local full trance medium. She has been practicing locally for years & has more or less retired now & has been so for a number of years now as it takes quite a physical toll on her. Jude used to go to her evenings on a regular basis, but I didn't care for it overly much. You see the main spirit channelled is very much into telling us all to adopt full survivalist mode.
Not that I have anything against survivalism you understand. Its just that I choose to prepare for events like that in other ways than hoarding & storing food. To me, knowledge will be of infinitely more value & doesn't deteriorate like food does. Anyway enough of that. I went so that Jude could go. This medium only does one evening a year now, generally at Xmas time, so Jude really wanted to go, so of course, I went too. We pretty much got what I expected, but we got a personal bonus as well. You see, the medium concerned has two main guides, the second one being her healing guide, who is , to say the least of it, a bit of a rough diamond. He had some very personal words of comfort for Jude, which we both found absolutely wonderful. Left us both with tears in our eyes. For Jude to have found a measure of peace is infinitely worth it all.
The little dog had her big operation on Wednesday. I have been guilty of putting it off a bit, but as her sisters are all starting to come in to season, I thought it wise to get it done before Christmas. Would be just our luck for it to happen while away at Chris's place.. Spots of blood everywhere.. Yay...... Anyway she has come through with flying colours. When I picked her up she spent about five minutes telling me how crook she was. But she's been really good. Hasn't picked at her dressings at all so far. She's starting to get her appetite back too. At the moment, she is sitting behind me happily chewing a nice meaty bone.
We've had a decent bit of rain too. Not half hearted heavy mist like we have been having. Real good heavy down pouring rain that soaks into the thirsty dirt, & overflows the spouting, which I haven't emptied the magnolia leaves from yet. It will make the gardening easier too I guess. The next chore is to level out the vege garden, transfer the contents of one compost bin to it, then turn it over. A session with a rake should see it ready to plant. I think I will have to talk to the folk at the plant shop as to what is plantable at this time of year. A kittle of lots of different stuff I think. The rain has also shown me another funny little habit the wee dog has. When she gets wet, she licks herself dry like a cat.. Really funny.
Not that I have anything against survivalism you understand. Its just that I choose to prepare for events like that in other ways than hoarding & storing food. To me, knowledge will be of infinitely more value & doesn't deteriorate like food does. Anyway enough of that. I went so that Jude could go. This medium only does one evening a year now, generally at Xmas time, so Jude really wanted to go, so of course, I went too. We pretty much got what I expected, but we got a personal bonus as well. You see, the medium concerned has two main guides, the second one being her healing guide, who is , to say the least of it, a bit of a rough diamond. He had some very personal words of comfort for Jude, which we both found absolutely wonderful. Left us both with tears in our eyes. For Jude to have found a measure of peace is infinitely worth it all.
The little dog had her big operation on Wednesday. I have been guilty of putting it off a bit, but as her sisters are all starting to come in to season, I thought it wise to get it done before Christmas. Would be just our luck for it to happen while away at Chris's place.. Spots of blood everywhere.. Yay...... Anyway she has come through with flying colours. When I picked her up she spent about five minutes telling me how crook she was. But she's been really good. Hasn't picked at her dressings at all so far. She's starting to get her appetite back too. At the moment, she is sitting behind me happily chewing a nice meaty bone.
We've had a decent bit of rain too. Not half hearted heavy mist like we have been having. Real good heavy down pouring rain that soaks into the thirsty dirt, & overflows the spouting, which I haven't emptied the magnolia leaves from yet. It will make the gardening easier too I guess. The next chore is to level out the vege garden, transfer the contents of one compost bin to it, then turn it over. A session with a rake should see it ready to plant. I think I will have to talk to the folk at the plant shop as to what is plantable at this time of year. A kittle of lots of different stuff I think. The rain has also shown me another funny little habit the wee dog has. When she gets wet, she licks herself dry like a cat.. Really funny.
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Since you've asked.....
A comment on my last post, the China Girls one, has asked how Jude spends her day. I think I know who you are but I'm not sure. I would be happy if you would remove all doubt, but if you really want to preserve your anonymity, thats OK as well. Anyway, here goes.
Basically, I just facilitate what ever she wants to do. She spends a lot of time sleeping these days. She has 3 or 4 naps during the day, & is rarely later than 10.00 pm to bed. We have a carer in Monday to Friday to shower her & dress her, as her upper limb strength is now such that she can't lift her arms much above waist level without holding it with the other hand. Her lack of motive ability in her hands also mean that such normally simple jobs as doing up & undoing bra straps is now beyond her capability. A hand held shower that I put over the bath for my mother & a transfer stool are an absolute godsend, making it so much easier to shower her. We are very lucky with our carer in that Colleen is also a very dear friend of ours from before Jude being ill, so I have evry confidence that she is being treated with love, dignity & compassion.
I feed her. At present she has 2 meals of 3 bottles of Fortisip, a liquid food, a day. She has these via her PEG tube administered with a syringe. At this point, she also has however much water she feels she needs via the same way. Very occasionally, she will make herself a strawberry milkshake & sip quietly at about half a glass of that.
Her day is spent mostly either reading, watching TV, or puddling on the computer. She was lucky enough to be granted an electric powered lazyboy chair, which is where she spends her time either reading or watching TV, We also have a TV in the bedroom, so she quite often snuggles up again in bed in the morning, some times watching it, sometimes sleeping again. A very dear friend of ours provides us with a steady diet of point & click games for the computer that are relatively easy physically for her to play. She is also happy to converse on Skype. Our name there is Truckenman, so drop in & say "Hi" Don't be offended if she doesn't answer, because she will probably be playing full screen games.
The little dog is more my mate than hers. Jude definitely belongs to the Ginger Ninja's, & that ius scary territory for a little black dog. Inevitably, if she is sitting or lying down, either one or the other will be either close by, or actually sitting on her lap. As to her mobility, she is still able to get around to a limited degree, but runs out of strength & breath very easily, so if we are going anywhere that involves walking, mall, supermarket, main street etc., then it is far far easier to bundle her into the wheelchair that we carry all the time in Sherman.
Her favourite TV programmes are mainly food, renovation shows & detective series like CSI. OH, not to mention the inevitable vampire series.
AS far as what she thinks is concerned ? Well, probably the best person to tell you that is her, so without further ado, for the first time ever on my blog, here she is.......
i am very blessed with the people who assist me day to day. It is not easy because i am used to doing the careing (i.e.) belonging to F.E.D.s fulfilled that for me. I am coming to terms with my non functioning hands no matter what i do they just won't work like they used to. No more patchwork or quilting and no more gardening. B--------R. So I now use them as much as possible on the computer for crosswords, writing on the computer to fill in my christmas cards, and I read a lot I always used to so that has not changed. I love to go out but I tire very quickly very frustrating. my weight is slowly going down. i have spent most of my life trying to do this very thing, but it is a bit scary just now how to stop it I am blessed with a wonderful family whom I love to bits, they are helping to do things like catching up on the windows that desperately need cleaning. The cleaners that come into your home never do the job properly .makes me very angry . I have the odd thing like shooting pains in my neck that gets on my nerves (actually, I wish they did) I could go on but... I'M FINE. Blessings to you all.
Hi, me here again... Not a lot really I can add to that.. Take care.
Basically, I just facilitate what ever she wants to do. She spends a lot of time sleeping these days. She has 3 or 4 naps during the day, & is rarely later than 10.00 pm to bed. We have a carer in Monday to Friday to shower her & dress her, as her upper limb strength is now such that she can't lift her arms much above waist level without holding it with the other hand. Her lack of motive ability in her hands also mean that such normally simple jobs as doing up & undoing bra straps is now beyond her capability. A hand held shower that I put over the bath for my mother & a transfer stool are an absolute godsend, making it so much easier to shower her. We are very lucky with our carer in that Colleen is also a very dear friend of ours from before Jude being ill, so I have evry confidence that she is being treated with love, dignity & compassion.
I feed her. At present she has 2 meals of 3 bottles of Fortisip, a liquid food, a day. She has these via her PEG tube administered with a syringe. At this point, she also has however much water she feels she needs via the same way. Very occasionally, she will make herself a strawberry milkshake & sip quietly at about half a glass of that.
Her day is spent mostly either reading, watching TV, or puddling on the computer. She was lucky enough to be granted an electric powered lazyboy chair, which is where she spends her time either reading or watching TV, We also have a TV in the bedroom, so she quite often snuggles up again in bed in the morning, some times watching it, sometimes sleeping again. A very dear friend of ours provides us with a steady diet of point & click games for the computer that are relatively easy physically for her to play. She is also happy to converse on Skype. Our name there is Truckenman, so drop in & say "Hi" Don't be offended if she doesn't answer, because she will probably be playing full screen games.
The little dog is more my mate than hers. Jude definitely belongs to the Ginger Ninja's, & that ius scary territory for a little black dog. Inevitably, if she is sitting or lying down, either one or the other will be either close by, or actually sitting on her lap. As to her mobility, she is still able to get around to a limited degree, but runs out of strength & breath very easily, so if we are going anywhere that involves walking, mall, supermarket, main street etc., then it is far far easier to bundle her into the wheelchair that we carry all the time in Sherman.
Her favourite TV programmes are mainly food, renovation shows & detective series like CSI. OH, not to mention the inevitable vampire series.
AS far as what she thinks is concerned ? Well, probably the best person to tell you that is her, so without further ado, for the first time ever on my blog, here she is.......
i am very blessed with the people who assist me day to day. It is not easy because i am used to doing the careing (i.e.) belonging to F.E.D.s fulfilled that for me. I am coming to terms with my non functioning hands no matter what i do they just won't work like they used to. No more patchwork or quilting and no more gardening. B--------R. So I now use them as much as possible on the computer for crosswords, writing on the computer to fill in my christmas cards, and I read a lot I always used to so that has not changed. I love to go out but I tire very quickly very frustrating. my weight is slowly going down. i have spent most of my life trying to do this very thing, but it is a bit scary just now how to stop it I am blessed with a wonderful family whom I love to bits, they are helping to do things like catching up on the windows that desperately need cleaning. The cleaners that come into your home never do the job properly .makes me very angry . I have the odd thing like shooting pains in my neck that gets on my nerves (actually, I wish they did) I could go on but... I'M FINE. Blessings to you all.
