Burning Desire For FIRE

Financially Independent, Retired Early(ish) at 57.

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Wednesday W’s #119.

November 6, 2024 / / 5 Comments

What’s top of my mind: The Ligas will be here in a week!

Yes, I have one short week to get my shit together for the Crazy Road Trip, which astonishes me. This trip was in the future for so long – how could it suddenly be almost in the present?

I’m finishing off a quilt for Liga’s daughter, then I have to pack, buy provisions and work out how to bring as many library books as I can for the third leg of my holiday. I’ll talk about this more below, but anyone who has travelled in the outback and Queensland and outer NSW – I’ll be interested in any tips you may have.

I’ve decided to do a BIG road trip.

Where I’m going: to the ‘back o’ Bourke!’

Younger and overseas readers may not know the expression ‘back o’ Bourke.’ Bourke is a town in far western New South Wales which used to stand on the edge of nothingness. If you went to the back of Bourke – there’s nothing there.

I’ve decided that I’ll stay there for 2 nights on my individual crazy road trip. Apparently times have changed and there’s a lot to do and see there now.

Where I’ve been: the VW dealership.

Two weeks ago, my trusty little Golf’s air conditioning packed up. It was blowing hot air on the driver and cold air everywhere else. NOT ideal for a road trip to Uluru in November!

That’s now fixed. I had her serviced and vacuumed as well. She’s ready for the drive of her life!

What I’m reading:

The Housemaid I enjoyed this one.

I really loved ‘Slow Horses’ on AppleTV, so I’ve ordered the series of books by Mick Herron and I’m working my way through them. I’m still waiting for the first one to get to the library, but I have books 2 and 3 here, so I polished off Dead Lions a couple of days ago. I’m excited that there are 8 in the series – they’re very well-written.

What I’m watching:

River Cottage Australia and Last Week Tonight on Binge.

Ru Paul’s Drag Race Down Under and True Detective on Stan.

The Block on channel 9. Auction day on Sunday, just before I leave. Woo hoo!

What I’m listening to: The Zombies list on Spotify.

I found another good list to bop along to!

What I’m eating: Anything that’s in the house.

Once I’m gone, Georgia will have full access, so I’m eating and drinking the good stuff before I go. Is that wrong?

What I’m planning: Here’s the itinerary for the next 3 weeks…

November 12 – 20: Melbourne; Healesville Sanctuary: Mornington Peninsula; Great Ocean Road; The Grampians; Adelaide; Port Augusta; Coober Pedy and Uluru.

This is with Liga and Liga. It’s an action-packed itinerary and I don’t think they have any idea about just how much ground we’ll be travelling.

Once I drop them off at Uluru, I stay a night with them, then I’ll be heading off. Here’s what I’m thinking at the moment. Anyone who has done this trip before – I’d love your thoughts!

November 21: Uluru to the Devil’s Marbles Hotel. (850 km and 9 hours drive.)

I’ll probably be too tired to go and see the Devil’s Marbles when I get there, but I’ll definitely start the morning off with a viewing!

November 22: Devils Marbles Hotel to Barkley Homestead. (500 km and 5 hours drive.)

(After 2 really long driving days, – Coober Pedy to Uluru is an 8 hour drive – I thought I should have a couple of shorter days.)

November 23: Barkley Homestead to Mt Isa. (450 km and 4.5 hours drive.)

November 24: Mt Isa to Winton. (470 km and 5 hours drive.)

In the morning I thought I could do a mine tour at Mt Isa. After all, when am I ever likely to be in a mine again?

November 25: Winton to Charleville (700 km and 7.5 hours drive.)

November 26: Charleville to Bourke (453 km and 5 hours drive.)

November 27: Bourke.

There’s a paddle Steamer on the Darling River, Fred Hollows’ grave, a historical homestead and lots of bushwalks. Two nights here sounds great.

November 28: Maybe Griffith???? (524 km and 5.5 hours drive.)

It’s halfway between Bourke and Lake Crackenback Resort, which is where I need to end up. I don’t know that there’s much to see at Griffith though. Still, I could probably catch up on blog posts or start one of those books I’ll be taking.

November 29: Griffith??? to Lake Crackenback. (454 km and 6 hours drive.)

I have a week booked here from my timeshare. I have an inkling that I’ll be pretty tired from all of the racing around, so I plan to read lots of books and do pretty mundane things while I’m here. I’m going to take the chairlift to the top of Mt Kosciuszko, which is Australia’s tallest mountain.

Plenty of naps will also be happening as well.

So what do you think? Is my solo drive doable? Is there anything that is a “must-see” along the way?

Who deserves a thumbs-up: Scout.

She’s gradually getting used to being an only dog. I’m still not sure how she’ll take the long absence, but it’s something she has to get used to. Next year I’ve booked 16 weeks away…

What has made me smile: the girl who bought Jeffrey’s Cardisure tablets.

I had 9 packets of Jeff’s heart tablets left after he died. I bought them from an online animal pharmacy company because they are miles cheaper than buying them from the vet. I knocked even more from the price I paid and put them on Marketplace, thinking that someone would come across them and know that they have an absolute BARGAIN on their hands.

