MONDAY 23 FEBRUARY     HEALESVILLE

The days are getting hotter, again.

We had to go to Windsor today, for John to have six month check on his hip replacement with the surgeon. So combined that with other things around the inner city.

Drove to central Melbourne and parked in a place where we only had to walk a few blocks to get to Michael’s Camera Shop. There, John wanted to have a close up look at a digital camera he is thinking of buying. This is new technology so, of course, he wants to try it!

While in that shop, he bought me Pentax binoculars. Back in 1993, when we got interested in bird identification, we bought a set from a pawnshop in Carnarvon. They were actually quite good, but got drowned when John fell in the Roper River whilst wearing them. So I am really happy to have good new ones. They really work well. Will make bird spotting so much easier.

I bought some special nuts from a city shop as a gift to the people we are dining with tonight.

I find the city quite unpleasant, these days – grubby, frenetic.

To Windsor. The surgeon was quite happy with his handiwork and John’s progress. It is progressing as he expected.  John is to see him again this time next year, when we are back in Melbourne for K’s wedding. Surgeon wants some photos of John doing active things with his new hip.

John bought his new TV aerial – at Radio Parts. It cost $120.

Got diesel at Chirnside Park – 72 cpl.

Bought ourselves some groceries and some beer and wine to take to dinner.

So we went on and had tea with H and R. It was a lovely meal and very pleasant talk, over a range of topics. We hadn’t realized until tonight that they had spent some time living in Alice Springs. R has a computer supply business, so we arranged for him to get John a laptop, digital camera (the one we inspected in the city) and a scanner.

I will be really happy when John has the laptop. He has tended to take over the little, obsolete stock one that I bought before we left, to write letters on. It will be good to be able to use it when I want!

It was a big day out, but I really do not like the city. We drove 170kms.