General Chat

Evening All,
I feel a bit like the puddy tat in front of me, she has taken to flopping all
over the house in different unusual spots, no energy. Hopefully the next few days will see a change, got to get through tomorrow first. No major news to report, the odd hoon doing donuts and getting caught ( go mobile phones with cameras!!), everyone else taking it easy near water if possible. I am going to take photos of our severely sunburnt garden early tomorrow to send to my UK contacts who are delighting in sending me photos of snowdrifts in their backyards lol Crazy world we have isn't it ! ~~ to all, nite nite, Hz

hello to Eveyone,have you all melted yet lol
Mary comisirations at the loss in the family and with John's legs(fingers crossed he won't need that chair.

Hz they reckon albury to be in the 40's Sat I hope not for your sake.
We are using washing machine water and shower water to keep things going, our lawn is very brown at the mo.

I am really enjoying our new pc although the monitor had to be relaced by dell as it packed up after a couple of days.

~~~~~~~~to all looking in and try to stay cool this weekend,think of all the snow in UK the past week.

cheers sandra in the gong

Hi everyone We have around 33c today but the western suburbs are going up to near the 40c,,glad I live near the coast and get the sea breezes..

Well the funeral is over and it was very sad.. The poor grandies were very upset and in need of lots of cuddles..John just managed to get there as daughter from Cranberry came up with hubby and they very kindly drove us to the church..We couldn't make the afternoon tea as it would be to much for John,So the son and daughter came back to our place for lunch and then headed back to Cranberry and son to work.

Lara Johns legs are no better and I think they are slowly getting worse..Things he did a year ago he cant do now..I see a wheelchair in the future..but don't think about it now..got enough to think about without that...glad Tigers on the up and up..Must be a relief for you..I bet that pool of yours is getting a flogging..lol..remember the days you used to sit in the blow up one and drink champers...them were the good ole days...hee hee hee...

Tone Sorry to hear that your hard drive has blown a fooful valve,,,Is there a competition to win one somewhere..Get Barcode on to it..hee hee

Merle How are you me Charlie...is the knee on the improve..big hugs..

Marie Hope you are coping with the heat..sounds like all our gardens are suffering from the heat and lack of water..I know I am trying to save my pot plants, but it dont look to good..they look awful sick..

Well its a bit of washing as have to change the sheets as we have my brother and wife staying monday night so better get a move on..


Love and hugs to all

Mary xxxx

Good Morning All,
Been a while, very lazy lately, havent even ventured into FH, hence the reason for my visit

Mary, commisserations to daughter and SIL on passing of FIL, a sad time for all

Hi HZ, managing to ward off all that heat you are experiencing down there, few more weeks and we'll be heading down your way again, will great to catch up

Lara, hows the tiger these days, knee not giving him any trouble I hope, getting exciting isnt it, getting closer to our annual yearly get together, have to make sure Rob puts his clubs in so as to show Mike how to swing a golf club...Ha Ha Ha....HI Mike, heee heee

~~~~~~~CG, Marie, Loz, Vonny, and all else peeking in

Shaz xx

Hi Everyone, another hot one to-day,we looked liked getting a storm but it just blew away.
I went and had my hair done to -day it was pleasent having it done. I just love it when they give your head a massage.
After I had that done I went and visited my newest grandchild Keera she had just woken up from her morning sleep she was sitting in a rocker watching the tv, she is only 3 months old and her eyes were glued to the screen she has grown so much she is now making noises when you talk to her, she is also losing her dark hair Nancy said it is all over her sheets .
Nancy has moved her into a cot she has grown so much.
Thanks HZ I thought you were probably by the Mighty Murray,I hope it isnt to long before it is a roaring torrent once more.
Hi Ann is it any cooler in Adelaide today,The weather forcast is very bleak.
Mary you are in for a bad weekend I hope it doesnt reach the Temp. that they are predicting.
Lara pleased to hear from you,yes I am not doing much HW either by the time I come in from the Garden ,then hang out the washing and tidy up,the perspiration is running down my back so I head for the fridge and the cold water then flop into a chair until I cool down.
I didnt sleep well last night so must away to bed and dreamland . Love to you all Marie.

Evening...:>))

Still warm and muggy around Melb. Temps have dropped somewhat, and now the last few days in the mid to low 30s.
Still no rain, except a bit of thunder and lightning we got a few days ago, with a cup full of rain. We raced outside and placed our pot plants around the front and back yard, but the time we got out the last pot plant it ( rain ) stopped....lol

Having probs with my desk top puter, and the mother board has gone to god...and my spare lap top is also at the repair shop............so using daughters lap-top at the moment. Please could ask if no one sends me Emails till i get my desk top fixed, as i cant reply....thanks.