This happened this morning. A young girl turned up to buy them, overcome with how much money she was going to save. Her vet makes her pay for a blood test every 6 months for a 15.5-year-old dog, PUS paying $90 for a phone call afterwards to discuss the results.

Yikes!

I had a magnet on my fridge with the details of my vet on it. I gave it to her, telling her that switching from her vet to mine would be worth the drive.

Dad Joke of the Day:

Little Advenures #22: October 2024 Clarice Beckett.

November 2, 2024 / / 0 Comments

When I woke on October 31st, I realised I’d run out of month for October’s Little Adventure, so I had to move quickly. After breakfast, I set off for Ballarat, where there was a Clarice Beckett exhibition.

Seeing as it’s around 2 weeks before I set off on the Ligas’ Crazy Road Trip, I thought it was worthwhile taking a 2 hour (each way) drive the day before I get my trusty Golf serviced. I loaded up my podcasts and my water, and off I went.

Clarice Beckett was a woman who was pretty much thwarted by the societal expectations of her day. She spent her adult life caring for her elderly parents and died at the age of 48, after painting the sea in a storm at Beaumaris and catching pneumonia.

She was only able to paint in the early mornings or evenings on most days, as the rest of her time was spent running the household as the spinster daughter.

She had a portable easel that she’d wheel around after her, and she’d set it up and paint what was directly in front of her. She’d squint, to make the objects and landscapes appear blurred, as she was most interested in exploring the tonal aspects of what she was painting.

She had a few exhibitions when she was alive, but then interest in her work faded away for decades.

This one reminded me of a Monet painting that I saw when I was in Paris back in 2015. I bought a print and it hangs in my sewing room.

Russell Crowe is a huge collector of her work. But does she fill up MY cup?

The answer is, not really. Most of her paintings are just too smeary and misty, but I like the ones I’ve shown you.

Dad joke of the day:

Wednesday W’s #118.

October 30, 2024 / / 6 Comments

What’s top of my mind:

I’ve drawn a blank.

Where I’m going: To China in May.

Blogless Sandy and I are going for a 12 day trip. May was looking pretty bare, but now I’m going somewhere. It was a spur-of-the-moment decision. I saw a great deal and we were both free to take it.

Retirement has its perks. I think I have around 13 trips booked between now and the start of next October. I hope you like travel posts!

Where I’ve been: The local footy oval.

This morning, after dropping Georgia’s car off to get new tyres, I took Scout for a walk. To her annoyance, we didn’t go to the beach, but she was ecstatic when I started to throw the ball for her as we walked around the oval.

No one else was there and it was lovely. Scout was so tired that we had to take a couple of little rests on the way home. She’s getting older…

What I’m reading:

No One Saw a Thing – Andrea Mara: This was a terrific read. Two little girls get on a train and the door closes before their Mum can get on. Only one child gets off…

Hide and Seek – Andrea Mara Another cracking read. I demolished this in a day.

Intermezzo – Sally Rooney This one was very different. Told in a much slower, far more contemplative pace, this is the story of two very different brothers and their lives after their father’s death. It was very good.

What I’m watching: Thou Shalt Not Steal – on Stan.

I saw this promoted, but wasn’t drawn to it until I heard an interview by the director when I was driving. I decided to give it a go and I’m glad I did. The episodes are only around 20 minutes long, and the beautifully shot scenery is all where I was back in September, and where I’ll be in a couple of weeks. (Coober Pedy.)

It’s a slapstick kind of story, but after a few eps you really get into it. I particularly liked the lead, Robyn, played by Sherry-Lee Watson. She doesn’t say much, but her eyes are wonderfully expressive. It also has Noah Tayor and Miranda Otto. Definitely worth a watch.

What I’m listening to: ABC Radio.

Who knew that it was so interesting?

For the last couple of road trips, I’ve accidentally left my iPad at home so I couldn’t listen to my podcasts. The best interview I heard was one with Stephen Fry, which I had to cut short when I got to Mum’s place.

There’s been a huge variety of people getting interviewed. It’s been fun.

But now I’m back to the pods. ‘Bronwen’ has a new episode out.

What I’m eating: Cauliflower Cheese.

It’s Georgia’s favourite dinner.

What I’m planning: Ligas’ Crazy Road Trip.

This starts in a couple of weeks. I’ve almost decided to extend the trip when I drop them off at Uluru and fill in the 9 days between the end of this trip and the start of my Snowy Mountains trip by turning left instead of right and wending my way up and across the middle of the country.

We’ll see.

Who deserves a ‘thumbs-up’: ME.

Georgia’s car developed a problem with the power steering and she had to take it to Holden to fix it. While it was there, they quoted her 1K to replace all of the tyres. I got her to cancel that part of the job and I took her to a tyre place in Cheltenham.

Only two tyres needed replacing, so she walked away with a bill for $350 (including wheel alignment) instead of 1K.

What has made me smile: The Real Estate people who came to give the house an estimate.

