Is this Getting older ?

Submitted: Tuesday, Feb 09, 2016 at 13:19
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Pushing later sixties and now fully retired I find that I'm not seeking the hard stuff as much, and interested in your views about whether this is normal.

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The goat track was steep without being silly and being dry I knew I could probably back out although the bush was scraping the car as I went down it.
I was half expecting a tree to be down, and sure enough there it was and right across the track.

Its a while since I recall being trapped and by myself, but no real issue, it just takes a bit of work and the weather was perfect.

The car has all the right bits of gear and in the past I have backed away but this time I wondered if it was worth the effort.

The car was also on a 10 degree side slope and the door fell away as I opened it, and then as I got out to inspect the tree I had to squeeze past the prickly bushes, and an odd scratch is to be expected.

At least I left the car in park and also had the hand brake on (which hasn't always the been case).

The tree was dead and not super heavy and I was able to chain saw it up so that just one 20ft section remained which I figured I could winch/drag backwards up the hill enough, thankful for the 44% reduction gears I had fitted to low range.
With a bit of luck I could then slither past the tree section.

Got the drag chain on, dragged it, all went well, got out of the car to tidy up and couldn't find my chain saw !



I wouldn't have, but maybe I did ?

I looked under the car, sure enough, I had left chainsaw behind the car and by pulling the tree backwards I drove over the chain saw !

But I was blessed and thanks to a 3inch lift the chainsaw was completely untouched.

Still I seemed to be more exhausted than normal, and it wasn't as much fun as I remember, especially when I still couldn't get past and had to then chainsaw a lever and dig around a bit to enable me to lever the log out of the way.

Love my quiet 4800 petrol Patrol and continuing on I had all the windows down just listening to nature glide past.

Then I heard a crashing in the bush.

Stopped and saw the deer ahead, then I let the car glide forward until within about 10m of the deer before it took off (Geez I'm even getting to like this automatic car).

Pictures aren't that clear from my new, but poorer quality carcam, but you can make deer out as a blob between two trees slightly right of centre.





On reviewing this little trip I concluded that the easy touring around, looking at the wildlife part, was more interesting than charging thru a small boghole I encountered and I'm now wondering if I'm dead or is this normal !
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Reply By: Life Member - Fred B (ex-NT) - Tuesday, Feb 09, 2016 at 13:51

Tuesday, Feb 09, 2016 at 13:51
Robin,
I have to agree.... these days some of it is just all too hard. Much easier to travel with some of the "young bucks" who are still gung ho and can do all the hard yakka without batting an eye... Don't tell them I said so though... lol...

So yes, I tend to avoid the harder stuff when I can. If not, then it just takes a bit longer than it used to....
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Follow Up By: Robin Miller - Tuesday, Feb 09, 2016 at 15:47

Tuesday, Feb 09, 2016 at 15:47
I won't tell them you said so Fred , one thing about older is one is wiser and I just tell the kids that its very difficult ahead and with skill they might make it and they charge off while I attach a snatch strap to the front of my car !
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Follow Up By: Robin Miller - Tuesday, Feb 09, 2016 at 15:52

Tuesday, Feb 09, 2016 at 15:52
Hey I just used the edit facility as I left a word out.

As an advocate of "No Edits" all I can say is this limited option seems to be sensible - maybe not all change is bad !
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Follow Up By: vk1dx - Tuesday, Feb 09, 2016 at 17:05

Tuesday, Feb 09, 2016 at 17:05
Isn't the seniors responsibility to supervise!!!

Phil
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Reply By: Roachie Silverado - Tuesday, Feb 09, 2016 at 14:59

Tuesday, Feb 09, 2016 at 14:59
Phew...I thought it was only ME that felt like that!!!

I'm not quite 61 but already I've "graduated" (???) to a big yanky truck and a Bushtracker; so my days of "doing the hard stuff" are well and truly behind me. The Silverado is too wide, long and high to even consider taking it along a lot of tracks I've done in the past, despite its more-than-ample killawasps under the bonnet!!!

I'm now looking forward to doing a lot of the dirt tracks in WA that I've heard so much about (eg: Gibb River Road) in comfort and knowing that at the end of the day I will have a nice comfortable bed waiting to accept my aching frame, without the need to fart around with canvas!!!