Like others .......we are using washing machine rinse water on our shrubs and bushes to keep them alive till we get a decent rain.
Our excess water tanks are empty, that we collected of the roofing downpipes over winter /spring.
Have been putting a plastic bucket in the shower, when each of us has one, to catch excess water, and stop it going down the drain. Its amazing to see just how quick it fills just taking the average shower, and then using it to pour on plants in garden.

Best wishes to all.


Tony....:>))

hello again from the heat capital of hotstralia

although its was a cool day today only 34..........

its beginning to look like autumn at the moment as many of the trees are shedding leaves in an attempt to stay alive, particularly the plane trees, nearly all my hydrangeas are dead or dying, its not lack of water, secret bath water time, but just the persistent heat ...

speaking of secret bath water, time to empty the buckets before the next round of showers...........

nite all
sleep well

Love June (CG)

hello all
Marie hi we are roasting down here not doing any of the dreaded HW at all butter it will still be there when its not so hot,
I am not washing floors when wet people keep walking in dripping all over it and we are still being deluged in the dust from "The Black Bull" the new golf course just wish they would get on and finish it some one apparently messed up and moved a whole lot of dirt that was a boo boo duh just what we needed now they have to move it all back again house, garage and pool are full of it .

Mary is John ok now or still having probs with his legs ? please pass on our sympathy to you Sil and daughter and grandchildren re the loss of father FIL and Pop ,like I said to Mike all the nice people go to soon .

hello to June and Merle and Vonny Tony and anyone else I've missed ,got to clean up mess from Scrap Booking stuff everywhere Lol bye for now Love Lara

Hi Everyone,
We had a storm, just wonderful it has cooled down considerably,Mary I hope you got some rain today.I had the grand children and my daughter Barbara over for tea, by the time they left it looked like the storm had gone through my house, I love them coming here, really it doesnt take me long to clean up.
Tony and June I really feel for you it is terrible to see your garden burnt by the hot winds hopefully it will rain soon.
Mary so sorry to hear of the loss of your daughters Father-in -Law so sad for his son and the Grandchildren.
My Pumpkins have grown so quickly with the heat they seem to love it, looks like i will get a good crop.
Watched some Parliment to-day I do hope that the billions being poured into the economy does help, it worries me to hear of so many people losing their jobs, homes and business'.well on that sad note I guess i should go, if i had some wine I would have a large glass but alas alack I havent a drop boo hoo and fair thee well me hearties
((((((((((hugs)))))))))))))) TO ONE AND ALLLLLLLLLLL MARIE

Hello everybody,
Well last week was perty Hot Stuff all round! As you have all mentioned,
44 degrees is a whole lot of fun and incompatable with gardens, pets and the occasional husband lol ! I can report that the late evenings and early mornings are quite pleasant - I think everybody in town wIth a pool was in it at 1am various mornings last week!! And of course school has gone back, complete with bookpacks, un-air/c'd classrooms and the frustrations of stifling welcoming assemblies and ceremonies.......

Marie I am in Albury on the mighty Murray river......we still have a river at this end, but as I occasionally report, Dartmouth is 20% and Hume Weir at 18%, nothing to crow about. We are on water restrictions but not too bad, both areas south (Wangaratta) and north (Wagga) have had more rain than us in the past six months, but as Tony says we could all do with a big deluge. When OH talks to his sister in Invercargill NZ all he can hear in the background is Torrential Rain!!

Time to have a shower ( one foot in a bucket - lol - ), night all ~~ Hz

evening all

well it was somewhat cooler today.........only 38,!!! its amazing how much difference 7 degrees can have......although its nearly 8 pm and still 34.

desperately trying to keep the trees alive, the showers have 3 buckets each and we bucket the bath and any other spare water goes onto the trees. have lost at least 2 lavenders and 3 of my biggest hydrangeas and the garden is dotted with all the umbrellas to protect what i can.....abit heart breaking as the garden was just beginning to come together.............

like Tony says we have not had rain since before christmas.....and in Adelaide soil many houses are really beginning to crack open......

maybe you guys up in "sunny" queensland could send alittle our way.......express post please.......

time to wash the dishes (in a bucket!)

nite all
sleep well
love June (CG)

Hi everyone...Well we have survived the HOT and it is to continue for the rest of the week..With no rain in sight.. butter...

