Day 5.

This little Chrysanthemums has been flowering in the garden for weeks. I just keep it dead headed and on it goes.

 We had a dribble of milk going off in the fridge  I decided to make pikelets ( my recipe requires souring milk - usually I add a dash of vinegar to turn it )  out of it.

 Neither of us take milk in our tea or coffee so I mainly keep milk for cooking and visitors cuppas. There won't be any visitors.! I made a double batch and put most in the freezer.

 We had a long thunder storm last night which gave us a little rain! We are grateful for that.

 Hope you are all okay out there.

Day 4.

                     Thanks for commenting Ladies.
 So sad to read this afternoon that the first NZer has died of Covid - 19. A lady in her 70s in Greymouth in the South Isalnd ( West Coast )

 This shows some of the road where I walk. That's a friend's house on the right. I live further up and around a corner to the right. It's always quiet but now even quieter on our road.

Day 3.

 Very bright Zinnias give my heart a lift. No nice perfume but the colour makes up for that.

 Someone in our subdivision ( gated community ) suggested we were all at risk of catching the virus from our mail boxes. If the mail man or the mail was infected or any of the box owners there was potential to spread it along  all of us if we collected the mail.

 The boxes are situated inside our communal gateway that leads out to the main highway.

 When I walk I take a walking stick - not cause I need it to walk but in case I meet an unattended dog ( s) ( I started this long ago when I used to walk in the Quarry Park behind where our orchard was.) ( so for self defence ) 

 Yesterday I found I could use the bottom of my stick to open the mail box. There was mail inside so I returned to the house and collected a spray bottle of meths and a cotton glove and a large paper bag. I returned to the mailbox and sprayed it ( it's plastic )  I put the glove on my right hand and removed the mail and dropped it into the paper bag. When I got home I tipped it all on the concrete and sprayed the plastic wrapping around the Sky watch magazine. I sprayed the other paper articles and left them to dry in the sun. I put the paper bag in the incinerator.

 This is rather a rigmarole so from now on I will collect the mail only when I know there is some or on Mondays if the Listener has been sent ( or a proper snail mail letter ).

How are you all coping?

Day 2.

Another rose with a lovely perfume sitting on my bench. ( Abraham Darby )

One of the projects ( if you could call it that ) I'm doing  is to cut up all scraps in my scrap bin into usable squares 1.5 up to 5" or into long strips. I'm doing some each day.

 I cooked a very large savoury scone that will be cut into wedges . Any left will be frozen.

 On my walk I did pass 2 neighbours going the other way. We stayed on our separate sides of the road and called out greetings to each other.

A different Normal - Day 1.

I don't normally go out much but this is different. Lockdown means I'm  ( we ) ( everyone ) not allowed to go out being an older person and ( non essential ) makes me feel a bit useless and selfish but I do understand why it is necessary.  I can still smell the roses and go for a walk around our very quiet gated community. Today I walked just before lunch in some sunshine  and was able to chat across the road to some other folk and the mail man. Out on the main highway the trucks to and from Auckland are thundering by...delighted I'm sure to be travelling on near empty roads (they were probably going too fast ? )
 I have been doing lots of planning to make sure our supplies last as long as possible. Having a bread maker and a big supply of flour I intend to make foccacia bread every 2nd or 3rd day to keep the Vogels and Molenberg for toast.

This one just ready for the oven.  R is quite a good cook to and takes his turn when he feels like it. We have a very full freezer altho most fresh veges are coming to and end.

Tomorrow would have been my Patchwork and Quilting group day but that is off for the foreseeable future so I will make every effort to work on a project at home.
 I have also been into my knitting supplies and decided I will start a vest for littlest grandson.
 It is quite worrying how indispensable our TV, phones and computers have become...our lifelines.
 Please all keep posting about how you are managing.
Skype Grandchildren don't create much mess do they!

Guest Speaker.

Yesterday at our patchwork and Quilting group meeting we had a guest speaker - Liz Wilson who is a textile artist and dyes fabric and works in mixed media.She showed us many dying techniques using indigo and Japanese traditions. She also dyed  paper using garden leaves and below on a 

re purposed white shirt using grasses seed heads 

 She also dyes and sells silk scarves using indigo  tying , marbling and and eco prints.

****

 There have been some interesting moon risings these past few nights, causing the high tides. 

Harvesting and Gardening.

 This is the last of the peaches. We have eaten them raw and I have poached and frozen some and given others away. ( most develop rots within 48hours of picking ) So work fast!

 The William bon Chretien pears ( also known as Bartlett pears in NZ ) have been prolific but I picked this final lot as the wasps and birds were making them disappear too fast. After a short while these will begin to change to yellow and are very juicy and sweet. They are nice raw or cooked.

 Lots of pulling out of vege plants that have done their thing. Tomatoes particularly. I am clearing all plants from the unsightly old poly house. R is going to pull it down and replace with a smaller structure.

In the flower garden, which is just hanging in there because of watering restrictions, I am planting a few new daffodils and freesias.

 At the moment we are getting really high tides.

 So far since we have lived here the jetty has never been underwater but apparently it has happened ;the neighbours have photos.

Show and Tell.

Today at Patchwork and Quilting Group we had Rosemary Heath talk to us about Indonesian fabrics including samples of Polong, Songket and Ikat and where she had got them from and  how they are made.

 There was quite a bit of Show and Tell today after the break for holidays. I was able to show my finished dressing table runner which turned out well. Looks quite at home on the dining room table as well.

 My first completed project for 2020.

A Little Sewing.

At Katipatch a fortnight ago I bought a couple of fabrics I really liked.
 I am using one to make a dressing table runner.