I don't mind getting old (it beats the alternative) and I'm not scared of dying either.....but I'd be really p!ssed off if I cark it before I do a lot of the things I've been dreaming of doing for the past 40+ years!!! hahaha

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Follow Up By: Robin Miller - Tuesday, Feb 09, 2016 at 17:35

Tuesday, Feb 09, 2016 at 17:35
I hereby appoint you as a trip leader here Roachie - you can go ahead in your Silverado and this will make sure the track is wide enough for the rest of us !
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Follow Up By: Roachie Silverado - Wednesday, Feb 10, 2016 at 15:24

Wednesday, Feb 10, 2016 at 15:24
All of a sudden I'm feeling rather "used"...... you only want me for the size of my instrument!!! hahaha
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Follow Up By: Robin Miller - Wednesday, Feb 10, 2016 at 17:41

Wednesday, Feb 10, 2016 at 17:41
Better to be loved for the wrong reasons than not be loved at all.
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Follow Up By: Member - MARIC - Sunday, Feb 14, 2016 at 19:30

Sunday, Feb 14, 2016 at 19:30
So Roachie where have you planned the trip for your new responsibilities ????????
Off road caravan suitable of course
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Reply By: Member - wicket - Tuesday, Feb 09, 2016 at 15:24

Tuesday, Feb 09, 2016 at 15:24
Robin, you're suffering from senility, SNAFU ;)
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Follow Up By: Robin Miller - Tuesday, Feb 09, 2016 at 17:43

Tuesday, Feb 09, 2016 at 17:43
Your reply was so long that I forgot what I was suffering from by the time I finished reading it Wicket
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Reply By: Idler Chris - Tuesday, Feb 09, 2016 at 15:47

Tuesday, Feb 09, 2016 at 15:47
Robin, it is normal, but you have to fight it.
Remember growing old is mandatory, growing up is optional.
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Follow Up By: Robin Miller - Tuesday, Feb 09, 2016 at 17:45

Tuesday, Feb 09, 2016 at 17:45
Dam , so I'm certain to grow old , but not sure I'll ever grow up !

Did you post this Chris , or did my wife discover your logon ?
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Reply By: MUZBRY- Life member(Vic) - Tuesday, Feb 09, 2016 at 15:54

Tuesday, Feb 09, 2016 at 15:54
Gday
I am finding things a bit harder than five years ago. Getting out and about is not my problem, its getting out of the car to set up camp and cook for my sons and grand son. Laying down under the car to make sure all is ok is no problem, the problem starts when i have to stand up again .
Anyway, we all get on and we all change , i think we all get arthritus and sore knees, i'm at the stage where lots of little things are a drag.
Such is life , we are all getting older and slower.
What we need is a grandpa trip , somewhere easy and a good spot for a bbq and breakfast , a few tubes and not many tyres to pump up.
Ill work on it for you realy old fellas .
How sad is that.....
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Follow Up By: Robin Miller - Tuesday, Feb 09, 2016 at 19:20

Tuesday, Feb 09, 2016 at 19:20
Hey Muz , I'm easier to cook for than your mob , all you have to do is slash a few lettuce leaves.

Hence you will have more time to take things slower !

I do however find some things hard to accept , I no longer have any tyre sets bigger than 33" , I like your idea of a tourist trip though !
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Reply By: Jackolux - Tuesday, Feb 09, 2016 at 16:15

Tuesday, Feb 09, 2016 at 16:15
Yep its normal , but like IC said you do have to fight it at times .

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Follow Up By: Robin Miller - Tuesday, Feb 09, 2016 at 19:23

Tuesday, Feb 09, 2016 at 19:23
Well if thats what we have to do then lets make it a good fight - at least we can then lose with honour Jack.
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Reply By: vk1dx - Tuesday, Feb 09, 2016 at 17:03

Tuesday, Feb 09, 2016 at 17:03
Robin, Robin, Robin. My words as well "I seemed to be more exhausted than normal"

Good story mate.