Hi, me here again... Not a lot really I can add to that.. Take care.
Monday, December 13, 2010
My China Girls
We went for a wander today, me & Jude. It's been a while. You know, like normal people. Park the car wander up & down, go in to shops that take your fancy, that kind of wandering. Except for us, its a little different, what with Jude in a wheelchair now, but it was still nice. We did have a few things to do though. We have been investigating getting Jude either an I Pad, or an A Pad & we wanted to check them out. We found out that nobody in Thames actually sells them yet. They do, however, sell the accessories, which I thought a touch strange. We, or rather I, finally made an appointment with the Vet to get Whispa speyed on Wednesday. I'm not excessively happy about getting it done, but I guess it has to be.
We did a bit of shopping as well. Jude has been a bit on the down side with a couple of things. So we went looking for some nice light summery stuff & ended up at the Sun And Moon. Its one of those Asian emporium sort of shop, but more the higher end of stuff. They import some really nice kit in from Taiwan, but have gravitated towards clothing more since they have opened. Only natural I suppose, frocks sell better than high end Chinese furniture I guess. Anyway, we bought 2 or 3 lovely pieces for Jude & a pair of Polaroid sunglasses that fit over my scrip glasses. It transpired, as it usually does, that an explanation of Jude's condition was in order. So, after the usual exclamations of sympathy, the 3 lady's present had a chat together in Chinese, then started giving her a most wonderful half hour session of acupressure, not only doing it, but explaining what I can do for her as well. What charming people. So nice that you don't mind buying the one or two extra bits they gently pressed on us. They did give us a discount on what we bought, at least I think they did. All that really mattered was that we went home feeling nurtured & a lot happier than when we went out.
We did a bit of shopping as well. Jude has been a bit on the down side with a couple of things. So we went looking for some nice light summery stuff & ended up at the Sun And Moon. Its one of those Asian emporium sort of shop, but more the higher end of stuff. They import some really nice kit in from Taiwan, but have gravitated towards clothing more since they have opened. Only natural I suppose, frocks sell better than high end Chinese furniture I guess. Anyway, we bought 2 or 3 lovely pieces for Jude & a pair of Polaroid sunglasses that fit over my scrip glasses. It transpired, as it usually does, that an explanation of Jude's condition was in order. So, after the usual exclamations of sympathy, the 3 lady's present had a chat together in Chinese, then started giving her a most wonderful half hour session of acupressure, not only doing it, but explaining what I can do for her as well. What charming people. So nice that you don't mind buying the one or two extra bits they gently pressed on us. They did give us a discount on what we bought, at least I think they did. All that really mattered was that we went home feeling nurtured & a lot happier than when we went out.
Canned Heat.
Damn its hot. 21 C , 75% humidity, no wind & its only 8.30 AM. My poor little dog has gone from a sausage dog to a hot dog. I may have to give her a cool off under the shower later, even if she doesn't like it. We went away for the weekend to one of Jude's brothers' place in Auckland. They have started having a pre Xmas get together. It was nice & Jude enjoyed, but I think I am in danger of becoming a little reclusive. I am starting to show a marked preference for my own home & routines. If its hot here, I can take my gear off & wander round inside in my undies. If I can't sleep, I can get up & puddle on the puter, or just whatever I feel like doing.
Most of all, I think i was really looking forward to a nice cold shower. Sadly, that didn't happen. because we had been away a couple of days all the water in the pipes was tepid, so that was the best I could do, but it was good to sleep in my own bed again.
Today ?? Well, I have to get new spark plugs for my boat, check the relative merits of Apad & Ipad, get some washing done & on the line,maybe see about getting Whispas speyed, then go home & spend the rest of the day melting. That is, if I can't get the shower cool enough...
Most of all, I think i was really looking forward to a nice cold shower. Sadly, that didn't happen. because we had been away a couple of days all the water in the pipes was tepid, so that was the best I could do, but it was good to sleep in my own bed again.
Today ?? Well, I have to get new spark plugs for my boat, check the relative merits of Apad & Ipad, get some washing done & on the line,maybe see about getting Whispas speyed, then go home & spend the rest of the day melting. That is, if I can't get the shower cool enough...
Thursday, December 09, 2010
Can Ya Dig It ?
I've finally raised the initiative to start cleaning up the gardens. Well its a bit of a must really. There are quite a few Dockweeds in different places & they are starting to come in to flower. If you have ever had anything to do with Docks That have gone to seed, you will now how prolific the seed crop is, so I have started. I cleared out our vege garden this morning. None of our gardens have had anything much done to them since before we went down South, so you can imagine what they looked like. So, out of our small vege garden I managed to fill our little trailor with quite a respectable load. Well, I did prune the rambling rose with my usual careful slash & burn technique. I didn't do it on my own though. I had my usual little helper with anything I do these days. It's quite amazing really. She takes a very intelligent interest in what ever you happen to be doing. As long as it doesnt involve water that is. She is very firmly of the opinion that water is best confined in taps or orderly streams or bowls to drink out of. Sadly though, once she sussed out the general idea of gardening & had made sue that there was nothing there for her to chase or cause harm to me, she got very bored & had to have a little lie down..
We had an appointment at the respiratory clinic at the hospital today. All our specialists are starting to become like old friends. I'm not sure, but I think that Jude's fortitude sort of sticks in their minds. Certainly, all the hospital staff remember Jude from her FED days & all that see her come over for a hug & a chat . Its lovely to see & I would imagine, heartening for her as well.
SAturday, we are going to Jude's brothers place in Papakura for an early Xmas get together. Brian is going to be doing a big Asian meal, something that he is very good at. I'm not sure how many of that side of the family is going to be there, but all of her kids & grandkids are going to come as well. We're going to stay the night with them. Its always good there . They treat us like royalty. Its good to be spoiled every now & then I think.
We had an appointment at the respiratory clinic at the hospital today. All our specialists are starting to become like old friends. I'm not sure, but I think that Jude's fortitude sort of sticks in their minds. Certainly, all the hospital staff remember Jude from her FED days & all that see her come over for a hug & a chat . Its lovely to see & I would imagine, heartening for her as well.
SAturday, we are going to Jude's brothers place in Papakura for an early Xmas get together. Brian is going to be doing a big Asian meal, something that he is very good at. I'm not sure how many of that side of the family is going to be there, but all of her kids & grandkids are going to come as well. We're going to stay the night with them. Its always good there . They treat us like royalty. Its good to be spoiled every now & then I think.
Saturday, December 04, 2010
No accounting for taste
As you all know by now, we have acquired our little black & tan Dachshund. She is by nature very nosy. Well, with a beak like that ya gotta be. We have noticed that after I give Jude her PEG feed, she, (the dog, not Jude,) sits & licks my hand, so on a whim this morning, Jude poured out a little Fortisip for her. Dozey bloody animal likes it, vanilla flavour & all ! As I say, no accounting for taste.
Christopher & Melanie are coming down to stay for the weekend. The plan is hopefully to get some fishing done. I hope so, because some big fish have been caught were I fish & its a long time since Chris & I have been fishing together. Will do us both good I think.
We had rain last night. Trust me to have put out all the cushions on the outside furniture yesterday. I'm hoping that the moisture will soak in & soften the ground a bit, as I have resolved to actually bite the bullet & start tidying up the gardens. They all went berserk while we were in the south island & looking at the overall picture is very daunting. Confucious said that the longest journey begins with the first step. I took that step yesterday. I got out the electric hedge trimmer & trimmed the little hedge down the driveway. I also trimmed off about 3 foot of one of my nice long extension leads. After that, I think I need cold alcohol & a nice lie down....
Christopher & Melanie are coming down to stay for the weekend. The plan is hopefully to get some fishing done. I hope so, because some big fish have been caught were I fish & its a long time since Chris & I have been fishing together. Will do us both good I think.
We had rain last night. Trust me to have put out all the cushions on the outside furniture yesterday. I'm hoping that the moisture will soak in & soften the ground a bit, as I have resolved to actually bite the bullet & start tidying up the gardens. They all went berserk while we were in the south island & looking at the overall picture is very daunting. Confucious said that the longest journey begins with the first step. I took that step yesterday. I got out the electric hedge trimmer & trimmed the little hedge down the driveway. I also trimmed off about 3 foot of one of my nice long extension leads. After that, I think I need cold alcohol & a nice lie down....
Wednesday, December 01, 2010
Humble Pie
Every once in a while, you see something that fills you with admiration. This interview is one such item. This lady has the same disease as Jude does. Admittedly she is a lot younger than Jude is, was probably a whole lot fitter & is less advanced than Jude is, as can be seen by her ability to still talk a little. Even so, I am filled with admiration for her & what she is trying to achieve. Jude & I sat & watched this interview with tears streaming down our cheeks. Please take the time to watch it, & please think about helping her in what she is trying to achieve.
We went over to see Whispas' mum this afternoon. We needed to take the cage back that she loaned us to bring her home in. We had a lovely time & learned a few more things about the breed in general & her in particular. On the way home we stopped in to see Yvonne, an old acquaintance from driving days. As always, I got a lovely warm welcome & a huge hug from her & we had a lovely catch up.
Tomorrow, I'm going to start tidying up the gardens. I know that they are worrying Jude. You see, they have gotten away quite badly since we have been away down the South Island. Looking at them in total is disheartening to tell the truth. I don't actually enjoy gardening. I know some people do. Jude does. I find it distracting & somewhat tedious & boring, although I must admit that the end results are worthwhile, namely Jude being happy. Its a huge job for one person, but I'll do my best. At least I'll have fresh beans to eat. They have regrown in the vege garden in spite of total neglect..
Chris & Mel are coming down for the weekend so that Chris & I can go fishing. That will be a nice distraction from gardening & Jude always loves to see them. They are staying overnight, so Chris & I will no doubt be able to sink a few & forget about the worries of the world for a while. There is always Monday for that.
We went over to see Whispas' mum this afternoon. We needed to take the cage back that she loaned us to bring her home in. We had a lovely time & learned a few more things about the breed in general & her in particular. On the way home we stopped in to see Yvonne, an old acquaintance from driving days. As always, I got a lovely warm welcome & a huge hug from her & we had a lovely catch up.