Two days ago, two people from Jellis Craig popped in to have a look at the place. Now, we all know that this is The Best House in Melbourne, but who knows what other people who know the market think of it?

They LOVED it. I got an estimated price that I was happy with and they were so complimentary about what I’ve done with the place. They especially liked Scout.

I’ve done all of the renovations to make this place suit ME down to the ground, but it’s nice when people who see houses all the time are appreciative of the vision.

It makes me smile every time I think of it.

Dad joke of the day:

The unstructured retirement.

October 23, 2024 / / 12 Comments

Yesterday I took Scout down to the beach. We’ve been avoiding it since she had a lump removed from her back a week ago, but it’s healing nicely and her little jacket hides it away from the sand.

We arrived around 10:30, just when the classes at my old work would crowd through the halls for recess. My view was far nicer, and so were the smells. Hormonal year 8 boy smell is no joke.

My unstructured retirement plan is working nicely.

By ‘unstructured’ I mean that I’ve deliberately avoided putting regular things in my schedule when I’m at home. I don’t belong to any clubs or classes, I don’t have a regular café meet-up on a Monday… that sort of thing. I deliberately keep my days as free as possible, so that I have the freedom to wake up each morning and choose how I’m going to spend my time.

Maybe this freedom wouldn’t work for everyone, but teachers’ lives are STRUCTURED, with every minute accounted for as soon as we set foot through the gates each day. When I was there, the periods were 48 minutes long. Every minute was accounted for, with the bells punctuating each day. It’s very regimented.

Now? After decades of this, I’m loving how the days slip like pearls through my fingers.

It’s worth all of those years where I worked hard and watched every penny, scrimping to keep the mortgage on a downward trajectory. The years where I taught and did Thermonix and raised my four children were BUSY, but now I feel I’ve earned the right to be lazy.

Some days, it’s enough that I start and finish a book. I’ll indulge my natural laziness. Other days, I’ll be out in the garden all afternoon, working to try and ensure that we grow the maximum amount of food we can.

Pretty much every day, I do what I FEEL like doing. It’s not a bad way to live a life.

As an aside, I really tried to stop aiming for the maximum amount of crops this year, as I’ll be travelling so much next year when everything is ready to be harvested. I only bought 3 tomato plants, instead of trying to cram a thousand of them into the garden beds. Then I was given 8 tiny tomato seedlings from someone at Walking Group. It seems to be my destiny to grow tomatoes by the tonne.

When I say I’m naturally lazy, I’m not really joking. My default position is sitting on a couch, with a book in my hand. The years of working, where the important parts of my life were crammed around work, now seem like a dream. I’m able to rate my productivity in actions that advance my happiness, rather than in the number of grammar tests and essays marked.

At the end of each day, I spend a minute or so checking in on how I feel about the day just gone. I’ve learned that I like to feel productive, though of course ‘productive’ is a term that can mean many things.

Did I write a blog post?

Did I go out and socialise?

Did I create something?

Did I chase a vacuum cleaner around?

Did I book another holiday? (Haha!) I have to pay for Iceland today. Such a hard life…

Did I do something out in the garden/do the shopping/go to Bunnings?

A day when I feel that I’ve advanced in making my surroundings more how I want them to be, are the days when I smile and feel a warm glow of satisfaction. Something done in the house, the garden or the sewing room – whatever that ‘something’ may be – counts toward moving forward to the life I want to live.

I enjoy the unstructured life I’m creating when I’m at home. It’s especially sweet when I mix it up with the travel I’m planning. There’s such a contrast! I’m not doing slow travel – maybe I’ll save that for when I’m older. My travel is all go! go! go! I want to see ALL the places EVERY day!

Who knows? Maybe, as retirement goes on, I might gradually start to fill my weeks with activities. I already have the walking group each Thursday, which is the only commitment I feel ready for. I see Mum and Dad once or twice a week and talk to them most nights for a few minutes. Living with Scout and Georgia gives my days a loose rhythm. Everything and everyone else happens when it happens. That’s all I need right now.

People sometimes worry that they won’t be able to fill their days once they retire, so they keep working out of fear of being bored, even when they have enough money to pull the pin. This is such a shame, because boredom doesn’t happen once you’re free.

The freedom and ownership of your time is the key.

I don’t feel bored. Ever.

It’s because I have the freedom to stop and start any activity I choose. So if I’m doing something… say – reading a book – and I start to get a bit tired of doing this, I have the freedom to stop it, get up off the couch and do something else. I’m not bound by anyone else’s timetable. So I might grab the lead and take Scout for a walk. I might pop out to the garden and do a bit of weeding. I might call a friend for a chat.

And when I get a bit tired of doing that, I have the freedom to go and do something else right away. I have complete ownership of my time. Any activity I choose to do is because I want to do it. It’s such a different way to look at your time, instead of being in a job.

Total freedom is the greatest gift that you can give yourself. It’s precious and wonderful.

It’s worth working towards.

Dad Joke of the Day:

Wednesday W’s #117.

October 16, 2024 / / 2 Comments

What’s top of my mind: Vet bills are expensive.