Phil
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Follow Up By: Robin Miller - Tuesday, Feb 09, 2016 at 20:45

Tuesday, Feb 09, 2016 at 20:45
Hi Phil

At least we got exhausted , I would hate to have to say we never did !
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Reply By: pop2jocem - Tuesday, Feb 09, 2016 at 17:12

Tuesday, Feb 09, 2016 at 17:12
Robin,

I'm going to go with normal. Otherwise I am going to have to admit all my get up and go has gotten up and went....LOL.

Even getting the bonnet up, the wheels off and crawling under my aging method of transport is rapidly loosing it's appeal.

And that's in the shed at home. I shudder at the thought of doing anything more complex out in the bush than fixing a flat tyre. Having been a diesel mech in a previous life I reckon enough is enough.

Just as a matter of interest, you know how dog years are about equal to 7 human years, or thereabouts. What is the factor for calculating the years of a 4WD? After reading in another forum about how mobile phone towers and other sources of strong electromagnetic radiation can stop the remotes from opening the doors of some modern cars, I am constantly looking for any excuses to keep my old Cruiser. Unfortunately the old girl seems to be developing age related characteristics the same as her owner (:-((.

Cheers
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Follow Up By: Robin Miller - Tuesday, Feb 09, 2016 at 20:57

Tuesday, Feb 09, 2016 at 20:57
I suppose there is a time when one simply has to realize that its getting to hard to fix everything yourself and accept that many things can't be fixed in the bush and making sure you have phone signal or communications to where ever you are is the most important support tool to have Pop.

I have several friends who still run 60 series or GQ patrols and we have always been able to limp home , but the world is changing and there is a time to embrace the changes.

I figure the time is when you can't lift the spare wheel onto the back of the Patrol , but the first time that happened I chickened out and got smaller wheels instead !
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Reply By: Member - Boobook - Tuesday, Feb 09, 2016 at 18:12

Tuesday, Feb 09, 2016 at 18:12
Ah yeah, my chainsaw's handle is being held together with some cloth tape from when I drove off with it still on my rear bar. Probably not OH&S compliant but it is as sturdy as ever.

Where were you at the time Robin? There seems to be a lot of dry timber on the ground.
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Follow Up By: Robin Miller - Tuesday, Feb 09, 2016 at 21:05

Tuesday, Feb 09, 2016 at 21:05
I still can't believe I did that BooBook , and then can't believe that it cleared the cars underside.

Seems I was a little luckier than you but something tells me we both will have more rounds to go.

Took those photo's yesterday on my own tracks near Alexandra (Vic) , and yep there's lots of fuel and its all very dry and it was seven years, 2 days ago, from when those fires took so much of our shire apart with so much loss of life.
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Follow Up By: Member - Boobook - Wednesday, Feb 10, 2016 at 06:21

Wednesday, Feb 10, 2016 at 06:21
Nice Backyard Robin.
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Reply By: Member - Barnray (NSW) - Tuesday, Feb 09, 2016 at 20:36

Tuesday, Feb 09, 2016 at 20:36
Bailing Hay fixing mowers fitting gas systems putting out tractor fires thrashing corn moving cattle feeding calves on the bucket and showing the Grandkids how it's done yep that was the last 4 weeks. 63y and feeling the corn thrashing for the last 2 weeks. and it was a holiday at the Mates farm. barnray
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Follow Up By: Robin Miller - Tuesday, Feb 09, 2016 at 21:08

Tuesday, Feb 09, 2016 at 21:08
And I thought a holiday was sitting by the pool with eyes on the girls and a Bacardi and coke in the hand !
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Follow Up By: J&A&KK - Tuesday, Feb 09, 2016 at 21:47

Tuesday, Feb 09, 2016 at 21:47
Just watching the girls being the fact
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Reply By: Bob Y. - Qld - Wednesday, Feb 10, 2016 at 16:27

Wednesday, Feb 10, 2016 at 16:27
Yeah Robin, sounds pretty normal. :-)

Am about your age, hit the big 70 mid-year, and was a little concerned sometime back about this.......err, slowing down.

My days are like this. Awake(well, that's a plus!!!), walk the dogs, have breakfast, check EO etc and the work begins. Search everywhere for one's enthusiasm and by then it's lunch time. Nanna nap, and mid-afternoon it's time pick up the mail. Depending on how many folk one meets, I'm home in time to feed the dogs, and head inside to find something to drink.