Tomorrow, I'm going to start tidying up the gardens. I know that they are worrying Jude. You see, they have gotten away quite badly since we have been away down the South Island. Looking at them in total is disheartening to tell the truth. I don't actually enjoy gardening. I know some people do. Jude does. I find it distracting & somewhat tedious & boring, although I must admit that the end results are worthwhile, namely Jude being happy. Its a huge job for one person, but I'll do my best. At least I'll have fresh beans to eat. They have regrown in the vege garden in spite of total neglect..
Chris & Mel are coming down for the weekend so that Chris & I can go fishing. That will be a nice distraction from gardening & Jude always loves to see them. They are staying overnight, so Chris & I will no doubt be able to sink a few & forget about the worries of the world for a while. There is always Monday for that.
On morning Tweedles
I make no apologies for the use of the word "Tweedles" I inherited it from Whispas" breeder. Its the euphemism for attempting to induce our little dog to urinate on the lawn. We have developed quite a morning ritual now. It starts about 6 AM when, from force of habit & a full bladder, I get out of bed. I try to sneak to the toilet so that I can have the morning pee in peace & quiet, but invariably halfway through, there is a dab on the back of my leg from a cold wet little nose. Just one dab is all. Just a "Hi dad, I heard ya & here I am." dab. From there its the bathroom for the morning round of tablets. Then the fun begins...
It starts when I get down on my hands & knees & lasts about 10 minutes, with a little dog careering madly round the house in absolute bliss that we have both made it through another night. When we have both settled down the phrase, C'mon, time for tweedles starts the next phase in the ritual. We head for the back door, where Fattums, one of the Ginger Ninja's is waiting. She leads, we follow. Out through the courtyard pausing only long enough to destroy the nights work of our resident spider. He/she patiently spins a web in the trellis archway leading to the back lawn every night. I very carefully wipe it away with my hand every morning. Either that, or if I am forgetful, wear it draped artistically round my face like some form of arachnid veil. I don't enjoy that so I try to remember to use my hand.
WE have a lovely ten minutes or so on the back lawn. The Starlings resident in the Birch tree make themselves known & express their disapproval at the presence of a cat. Especially the cat that has been responsible for dispatching a significant proportion of their fledglings over the years. But hey, thats nature I guess. Fattums & I then have an in depth conversation about the state of the union, whats on the agenda for the day, a purring demonstration &, most importantly, what I intend to serve her for breakfast.
Whispas meanwhile , has her usual aimless little wander round the lawn. Sometimes she goes "tweedles," sometimes she doesn't. I'm not too stressed these days if she doesn't. She seems to have the whole house thing sorted out now & generally saves it till we go on one of our frequent strolls. Once everything is sorted to Fattums' satisfaction we head off back inside. I put the jug on for the first coffee of the day, put down a variety of tasty morsels for their Ladyships approval, finish making the coffee, then go through & open the lounge curtains.
By then, her houndliness has finished her breakfast & is waiting at the office door for me. I have to wait a few seconds before I can turn my 'puter on. You see, I get preempted by a dog who does her best to push the button that turns the 'puter on. I then settle in for my morning browse, Whispas settles at my feet for her morning nap & who knows what the cat does.
Christopher, Jude's youngest son, is coming down for the weekend. We are both looking forward to it. He & his wife Melanie are going to overnight. The idea is that we are going to go fishing on Sunday morning. Melanie isn't a fishing person though. What I am hoping is that all 4 of us might go for a cruise. Mel has never seen the beautiful islands that we have dotted about the coastline up Coromandel way, so it would be nice to take her. I think Jude would enjoy it as well, but we will see what the weather is like. If the sea is at all lumpy, Chris & I will just go fishing. There are a few things he & I need to chat about & a boat at sea is as good a place as any that I can think of to do it.
It starts when I get down on my hands & knees & lasts about 10 minutes, with a little dog careering madly round the house in absolute bliss that we have both made it through another night. When we have both settled down the phrase, C'mon, time for tweedles starts the next phase in the ritual. We head for the back door, where Fattums, one of the Ginger Ninja's is waiting. She leads, we follow. Out through the courtyard pausing only long enough to destroy the nights work of our resident spider. He/she patiently spins a web in the trellis archway leading to the back lawn every night. I very carefully wipe it away with my hand every morning. Either that, or if I am forgetful, wear it draped artistically round my face like some form of arachnid veil. I don't enjoy that so I try to remember to use my hand.
WE have a lovely ten minutes or so on the back lawn. The Starlings resident in the Birch tree make themselves known & express their disapproval at the presence of a cat. Especially the cat that has been responsible for dispatching a significant proportion of their fledglings over the years. But hey, thats nature I guess. Fattums & I then have an in depth conversation about the state of the union, whats on the agenda for the day, a purring demonstration &, most importantly, what I intend to serve her for breakfast.
Whispas meanwhile , has her usual aimless little wander round the lawn. Sometimes she goes "tweedles," sometimes she doesn't. I'm not too stressed these days if she doesn't. She seems to have the whole house thing sorted out now & generally saves it till we go on one of our frequent strolls. Once everything is sorted to Fattums' satisfaction we head off back inside. I put the jug on for the first coffee of the day, put down a variety of tasty morsels for their Ladyships approval, finish making the coffee, then go through & open the lounge curtains.
By then, her houndliness has finished her breakfast & is waiting at the office door for me. I have to wait a few seconds before I can turn my 'puter on. You see, I get preempted by a dog who does her best to push the button that turns the 'puter on. I then settle in for my morning browse, Whispas settles at my feet for her morning nap & who knows what the cat does.
Christopher, Jude's youngest son, is coming down for the weekend. We are both looking forward to it. He & his wife Melanie are going to overnight. The idea is that we are going to go fishing on Sunday morning. Melanie isn't a fishing person though. What I am hoping is that all 4 of us might go for a cruise. Mel has never seen the beautiful islands that we have dotted about the coastline up Coromandel way, so it would be nice to take her. I think Jude would enjoy it as well, but we will see what the weather is like. If the sea is at all lumpy, Chris & I will just go fishing. There are a few things he & I need to chat about & a boat at sea is as good a place as any that I can think of to do it.
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Atilla the Hungarian
We went to meet the new Neurological Nurse at Waikato Hospital yesterday. You see, sadly, Pat Simpson has decided that its time for a change & moved to the Stroke Unit. Their major gain, our major loss. So we went to meet her replacement. His name is Atilla Herman, & yes, he is Hungarian. Even more importantly, he has 25 years experience in the field & comes across as being very competent. Certainly, he had a couple of good suggestions that he threw our way, so we counted it a productive afternoon.
I've been feeling incredibly lethargic over the last few days. It has been taking me all my time to get even the very basic things done around the place, let alone get ahead stuff. Its a vicious circle really. The worse it gets the less I feel like doing it & the less I know where to start. I did take Jude for a walk with her friend Dian this morning though. That is always good for the soul. We started at the wharf & walked as far as the supermarket along the coastal walkway that we now have. Its a wonderful asset & very well used. Lots of folk for us to pass the time of day with & a variety of dogs for Whispas to exchange sniffs with. When we got home, I decided to declare today a rest day & opted to curl up & try to snooze for the day.
I say try, because that's about what it amounted to. Every time I tried to get to sleep the phone would ring. Mostly inconsequential stuff but one of the calls was really bad news. Jude's daughter rang to say that one of her friend's husband had some incredibly bad news today. You see, he has been unwell for a number of months now with stomach pain. When we were there on the weekend, she took him to the hospital twice because the pain was that bad. They finally found out what it is & told them today. Not good news. Pancreatic cancer & less than 12 months to live. They are both in their early 40's & have 4 children, down to a 7 year old daughter. Life can be tough sometimes. pancreatic cancer is very painful & , sadly, inoperable. My heart bleeds for them.
It seems as though tragedy is the order of the day at the moment. Certainly, let us feel for the families of the 29 miners that perished at Pike River Mine. Let us also remember that coal mining is a very hazardous occupation, one that is extremely well paid & also that the men were down there because that was what they liked doing. Let us be thankful that their end was in all probability fairly quick & painless. I realise that this doesn't provide any comfort to the grieving families, but it would certainly be a lot more humane way of dying than counting your days down with your body steadily growing more & more weak & painful. Not that I would really care for either way of death.
Jude is going to Patchwork tomorrow. Hopefully, I will replace the starter cord on the line trimmer & attack the weeds along the driveway. Then there are the lawns to do & the gardens to weed, and..... and.... and... and...
I've been feeling incredibly lethargic over the last few days. It has been taking me all my time to get even the very basic things done around the place, let alone get ahead stuff. Its a vicious circle really. The worse it gets the less I feel like doing it & the less I know where to start. I did take Jude for a walk with her friend Dian this morning though. That is always good for the soul. We started at the wharf & walked as far as the supermarket along the coastal walkway that we now have. Its a wonderful asset & very well used. Lots of folk for us to pass the time of day with & a variety of dogs for Whispas to exchange sniffs with. When we got home, I decided to declare today a rest day & opted to curl up & try to snooze for the day.
I say try, because that's about what it amounted to. Every time I tried to get to sleep the phone would ring. Mostly inconsequential stuff but one of the calls was really bad news. Jude's daughter rang to say that one of her friend's husband had some incredibly bad news today. You see, he has been unwell for a number of months now with stomach pain. When we were there on the weekend, she took him to the hospital twice because the pain was that bad. They finally found out what it is & told them today. Not good news. Pancreatic cancer & less than 12 months to live. They are both in their early 40's & have 4 children, down to a 7 year old daughter. Life can be tough sometimes. pancreatic cancer is very painful & , sadly, inoperable. My heart bleeds for them.
It seems as though tragedy is the order of the day at the moment. Certainly, let us feel for the families of the 29 miners that perished at Pike River Mine. Let us also remember that coal mining is a very hazardous occupation, one that is extremely well paid & also that the men were down there because that was what they liked doing. Let us be thankful that their end was in all probability fairly quick & painless. I realise that this doesn't provide any comfort to the grieving families, but it would certainly be a lot more humane way of dying than counting your days down with your body steadily growing more & more weak & painful. Not that I would really care for either way of death.