Last Friday I dropped little Scout off at the vet to get her teeth cleaned.

When I have dogs going under anaesthetic, I like to get as much done while they’re under as possible, so I also asked for her toenails to be cut and a warty thing on her back to be removed.

It turned out that she needed 4 teeth removed, poor baby. The bill was $1,040.

Ouch.

The idea is that this is a pre-emptive strike against her having bigger problems down the track. Also, now that she’s an only dog, I can give her a bone without causing a fight. Clean teeth and sweet breath for the win!

Where I’m going: Back to Mum and Dad’s later this week.

I had a quiet chat with my parents a few days ago and we’ve agreed that the time has come when I’ll start to oversee their financial affairs more closely. It was a conversation I was on tenterhooks to start, but to my relief it went very well.

The last thing Mum wants is to start to learn about all things financial in her mid-80’s and Dad can see the logic in having someone else helping with the day-to-day running of their finances.

My sister and I are in constant communication about everything relating to their health and well-being, so I’m hopeful that this next stage of their lives will run smoothly.

Where I’ve been: Bunnings.

It seems that every time I host a get-together, I feel the need to go somewhere the day before and drop a couple of hundred dollars on plants to make the place look nice. Last weekend was no exception.

It was fun, though, and now I have pretty plants and flowers to look at.

What I’m reading: Liz Nugent.

‘Our Little Cruelties’ and ‘Lying in Wait’ are the two books I’ve read since falling in love with ‘Strange Sally Diamond’ a few weeks ago.

I tell you what though – after reading these novels, I’m starting to get a bit concerned about the upbringing Liz Nugent had! Haha!

I really enjoyed them and want to read more of her work, but don’t read them if you need a happy, uplifting story full of puppies and kittens.

What I’m watching: A luxury travel show on Binge.

I’m hoping to get ideas for new places to travel to in my two years of crazy travel. Not the hotels, which look insanely expensive, but the countries. The funny thing is that the show is sponsored by Silversea, which is the cruise company Megan and I went to Alaska with.

What I’m listening to: Joan Armatrading on Spotify.

I clicked on a suggested playlist of Joan Armatrading, which alternates her songs with other people’s. I’m enjoying it. I saw her in concert when I was at Uni and I love her voice.

It’s amazing how many lyrics I can still remember.

What I’m eating: Leftovers from the party.

The best part about hosting a large gathering, apart from having the excuse to buy lots of plants, is the leftovers.

I didn’t have to cook for two days.

What I’m planning: A Little Adventure.

I suddenly realised that I don’t have a Little Adventure planned for October. November is DEFINITELY taken care of, what with the Ligas’ Crazy Road Trip, but I have a couple of weeks to get out there and go/see something new.

I have a couple of ideas.

Who deserves a ‘thumbs-up’: Dad.

Dad’s entering a scary stage in life, where he is realising that he has to relinquish control of things and start letting his daughters take over the reins. He’s handling it – not perfectly! – but much better than I thought he might.

I hope I haven’t jinxed us by writing this down!

What has made me smile: The number at the end of this ‘Wednesday W’s’ post.

I got the idea from Urspo’s blog. He’s been doing them for years and I thought I’d have a crack as well. Considering that I don’t do them when I travel, and there are 52 weeks in a year, I guess I can say that I’VE been doing them for years, too.

I like that these days, they’re a little slice of what it’s like to have a very unstructured retirement. I’m writing this at 10:14 AM, sitting on the couch in my pjs, having had my morning coffee but still to have breakfast. I’ve done my 3 morning puzzles and fed Scout, so I haven’t been totally lazy…

Dad Joke of the Day:

Wednesday W’s #116.

October 9, 2024 / / 1 Comment

(I was reading yesterday and the room was a bit chilly, so Georgia took this photo of Scout and me, cuddling up.)

What’s top of my mind: It’s a beautiful sunny day!

What am I going to do with it?

This is the wonderful thing about being retired. After decades of having every minute of my working day scheduled, I deeply cherish this total freedom. Yesterday Scout and I walked to the library to return some books. We took the pram and she rode most of the way like a queen, after she refused to move when she realised we were heading AWAY from the beach, not towards it.

I came home and started a book. A few hours later, I finished it. Then I ducked out to beautify myself by getting a haircut. All in all – not a bad day.

Once I finish this post, I’ll have breakfast and take Scout and her ball to the beach. Then we’ll see what the rest of the day feels like.

Where I’m going: To lunch and to a comedy show in the city tonight.

Haha! Just after I typed that last sentence I remembered that today already has plans! Evan28 has been teaching a show for one of his friends for a few months now, which has taken him to LA and London. Tonight they’re performing in Melbourne so I’m off to hear my boy work his magic.

I said to him that I was coming to see ‘his show’ and he said, “You’re going to be very disappointed when you realise I’m never on stage!”

“I’ll be the only audience member facing the back!” I replied.

Where I’ve been: A funeral.

A long-term friend lost their son a couple of weeks ago.

No one should have to bury their child.

(This is what I could see from my angle!)

