What happened in July

It is getting near to the last day in July. I am lying in bed on a lazy Sunday morning, drinking tea and watching the clouds go by. Harry is down in the garage trying to find some screws. He came in with my cup of tea in hand sat on the bed and broke it. Yes you read correctly. A big snap, crackle and pop. As I lie here I am beginning to slide towards the left end of the bed. No doubt there will be orders to leave soon. But not before I have finished my cup of tea!!

I am practicing writing the blog lying in bed on my phone for a reason. There isn't much to say this month that the seasoned traveller will be interested in but there will be next month as we head for Africa.  It takes a bit to remember I can only download one photo at a time, there is a unique way of getting into editor mode and that the predictive text can change the meaning of a sentence with very little effort. Read what you have written when you aren't jet lagged or had more than one glass of wine is lesson number one for the blog writing traveller.

The slippery slide to the floor has started.  Once I am pushed out of bed or slide out depending which comes first we are off to Kathmandu.  That's the best kiwi shop in the world not the highest mountain in the world.  In the last month we have bought padlocks for our back packs, scam protectors for our money cards, and shoes for me. Today we are going to see if we can get walking poles that fold up like little umbrellas (our poles are too long for our packs) and some more bags for back packs (so we don't have to pull everything out to find a pair of socks).

We are then off to see Andre Rieu - not in person unfortunately but at the movies.

So now the rambling stops and photos begin. Yeah right you say!!

Don't you think the first photo is amazing? It could be anything from an invasion of flying saucers to a light show. On our way home from friends last Sunday we were driving along the motor way. A mere 50 km per hour due to the transmission gulley road works. There were some orange witches hats guiding cars going in both directions. There were hundreds of them. The colour is my cameras interpretation of what we saw that night.

The next photo is about brunch - my favourite meal. We met up with friends at the Botanist. Possibly the best vegetarian brunch place in the world not that I have been to many.  I go for the avocado on toast which is as all mushed up with vegan cottage cheese, pine nuts and lots of other things. This is a photo of Peter's pancakes - visually the best dish we ordered. A great way to while away of few hours with friends. Something we do quite often.

 Then there is the new TV we bought. We now have a smart one. We no longer can use our DVD player but who cares we now have net flicks. Now we have to find the time to watch more movies.

 Another brunch place had this as a table number. Madagascar just where we are heading.  And so we talked some more about our travels and then walked up the hill back to more paperwork.

Last photos. Wellington on a day I walked home. I am taking a photo from the same spot on those energetic days. Well almost the same spot - the trees tell me I need to paint little spots on the ground to place my feet or perhaps trees grow faster than I thought

And now a few days on we are sitting watching our new TV. We are all packed. Just a few little things to do like put out the rubbish and head for bed early for our 4.00 wake up call. 

We are building a deck

We decided to build a deck - I have wanted one for years, but the need became more apparent when we double glazed the house and put in bi folding doors.  Opening the doors and stepping down a metre and then up a metre to the grass was a bit hard with cups of tea and a plate of goodies.  So, here are the photos of our efforts - thanks to Nylan who lent a hand with the kango hammer and with Matt the builder.

Week One - beginning the spade work

Week Two - thinking about buying a wheelbarrow.  Tabby enjoyed the company, the birds enjoyed the slugs and worms, we just came home every night and dug and shifted dirt.

Week Three - It is beginning to take shape - well in our minds anyway ... and an ingenious way to get rid of the deck and bricks - use them as a retaining wall and flatten out the lawn. 

Week Four - there is no going back now - help is at hand (Nylan, Rebecca and Blake) and a power tool

Week five - and then rains came - Matt hand dug the holes for the piles - it took a few days for the water to go away.  I laid weed mat and used some of the stones to hold it down - this was my attempt to try and stop weeds from growing up through the decking - I have this nightmare of trying to pull them out with no luck!!

We came home every night to developments.  Occasionally we saw Matt and his dog - but often we just knew he had been there.  Note our new wheel barrow - $25 from Mitre 10.  Funny story - Harry bought it but when we went to assemble it found he didn't have the handles.  I went back to Mitre 10 asking for them and boy did I make fun of a husband who had forgotten the handles. Funny, the female staff saw the funny side but I just got very cold stares from the men.  Our first dirt (with some heavy stones thrown in) broke the bottom of the barrow - but with a piece of wood covering the hole up the barrow has lasted the distance and is still useful today (to grow cactus's in).

 And we painted the fence - right round the property.  But at the back - what a mission.  There is a concrete wall behind the fence and there is a "wandering willy" growing behind the fence and the wall.  It just wouldn't go away, even with spending a weekend cleaning between it.  So, we eventually came up with the solution, more wood on the fence to hide the gaps, and more strengthening around the sides as it was happily moving in a strong southerly.  Our solution worked - the wandering willy will have to grow a couple of metres before I ever see it again.

 And here it is - we have enjoyed this summer.  Breakfast, lunch and dinner outside - doors open makes me feel I am in Europe.  All I need is a lounger - next year perhaps!!

June 2019

June was 90th birthday time  - the reason for everyone coming back from Sydney and Vancouver.  We started the month with an afternoon tea for friends and family.  20 acceptances meant about 40-50 adults and children appeared in the afternoon - a great time to catch up, have a few nibbles.  Kids played outside (thankfully the sun was out and it was a warmish wintery day), babies crawled around inside, and adults chatted.  I enjoyed it, but gave up being a hostess as I couldn't get to the kitchen to make cups of coffee.