The photo doesn't show off the shine all the dots have. It sparkles.

( in fact it kills the fabric's appeal ) 

 I have edged it with a fabric that also has sparkly spots.   I made the ends wider to get the length I wanted and I am putting appliqué seahorses at each end.

 I think I will back and bind it with the green fabric.

 I am at the stage of sewing them down.

( You can almost see the sparkle in this shot )

 I am pleased with how it is going so far and it is a quick project to get me back to patchwork/ sewing / quilting.

Still no useful rain. The proper lawn grass is the colour of this type. We have kikuyu  on some areas (and rubbish grass) which has stayed green. It is making gardening very tricky as we don't want plants to die. I am saving all sorts of used water for it.

Final Airing.

Today I went up to Katikati to the final Garden Party at Katipatch. ( see my sidebar for website ).
 Like here, it was extremely windy. So photos were a bit of a challenge.

My choice of the quilts hanging outside. I love Dragonflies.

 Inside this quilt had lots of discussion about how the perfection was achieved. ( we think with an embroidery machine or a computer generated pattern.the stitching was just so perfect.) However it was done it would still have taken a long time.

 ( quilts had no notation ) 

(click to enlarge )

 As always it was a great place to meet like minded friends both from our club and further away.I saw Linda ( Razzle Dazzle Quilter ) from Taupo who used to have a blog by that name but now is still on Instagram. She is still quilting for others so if you need a quilt finished call her..

 Food was yummy but served on paper plates a challenge! As for hats that were a bit loose!!

 I hope Carol made good sales as she and Eddie spend hours preparing for the event.

Back to Ordinary Gardening and Reading

 I am thrilled with the first of these flowering. There was a little thrip damage on the bottom flower ( so I pulled it off ) but still lovely. I have 6 of these green Gladioli dotted along a narrow bed against a retaining wall out the side of the house. Also there are other flowers in lemon, yellow, blue, white and orange.

 cosmos.

 I was weeding along this garden yesterday and things are really struggling with the dry even tho I have been watering them. I can't remember when we had any meaningful rain.

 Over our long anniversary weekend we did get to go to the Mt. Lioness's Used book sale.

 14 adult paperbacks ,4 kids books and a jigsaw for $27. ( that's not even the price of one new paperback.) Amazing value. There will be another Rotary book sale at Easter so this might last us till then.

Trying to Not Get Bogged Down.

Today was my second go this Summer of pulling seedling Mangroves at the bottom of our property.
 Obviously it has to be low tide. Hopefully cloudy ( was yesterday ) so not too hot.
 My tools of trade are these.

 At home remove rings, watch etc so they can't fall into the mud. Even a hat can get wafted away so no hat. Leave phone and drink in shade  on land near workplace.

 This is today's haul laid in the sun on the grass to get mowed up.Some are small trees.

 Others tiny seeds just making root.( several hundreds here ) 

There seem to be far more than last year. I went and redid places I did last year to make sure they stay clear. Only stand where you are not sinking. If there is something to hold onto all the better. Keep moving your feet so you don't sink.Its great where we have put gravel.

 Some neighbours do the same most don't. But out frontage along the water is nicer than theirs.We also spent a lot early on with rocks to retain the edge.

 It will always be an ongoing task but we want the waterway to stay open and clear as when its nice its really nice.

 Sorry up wrong way - this shows my side clear. See my footprints.

 There are plenty of nearby spots with mangroves for young fish to hide.

 I also found this dis-guarded Canadian goose egg in the long grass - something had pecked it long since and it looks mummified.( good riddance! Canadian geese are filthy things...so much poo everywhere on the grass.)

I'm  feeling quite virtuous after my effort (and I didn't get bogged or fall over! ) 

 R did some yesterday too with a push hoe.

Everyday Stuff.

As no small people were here to eat them, this lovely pick of strawberries got turned into this.

 The corn harvesting has begun.

 R and I prefer to put the cobs with this much wrapping left on into the microwave for 2 minutes each cob. They can of course be peeled and boiled for a short while( looses some of the goodness into the water )

 The addition of butter and some pepper makes it ready to eat for me!

 The annual jigsaw got finished. On this occasion I did about 75% of it( as it was on the table at my place ) Usually son J does most, but that only happens if they are staying over here.

 It was slightly easier than some 1000 piece ones we have done previously.

 The wind is causing havoc here ( and world wide ) so we are watering and securing and tying down.

 The tomatoes and beans are being picked frequently and courgettes pile up in the fridge.Its hard to get the amount to grow of things just right. Still some can be given away.

Happenings Here.

During the last week or so the Grandsons and their parents have been here doing various things. Son set  his net out across the stream beyond the estuary. Here he is at low tide ( about 7.30 pm ) going across the mud to get to the stream..

 Early next morning he retrieved the net 

and it's contents.

 The Parore were thrown back and 1 flounder and 2 yellow eyed mullet and 2 small kahawai were kept.

The flounder was pan fried in butter - very fresh and tasty. 

The others were soaked in brine and smoked but proved to be too salty , so J will try again.

4 year old Grandson( seen in the 3 above photo as the fishing helper and messenger )  has picked the butter beans he grew several times. He knows how to plant the seed, care for the plants, pick the beans, top and tail the beans then  Nanny ( me ) cooks them and we all eat them.

 Smaller grandson can build quite high towers ( for a 16 month old ).  R made all the wooden toys seen here. 

 He is keen to hit balls too. Seen here being shown a suitable grip.

 Then trying it out.

 I hope 2020 means we are all going to see clearly what we should do this year.

 Happy New Year!