Jude is going to Patchwork tomorrow. Hopefully, I will replace the starter cord on the line trimmer & attack the weeds along the driveway. Then there are the lawns to do & the gardens to weed, and..... and.... and... and...
Monday, November 22, 2010
All Gods Chillun's
We did an overnighter in Albany for the weekend. The reason was our two eldest grand children were having their first communion on Sunday. Now I'm not a Roman Catholic, nor ever have been. I was dragged up in a good old Presbyterian family, but these two little tackers have a nun for an aunty & go to a fairly high end Catholic school, so I guess it really was an inevitability to happen. We took the little dog with us. Aside from distinguishing herself by peeing on the carpet, (shock horror) I don't think she particularly enjoyed herself. Two male Shi Tzu's are bit over the top don't you think? She sorted them out eventually though. Our morning walk was a bit of a mixed bag though. We went a lot earlier than usual. You have to there a bit, because of the traffic. The biggest thing I noticed was how built up it all was. Nowhere at all for a little dog to look for where other dogs had posted their presence. And it was raining. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the walk in spite of it all.
I enjoyed horsing around in the pool with the kids too. Rather belatedly, I remembered how long it has been since i have had a sore back. You know, you have so much going on in your life that an old acquaintance like a sore back can just slip away unnoticed & ride off into the sunset. That is until you are horsing around in the pool with the grandy's & come up with the bright idea of getting them to stand on your shoulders & balance there while you walk around the pool. Awesome fun at the time for all of us, but I woke up this morning thinking, " I've got a sore back... Damn its a long time since I've had a sore back." I don't mind, its gone now & I really enjoy my time with those two kids. We get on really well & have a lot of fun.
Anyway, Sunday morning rolled around with all the inevitability of a downhill steamroller race. The kids looked positively edible don't you think?
Ok, so we all raced off to church & amidst lots of standing up & sitting down, strange (to me anyway) rituals & some exceptionally good music from a very competent youth orchestra & choir, we got to see our little darlings walk solemnly up the aisle with their hands clasped in front of them & partake of their first communion. Although I'm no longer a practicing christian & its been more years than I care to remember since I actually took communion, I still remember the mystical feeling it involves, so it was a very nostalgic feeling watching them. They had a very proud Grandma as well don't you think ?
I enjoyed horsing around in the pool with the kids too. Rather belatedly, I remembered how long it has been since i have had a sore back. You know, you have so much going on in your life that an old acquaintance like a sore back can just slip away unnoticed & ride off into the sunset. That is until you are horsing around in the pool with the grandy's & come up with the bright idea of getting them to stand on your shoulders & balance there while you walk around the pool. Awesome fun at the time for all of us, but I woke up this morning thinking, " I've got a sore back... Damn its a long time since I've had a sore back." I don't mind, its gone now & I really enjoy my time with those two kids. We get on really well & have a lot of fun.
Anyway, Sunday morning rolled around with all the inevitability of a downhill steamroller race. The kids looked positively edible don't you think?
Ok, so we all raced off to church & amidst lots of standing up & sitting down, strange (to me anyway) rituals & some exceptionally good music from a very competent youth orchestra & choir, we got to see our little darlings walk solemnly up the aisle with their hands clasped in front of them & partake of their first communion. Although I'm no longer a practicing christian & its been more years than I care to remember since I actually took communion, I still remember the mystical feeling it involves, so it was a very nostalgic feeling watching them. They had a very proud Grandma as well don't you think ?
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Attilla the Hun
We are going to met Attilla The Hun on Wednesday. Well his name IS Attilla & he IS Hungarian, but hopefully thats where the resemblance ends. he certainly didn't threaten ritual disembowelment if we were late for our appointment, so I guess that's a plus. I should explain. Attilla is the new Clinical Nurse taking over from Pat Simpson & he has something like 25 years experience. he sounds like a really nice sort of chap & I am really looking forward to meeting him, quite aside from the fact that he is going to do a complete overhaul of Jude's case & make sure that everything is as it should be. That is really good to know.
HAPPY SOMETHING OR OTHER....
I just thought you should know.. This makes my 500th. post since I have been writing my blog. I guess that has to count for something. Thank you to all those who follow me regularly, past & present & give me the incentive to keep on writing. It means a lot.
HAPPY SOMETHING OR OTHER....
I just thought you should know.. This makes my 500th. post since I have been writing my blog. I guess that has to count for something. Thank you to all those who follow me regularly, past & present & give me the incentive to keep on writing. It means a lot.
Friday, November 19, 2010
Priceless
I'm trying to write this with a Dachshund curled up on the desk in front of me. Its not easy, as you can see.
I had a good day yesterday. I went fishing. Both our grand children in Auckland are being confirmed on Sunday, so she wanted to go to the Catholic shop & get something suitable for them.This really isn't my thing, but one of her friends who is also a reformed RC offered to take her, so it made for a nice afternoon for them both. I rounded up me new mate Kevin from the dairy down the road & we went fishing instead. This is what I came home with as well as 8 other very nice fish.
It was a bit lumpy out, but it didn't really matter, good company & some nice fish in the bin makes all the difference. I'm going to smoke it this morning, no doubt under Whispas' capable supervision. I'm going to take it up to Auckland with us as my contribution to Sunday lunch. Kind of appropriate really I think Don't you ? I had the best nights sleep last night that I have had in ages. I haven't gone fishing in a while because Jude has just been too tired for it , but bless her, she understands my need to be on the water & our home help who is also a very dear friend is happy to cover & keep an eye on her. It does us both good I think.
Friday, November 12, 2010
We can be heroes
I've finally plucked up the courage, (& the requisite cash) to go & get a partial plate made to help what is left of my top teeth tear steak & dinosaur bones to bits. Now, I naively, I've never had a denture before, expected that one would just pop the jolly old thing in to place & hey presto, all would be well & life would be rosy. Not so. First your tongue has to get used to having this bloody great slab of acrylic on the roof of its mouth. It actually takes up quite a bit of space, alters your speech patterns & everything. Dunno about eating yet as I haven't managed to chew a mouthful & swallow it yet without it feeling extremely weird. But I will get there eventually I guess. Everybody else does.
While I was doing all this, I also took Jude in to get her top plate refitted as with her weight loss it was way too big. Naturally, we had to explain what was up with Jude to explain her low tolerance to things like half a cup of goo & fingers in her mouth. The practise is run by a mother & daughter combo in company with a very cute 6 month old baby & a sassy Chihuahua. The mother lost her husband who used to run the pracice about 3 years ago to cancer under very tragic circumstances. The daughter is now qualified as a technician & Mum does the fittings.
I was rather taken aback, lost for words & very teary eyed this morning. You see, not only did they present me with my teeth, but also with a huge bunch of flowers, for being in their words, "A very brave man." Coming from them, that was a real tribute that I'm not really certain that I deserve.
While I was doing all this, I also took Jude in to get her top plate refitted as with her weight loss it was way too big. Naturally, we had to explain what was up with Jude to explain her low tolerance to things like half a cup of goo & fingers in her mouth. The practise is run by a mother & daughter combo in company with a very cute 6 month old baby & a sassy Chihuahua. The mother lost her husband who used to run the pracice about 3 years ago to cancer under very tragic circumstances. The daughter is now qualified as a technician & Mum does the fittings.
I was rather taken aback, lost for words & very teary eyed this morning. You see, not only did they present me with my teeth, but also with a huge bunch of flowers, for being in their words, "A very brave man." Coming from them, that was a real tribute that I'm not really certain that I deserve.
Thursday, November 04, 2010
Bitter Sweet
I changed my mobile phone provider from Vodafone to 2 degrees recently. Taint no biggy, nobody will be going broke or making a fortune, because I'm on prepaid & mainly just use it for text messages. Sadly, in the form of a trap for young players, I neglected to transfer my phone numbers from my SIM card to the handset. I should explain that I took the option of retaining my existing number. Much more straight forward right ? Yep, except that when you switch to two degrees, your old sim card is disabled, so I have been reloading everybody's number. If you have my cell number incidentally, please drop me a TXT so I can get your number again. Anyway, i got to the point of sorting out my Darlings cell number. There was a number on our house phone, but I wasn't sure if it was the right one, so I rang it to see. It wasn't. It was her old number. An old Telecom one that still had an answerphone message on it that she recorded when she could still talk. I've listened to it about 3 times now, just to hear her talk the way she used to. Happy & cheerful & beautifully spoken. I don't know that I should really listen to it again.
I don't often dream & I usually have difficulty remembering them, but I had one that I vividly remembered last night. I had finally lost my Darling & we were in church for her funeral. Everything was white. The floor, the walls, our clothes, even the ones that Jude was wearing, & the coffin. Then we all got up, went forward & all put the most beautiful white roses in the coffin with her. That was when I woke up, probably just as well. I told her about it this morning & we both stood & held each other & cried for quite a while. It did take me a while to get back to sleep after I had it, so I just laid there for an hour or so pondering on the meaning. I'm still not really any the wiser, just a little sadder. I had a heart to heart with Whispas about it this morning while we were out walking. She didn't really have a lot to say on the subject, just gave me one those ineffably wise looks & went off in search of a quail family in the park.
She had an appointment with the respiratory clinic today. Our specialist is a really nice guy with a really natty range of bowties that his wife apparently makes for him. We had quite a chat about Jude's VPAP machine & what could be done to make it a little more user friendly. He is going to check. That & shopping for new nighties, talking to our Hospice Waikato worker & a visit from the district nurse sort of took up most of the rest of the day. I'm hopeful that i will be able to get into some of the jobs that have been piling up. I've looked forward to retirement for a long time, looking forward to increased leisure time. I don't think I have ever been so busy in my life.
I don't often dream & I usually have difficulty remembering them, but I had one that I vividly remembered last night. I had finally lost my Darling & we were in church for her funeral. Everything was white. The floor, the walls, our clothes, even the ones that Jude was wearing, & the coffin. Then we all got up, went forward & all put the most beautiful white roses in the coffin with her. That was when I woke up, probably just as well. I told her about it this morning & we both stood & held each other & cried for quite a while. It did take me a while to get back to sleep after I had it, so I just laid there for an hour or so pondering on the meaning. I'm still not really any the wiser, just a little sadder. I had a heart to heart with Whispas about it this morning while we were out walking. She didn't really have a lot to say on the subject, just gave me one those ineffably wise looks & went off in search of a quail family in the park.
