How's weather at your place?

Not recent but this is a sample of what we can suddenly get in one day. I bring my rain gear always. Other people were in summer clothing and got properly soaked.
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After 10 mins of soaking, the rain stopped and we had clear skies again.
 
How's the weather at our place, you ask? All over the show!
31 deg C yesterday and a VERY uncomfortably hot night, then at 5am a sudden burst of rain followed by very strong gusts of wind.
All of that's cleared up now and we have a gentle 22 deg C beautiful day for the time being. Who knows what's next ... all 4 seasons
 
Pool was 28 °C today. Went for a swim, and gentle exercise. My frozen shoulder has improved greatly since the injection 8 days ago.

We have a young ringtail possum living in one of the camellias growing near the pool. It's beautiful ... :) .
Sounds like paradise John. I do wish you well, and that your shoulder continues to improve. Is your camellia in flower? If so, post a photo, please.
 
Sounds like paradise John. I do wish you well, and that your shoulder continues to improve. Is your camellia in flower? If so, post a photo, please.
They all finished flowering about a month or so ago IIRC, Charles. And thanks for asking about my shoulder. It's not perfect, but usable, and hugely better than it was.

{RANT ON} I'm so dysfunctional that I am only really active for about 4-6 hours a day, now. Bugger. There have been all sorts of pressing issues that I've had to attend to, and once they were done, I had little energy left for anything else!

Anyway, I've finally upgraded my computer, updated Social Security, helped my wife clear out our spare bedroom, handed over my brother in law's estate stuff to the tax accountant (bloody 6-7 years of my life wasted there), had two cardiac ablations, plus a pacemaker, had our pool fence certified, etc, etc, etc!!

On top of all this, the bloody government decided to change the procedure and qualifications for disabled parking permits, which I have had for about 14 years. If they had taken it away, I may as well have sold my car! Anyway, I've just received a new, fully disabled parking permit, with a five year renewal period (the longest allowed).

The problem is that I LOOK perfectly healthy. Looks can be deceptive ... My heart's electrics are knackered, my lumbar spine is a mess - discs and facet joints, I have osteoporosis and osteoarthritis, and no large intestine (and attendant joys). I cannot walk 100m without resting. None of this is visible ...

Leading to strange looks, and the occasional parking ticket (!!) when I park in disabled parking spots while displaying my disabled parking permit! Several people have actually challenged me directly. Queer looks are a commonplace, making me feel like a criminal.

I have just received my new fully disabled permit. My doctor understands the true extent of my disabilities. He has been my GP for about 12 years now.

Overall, it's been a particularly stressful 6-12 months for me.

{RANT OFF}
 
They all finished flowering about a month or so ago IIRC, Charles. And thanks for asking about my shoulder. It's not perfect, but usable, and hugely better than it was.

{RANT ON} I'm so dysfunctional that I am only really active for about 4-6 hours a day, now. Bugger. There have been all sorts of pressing issues that I've had to attend to, and once they were done, I had little energy left for anything else!

Anyway, I've finally upgraded my computer, updated Social Security, helped my wife clear out our spare bedroom, handed over my brother in law's estate stuff to the tax accountant (bloody 6-7 years of my life wasted there), had two cardiac ablations, plus a pacemaker, had our pool fence certified, etc, etc, etc!!

On top of all this, the bloody government decided to change the procedure and qualifications for disabled parking permits, which I have had for about 14 years. If they had taken it away, I may as well have sold my car! Anyway, I've just received a new, fully disabled parking permit, with a five year renewal period (the longest allowed).

The problem is that I LOOK perfectly healthy. Looks can be deceptive ... My heart's electrics are knackered, my lumbar spine is a mess - discs and facet joints, I have osteoporosis and osteoarthritis, and no large intestine (and attendant joys). I cannot walk 100m without resting. None of this is visible ...

Leading to strange looks, and the occasional parking ticket (!!) when I park in disabled parking spots while displaying my disabled parking permit! Several people have actually challenged me directly. Queer looks are a commonplace, making me feel like a criminal.

I have just received my new fully disabled permit. My doctor understands the true extent of my disabilities. He has been my GP for about 12 years now.

Overall, it's been a particularly stressful 6-12 months for me.

{RANT OFF}
John, I think your fortitude is an example to all of us who suffer the occasional pain or wheeze! Long may you continue to do all the things that you are enjoying doing now.
 
Grey, grey, grey. Only a handful of days with sun for a couple of months now. When we do have sun it's a peak here or there, or just hazy. We had a slight bit the other day, I went out to my 'hide' and shot some birds. Set the ISO down from 8000 to 160. It's been set high for a long time. When I did, I got a warning on the screen. It said: "Wait, are you sure?"
 
John, I think your fortitude is an example to all of us who suffer the occasional pain or wheeze! Long may you continue to do all the things that you are enjoying doing now.
Thanks, Charles.

I consider myself very fortunate. All of my problems have been fixable, at least to some extent.

My brother, and a number of our friends and family, have problems that are not fixable. I feel for them.

Not so many years ago, my heart problems would have been a death sentence. How fortunate am I to live in a time when such miracles as heart valve replacement and cardiac ablations are possible? Just 20 years ago, cardiac ablations were experimental surgery ... They are still so expensive that if you are a public patient, you have little chance of having one done.

My private health insurance costs about AUD 3,800 p.a.
Last year, my insurer paid out about AUD 12,000! This is fairly normal for me.

My pacemaker is remotely monitored by a device beside my bed, which transmits the day's events, in second by second detail, to my Cardiologist and the manufacturer. How close to magic is that?

I take Targin and Valium twice daily for the back and skeletal pain. It gives me about 6 hours of relatively pain free time each day, and usually a decent night's sleep. Being in the pool is just bliss! It is the only time when I have no pain. However, one cannot live in a swimming pool all the time. In winter, the pool heating costs would eventually bankrupt us. At full power, it draws around 7+ kW, plus 500 W for the circulation pump.

And people here are concerned about whether my graphics card is drawing 50 or 100 watts ... Perspective is kind of necessary!

Thanks again for your kind thoughts. Appreciated.
 
Sounds like paradise John. I do wish you well, and that your shoulder continues to improve. Is your camellia in flower? If so, post a photo, please.
Some camellia flowers from previous years.

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E-1_JAK_2008-P8070005_Ew.jpg
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Hope you like them. This year's are still in the camera ... :( .
 
Overcast with lows in the low 40s Fahrenheit turned into clear and cold, with last night's low in the upper 20s. It's in the 30s now. Hoping the cold weather stays dry - we missed the ice storms which hit Seattle right before we moved. I could do without any more of that.
 
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