AUTUMNAL SCORCHER

FRIDAY 5th MARCH

 The weather was great today clear blue skies and the temperature around 30 degrees.  Both Robert and Jeannette were at home today, Robert because of the political shenanigans at Star Track and Jeannette because of her dad's accident. After taking Reilly for his walk, I kept out of the way outside as Robert hoovered and cleaned and Jeannette busied herself in the kitchen.  I started compiling my fifth source CD for Charly of 1961 UK hits. Juan went in to have his arm set this morning at 8.00am and he was back in the ward ready for visitors by late morning.  Jeannette went to pick up her mother and Rob and I followed around midday.

  Juan is in the Nepean Hospital in Penrith (named after an adjacent river I believe), and it is a large modern hospital, so large that Robert had to ask the way to the North Wing when we got there.  Dita, Jeannette, Charlene and Sam were already there when we arrived.  Juan was located in a ward of four people adjacent to the windows, his arm in plastered suspended from a sling attached to a free standing support.  He seemed in reasonably good spirits.  I asked him if he had been trying to learn to fly.  He is on a drip feed and whilst we were there a nurse came round with his pain killers and gave him instructions on what to take if he started feeling pain.  He thanked us for coming, which in the circs was the least we could do.  Robert volunteered to do any pruning that might be necessary during Juan's incapacity.

  From Penrith we motored up to Eastwood, and Robert left me at the gaff whilst he went off to sort several matters out.  I did some more work for Charly and continued with David Baldacci's The Camel Club.  We then drove over to the North Epping Bowling Club which is situated just round the corner from Spud's house

and naturally he is a member there.He was there with Dougie playing the pokies, and duly signed us in. They finished up winning $100 between them. Dougie's boss Gareth was also expected and duly turned up shortly afterwards.  I felt quite young there as the majority of the patrons were well into their seventies if not eighties!  Present company excluded of course.  We had three drinks before moving on to Carlingford, where we got some Chinese take-away, and Robert went outside with Nick to practise basketball.  Jane had caught a cold, apparently there are all sorts of illness going through the school at present, so maybe she is lucky not to have caught chickenpox and got nits as well!  We left about 9pm with Jane obviously ready for bed, and Nick needing an early night as he has a basketball match at 8.30am in the morning.  Robert and I adjourned to the Eastwood Hotel for a nightcap or three, in my case Chardonnay.  We returned to the gaff at midnight and watched a comedy DVD and I left Robert engrossed in Facebook and went to bed.