She had an appointment with the respiratory clinic today. Our specialist is a really nice guy with a really natty range of bowties that his wife apparently makes for him. We had quite a chat about Jude's VPAP machine & what could be done to make it a little more user friendly. He is going to check. That & shopping for new nighties, talking to our Hospice Waikato worker & a visit from the district nurse sort of took up most of the rest of the day. I'm hopeful that i will be able to get into some of the jobs that have been piling up. I've looked forward to retirement for a long time, looking forward to increased leisure time. I don't think I have ever been so busy in my life.
Tuesday, November 02, 2010
Brown Eyed Girl
Thats our Whispas. She is gradually settling in. We left her home on her own today as we both had a couple of appointments & it really was too warm a day to leave her sitting in the car. She coped OK, although we did have quite a heart to heart talk when we got home the first time. One of the things I had to do today was to go & have the first impression made for my new top plate. A different experience to say the least of it. You get this bloody great plastic thing that feels like half a shoe box full of cold runny goo shoved in your gob. The worst part is that when pressure is applied to make the mold, the excess runs out the back & settles on either side & on top of your tongue. While it is still soft, its not particularly pleasant but it soon sets. had the first wax plate this afternoon. Feels strange, but I guess I'll get used to it, especially if it means being able to chew my food better than I have been able to until now.
Having a dog is proving to be a good thing for me. It actually gives me an incentive to establish a routine. I now get all my morning chores done by about 9.00 o'clock & then take the snossidge dog for a walk. I'm finding all sorts of delightful places & people around the place that I haven't encountered before. Hopefully getting somewhat fitter is a bonus. My latest find is a delightful little park up the hill a bit complete with a family of quails that don't seem to mind being chased in a half hearted sort of way by a small dog.
I've finally got the lawns back how I like them. Tomorrow I will fire up the Mighty Atom edge trimmer & do the finishing touches. Then its weed spraying, then its weeding the vege garden & hopefully planting something edible. Oh, we have some dear friends coming to visit tomorrow afternoon. Who said retirement was a breeze....
Having a dog is proving to be a good thing for me. It actually gives me an incentive to establish a routine. I now get all my morning chores done by about 9.00 o'clock & then take the snossidge dog for a walk. I'm finding all sorts of delightful places & people around the place that I haven't encountered before. Hopefully getting somewhat fitter is a bonus. My latest find is a delightful little park up the hill a bit complete with a family of quails that don't seem to mind being chased in a half hearted sort of way by a small dog.
I've finally got the lawns back how I like them. Tomorrow I will fire up the Mighty Atom edge trimmer & do the finishing touches. Then its weed spraying, then its weeding the vege garden & hopefully planting something edible. Oh, we have some dear friends coming to visit tomorrow afternoon. Who said retirement was a breeze....
Sunday, October 31, 2010
The Electric Chair is here...
Seriously, we now have an electric chair in the house. OK, so its actually an electric wheel chair, but you have to admit the headline grabbed your attention didn't it ? It arrived on Friday & its quite a beauty. Four speeds, reclineable & you can raise & lower it so that Jude can reach stuff a bit higher. It apparently has a range of some 30 kilometers, which will let Jude visit all of her friends in town & even get as far as the supermarket if she wishes to. The only problem is, that the nice folk who brought it over from Hamilton left the battery charger behind, so as it only has a minimal charge in it, she can't really use it until they send the charger over on Monday.
Whispas, our new family member, is settling in very nicely. I finally dragged my sorry butt out to make up the bit of fence that I needed to shut off the back yard to keep her safe today. I looked round for my carpenters pencil to mark a bit of wood for the cut & here she is very solemnly holding it in her mouth. Why is it you never have a camera when you need it? She would be the most naturally inquisitive dog I think I have ever had anything to do with. Doesn't matter what you are doing, she wants to be a part of it. She is quite happy as well, to just lie in your lap & snore of an evening. It's going to be very difficult even to give her up for the couple of days needed to have her speyed, but I guess we will all get through it OK.
Tuesday, I am finally doing something about getting a top plate made so that I can actually chew properly again. Its going to be quite a novel experience for me. I forget how many years it is now since I have had a reasonable set of gnashers in my top jaw. Well, thats about it . Tomorrow I guess I might even mow the lawns. All this exercise definitely improves your outlook on life. Mostly
Whispas, our new family member, is settling in very nicely. I finally dragged my sorry butt out to make up the bit of fence that I needed to shut off the back yard to keep her safe today. I looked round for my carpenters pencil to mark a bit of wood for the cut & here she is very solemnly holding it in her mouth. Why is it you never have a camera when you need it? She would be the most naturally inquisitive dog I think I have ever had anything to do with. Doesn't matter what you are doing, she wants to be a part of it. She is quite happy as well, to just lie in your lap & snore of an evening. It's going to be very difficult even to give her up for the couple of days needed to have her speyed, but I guess we will all get through it OK.
Tuesday, I am finally doing something about getting a top plate made so that I can actually chew properly again. Its going to be quite a novel experience for me. I forget how many years it is now since I have had a reasonable set of gnashers in my top jaw. Well, thats about it . Tomorrow I guess I might even mow the lawns. All this exercise definitely improves your outlook on life. Mostly
Friday, October 22, 2010
We've got a Dog !
Not just any dog, but a lovely little 2 year old female Dachsund. She has won a couple of trophy's at shows, but is too small for breeding so we are the lucky recipients. Her full name is Dacksford Wispas N Laughter, called Wispas. She is a good little mate who is bonding nicely with us already. She walks well & promises to be an utter joy. Now all we have to do is convince the cats of this...
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
How much is that doggy in the window?
I've decided that I need another dog in my life. Cats are fine, but you can't load them into the car & take them to the beach for a swim. Well I mean, you probably can but I don't think it would be a happy experience for any of the parties involved. I have been haunting Trade me & pets on the Net, but i think that i am at a real disadvantage not living in Auckland, because thats where most of them are & that's where they want them to stay. All i want is a smaller dog, preferably about 3 or 4 years old thats grown out of the stupid stage & doesn't chew stuff or pee on the carpets any more.
I may have found one at our local SPCA. He's a little miniature Foxie. He wandered into the council offices in Paeroa & effectively gave himself up. He's been in the pound for the requisite 7 days & is now up for adoption. He's getting his little nuts cut out & getting microchipped tomorrow, so I think I might take him on 7 days trial. It all depends on how he gets on with the Ginger Ninja's really. He's quite smart, so I don't think it will take him long if he doesn't already know that cats are bad juju.
Why do I want a dog ? Companionship mainly & an excuse to actually get out & do some exercise in the form of walking. We think this little man is about a year old, so he should be mostly over the stupid stage. Well anyway, I guess we will find out. There is another little dog we have been told about locally, but we haven't heard, so I guess thats not really a good sign. Time will tell anyway I guess..
I may have found one at our local SPCA. He's a little miniature Foxie. He wandered into the council offices in Paeroa & effectively gave himself up. He's been in the pound for the requisite 7 days & is now up for adoption. He's getting his little nuts cut out & getting microchipped tomorrow, so I think I might take him on 7 days trial. It all depends on how he gets on with the Ginger Ninja's really. He's quite smart, so I don't think it will take him long if he doesn't already know that cats are bad juju.
Why do I want a dog ? Companionship mainly & an excuse to actually get out & do some exercise in the form of walking. We think this little man is about a year old, so he should be mostly over the stupid stage. Well anyway, I guess we will find out. There is another little dog we have been told about locally, but we haven't heard, so I guess thats not really a good sign. Time will tell anyway I guess..
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Cough Please...
I think I caught it in Dunedin. Certainly my eldest son & his family all have it. A real shitty cough that you get for a week or so. It goes away, then comes back again just when you think you're fine. It's very debilitating in the end. I think I have had it back about 4 times & this time it really seems to have settled in. So much so that I went to the doc's today. He's given me a course of fast track anti biotics, so hopefully, that will clear things up. It's very difficult to enjoy retirement when all you want to do is sleep all day. At least I can do it without any guilt trips about letting a boss down by not being at work. That's one good thing I guess.
Meanwhile, Jude remains disgustingly healthy, albeit glued to the telly for the Commonwealth Games. I haven't watched much at all except for the seven's rugby. It's a principle for me. I find it scandalous that a country with so much grinding poverty & social problems can throw so much money at a feel good thing like the games. Anyway, normal service will resume tomorrow night... I can't wait... Sharpe, Sea Patrol......
We are going through the process of applying for funding to get our big bathroom converted to a proper wet area for Jude at the moment. Its quite a lengthy thing with lots of paperwork. Fortunately, our Occupational Therapist is a darling & very helpful, so fingers crossed I guess. Will let you know how we go.
It wasn't as much of an issue while we were away, but I am slowly coming to terms with the food situation, not having to buy so much in the way of grocries etc. The most important thing & also the hardest is actually making sure that I have at least one nutritious meal a day that includes the odd bit of greenery & fibre. I am getting there, eventually.
Meanwhile, Jude remains disgustingly healthy, albeit glued to the telly for the Commonwealth Games. I haven't watched much at all except for the seven's rugby. It's a principle for me. I find it scandalous that a country with so much grinding poverty & social problems can throw so much money at a feel good thing like the games. Anyway, normal service will resume tomorrow night... I can't wait... Sharpe, Sea Patrol......
We are going through the process of applying for funding to get our big bathroom converted to a proper wet area for Jude at the moment. Its quite a lengthy thing with lots of paperwork. Fortunately, our Occupational Therapist is a darling & very helpful, so fingers crossed I guess. Will let you know how we go.
It wasn't as much of an issue while we were away, but I am slowly coming to terms with the food situation, not having to buy so much in the way of grocries etc. The most important thing & also the hardest is actually making sure that I have at least one nutritious meal a day that includes the odd bit of greenery & fibre. I am getting there, eventually.