What I’m reading: Someone in the Attic – Andrea Mara

I went into this one with low expectations – I think it was because of the title. But most of the books I’m now reading are coming from recommendations from literary Twitter or from friends, so this must be one of them.

I read this book in one sitting. Something about it hooked me in. My library owns 3 or 4 more that she’s written, so I’ve reserved them all.

What I’m watching: Junk tv.

I’m watching a melange of The Block, Love is Blind and RuPaul’s Drag Race.

I apologise for nothing.

What I’m listening to: Birds.

My house is very quiet in the mornings now that Jeff’s gone. His snoring used to be pretty much the only thing I’d hear.

What I’m eating: WHATEVER I WANT!

Georgia’s going to Adelaide for a Super Smash Melee tourney for a few days, so I’ll be home alone. I can run wild and free, baby!

What I’m planning: A big family gathering on Saturday.

I wanted to get my kids all together after I got back from my trip, but in true Frogdancer fashion, I left it until I got back to try and find a time that suited everyone. A month later – we’re here and it happens to be Mum’s 84th birthday.

So it’s now turned into a birthday party for her. She and Dad are still pretty knocked around from covid so fingers crossed they’ll feel well enough to come. Just about everyone from my family and my sister’s family will be here, regardless.

It’ll be fun.

Who deserves a ‘thumbs-up’: My sister.

Kate suggested that I buy some chew treats for Scout and only give them to her when I’m going out, and to take them away as soon as I get home. Yesterday I left to have a haircut, so I gave Scout a braided kangaroo sinew. Georgia reported that she only gave one little howl, then there was silence. The kangaroo sinew is nearly all gone.

Next is the goat antler with marrow…

What has made me smile: Georgia.

She hosted a tourney here on Sunday and it ran like a dream. All of the tech was running smoothly, her friends were just lovely and the back of the house was filled with talking and laughing for hours.

It was a real treat to see her in her element.

Dad Joke of the Day:

Wednesday W’s #115.

October 2, 2024 / / 6 Comments

What’s top of my mind: My parents.

No sooner has Jeffrey shuffled off this mortal coil than my parents start needing more help. First off, the day after I visited them on Saturday, they come down with Covid. This is the first time they’ve had it.

Dad hasn’t been well for a while. He’s been losing weight, he doesn’t feel like eating and he’s been fatigued. Turns out he has dehydrated kidneys and was hospitalised on Sunday night. This created a dilemma.

Normally, if Dad was going to be away for a while, I’d scoop Mum up and take her to my place to stay in the guest room. But she has Covid. So, with a degree of trepidation, my sister and I decided to leave her at her place. She was adamant that she could look after herself, so I went down on Monday, masked up (even though I might have already caught it from them) and sorted through what she needs, etc.

Meanwhile, Dad’s in the Alfred, which is 10 minutes walk away from where Tom32 works, so he’s been popping in at lunchtimes to check on him.

Where I’m going: Mum’s.

Scout is beginning to discover that there’s advantages to being an only dog, especially if you’re pint-sized. I took her with me on Saturday and Mum and Dad made a big fuss of her.

Ordinary household tasks are sometimes difficult for Mum, as she has rheumatoid arthritis. She mentioned last night that her kitchen bin is beginning to stink and she put the rubbish bag out on the back verandah. It’s going to be a warm day, so I’ll drive down and get rid of it for her.

Where I’ve been: Costco.

Going from 3 dogs down to 1 very small dog means that I probably won’t be buying a huge 20KG bag of dried food from Costco anymore. Scout has 30g of dried food a day! But I’ll still buy the raw meat patties for her.

What I’m reading:

I adore the ‘Thursday Murder Cliub’ novels and so when his new one came out, I placed a hold on it at the library as fast as I could type. Finally, my time has come!

Strange Sally Diamond – Nugent. I loved this novel! I spent a whole day reading it and I’ve sinve borrowed a couple more of her books from the library.

What I’m watching: The Umbrella Academy on Netflix.

I finished the finale last night. No spoilers – but I loved the way it ended up.

What I’m listening to: The wind chimes from Kangaroo Island.

These drive Georgia crazy, but I love them. They’re big, so when it’s TOO windy I put a rubber band around them for the sake of the neighbours. It’s on the cusp of being that windy today, but I’m enjoying listening to them before Georgia gets up.

What I’m eating: Chicken from Costco.

You can’t go past their $7 roast chooks. We’ve had chicken for dinner the last 2 nights and today I’m going to make a chicken soup from the carcas. Along with some home-made bread rolls, it’ll be delish!

What I’m planning: My next holiday.

The next trip is the Ligas’ Crazy Road Trip, from my place to Uluru. When I was away in Alice Springs, a woman from the School of the Air suggested that I extend my trip to cover more of the Northern Territory and Queensland, angling back down to the Snowy Mountains where I’ve booked a week at the end of November.

The complicating factor is Scout.

She has never been on her own since the moment she was born. She has always has a dog or a human with her. Now that she’s the only dog, she howls whenever I leave the house – even if Georgia is at home.