Crikey, it's been a busy day................

But occasionally, I get a phone call, and next day I'm off to NT for 2 days, in a truck. That makes me "think" I'm still, umm, not so old.

Keep at it, Robin. You might need another desert trip?

Bob

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Follow Up By: Robin Miller - Wednesday, Feb 10, 2016 at 17:48

Wednesday, Feb 10, 2016 at 17:48
I like the sound of being off to NT for a couple of days.

Spend a lot of time here keeping my various tracks open Bob, but I'm starting to notice that after every storm its taking longer each time - but I'm not ready to admit I'm slowing down and just blame it all on global warming causing bigger storms.
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Follow Up By: 9900Eagle - Wednesday, Feb 10, 2016 at 18:20

Wednesday, Feb 10, 2016 at 18:20
Bob, I see the moths have turned up in Winton to get into your wallet but have the green stink beetles arrived to chew on anything that moves. LOL.

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Follow Up By: Idler Chris - Wednesday, Feb 10, 2016 at 20:09

Wednesday, Feb 10, 2016 at 20:09
A bit of lateral thinking Robin, Put up a trip around your place for all and sundry, and on the day appoint the guy/girl with the biggest chainsaw as the trip leader. Viola - tracks all cleared. It would be a good idea to put on a barbie and a few frothies and you will get them all back the following year.
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Follow Up By: Bob Y. - Qld - Wednesday, Feb 10, 2016 at 21:23

Wednesday, Feb 10, 2016 at 21:23
Robin,

I think you might need a front end loader, and leave the chain saw for cutting firewood.

A moderate sized loader, with aircon & heated cab, can clear your roads, touch up creek crossings, retrieve bogged vehicles and, to justify the expense to the young folk, you can construct a motor cross course for them. And good exercise climbing up & down, into the cab.

Slow,

Been a few Lavender Beetles about, but not in any numbers. Moths seem to be in plagues though. Left my sedan close to a floodlight, for a couple of days, at Longreach airport recently..........vacuumed the last of them out of the bodywork this morning. :-)

Good idea Chris. And we could all bring home a load of firewood!

Bob

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Follow Up By: Idler Chris - Wednesday, Feb 10, 2016 at 21:46

Wednesday, Feb 10, 2016 at 21:46
Robin, What you may not realise is that these feelings of "not seeking the hard stuff" is a serious illness which you must fight with all your might. I think Bob is onto to something here, what you need is a new toy, a new BIG toy. A good loader would keep you out of mischief for a few years and be great therapy. What you do is tell Anne that you are concerned about the increasing bushfire threat and that you need a loader with a bucket and stick rake to cleanup around the place to keep her safe.
EO is such a good website, mates helping mates.
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Follow Up By: Robin Miller - Thursday, Feb 11, 2016 at 16:33

Thursday, Feb 11, 2016 at 16:33
Some good suggestions there guys especially the machinery , I have made tracks with nothing more than a mattock and chainsaw but they get shorter every year !

On the trip front , I actually do that every year around march april , and happy to do so again if we get a couple of takers.
Actually this could be the first year we might consider going during the week.

Normally though its on a saturday and we are 2hrs north of melbourne so we can do a non-threatening day trip even.

I think its coffee club time next week so we can sought something out maybe.
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Reply By: The Rambler( W.A.) - Thursday, Feb 11, 2016 at 16:19

Thursday, Feb 11, 2016 at 16:19
Robin,
As said we all slow up a bit as we get older but never give in to it and keep going as mich as you can.I retired at 61 and travelled all around Aus. in my Pioneer camper trailer including Cape York (3 times) ,Varilya pt.,Cape Melville, Gibbs River rd(many times) ,around Tasmania,Tanami and gt.central rd to name a few.I am 75 now and I still travel to the N.Territoty every year on my own to hunt(feral pigs and buffalo) for 2-3 months.I still enjoy every minute even though the old bones feel it at times.My advice is to think young and go for it.
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Follow Up By: Robin Miller - Thursday, Feb 11, 2016 at 16:37

Thursday, Feb 11, 2016 at 16:37
You make retirement sound good Rambler , and you can be sure I will keep at it ,but I don't think I'd be able to stay out for a couple of months as you do, good stuff !
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