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
I'm Retired. Do it yourself
I bought a Tee shirt some time ago with this message printed on it. half in jest it was. but it's slowly dawning on me that it is actually true. Well, the bit about being retired anyway. OK, so all it means is that I don't have to seek paid employment any more, or go through means testing, but effectively, thats it. Quite a sobering thought when it all starts to sink in. I don't feel old enough for it in a lot of respects & in others I feel way overdue. Now, what am I going to do with all this leisure ? Hmmmm... Ok, so there are lawns to mow, concreting to be done, gardens to weed, edges to be trimmed, Sherman to wash, housework to do & most importantly Jude to care for.. Hmmm... What'll I do first ? I dunno, maybe I should just think about it till tomorrow.. Yeah, & theres the garage to sort out & the courtyard to tidy.........
Oh yes !!! Its good to know that its not just silly old drunken buggers that fall down while running. This from this mornings Herald...
I feel her pain......
Oh yes !!! Its good to know that its not just silly old drunken buggers that fall down while running. This from this mornings Herald...
I feel her pain......
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Ground Control to Major Tom
Well, we have been home a couple of weeks or so now & had a weekend with the kids in Auckland for Jude's birthday which was good.. Well, its official. Jude is now registered as a superannuitant & I am registered as (get this!!) her underage partner ! Financially, we are a bit better off than we were but I guess the GST increase will make heavy inroads into this. All the bills are still here. Power & Phone demanding to be paid or else.. Doesn't matter that you have paid your bill early for the last 2 years or more, get behind when you are on holiday & they just about turn the Beadles loose on you. Oh yes. The rate bill is here as well. missed the rebate on that as well.
I suppose I didn't notice any gradual change being away, but Jude has deteriorated somewhat with her physical abilities & her energy levels, leaving more for me to do. I suppose its because I have had one of those bloody awful recurring colds with that hacking cough since we left Dunedin, but I don't feel up to much. By the time I catch up on the washing & housework I've had enough, so the stuff like lawns, weeding, sorting out the garage, washing Sherman etc., etc., just sorta take a back seat. meanwhile, my neighbor has gone fishing. I should envy him, but I don't. Too damn tired to worry. I guess I'll come right eventually. The situation isn't helped by Prime TV being taken over for the commonwealth games. I didn't realise how much of my evening TV is on Prime. I think I need to ring my old mate Hawkeye for a good old fashioned dose of harden the fuck up. That may help.
Oh yeah, Jude & I both had appointments with the Orthopaedics specialist on Thursday, her for her knee, me for my arm. The only solution for Judes knee is a complete replacement, but after talking to a friend that was there who had her knee done in May, she confirmed what she has already pretty much decided. The knee can stay as it is. Me ? I'm coming right, arm is healing nicely, it was better to leave it out of the sling rehabilitation wise & the chances of any complications are slim to remote. Oh, & it should stop hurting in another 2 or 3 months. Lesson learned.
I suppose I didn't notice any gradual change being away, but Jude has deteriorated somewhat with her physical abilities & her energy levels, leaving more for me to do. I suppose its because I have had one of those bloody awful recurring colds with that hacking cough since we left Dunedin, but I don't feel up to much. By the time I catch up on the washing & housework I've had enough, so the stuff like lawns, weeding, sorting out the garage, washing Sherman etc., etc., just sorta take a back seat. meanwhile, my neighbor has gone fishing. I should envy him, but I don't. Too damn tired to worry. I guess I'll come right eventually. The situation isn't helped by Prime TV being taken over for the commonwealth games. I didn't realise how much of my evening TV is on Prime. I think I need to ring my old mate Hawkeye for a good old fashioned dose of harden the fuck up. That may help.
Oh yeah, Jude & I both had appointments with the Orthopaedics specialist on Thursday, her for her knee, me for my arm. The only solution for Judes knee is a complete replacement, but after talking to a friend that was there who had her knee done in May, she confirmed what she has already pretty much decided. The knee can stay as it is. Me ? I'm coming right, arm is healing nicely, it was better to leave it out of the sling rehabilitation wise & the chances of any complications are slim to remote. Oh, & it should stop hurting in another 2 or 3 months. Lesson learned.
Thursday, October 07, 2010
Happy Birthday my love
I felt like an axe murderer. Only home 5 days & here we are packing to leave again. OK, it was only for the weekend, but try & rationalise that to a very upset ginger cat watching you drive away. The occasion? Jude's 65th birthday last Sunday. Judes daughter, Sharon opted to put on a birthday party for her Mum. & she did it with style. We went up & stayed Sat. night with her youngest son Chris, & arrived rather like visiting royalty about 1100 am on Sunday. Needless to say, Jude had a ball. Christopher made, iced & decorated the cake for her.. Not bad for a bloke huh ?
Here's a few more pics of the day for you to enjoy....
So , that was it. A lovely weekend spent with dear family & friends with lots of tears of joy, especially from two ginger cats when we got home. For me the highlights of the weekend aside from the obvious one of Jude's happiness, was the look on Sharon's face when Jude showed her the celebrated tattoo.. Priceless. Even more so was Renee snuggling up to me on the sofa, giving me a hug & saying, "I love you Poppy." Money can't buy that one....
Here's a few more pics of the day for you to enjoy....
So , that was it. A lovely weekend spent with dear family & friends with lots of tears of joy, especially from two ginger cats when we got home. For me the highlights of the weekend aside from the obvious one of Jude's happiness, was the look on Sharon's face when Jude showed her the celebrated tattoo.. Priceless. Even more so was Renee snuggling up to me on the sofa, giving me a hug & saying, "I love you Poppy." Money can't buy that one....
In retrospect
Sadly, I didn't take an odometer reading before we left. Some simple addition based on the distance table on our trusty sheet map though, informs me that we have done at least 3500 km. This doesn't take into account the odd side trip & , to be fair, includes an approximation of distances involved from Haast to Jackson's Bay & West Port to Karamea, beyond & back. Still, give or take the odd (very odd sometimes) thousand k's or so, it's still a fair distance for a couple of oldies in a dated & elderly Isuzu Mu.
To be said in defence of Sherman, he never let us down on the road at all. Even starting first crank after standing in the snow for two days. The only problem we had was blowing a couple of radiator tubes, but to be fair, he waited till we were safely in Dunedin before that happened. I rather think that it was probably righteous indignation taking the form of a very mild protest at what he was being asked to do.
I think that if I was to pack again for a trip like this that I would take a lot less in the way of clothing. Some of the stuff we took didnt even come out of the bags. Soft bags are definitely the way to go as they pack a lot easier. Our system of one carry in, one reserve clothing & a combined bag for woolies worked well. Don't forget to include an empty bag to stow your washing in.
One thing we found is that all Motels now have full wet walkin shower facilities in at least one generally two of their units. don't be scared to ask for them. Motel owners by & large will go a very long way out of their way to make sure things are right for you.
Prescription medicines & specialist foods are a big consideration as well. Make sure you take more than enough. I ran out of my blood pressure tablets while away & it was a bit of a hassle getting them. If you have to do it, allow at least two days for hiccups. Find a friendly chemist in the neighborhood & ask if its OK. Then get his fax number to give to your doctor's receptionist to send it through to. Remember too that if it is repeat medicine, to only order a months worth, as repeats half a country away aren't really a lot of use. For Jude's Fortisip, our Chemist filled a 3 month scrip for us in one hit when I told her our plans. I also took anextra carton or two that we already had. Not wanting to run out, I also asked our Dr. for an extra months worth in the form of a scrip. This he was happy to do.
Take care of yourself when you are on the road. The most spine chilling moment for me of the whole trip was when I found out that a cast on my arm rendered my car insurance void. It's a dreadful feeling being stranded away from home especially when you are trying to give your darling the holiday of a lifetime. I opted not to wear the sling they gave me & to get rolling again as soon as we could. I would be lying if I said it was an easy road, especially with dire warnings of possible future need for surgery ringing in my ears. My rationale was that at least by that time, I would be home & have familiar support systems in place to be able to cope with it. Still, loading & unloading bags & wheelchairs with a bent wing isn't an easy call. Still, pain killers are your friend in that situation. It turns out that according to the Orthopaedics guy that I saw today, I did the right thing. Wearing a sling extends rehabilitation by another 2 to 3 months while you build your arm muscles up again & gain back the movement in your shoulder. Its apparently going to take a couple or three months for it to come right anyway, but at least I can care for Jude properly in the meantime.
One of the first things I did when we got home was put Jude on the scales. We were both shocked to find that she had lost another 10kg & subsequently, she has increased her Fortisip intake to 6 bottles a day. Time will tell if this is enough.
So here we are home again. Jude is happy as a sandboy with a heap of fond memories. I'm sore, hurt in places I didn't know I had from pushing a wheelchair round & absolutely exhausted.. Would I do it all again ? Hell yeah.. Well maybe in about 3 months when I have fully recovered & my arm stops hurting, but yes, with no hesitation at all.
Happiness is a warm bear home safe & sound.. Paddington would like to thank everybody for helping to give his Mum a wonderful holiday & lots of lovely memories.. It is time for a little bear to rest happily for a while now Thx, Bai XXXXXXXXXXXX
To be said in defence of Sherman, he never let us down on the road at all. Even starting first crank after standing in the snow for two days. The only problem we had was blowing a couple of radiator tubes, but to be fair, he waited till we were safely in Dunedin before that happened. I rather think that it was probably righteous indignation taking the form of a very mild protest at what he was being asked to do.
I think that if I was to pack again for a trip like this that I would take a lot less in the way of clothing. Some of the stuff we took didnt even come out of the bags. Soft bags are definitely the way to go as they pack a lot easier. Our system of one carry in, one reserve clothing & a combined bag for woolies worked well. Don't forget to include an empty bag to stow your washing in.
One thing we found is that all Motels now have full wet walkin shower facilities in at least one generally two of their units. don't be scared to ask for them. Motel owners by & large will go a very long way out of their way to make sure things are right for you.
Prescription medicines & specialist foods are a big consideration as well. Make sure you take more than enough. I ran out of my blood pressure tablets while away & it was a bit of a hassle getting them. If you have to do it, allow at least two days for hiccups. Find a friendly chemist in the neighborhood & ask if its OK. Then get his fax number to give to your doctor's receptionist to send it through to. Remember too that if it is repeat medicine, to only order a months worth, as repeats half a country away aren't really a lot of use. For Jude's Fortisip, our Chemist filled a 3 month scrip for us in one hit when I told her our plans. I also took anextra carton or two that we already had. Not wanting to run out, I also asked our Dr. for an extra months worth in the form of a scrip. This he was happy to do.