Obviously, we have to wean her off the Glory That Is Me. She’ll need to adjust be being by herself at times. Fortunately, Georgia ia home for most of the time, so from now until the Ligas get here, I’ll be popping out for longer intervals to get her acclimatised.

I’m not sure if I should go away for a full month or not. Two weeks, a few days home and then a week??? I haven’t decided yet.

Who deserves a ‘thumbs-up’: Mum.

She’s been alone in the house for two and a half days and has discovered that she can do much more for herself than we all thought. Apart from things like reaching the last toilet roll, (Dad put it on a shelf too high for her to reach, so I had to make a mercy dash with a couple of spare rolls) and the light near the bed being too high for her to reach,(she got up and found a torch to use instead when she needed the loo in the ‘wee’ hours), she’s managing remarkably well.

Dad should be home in the next day or two, and by then she’ll be getting over Covid and will be very glad to see him again. But she seems to be finding this time very empowering.

This shot is from Saturday, when I smuggled her a Turkish Delight. While Dad and I were doin something on the computer in the back roo, she was quietly enjoying.

What has made me smile: My garden.

I’ve stacked it full of flowers and they’re making the most of Spring.

Dad Joke of the Day:

Jeffrey.

September 29, 2024 / / 14 Comments

I was lucky enough to have one and a half weeks with my boy after I got home from my trip. The vet put him on antibiotics and steroids, but they only made a minimal difference. He was on his way out.

Jeffrey and Poppy were litter brother and sister. We got Poppy from her breeder when she was 8 weeks old, after our old girl Molly, a tricolour Cavalier, died. We had a rescue old man Cavalier called Bertie and we hoped that having a puppy in the house would perk him up, but he was having none of it. Poppy, always a very intelligent girl (for a Cavalier) was bored with him. So I rang Jenny, the breeder and asked if she had a sister for Pops.

“No, but Poppy’s litter brother was returned a few days ago,” she said. “He was intended to be a stud dog in Sydney but he’s still missing a testicle.”

He came home with us a day later. They were 6 months old. Given his soft, sweet nature, living in a breeder’s kennels wouldn’t have suited him much. That missing ball was the luckiest thing that ever happened to him. An added bonus was that Bertie gained a new lease on life. Can’t have another rooster in the henhouse! Haha!

A funny little habit he picked up from then was that for the first couple of months, he was very anxious every time we went for a walk, possibly because he was afraid he’d be moving house again. Every time we came home, he’d jump on top of the couch to cuddle me and ‘thank’ me for coming home again. Over time that morphed into a ‘thank-you’ for the walk. On his last day, he still did this.

Jeffrey – named after Jeff Probst on ‘Survivor’ – was a very pretty boy and moved like an absolute dream, which as a former breeder meant a lot to me. Once you know the breed standard, it’s hard to ignore anything not up to scratch. He floated over the ground.

One thing he knew how to do very well though, was to love. Specifically, to love me. If I was home, he HAD to be either beside me or at the very least in direct eye contact with me. If he woke up and I’d moved, he’d go on patrol throughout the entire property until he found me.

Even on his last day, when I sat on the other couch, he jumped down and then up on the other couch to sit beside me.

Whenever I left, he’d position himself along the back of the couch where he could see from the window and he’d wait for the click of the gate or the sound of the car. He’d stay there for hours.

The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is a breed you buy when you want something happy with everyone – man, woman or beast. A dog who is content to be with you and is happy to do whatever you want to do.

A walk? Fantastic!

Sit on the couch and read a book all day? Terrific!

Go in the car for an adventure? Wonderful!

This was Jeffrey all over. A soft, sweet boy who was happiest when he was with me.

These photos are all taken on his last day. I went to the ballet with Jenna on Tuesday night and had dinner with her and Evan28. I said to him, “You have to come and say goodbye to Jeff tomorrow. He won’t be around when we have our family get-together in a couple of weeks.”

This shocked him and he came around in the afternoon. Thank goodness he did.

Jeff was having a good day, but that night he wasn’t great. He was bewildered and couldn’t rest, and at one stage we were on my bed and he turned, locked eyes with me and gave me ‘that’ look. Every dog owner who’s had an old dog knows what I’m talking about. I looked right back at him and said, “Ok, baby. I’ve got you.”

The appointment was for 6 pm the next day. The next morning we went to the beach so he could smell all the smells for the last time.

He rode there in his pram. As soon as I lifted him out of it, he lifted his leg on the pram, which made me laugh.

He pranced for about a metre in his old way, then stopped. It was too much trouble. Scout was busy chasing the ball and having dips in the sea, while Jeffrey just stood beside me and sniffed the breeze.

It was hard to get a good photo of him because whenever I moved away to get a shot of him, he’d come and sit within an inch of me.

Here he is, looking at his Mum.

We slowly walked to the foothills, where he indeed smelled all the smells and got some seaweed in his hair, then after a while I loaded him back in the pram and we walked home.

As I said, he thanked me one last time. It looks as if he’s smiling in this shot, but he was really trying to breathe easily.

