More Recent Happenings.

Just another Ramble. (A reminder the idea of Rambles was inspired by our primary rambler in this place, none other than dear Sasha down there or up there, from my perspective anyway, in Mekiko.)

I know I have been quiet for a while but I felt that seeing someone wanted me to stick around this place a bit longer, I should update folks on all that has been going on in my life lately.

For quite a while I have enjoyed getting around our city on trains and more recently our new trams in the City of Sydney. After a lot of controversies and ruffled feathers of businesspeople in our CBD or Central Business District, due to the new tram infrastructure taking so long to get going and at blow out budget levels, it finally got up and running mid-December 2019. During the construction and final testing and training of drivers, I made a few trips into "town" to photograph and video all that was going on.

By March 2020, we will have three services running in our city. Circular Quay to Randwick; Central to Dulwich Hill, and lastly, for now, we hope, Circular Quay to Kingsford. Eventually, it is envisaged the Kingsford line will be extended down through Maroubra, along what was originally a great tram service that was removed in 1961. I still remember the old trams. I was 10 when they were taken off, thanks to oil companies and vehicle manufacturers.

My trips into town have also involved some quite long walks, for me anyhow. I think my longest walk has been a little more than 3 kilometres. For someone who never did much walking for years, that is a real achievement. I was so pleased at Christmas in 2018 when my brother-in-law Stuart set up "Strava" on my mobile phone for me. I had bought one of those "wheely" things to run along on my walks with to measure my distances.  It would have been so awkward trying to push that thing along in front of me together with my walking stick and bags I might be carrying. Strava is so much better and more modern technology to make getting a record of my walking so much simpler.

In other rambles, you will have read about my skin cancer adventures. I just had operation number three on skin cancer on my head. I have chosen not to share the picture of my latest "Moon Crater!" If you look in other chapters, you can get an idea of what this one looks like now, but it is a lot worse than the last one. For the next four to six weeks I am to return to the Outpatients' Department Plastics Clinic to have the wound inspected and re-dressed. Unlike the previous Squamous Cell Carcinoma operated on, a graft of skin from one of my legs was not taken to be put over the wound. Instead, they used a disc made of a silver compound called BTM (Biodegradable Temporising Matrix) I have placed a link to an article on it in Author notes.

After the 4 to 6 weeks, I have to go back into hospital for a day to get the wound covered more permanently. At that time another graft will be taken, hopefully from my other leg. I have heard of people having grafts taken from their butts. I would hate that. Very uncomfortable to sit on.

The sad side effect of grafts being taken from my legs is it messes up my outings and walks I have enjoyed for such a long time.  It gets very uncomfortable if I try to walk much. We are hoping they won't find any more skin cancers. Louise reminded me, the other day, it may not only have been my music drawing on the beach as a six-year-old with no head covering that caused these skin cancers. I have written in my autobiography about my one single mountain climbing adventure on the Belougery Split Rock in our Warrumbungles National Park in the '70s, again uncovered on my head on a very hot day in November (remember I am in Australia!) I not only got baked from the reflected sun off the rocks but from the hot sun beating down on me from above.

I do believe Louise was right to remind me of that added occasion that may have been responsible for these skin cancers. I just pray there won't be any more cancers found.