The following week was Andy's birthday.  90.  It was a time to reflect on life - Andy's life, life in general and my life in particular.  Family and friends gathered in a pub in the Hutt for the lunch.  Speeches and conversation all reflected many happy memories of spending time with Andy.  Grand children and great grand children - Andy's legacy filled the room.  I am hoping at 90 that I can look back and see the many rewards of my life.

The next day, everyone left.  I mean everyone except Harry and I.  By Sunday night the house was minus the four adults and 3 children as they all climbed on to planes back to warmer climates.

Life went flat for a couple of weeks as we regrouped, caught bugs and returned to routine.  What an anti climax.  I am revisiting the photos quite a bit - trips to the park, messy dinners, lots of laughter and chatting.

We have settled back now.  Went for a walk around Percy's reserve with Caroline and Nick, been to the movies (Yesterday and Rocket man) and doing some planning for our holiday - like getting a visa for South Africa.

And I finished my hat for our holiday.

Mana Island in May

May came along in the blink of an eye. We had family come over again - what a treat.

We went for a bike ride - caught the train to Waikanae and rode back along Waikanae river, stopped for some gear malfunctions, sauntered down the expressway to Paekakariki - our first stop for lunch.  Then with the northerly behind us (what a treat!) we had a easy ride along the coast and over the hills and through suburbia.  A couple of quiet weekends - doing a bit of cooking and tidying for our family visit at the end of the month.  Can't wait.

Some more nice walks - over to Transmission Gully to see the progress on the new motorway.  In some ways pretty amazing, but in others the landscape has changed for good in not a particularly positive way.  We will do a longer walk over there when we are prepared to navigate a bigger stream than we can jump.

Then it was time to visit Mana Island.  A lovely sunny windless day.  How rare is that in May? We spent a while standing in the car park - one of the volunteers was late - something quite normal I understand.  But who can argue with a volunteer who gives their time to plant an island and nurture wildlife?  We met a couple from Makara who have started a "gecko" retreat.  Well, they have built the homes with DoC permission.  They aren't allowed to catch geckos from the wild, or buy them, so they only way to grow their farm is to be given them by others who haven't caught them in the wild or bought them.  So, the farm isn't growing very fast and they have to date 5 geckos and none of them breeding pairs.  But lucky geckos - a safe, busy environment for them to live and they are being protected as many of them are rare.

The boat trip over was bumpy.  We stood outside breathing in the salt air, looking at the mainland from a different perspective.  Hanging on tight, lifting bags from the water that came under the rails and avoiding "drunken" sailors from treading on toes, we were rather glad when we arrived.  After a talk from the DoC ranger and his family we headed off for our guided tour.  It was a gentle walk up the hill to the top -although the guide described is as quite steep - probably because there were a few oldies in the group.  Surely, Harry and I don't fit into that group yet!!

We heard the stories of how the bush had been planted - saw photos of the 1970's when the land was bare with a few sheep living off the inhospitable land.  The bush has regenerated well but now they need to cut some down as Takahe like to live in scrub.  Since Takahe never lived on the island without catching a boat - I detected a slight level of frustration with cutting bush down.  Anyway, it is a major breeding ground for Takahe - when the babies are about 6 months they get shipped down to the west coast.  Here older Takahe foster them and teach them to root for food in the different terrain with more deep rooted plants.  We humans should take a leaf out of the Takahe book to care for our children.  Once the babies have grown and can look after themselves they are taken to Kahurangi National Park to make their home.  A fantastic story of many volunteers helping to save one of our national treasures.

And then there is the gannets.  A concrete family of them, with the squawk of a gannet trying to attract the flock back to the island - where once there lived a colony.  No such luck so far, except for the one gannet a wee while back who arrived and fell in love with one of the concrete ones. Unfortunately, no babies sprung from that relationship.  Given they are migratory and teenagers fly to Australia for a few years - there is always hope.

Along the west side of the island is a nice place for lunch looking over the sea and to the north is Kapiti.  Here we heard about the rare flax weevil (no photos as I wasn't allowed to dig for them).  They were rehomed from the South Island and have started to kill the flax?  Why?  Down south they lived in harmony chewing the roots of the flax - but leaving their plant source alive - enough for a rainy day at least.  Here the flaxes have drooped and the leaves are dead.  Scientists now know in the South Island there is a fungi that lives in the ground by flaxes which keeps a natural balance and kills a few hungry weevils.  So now the fungi is being transported over to the Mana Island flaxes.  Another example of how human intervention can ruin the natural balance of our environment.  On the way back the wind turned to the south and we were glad of our hats and coats. We enjoyed it - a worthwhile trip.

 

A rugby game at the Stadium with Alison - members stand no less.  We ate our meals at a table shared by 3 locals who attend every game in the stand. One was from the UK (still had his accent but had been here for a while).  Before I started my dinner (burger and chips) he asked to have some chips to mop up his gravy.   Thought he could have waited until I had finished, but he had 2 lots before he realised I wanted to eat some.  Maybe I should have just said "no" but there were rather a large number and that would have been a bit rude since we gate crashed their table.  The price one has to pay!!

And then it was time for our families to arrive.  3 grand children and 4 adults descended on our house.  What a wonderful 3 weeks of being together.  Trips to the zoo and up Kau Kau, brunches and chill out time.

And welcome to the world little Max.

Wellington on a still winters night.

And I finished some more knitting.

Zealandia on a summers day after brunch with Jill and Graham.

And I went for a fun walk on the way to the car one day - through Northland - the steepest steps I have ever been on I think.