Take care of yourself when you are on the road. The most spine chilling moment for me of the whole trip was when I found out that a cast on my arm rendered my car insurance void. It's a dreadful feeling being stranded away from home especially when you are trying to give your darling the holiday of a lifetime. I opted not to wear the sling they gave me & to get rolling again as soon as we could. I would be lying if I said it was an easy road, especially with dire warnings of possible future need for surgery ringing in my ears. My rationale was that at least by that time, I would be home & have familiar support systems in place to be able to cope with it. Still, loading & unloading bags & wheelchairs with a bent wing isn't an easy call. Still, pain killers are your friend in that situation. It turns out that according to the Orthopaedics guy that I saw today, I did the right thing. Wearing a sling extends rehabilitation by another 2 to 3 months while you build your arm muscles up again & gain back the movement in your shoulder. Its apparently going to take a couple or three months for it to come right anyway, but at least I can care for Jude properly in the meantime.
One of the first things I did when we got home was put Jude on the scales. We were both shocked to find that she had lost another 10kg & subsequently, she has increased her Fortisip intake to 6 bottles a day. Time will tell if this is enough.
So here we are home again. Jude is happy as a sandboy with a heap of fond memories. I'm sore, hurt in places I didn't know I had from pushing a wheelchair round & absolutely exhausted.. Would I do it all again ? Hell yeah.. Well maybe in about 3 months when I have fully recovered & my arm stops hurting, but yes, with no hesitation at all.
Happiness is a warm bear home safe & sound.. Paddington would like to thank everybody for helping to give his Mum a wonderful holiday & lots of lovely memories.. It is time for a little bear to rest happily for a while now Thx, Bai XXXXXXXXXXXX
Wednesday, October 06, 2010
Head down, Ass Up & Rolling.....
So here we are gassing up somewhere on the Kapiti Coast with a lot of K's in front of us. Shermans last refuelling was at Karamea, on the West Coast, so it was time he was topped up. Sunday morning went very fast, & it was with great reluctance that we parted company with Pete at round 1045 to go & check in for our 1200 crossing. Imagine our joy to see our old friend the Santa Rosa tied up at the wharf.
It didn't take us long get checked in, boarded & snugged down in our cabin in the drivers section. It was a very smooth crossing, the only hassles being the tribes of school kids swarming round yelling & giggling. I couldn't really sleep, but I dont know if it was the noise or just the excitement of setting foot on home turf again. Although the sea was calm, mainly due to a strong southerly wind holding it down it was a stirring trip. I found myself a sheltered spot on the lee side & sat & listened to the wind screaming in the rigging. I wouldn't want to be out in my boat in it.
All too soon & not soon enough, we were driving Sherman out of the cavernous vehicle hold & making our way back up to Silverstream for a welcome reunion with Heather & Robb. You guys rock. You have two wonderful children as well. Give them both a pat on the head from us both & take several for yourselves. We really appreciated everything you did for us.. Paddington wasn't all that certain about Turbo though..
So we left Rob & Heather about 0815 on the Monday morning. Allowing for fuel & comfort stops & the obligatory meal at the Turangi truck stop, we didn't make bad time. We elected to come home via Tokaanu, coming back onto SH1 at Tokoroa. Country roads with no towns & no police patrols.. We made it home by 4.15 pm, which I thought wasn't too shabby. We had texted ahead, so two friends were waiting to help me throw everything in the spare garage & park Sherman up for a well earned rest. The Ginger ninja's were very happy to see us home, didn't stop talking to us for a good half hour. How do I break it gently to them that we are off next weekend as well for Jude's 65th birthday? Oh well I'll (yawn) worry about that (yawn ) in a day or so....
It didn't take us long get checked in, boarded & snugged down in our cabin in the drivers section. It was a very smooth crossing, the only hassles being the tribes of school kids swarming round yelling & giggling. I couldn't really sleep, but I dont know if it was the noise or just the excitement of setting foot on home turf again. Although the sea was calm, mainly due to a strong southerly wind holding it down it was a stirring trip. I found myself a sheltered spot on the lee side & sat & listened to the wind screaming in the rigging. I wouldn't want to be out in my boat in it.
All too soon & not soon enough, we were driving Sherman out of the cavernous vehicle hold & making our way back up to Silverstream for a welcome reunion with Heather & Robb. You guys rock. You have two wonderful children as well. Give them both a pat on the head from us both & take several for yourselves. We really appreciated everything you did for us.. Paddington wasn't all that certain about Turbo though..
So we left Rob & Heather about 0815 on the Monday morning. Allowing for fuel & comfort stops & the obligatory meal at the Turangi truck stop, we didn't make bad time. We elected to come home via Tokaanu, coming back onto SH1 at Tokoroa. Country roads with no towns & no police patrols.. We made it home by 4.15 pm, which I thought wasn't too shabby. We had texted ahead, so two friends were waiting to help me throw everything in the spare garage & park Sherman up for a well earned rest. The Ginger ninja's were very happy to see us home, didn't stop talking to us for a good half hour. How do I break it gently to them that we are off next weekend as well for Jude's 65th birthday? Oh well I'll (yawn) worry about that (yawn ) in a day or so....
Homeward and Outward Bound
It's never easy coming to the realisation that your holiday is coming to a close, although when it has gone on for as long as ours has, there is more than a little yearning for home & familiar beds. Its not easy to leave though when your hosts at a motel are as friendly as old friends, coming out to see you off & taking time out from their busy schedule to talk to you for ten minutes or so, making it very difficult to leave..
However, leave we did, setting a course up the Buller Gorge. There is an almost mystical feeling knowing that you are going to be following a river almost to it's source, wondering what it must have been like for men such as Buller & Brunner who came through on foot, with only Maori tracks to guide them, not knowing how long they would be away or, indeed if they would even survive. By this time, we were feeling more than just a little maxed out when it came to rivers, mountains, stunning views etc., & had more or less decided not to worry about taking any more pictures, but there are always exceptions when you are down south, like this...
A place where the road has literally been carved back into the cliff, because there was no other alternative. Apparently, it is only just high enough for trucks & buses to negotiate safely. Then there is this...
A little island in the middle of the river weighed down under a mass of native bush. One can but only conjecture on the native wildlife living there.
So on we go. It is quite an amazing feeling getting to see places that we learned about in the history books, like Inangahua & Murchison, where there were such devastating earthquakes early on in our short but colourful history. Finally, we reached Richardson, where Jude fulfilled another of her Bucket list things, namely a visit to the Hoglund Glass Studios. Cameras are forbidden there, but you can see their work here . From there, we went into Nelson to look at the museum. Sadly, we got the wrong one. What she didn't tell me at the time was that she wanted to visit the one that had the wearable arts display. Never mind, the place was culturally uplifting anyway. Sadly, we had the only sour part of our trip in Nelson in the form of a verbal dispute over who had more right to a handicapped carspace. Us or a pigmentaciously disadvantaged gentleman in a lowrider Holden. Sorry Bro, you rather lowered the tone of what was otherwise a lovely city.
We were going to stay in Nelson, but a couple of phonecalls assured us of a bed at Peters place in Picton & also a berth on Blue Bridges 12.00 oclock crossing on the Sunday. Onya Blue Bridge, you guys rock when it comes to price, service, flexibility& good old fashioned hospitality. Dont change guys, you are awesome.
So we did the Nelson Picton leg via the Queen Charlotte road. Although it isn't the fastest way of getting there, it enabled me to cross something off MY bucket list, namely a visit to Anakiwa, specifically The Outward Bound School there. I was lucky enough to win a Lions Club sponsorship for a course in 1967. I found it to be a profoundly life changing experience & thoroughly enjoyed it. As luck would have it a new course was starting the day we were there. Course number 558. Mine was course 48.. My how time flies......
My old watch house, although in my time, it was a very small & draughty hut. They now have 4 of these ships cutters instead of the one we had when I went there. Lovely to see them being used & valued on a daily basis. They really are a beautiful craft
Anyway from there, it was on to Pete's place for our last night in the South Island. Cant think of anyone nicer to spend it with. It was lovely to meet you Peter & we enjoyed the hospitality. Thanks mate.
However, leave we did, setting a course up the Buller Gorge. There is an almost mystical feeling knowing that you are going to be following a river almost to it's source, wondering what it must have been like for men such as Buller & Brunner who came through on foot, with only Maori tracks to guide them, not knowing how long they would be away or, indeed if they would even survive. By this time, we were feeling more than just a little maxed out when it came to rivers, mountains, stunning views etc., & had more or less decided not to worry about taking any more pictures, but there are always exceptions when you are down south, like this...
A place where the road has literally been carved back into the cliff, because there was no other alternative. Apparently, it is only just high enough for trucks & buses to negotiate safely. Then there is this...
A little island in the middle of the river weighed down under a mass of native bush. One can but only conjecture on the native wildlife living there.So on we go. It is quite an amazing feeling getting to see places that we learned about in the history books, like Inangahua & Murchison, where there were such devastating earthquakes early on in our short but colourful history. Finally, we reached Richardson, where Jude fulfilled another of her Bucket list things, namely a visit to the Hoglund Glass Studios. Cameras are forbidden there, but you can see their work here . From there, we went into Nelson to look at the museum. Sadly, we got the wrong one. What she didn't tell me at the time was that she wanted to visit the one that had the wearable arts display. Never mind, the place was culturally uplifting anyway. Sadly, we had the only sour part of our trip in Nelson in the form of a verbal dispute over who had more right to a handicapped carspace. Us or a pigmentaciously disadvantaged gentleman in a lowrider Holden. Sorry Bro, you rather lowered the tone of what was otherwise a lovely city.
We were going to stay in Nelson, but a couple of phonecalls assured us of a bed at Peters place in Picton & also a berth on Blue Bridges 12.00 oclock crossing on the Sunday. Onya Blue Bridge, you guys rock when it comes to price, service, flexibility& good old fashioned hospitality. Dont change guys, you are awesome.
