This image was featured on the WA Today news website a few days ago, and well deserved it is. She should be proud. The cyclist is just right. She’s obviously a keen photographer, owning such advanced equipment and more to the point, carrying it with her while out on a walk. Well done.

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Aaah, beautiful weather lately – about 29deg day after day after day. And cool at night, around 12-16deg.

I’m not sure yet, but maybe Sifrol is working to stop my restless legs after all. It will take a fair while to assess whether it works all the time, but I’m having some good nights so far. I forgot to take it until bed time a few nights ago and had to give up and get up about midnight, so maybe that’s the sign of it working or not. Time will tell.

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But I’m still having mattress problems. This AH Beard mattress is atrocious! I almost don’t like going to bed on it. The edges are not supportive and it feels as if there’s a telephone pole down the area I lie on, which means I feel as if I’m rolling off. There’s a constant feeling of slipping to the edge – very disconcerting.

A couple of days ago I phoned the Salvos and asked if they want to take it. “Yes please.” They’ll send a truck and a couple of guys.

I had to say, hold on, I haven’t organised a replacement yet. CHOICE has run an article on what to buy and one of their top winners (it came third) only costs about $350 + $80 transport. Unfortunately I can’t test it in a shop, so I’m running a risk again, but CHOICE rates it as Firm and 100% shape retention. Recommended. I think it’s worth a risk.

So how do I arrange this? Get it delivered, stand it up on edge, call the Salvos and get the existing one taken away, then flop the new one down. Hmmm.

While I’m at it, I think I’ll get them to take my single bed away, bed, mattress, sheets, duvet and all. It’s around 50 years old now, but quite usable and very comfortable, but I don’t need it any more. I had visions of having visitors here, but it hasn’t happened. I’ve still got the king single in the other bedroom anyway.

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I watched the first episode of Bill Bailey’s travel doco on WA on ABC-TV last night, and very enjoyable it was. But strangely low key. Bill is a very funny guy, but there wasn’t a lot of his humour in it. He didn’t seem to have much to say at times. I guess he was just letting the subject speak for itself.

He spent this whole first episode on the south coast, around Albany and Esperance. Boy, I’ve only been to Esperance once, on the way back from a driving trip east in 1978. It just seemed like a nice country town in my memory then, but it’s quite a big place now. Especially the port. It’s a giant grain, iron ore and nickel ore export and ship loading port. Beautiful harbour. Bill went out on a new tug boat and was allowed to do wheelies in the harbour, the two engines independently in opposition so that the boat spun round and round. Good stuff.

I didn’t think they did Albany justice at all. A large part of the segment was of the Shantymen singing in the pub. Where was the vision of the town, and especially from Mt Clarence? They hardly explored the harbour, except for the whaling station. Crumbs, they left so much out.

And for me, Denmark is just as nice as Albany, but they didn’t venture there. Maybe they’ll do it later?

I really liked the program and I’ve kept a recording of it. Crikey, when you think about it, WA is such a vast and spectacular place to cover. Hundreds of places that should feature. Even though I’m a resident native, I’ve only seen the bottom half.

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I finally got the RAC guy out to look at the battery in the Peugeot yesterday. It was dead flat, so that it wouldn’t take a charge from my relatively low powered charger. I was dreading the cost of a new battery, because it’s a big on! About $350 for a new one, I think.

But he said no, it’s just that if they get discharged below about 7V, the charger won’t attempt it. So he jump started the engine (it started first time, easily!) and we left it running, I mean I left it for about an hour. (Phew, diesel fumes!)

I turned it off then and after a few minutes, tried to start it again. Uh oh! “Airbag or seat belt warning fault” message, then flickering displays and complete deadness. Oh oh!

I think the problem was that even though I’d been running the engine, the battery was still very low, so I’ve had it on charge for around 24hrs so far and it appears to be taking the charge. I’ll let it charge for another 24hrs, as I often do with my other cars. Let’s hope.

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The other problem is the tyres on Vera, the Verada. The rears are a definite, have to be replaced. But I’m not sure about the fronts – are they shot? I have trouble getting down low and my eyesight ain’t so good now.

I was going to get the RAC to come out and do the job, but their cheapest tyre is around $154. Ouch! PLUS wheel alignment $70. Hmm, thinkin’ about it.

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Urrrgh, batteries. The Peugeot’s battery seemed to be charging OK yesterday, but it’s stopped with a fault light at 7.5V. Looks like I’m going to have to fork out for a new one.

I needed to go out just now, so I jumped into the trusty Honda. Click. Click. Nothing. Long story short, again a flat battery at 7.5V. Crikey! I must admit I only drive it around once a week. Looks like I’ll have to leave it on charge more often.

So car number three: the Verada. Power steering very sticky. Exercised it many times, driveable. Drove it around the block about six times to test it. Driveable, but I’ve got a stuck brake caliper, so one disc is making noise. tried to free it but no luck. I can still drive it, which I did, but it’ll have to be looked at.

And to cap it all, the battery in the Verada’s key fob remote is dead, so no remote locking/unlocking of the doors.

Crikey, batteries!