Nera's mum and sister are reaching the end of their 3-month holiday in Tasmania and we met up with them today for afternoon tea at the Launceston Gorge. It is a truly amazing place and the local council has spent some money recently turning it into a must-see attraction.
The suspension bridge and the rhododendron gardens have always been an attraction and the number of peacocks which roam around. There is also a beautiful swimming pool, surrounded by lawns, but the council has now added a terrific playground for kids, barbecues and an inclinator to help oldies move between the Carpark, and the lower level where all the good bits are.
For visitors from the Philippines, it is gob-smacking.
We were walking between the restaurant on one side of the gorge to the other, when we noticed a fellow with a walking stick coming towards us. I happened to have my stick with me as well; the man caught sight of it and recognised a fellow-sufferer. He was obviously struggling and his speech was very difficult but I worked out that he was from Ballina, had recently had a heart operation and was now equipped with a pig's valve. Everything had come through the DVA. He had worked out that my problem was associated with a stroke. We chatted for a while, shook hands and he moved on.
It's clear I've reached a particular stage in my life when people see me in a particular light.. no longer the upwardly-mobile young professional, I am now the poor old bugger who will be grateful for a friendly word to brighten his day. Bah, humbug!
I'm struggling with a slow-motion cold at the moment. It started about 8 days ago with a tickle in the throat. The sniffles began about Thursday, and the streaming eyes came upon me this morning. Once upon a time, I could deal with a cold in just a few days but now it's a three-ring circus, with no end in sight.
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