So we did the Nelson Picton leg via the Queen Charlotte road. Although it isn't the fastest way of getting there, it enabled me to cross something off MY bucket list, namely a visit to Anakiwa, specifically The Outward Bound School there. I was lucky enough to win a Lions Club sponsorship for a course in 1967. I found it to be a profoundly life changing experience & thoroughly enjoyed it. As luck would have it a new course was starting the day we were there. Course number 558. Mine was course 48.. My how time flies......
My old watch house, although in my time, it was a very small & draughty hut. They now have 4 of these ships cutters instead of the one we had when I went there. Lovely to see them being used & valued on a daily basis. They really are a beautiful craft
Anyway from there, it was on to Pete's place for our last night in the South Island. Cant think of anyone nicer to spend it with. It was lovely to meet you Peter & we enjoyed the hospitality. Thanks mate.
Tuesday, October 05, 2010
So here we are in Westport
The weather seems to be falling into a bit of a pattern. Stunningly beautiful mornings followed by wind & rain in the afternoons. Our intentions for Westport are to go all the way to the end of the road past Karamea, which takes you to the start of the Heaphy Track. Then we were going to go up to Denniston & have a look at the mining relics & the coal mine that has been on fire for years. However, one thing I am learning about the South Island is not to be too ambitious about how much ground you can cover in one day. What looks like a snap on the map invariably turns out to have lots of hills & winding roads involved. Such was the case with Karamea. Its very pretty, but after 50 odd kilometers of narrow winding road up hill & down dale, you can get over it. Not that it isn't pretty, its just that you realise that you don't have any option but to return the same way.
You do however eventually reach the end of the road & believe me the trip is worth it. Aside from the scenery, the look on Jude's face was worth more than all the bad road in New Zealand put together.
Anyway, after all that driving & the fact that it was pelting down with rain as only it can on the Coast, we opted for the warmth of our motel unit. It was creeping on towards 4.00 o'clock anyway. Denniston et al can wait for another day. I think you would need a week to explore the area properly anyway..
You do however eventually reach the end of the road & believe me the trip is worth it. Aside from the scenery, the look on Jude's face was worth more than all the bad road in New Zealand put together.
Anyway, after all that driving & the fact that it was pelting down with rain as only it can on the Coast, we opted for the warmth of our motel unit. It was creeping on towards 4.00 o'clock anyway. Denniston et al can wait for another day. I think you would need a week to explore the area properly anyway..
Monday, October 04, 2010
Onwards, ever onwards
I'm learning as we go. All sorts of things. How tired Jude can get if we aren't off the road by 3.30 4ish so that she can have a snooze when we are booked in to a motel. I'm learning that there is a whole different set of muscles that you bring into play pushing a wheelchair. That it pays to reconnoitre before you go walking somewhere & make sure it is wheelchair friendly. That going sight seeing with a wheelchair is easier if you know how to handle it, not as a complete bunny learning on the job like me. Most importantly, if you put your hand in the wrong place when you're opening one, they bite hard. Another thing learned is that if your partner is too tired, or just plain physically unable to go look at something, bring them back a little keepsake. A rock, a bit of driftwood, or even a hand dipped in the water & rubbed onto a cheek can mean so much. Also meals. If your partner is, like Jude, totally dependent on Fortisip via a PEG tube, don't feel guilty about stopping somewhere for a leisurely lunch. It took a little persuading to get Jude to come with me, but at least she got to taste local delicacies even if it was only a little taste on the end of her finger. It means that you get a decent break from driving too, which is very important.
Greymouth was our next stop of any consequence. After Shanty Town of course. What a wonderful asset this is, providing not only a great tourist attraction, but also employment for local people, who were very helpful, even moving the train so that Jude could take the ride up through the bush.
This desperate pair in the local saloon weren't very cooperative however....
In Greymouth we were quite tickled to find this somewhat realistic piece of concrete sculpture on the foreshore.
Anyway, onwards & upwards as they say. Punakaiki is a good example of doing your homework. I went & checked at the visitors center to find that the circular path at the top has steps on one side of it, so you have to come back the way you went. Doesn't really matter, because you can get right round anyway by going back the way you came.
Anyway, after all this vigorous (on my part anyway) sight seeing, it was a pair of very weary but happy travellers who finally booked in to a motel in Westport for a couple of nights
Greymouth was our next stop of any consequence. After Shanty Town of course. What a wonderful asset this is, providing not only a great tourist attraction, but also employment for local people, who were very helpful, even moving the train so that Jude could take the ride up through the bush.
This desperate pair in the local saloon weren't very cooperative however....
In Greymouth we were quite tickled to find this somewhat realistic piece of concrete sculpture on the foreshore.
Anyway, onwards & upwards as they say. Punakaiki is a good example of doing your homework. I went & checked at the visitors center to find that the circular path at the top has steps on one side of it, so you have to come back the way you went. Doesn't really matter, because you can get right round anyway by going back the way you came.
Anyway, after all this vigorous (on my part anyway) sight seeing, it was a pair of very weary but happy travellers who finally booked in to a motel in Westport for a couple of nights
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Past Haast to Frigid Franz Part 2
So from there, we really didn't have a lot of options but to head north, so we did. It was a slow trip as there was, all the way along regardless of weather, lots of very pretty places to stop & enjoy the view. This was one of them. It was on top of a hill somewhere or other & the whole layby was a dedicated memorial to the surveyors that opened up the coast..
A sure sign of an enlightened local body was these composting toilets at this spot. Our local council wont have a bar of them, which is sad because they really are very environmentally friendly...
After all this excitement, it was nearly an anticlimax to stop for lunch at the salmon farm . I will say that the farm, along with most attractions on the Coast is very wheelchair friendly. It is an absolute pleasure to go to these places & have easy access for a chair & friendly staff that dont talk across or down to folk in wheelchairs. Anyway, we had a lovely lunch there, (Salmon of course..) & were fortunate enough to see our first ever Kotuku, or white heron.
So onward we pressed.This is a beach where , apparently, everyone stops & writes their name on a rock at the side of the road.
So, we did too....
We pressed on...... and on...... and on......... through lots of Beech forest like this...........
Across lots of bridges like this
Until we finally got to here.........
Here being a nice snug motel unit in Franz Josef. We didn't get to see this view until the next morning, as by the time that we got to Franz, it was persisting down rather heavily. Sadly, we didn't get to see either of the glaciers, as The Fox was coyly draped in a heavy layer of mist when we went through, & Franz Josef isn't visible from the road & neither of them are wheelchair friendly at all. It was a very interesting day weather wise though. In the one day we had sunshine, frost, snow, rain , hail, sleet, wind, thunder & lightning. As you can guess, this made for a very interesting day on the road. We were quite glad to snuggle up in a nice warm motel unit for the night & listen to the tumultuous sound of good heavy West Coast rain on the roof.
A sure sign of an enlightened local body was these composting toilets at this spot. Our local council wont have a bar of them, which is sad because they really are very environmentally friendly...
After all this excitement, it was nearly an anticlimax to stop for lunch at the salmon farm . I will say that the farm, along with most attractions on the Coast is very wheelchair friendly. It is an absolute pleasure to go to these places & have easy access for a chair & friendly staff that dont talk across or down to folk in wheelchairs. Anyway, we had a lovely lunch there, (Salmon of course..) & were fortunate enough to see our first ever Kotuku, or white heron.
So onward we pressed.This is a beach where , apparently, everyone stops & writes their name on a rock at the side of the road.
So, we did too....
We pressed on...... and on...... and on......... through lots of Beech forest like this...........
Across lots of bridges like this
Until we finally got to here.........
Here being a nice snug motel unit in Franz Josef. We didn't get to see this view until the next morning, as by the time that we got to Franz, it was persisting down rather heavily. Sadly, we didn't get to see either of the glaciers, as The Fox was coyly draped in a heavy layer of mist when we went through, & Franz Josef isn't visible from the road & neither of them are wheelchair friendly at all. It was a very interesting day weather wise though. In the one day we had sunshine, frost, snow, rain , hail, sleet, wind, thunder & lightning. As you can guess, this made for a very interesting day on the road. We were quite glad to snuggle up in a nice warm motel unit for the night & listen to the tumultuous sound of good heavy West Coast rain on the roof.
Past Haast to Frigid Franz
This was the view I opened the ranchslider on our motel up to in the morning. The lighter bit at the top was golden when I first saw it, but by the time I got the camera, that had gone, but it was still very pretty
So , we loaded Shermy up again & actually headed south. I did actually hope to have a photo of a beautiful wild stag that comes out & wanders around the township of an evening, but he didn't cooperate while we were there. I thought I was the victim of a West Coast legpull till I was shown a photo of him at the back of our motel unit.
Our host at the motel recommended that we go to a place called Neils Beach to watch the local whitebaiters in action so we did...
The pic with Sherman in it is actually looking back along the beach toward dry land. At high tide, all this is under water. It was really great driving out there with the river on one side & breakers coming in & washing round your wheels on the other. Yet another occasion where I was thankful for 4WD. On the way out, Sherman insisted on passing the time of day with one of his Southern Cousins..
After quite a lot more very pretty, very narrow road, we effectively reached the end of the road, a very pretty, very tranquil little place that is steeped in history & derives its living from the crayfish industry.
My little Sweety contemplating the peace & tranquillity at the end of the line
So , we loaded Shermy up again & actually headed south. I did actually hope to have a photo of a beautiful wild stag that comes out & wanders around the township of an evening, but he didn't cooperate while we were there. I thought I was the victim of a West Coast legpull till I was shown a photo of him at the back of our motel unit.Our host at the motel recommended that we go to a place called Neils Beach to watch the local whitebaiters in action so we did...
The pic with Sherman in it is actually looking back along the beach toward dry land. At high tide, all this is under water. It was really great driving out there with the river on one side & breakers coming in & washing round your wheels on the other. Yet another occasion where I was thankful for 4WD. On the way out, Sherman insisted on passing the time of day with one of his Southern Cousins..
After quite a lot more very pretty, very narrow road, we effectively reached the end of the road, a very pretty, very tranquil little place that is steeped in history & derives its living from the crayfish industry.
My little Sweety contemplating the peace & tranquillity at the end of the line
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