We spent the afternoon on the couch, where he tried to settle. He couldn’t get properly to sleep all afternoon. Interestingly, Scout, who was never happy with Jeff cosying up to her, allowed him to be next to her for hours.

Davd31 came after work and we went to the vet together, while Georgia stayed with Scout. Apparently, Scout howled non-stop while we were gone. Georgia was a wreck by the time we got home.

Jeff had a beautiful death. He simply lay on the vet’s table and didn’t move, while I sang his silly song to him and talked to him as he drifted away. I said to David31, “Honestly, I’m relieved to see him at rest. He was so tired by the end of the day.”

We brought him home, lay him down so that Scout could sniff him and realise what had happened, then we buried him in the orchard next to his sister. He’s as close to Poppy as we could get. I sprinkled some poppy seeds over the top, so if any escape the birds, they’ll both have flowers to mark where they are.

I’ve owned Cavaliers for 41 years. I bought Poppy and Jeff’s great-great-great-great-grandmother when I was 20 and I’ve owned all the generations in between.

Jeffrey has been an occasionally exasperating dog – he was as dumb as a box of bricks – but he’s been an easy-going, loving boy who I’ll miss dreadfully. Scout isn’t a velcro dog. How will I be able to sit on the couch without a Cavalier glued to my side?

I feel so glad that he waited for me to come home and we had nearly two weeks together. All the boys came and said their goodbyes and he knew he was loved.

You were a good boy, Jeff. A very good boy.

Days 14 and 15: The Ghan/Uluru/Darwin. The sunset cruise in Darwin and a race home to see my boy.

September 28, 2024 / / 1 Comment

I woke up incredibly anxious to get home. The reason was that when we came back into internet range yesterday afternoon, I had 10 missed calls from Tom32 and Georgia, and there was this message in the family group chat from Tom32:

“Hey guys, So Jeff is on his last legs. He’s been bleeding from the nose overnight and his breathing has gotten worse. We’ve decided to hold off taking him to the vet until Monday, to either see if he makes a recovery or to give a chance for people to say goodbye. He’s still in his Jeff state, just slower.”

When I read that, I burst into tears on the bus. I couldn’t believe that it was happening AGAIN. It was a Friday. I’d be home on Sunday evening. I messaged Georgia and got more information. Jeff wasn’t in a good way.

As luck would have it, one of the people I’d been hanging around with on the tour (the guy with thongs on his feet) was a vet, so I had a quick consult with him. We agreed that we should leave it until I got home, as it was only 2 days.

In the morning, I asked Georgia to get my dressing gown for Jeff to lie on. It turned out to re-energise him. As soon as he smelled it, he jumped up and went on a full patrol through the house, looking for me. Georgia said, “Clearly, he thinks that life’s not worth living without you!”

I just wanted to get home to my little man. But I had a day of Darwin to get through first.

I decided that I’d go to the art gallery. After trying to walk for half an hour in 40C heat, I gave up and waited for the bus. I found that they’re both air-conditioned and free!

“Palipalintia 2024 – This painting depicts Palipalintja, a swamp and rockhole site west of Jupiter Well. During Ancestral times, a large group of Tingari men
camped here before continuing their travels east, passing through Wala Wala, Kiwirrkura and then north-east to Tarkul and Lake Mackay.
The lines in this painting depict the sandhillsin the area in which the Tingari men travelled. The Tingari song-cycle is a closely guarded secret, but in general the Tingari are a group of Ancestral Beings who travelled over vast stretches of the Country, performing rituals andcreating and shaping particular sites.”

“The golden gilded framing of ‘An Australian Landscape’ by Shannon Brett satirically romanticises a brutal honesty about race relations in this country. This photograph captures an ambiguous asphalt roadside defaced with racist taunts and symbols. Rather than discussing the idyllic countryside in the background, this work captures the violence in the Australian psyche which Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people encounter daily. “

Crocodile trap!

While waiting for the bus back to the hotel, I was chatting to a woman who was waiting for an Uber. She and her husband were travelling with a woman I’d seen earlier, who was in a wheelchair with her right leg stuck straight out.

They were 3 days into their trip when she’d fallen on a walk and wrenched her knee really badly. She’ll need surgery when she gets back home. It brought home why the guides kept insisting on safety when we were leaping all over places like Kings Canyon and Ubirr.

Accidents really do happen.

At around 5:30 PM, we made our way to the harbour cruise. I was put on the ‘singles table’ at the back of the boat, which turned out to be a pretty good place to take photos from.

Here’s how the sunset progressed:

Once the sun disappeared, I thought the show was over…

It is something that I’m glad I’ve done. It was spectacular.

The next day I was at the airport way earlier than I needed to be. I wasn’t going to miss my flight home! I had a little boy who was waiting for his Mum.

However I wasn’t too happy to see the difference in temperatures from Darwin to Melbourne. I had to pull apart all of my packing in my carry-on to unearth a woolly jumper and a scarf for when I landed.

Funny thing, I slept right through the whole flight from Darwin to Melbourne. In my head, it’s only like an hour long!