Been very busy this week with the grandies here due to the fact our daughter from Orange is down as her father in law has been in hospital and died this afternoon..A nicer man would be hard to find and he was a gentle generous man..They don't know if to go back to Orange and return later in the week for the funeral or stay..It was mainly the kids missing so much school that was worring them as one is in his last year of school so they don't want him to miss to much..A very sad time for all..The children will miss their Pop as he was a much loved Grandad..

Been watching the tennis and don't know how they all survived playing in that heat..I know I wouldn't be able to..The men's final is on at the moment and I am watching it with one eye..


Marie Our kids have wanted us to move nearer them but hubby cant stand the cold.. He even sleeps with a blanket on in the heat we have had lately, while I sleep on top of the covers..I think his condition has a lot to do with it..I would love to live in the country and both daughters ,one in Orange and one in Canberra , think we should move nearer them..hee hee hee..I love the country and hate the city,,but hubby is the reverse..I dont think I could get him out of the city with a barge pole..hee hee hee...

June Glad you are surviving and stay cool..

Tony Thinking of your garden and how it has got burnt in the heat,,Just had a look at my pot plants and they are just surviving,,I am hoping they make it..

Well better go and see who is winning the tennis..Stay cool all, and hope all are well..Merle How is the knee..Do hope it is on the mend..big hugs...

Love Mary xxxxx

Hi Everyone, its stinking hot here to-day
I feell for all who live in Vic and Sth. Aust, and all in Gippsland especially those who have lost their homes, to me it would be heart breaking to lose ones home and all one possessed, very sad.
Hello Lara, Tony,Ann, HZ by the River, which river?June and Hi to Mary in Sydney I hope its not to hot for you to-day.
There are only 2 seasons I like Autumn and Spring if it isnt too Windy.Despite the heat I am feeling a little better and my sleep pattern is inproving.
My native garden is surviving despite the hot winds and high temps it should be compleated by the end of Feb. fingers crossed.The retaining wall for the Azaleas and Rhododendrons should be completed by next weekend then I will add some nice compost to the soil, and in they all will go, luvely.Then I will start prayering that everything survives our harsh winter.
I heard you Mary saying Bring it on, you and hubby might have to locate to Orange its lovely and cold there in winter, I wouldnt advise you to come here as we have many more frosts in winter than Orange,I'm sure your Daughter would love to have you near.
well folks i'm off to find some food then into the watering must do all the pot plants. God Bless , Marie from Bathurst.

Evening...>))

Yes...been a scorcher for Melbourne.Think they are trying to B.B.Q us down here....lol
Broke some kind of 150 year record so we are told. Over 43c for 3-4 consecutive days, and in my neck of the woods it got as high as 45.6c and at one stage my Temp gauge under the outside decking was reading 48.9c and my temp gauge only goes up to 50c.....pmsl........Very unusual for us southerners to get this pattern of heat. Some nights not dropping below 33c at 3am in the morning. Air-cons are on overdrive for Melb and suburbs, and because of excessive power use, over 20 thousand homes were without power, as the power supplys were cut off because of overload on electricity grids. Cant imagine people lighting candles ( on a 45c day ) to see in the dark. Might as well just go to the beach, or visit family living out of Power restriction zone.

Our neighbour isle Tasmania, also copping it big time, and breaking an all time record of 34c during there night time. So very draining weather for us down south..............I love the heat myself, but i also enjoy the cool breeze us Melbournians down south get at night after the heat during the day, and not used to the high humidity that the Queenslanders get...........lol .....Thats why we live down here, and they live up there.....hee hee

What we really need is rain more than anything, and lots of it. ( Water catchment at 20% )
Have not seen one single drop of wet stuff since before Xmas around our area, and hot winds and dry dusty swirling dirt all over our cars and windows and inside the house. Being on severe water restriction dosent help the situation either, and we lost my two bewdiful pride and joy Camelia trees, burnt to a crisp with heat and hot winds......Veggie garden is cactus ( dead ) burnt to a crisp............but it could be worse, and is for some living in the latrobe Valley and Gippsland area ( Bush fires ) Victoria on high fire alert............. Barbs sister ( on Dairy farm in Gippsland ) rang me to say they were on bush fire evacuation alert pending wind direction change, and had removed her horses from paddocks, as they had got a sniff of the fires and were bolting around the fence lines.
We could smell the smoke from a hundred kms away.

Tonight ( Saturday ) we have had a small cool change come through, and temp dropped down to a comfortable 28c...but back up to 36 -38c tomorrow with no rain in sight till next Saturday.

A few years ago i was reading a book about our Victoria Pioneer gold diggers and their familes, during our gold rush era living around hot country Victoria. The book went onto say that for our pioneers finding water in these regions ,was more precious than finding gold. How true.

