...and the wind howled like a banshee!

Sunday afternoon, and even the most diligent carer (care-giver, as our American cousins say) needs a break, if only for a couple of hours. With Mom just out of the hospital and still suffering with pneumonia, the level of care provided in-home is very intensive ... which tends to wear out the support crew. So, when she takes half an Ativan (Lorazepam) pill with lunch and settles down for a nap, time to leave Mike to hold down the fort, and run.

Objective: a walk in the fresh air, plus coffee.

Destination: Range Road West, top of the ridge above Willunga.

Mission Status: Accomplished! It was only a walk of about two miles, but a lot of it was uphill, the wind was cranking at about thirty miles per hour, and the wind chill dropped the temperature well below zero, so it felt like it was a lot further.

Dave the explorer braves the wind to get phone shots for facebook.

Conditions were mostly dull, overcast, but occasionally the sun broke through. Dave got some great phone shots, swiftly uploaded to his facebook page, and I was busy with the big camera --

Range Road Westis a well-packed dirt road through farmland
above the lovely town of Willunga.

-- while we hiked a hilly mile or so (and the same mile or so coming back) of Range Road West. You had to brace yourself against the buffeting of the wind, which howled like a banshee. It was actually very exhilarating. And when the sun broke through...

Dramatic skies, Irish-green hills, and a view of Willunga from up top.

...the view of Willunga "under the hill" was just beautiful. Got some very nice photos, and some striking memories of a big black bull on the hillside, at the edge of his territory: trumpeting into the wind -- either marking that territory by shouting over it, or "Calling all lady bovines!" What a din ... before he put his nose down and went back to his lunch.

After which, we headed down to Willunga for a quick coffee at the Golden Fleece before making tracks for home. Mom's alarm would be going off just as we got back.

Mission accomplished. One more Sunday afternoon in the life of a care-giver.