Grandad's Trip to Mt Field

Grandad has been hassling all week to go to Mt Field...kept getting out the map and pointing to where he wanted to go, so in spite of some rain this morning (which brought a prolonged bout of what sounded like swearing from Grandad) we set out up the Derwent Valley (he very definitely said hooray when we said we would go anyway). He sits in the front passenger seat and keeps an eye on speed (dont go too fast or slow), what gear you are in and what lane you are in...it is very annoying. Stopped at his friend Ian's place for morning tea and to pick a couple of cases of Ian and Sue's wine (they have a few acres of vines) and then off to Mt Field. Grandad managed to walk most of the 1.3km track to the falls and back but we weren't allowed to hang about afterwards and had to come straight home.

Sue flies home in the morning - looks like I will have to get up VERY EARLY to take her to the airport. I am off home on Tuesday. With luck I will catch up with Ben for one last climb at the gym tomorrow

Dads trip to Tas

My dad has finally come home from hospital after 4 months so I have headed home to help him settle in and help mum for 3 weeks. Dad is doing well, still cant communicate very well but we are seeing small improvements. He can walk all the way along Blackmans Bay beach front (800m - he made us measure it in the car) with a couple of rests and a hot chocolate along the way! The biggest problem is stopping him wandering about...I took him to the tip with me to dipose of a trailer load of rubbish that Kim and Rob had left for me to get rid of - I was driving slowly and carefully and he indicated that I should go faster and do 100 on the highway at which point the trailer came off the towball and we had to pull up (no emergency lane). I got out to fix the trailer and by the time I got round the back of the landcruiser dad was out of the car and heading round to supervise. When we got to the tip he was out of the car as soon as we stopped. Mum tried to leave him in the car while she nipped in to the butchers and she found him trying to get in the door of the butchers as she left. He is a bit of a trial at times!
This is the back end of a seal that hangs around the fish punts in Constitution Dock picking up scraps, something for J and little M who saw him when they were here in January. Both kids a bit miffed that I didnt bring them with me!
Caught up with Ben and Heather - Heather is crewing this Sydney 38 called Asylum and invited me out for an afternoon race this week - if I can get away I am invited out for Saturday morning as well. It was great to be out on the water again after a very long time! Big M is coming over to Tas in september so I will ask Heather if she can go out with them while she is here. I am very stiff and sore, forgot how physical sailing is!