Think we might move to New Zealand.......where its cool.......lol :>)))

Tony....:>))

Hiya all, just popping in to see what you all been up to . . .
Personally I think the world is spinning faster than ever before . . just can't catch up to myself . . teehee

Glad to see your all surviving in the heat. I dont have any complaints . . hasn't been as hot here as some places, and I love the heat.

Glad to hear things going good for Cassie . . she deserves a break.

TLR is stuck to the tele . . The Bill is on and he has missed it for months, so I am keeping out of his way. I'm just not into any tellie at all.

Keep the grin gear working and stay well . . . and cool

luv Laurie xo

Hello Ann,Lara,Vonny,June, Merl, Hz By the River,Tony If he hasnt melted,Edith In lovely cold Canada, Ian ,Wilson are you there and last but not least Mary from Sydney, Well then "Hows your Bloomin lot".?I feel for you all in Vic with the heat and dreadful Fires thank God for our wonderful giving Volunteers and the Rural Fire Brigade, God Bless them all and I pray that there is no loss of life.
We are doing fine in Bathurst our highest temp has been 37 dgs. I am off on a weeks Bus trip to Victoria on the 18th Feb I hope it is cooler by then. We are going down the Great Ocean Road I havent been back there for at least 20 years, I am looking forward to it, when we lived in Colac I did a lot of day trips in that area it is such a lovely area but very cold in winter that was the only thing i didnt like too many fogs.
Where is Lewella? we miss you Doc. Must be off on my Broom feeling hot and need to do some d.hw Hugs to you all.
Marie from Bathurst.

evening all from the melted capitol of Australia.......................

nothing like trying to set a new record...............no one asked me if i wanted to participate.....hmhmhmhmhmhmhm

well the aircon has done us proud, its been running flat chat for the last 4 days, although its evaporative and does'nt do so well in the extreme heat, however......its certainly better then nothing at all...........

yes Mary i have been at work and driving in the car all day is'nt so bad, at least the aircon in the car works better than the system at the office,

sleeping has been the biggest issue as it has been sooooooooo hot at night, we just came out of the pictures at 11 pm at it is still 34, its hard to function without a good nights sleep....

just went and saw "slum dog millionaire", well worth seeing although quite confronting at times about "real" life in India.......

time for another cold shower........then bed

nite all
sleep well

love June (CG)

hello all,

days going by in a hot haze at the moment!!
Finally got a message through to GR (I hope). Have been having error messages all round at the moment.

Lovely to hear your news, Lara and so glad Tiger is back where he is happiest. :)

lovely to see our visitors also. Sorry to hear such sad news, Mary. Could do with some of your sea breeze here, June in BB :)

hooroo for now,
Vonny

Hi everyone is it hot enough for you all...cant wait for winter as I don't like this heat..I think I am now a winter girl..

How are you all..I hope You are keeping cool Merle and Ron..and poor Tony is virtually melting away..

Just have my daughter from Orange down with family as her husbands father is dying.. Very sad as he is one of the kindest men I have met, and she is lucky to have him for a father in law. All very sad..

Went out to dinner last night with them as it was eldest grandsons birthday..First time I have been out to a restaurant at night for dinner in ages and it was so nice..We had Chinese and it was yummy to,,Best Chinese I have had for a long while..

Hope everyone is well and Merle how is the knee..Hope you are getting along ok with it and no pain..

June Are you working in this heat.. Really feel for you..

Lara I bet you are in the pool ...hee hee hee..

Having a me day today with a bit of washing done..Might do some FH..got a lot of brick walls to try and break down..

Hugs for all

Love Mary xxxx

Morning all,,yyaayyy we had some rain overnight,,,
Lovely to see our Lara is home safe and sound,,and good new about Josh..hope things work out..Glad to see Tiger is back at golf again..bet you are pleased also..hee hee hee...

Ian..Hope you are well and coping with the heat..

June,,, Hope you don't have to work in that heat.. drink lots of water..

Looks like we all had a great Australia day..Thank God for such a lovely country..

Been having a few puta probs but all sorted now,,So lucky to have such a intelligent son who gets me out of trouble all the time as I am not the most intelligent when it comes to putas..

Don'T envy the tennis players in the OZ Open having to play in 40c heat for the next 4 days..bad enough now when it is in the mid 30c's..
Tony Hope Barb takes lots of water with her and a hat..

Well better get some of the dreaded done..butter,,Merle Hope you are still improving...xx

Love Mary xxxxx