I walked through the door to see two little dogs (and a daughter) who were incredible glad to see me.

Scout wouldn’t stop barking for 10 minutes, while Jeffrey was jumping up on me and racing around, wagging his tail. His breathing was heavier than usual, though.

I said to Georgia, “I believe you. The true test will come tomorrow, when his little doggie brain goes back to life being normal again.”

Though Georgia showed me where Jeff had been sleeping. The blood stains were pretty bad. I don’t blame Tom32 and Georgia for being upset. However, I put a sheet over the top of my bed to protect my quilt and we snuggled in for the night.

I’m so happy that Jeffrey is here for me to come home to. It would have been very hard to bear a repeat of what happened with Poppy on my last holiday.

He’s a good boy.

Dad Joke of the Day:

Day 13: The Ghan/Uluru/Darwin. Part 3- When Frogdancer goes for a swim!

September 27, 2024 / / 0 Comments

It’s funny how when you plan a holiday, it’s always swimming tantalisingly in the future. When you finally take it, it’s over in the blink of an eye.

So it is with this one. This is our last full day.

We stopped for morning tea at a roadhouse, where we saw some interesting number plates.

We also saw some pig hunters stocking up.

I loved the dogs! Zoom in on the cage on the truck. They were so excited to be off.

Quite. few of the roadhouses have pet crocodiles. Apparently, it’s a Territorian’s right to own a crocodile. You need a permit, so for $90 you can buy a crocodile and keep it as a pet. If you live in a city, you can only keep it until it reaches 1 metre in length, but out in the countryside you can keep it forever.

Screenshot

When we were back on the bus, I thought I’d check that app I was experimenting with. Polarsteps. It tracks everywhere you go.

Look at this trip! I’ve certainly covered some ground.

Look! Another fire.

And as we drove past, I just managed to catch the Whistling Kites hunting for mice.

We passed by a lot of mango farms. Each mango is picked by hand. The people who do it are a mix of backpackers looking to extend their visas by doing farm work, and men from the Pacific Islands.

We drove into Litchfield National Park. The waterfalls never stop flowing here. They’re all spring-fed, unlike the ones at Kakadu.

After lunch, we headed for Wangi Falls, where we could swim if we wanted to. When someone asked about crocodiles, Pascal said that the rangers come out after the Wet season and only open the waterfalls after 21 straight days of ‘no crocodile’ sightings. Then they check them weekly.

Ah, it should be alright! What’s the worst that could happen, right?

So beautiful.

It was absolutely lovely. There were lots of people there but it didn’t sound like it at all. Everyone was so relaxed and happy. People were swimming or walking on the boardwalk.

The last time I wore my bathers was when I did the Polar Plunge in Antarctica. I read the itinerary before I left so I knew there was a possible swim on offer. I packed my bathers, so this was the time to use them.

Dammit. When am I ever going to be here again? I was going to do it!

It was MAGNIFICENT. The water was 29C. It was a natural hot spring.

I stayed in there for ages. At first, I thought I couldn’t touch the bottom, but halfway along towards the cliffs there was a sandbank. Normal-sized people could stand there comfortably. By balancing on my toes like a ballerina, I was able to stay there and have a lovely chat with a couple who are travelling around Australia in a caravan for a year.

This is an experience I’ll remember. The surroundings were so beautiful, the water was the perfect temperature and I revelled in it.

We watched a guy climb high up the cliffs, then when he looked down he seemed to have cold feet. He stayed looking at the water below for ages.

“The thing is,” said my new friend the caravanner, “I was talking to a paramedic here. People get injured at these sites and they don’t stop to consider how long they’re going to have to lie there and wait for pain relief.”

“Oh my god!” I said. “I’ve never thought of that.”

“Yeah, it’s not like there’s a doctor’s surgery and a chemist just up the road, is it?” he said. “They sometimes have to wait for hours for an ambulance or helicopter to make it in.”

As we were talking, the guy gathered his courage and jumped. No paramedics were needed.

One thing we were warned about was the monitor lizard that lives in the park.

“Don’t leave food in your bag or he’ll rip it apart looking for it,” Pascal said.

When I finished my swim, people from the bus had moved my bag away from him, but I got back in time to see his head in one of my boots.

Our next stop was Florence Falls, which was very pretty.

Our next stop was the termite mounds.

These are called magnetic termites, as they angle their mounds to true north.

The other type is the Cathedral termites. One-third of the mound is above ground.

Termites carry their eggs on their heads, like cockroaches. Soldiers defend the mound from predators like birds, goannas and even other termites.

Queens live for around 50 – 70 years. As long as she’s alive, the mound lives. When the queen dies, the other termites die off and then the mound is up for grabs.

And suddenly we were driving into Darwin and the Kakadu tour was over. Sadly, I left my broad-brimmed hat on the bus, which annoyed me no end when I realised. Dinner wasn’t included, so after 2 weeks of gourmet meals, I wandered down to Coles and bought a salad and some wine.

Back to reality!

Tomorrow I have a free day in Darwin before our sunset Darwin Harbour cruise.

Dad Joke of the Day:

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