Australia

[Doc Vernon]

Was always told it was a woman’s tipple together with a hot bath for doing self abortions. Apart from an excuse to go with the tonic for the fight against malaria. Sailed with a chief engineer ex RN who would never have any water with it as had caught dysentery in Malta during the war , and apparently there were quite a few deaths to it due to bad water supply, something you never hear about. Would be partial to a pink one any time of the day or night . Cheers JS

Its not the Gin JS , its the Tonic Water with the Quinine that helps with the Mossies and Malaria, in all those Hot Tropical Climates in Africa! The Gin is just an excuse to indulge ! LOL
Tonic Water is also so good for Leg Cramps. But bitter by itself so i guess the Gin helps!

[j.sabourn]

I never used to be a spirit drinker Vernon but found as get older it goes down easier when can afford it. There are various myths about various drinks , but one myth I believe to be true , if you have ever have anything to do with alkcoholics , a good friend of mine now dead was such, he tried to cover this up, when he sailed with me I knew his condition and used to take the bottle off him and sit with a couple of beers with him. He drank Vodka which is hard to detect on the breath. He told me this himself. Most seamen who drank heavy did mainly for the same reasons as anyone else, could be family problems , medical problems, or just sheer boredom or just to ease stress to try and forget. I have been under stress at various times , and did try to test the theory but fortuanetly or unfortuanetly as the case would be I spewed it all up before could get to the state of oblivion. I still enjoy a tipple but a certain relieve valve cuts in when the pointer goes into the red. Otherwise I could of been a member of the " non so pure as the purified Club". Cheers wont say mud in your eye as might put Des off his beer. JS

[Des Taff Jenkins]

John, I sailed with an alcoholic on the NZ coast, when we were on a trip across the Tasman he used to buy a crate of beer pop the tops on all the bottles and drink it flat. never failed in his duties, though he was always on day work.
Des

- - - Updated - - -

#30 Exactly Des, mostly small ones but yuck!

We lived in the worst street in the Blue mountains for funnel web spiders, in ten years we saw about five.
Des

[happy daze john in oz]

Yes John my barometer is set corrcetly and along with the movement of ants is far more reliable than some of the weather men.
AS to Gin, got the habit from my grand mother i think, always had a couple of bottle son the kitchen dresser when I was a couple of years younger.

But as to the weather, apparently the low pressure system moved off shore at a rate of knots so no real bad stuff, well apart from the state gov that is.

[Doc Vernon]

Been here 11 Years now Des and not yet seen one in our Yard anyway. A few Slithering Creatures though! But just chased them off into the Bush!
After the third i put wire Snake Mesh up, well it goes under the Ground and then up to half the Height of the existing Wire Fence we have at the rear. Works well as have not had another in the Yard since!
Cheers

But now with all this wet Weather and soon the Sun will be out, that is when one has to keep an Eye out for all sorts!
Love living in these here Blue Mountains! Its Gods own !
Cheers

[j.sabourn]

Do you check the toilet bowl at frequent intervals Vernon.? We had frogs up ours once, one good thing though they say is, if you have frogs you don’t have snakes, probably because most snakes eat frogs. If they do any repairs on the deep sewage system that’s when they get in or that was the excuse we received . JS
PS A frog trying to gain his freedom via such method is much more slippery to catch plus the French blood they are supposed to have makes them very hard to catch ,still better than snakes . Hopefully they weren’t cane toads JS

[j.sabourn]

#36 you’ve got the one with the bad back haven’t you. You remember the old saying with someone with a humpy back and how he got it ? He fits the description now. Is he still on full pay and subsistence ? JS

[rogermajor]

it was actually western Australia that was overrun with mice Lou

[rogermajor]

I also have dreams from my merchant navy days

[Doc Vernon]

See you situated in Cape Town , what part!
I come from the Gardens originally, my Sister lives in Melkbos. and my Niece as well , near thee in a Golf Estate!
Her Hubby runs a Bike Business! (Motor Bikes that is ) and is a former Champion.
Cheers