Vireya Rhododendrons.

 It's raining! My Vireya rhododendrons will be loving a good deep drink. I grew Vireyas in my previous garden and they did well and as we are in the same area  still,  they were an obvious choice to plant in this garden too. One small variety  (Saxon Blush ) my son gave me travelled here in its terracotta pot and is still flowering of and on under one of the cherry trees. ( it has to be 15 years old ).

  Most others are at the front road entrance in partial shade under 2 large Magnolia trees. here are some current photos.

Red Mountain

 Popcorn

Tickety Boo

 Dawn Chorus  its near the front door on the shady side of the house.

 It has very shiny healthy green leaves.

 Around the side of the house I have a lovely yellow one Scented Sun but its not flowering at the moment.  Another white Aravir is scented too.

  I get 2 or 3 flowerings per year out of them.

They pick quite well and that's a good way to give them a light prune.  I try to chose the more compact medium sized ones. I have 16 altogether I think.

Autumn Leaves in June.

Autumn leaves have been falling for some weeks now. Lots of trees are already bare.  

 This flowering cherry is always the best of our cherries. From upstairs the sun catches the top of the tree and the colour is amazing.

 Light wind spreads them all around.

 Some land in the birdbath.

The other bright trees are the persimmons. All the fruit have been picked.

A Very Windy Day at the Mt.

 Yesterday we were at the Mt. and it was blowing a gale. Never the less I rugged up, pulled my new green velvet  Vera hat down firmly and went for a very long walk by the sea.

 Quite a lot of surfies were enjoying the waves that the wind threw up.

 Closer towards the mt. the sun was a dazzling spectre on the sea.

 I walked along the street at the base of the Mount but the landslide area is all sheltered off behind double cloth fencing so one can't see in. the street more or less deserted. So sad.

******

 A few weeks ago at club we had a "destash" day. Everyone brought along quilting gear  ( fabric, cottons, books, patterns, tools etc. ) they no longer required and donated it. Tickets were cheaply sold and an auction ( using ticket stubs in saucers ) began.  Luckily I only won one draw. One of my friends got 5! Such a lot of stuff to lug home. Anything you got that you really didn't want was given to a lady who takes it to the women's prison in Auckland where they are learning to quilt. ( nice idea ).

 In the process of cleaning out my cupboard to find stuff to take I found I still had lots of felt left so decided I would once again make a felt embroidered ball.

 Anyone who has read my blog for a long time will remember I have made lots of these. This one now started will be # 32. I started in the year 2000.

 These are the parts on my bench today. Showing the rattle inside  2 bottle tops; masking tape to secure those; then strips of batting to wind the ball inner. 12 different coloured felt pentagons to make the outer.  I last made one according to my notebook record of Balls Made  in 2023.

 Ill post photos as I progress.

 Tomorrow morning my sewing group friends meet here so I have also been baking,

Pink.

 I purchased this ( new to me )  lovely frilly double petaled cyclamen as a gift.

 My Christmas ( in the Northern hemisphere ) Cactus is flowering but has a few spotty leaves.

 The Queen Protea has another splendid display of flowers which I pick and give away. It needs heavy pruning so picking when in flower is a good way to do it.

 Just one head of flower on my very, very, very  old ( from my Mum's garden )  Spider Lily.

 

What a Difference a Day Makes.

Chilly start but a fine sunny day! R was going to Omokoroa for a haircut so I went that far then walked to the wharf at the end of the peninsula.  The sun shone. A large truck and trailer passed me and I wondered where it was going. When I got to the wharf it was waiting for the ferry across to Matakana Island.

 An orchard sprayer on the back of a truck came off. That gave me a clue. They are probably picking early kiwifruit out on the island.

 The truck is probably delivering empty picking bins and bring back fall kiwifruit bins.

 Another large truck and trailer pulled in beside this one, then up with the ramp and off. Less than 5 minute turnaround!

 Meanwhile other hopefuls fished off the jetty and  some preschool kids splashed in the water.

 Loads of folk, many elderly like me walked and chatted in the SUNSHINE.

Too Early to be SO Cold.

  I think the weather here has gone straight to Winter its so cold. But...the deciduous trees still have leaves so maybe Autumn will be back next week.

 So homemade roasted pumkpin soup with homemade Focaccia Bread it is then.

Some Things Change But Many Stay the Same.

 Hello Everyone. 

I've been looking back because it is now 20 years since I first started Blogging. The Benefits I have had from Blogging are making contact (friends ) with ladies all over the world. A few I have met in person but not many. Some who post frequently ( I don't ) I feel I know quite well after reading their posts for many years. Perhaps the greatest benefit I have found is using my own posts as a type of diary where I can go and check out when things happened. Sometimes I have have sent  a copy of my " own'' photos back to my computer as it is the quickest way of locating them ( especially ones that were lost when Nerds upgraded the computer ! Blah ! )

 I used to be able to blog about orchard ( kiwifruit and avocado ) happenings because folk didn't really know about that but now I am no longer an orchardist ( so the name of my blog is wrong now ...but I'm not changing it )  so have to stick to quilting / sewing / knitting; gardening/ growing of all sorts of flowers trees, fruit and vegetables. )  reading, walking,  cooking  and some times family. When I started out I decided not to include recognizable photos of family and when I became a Grandmother ( Nanny )  I really didn't want to be responsible for putting photos of my 2 grandsons on the net where they could be used for the wrong purpose.  That of course has changed with the use of mobile phones.

 Something I do think is important is all who blog should leave  instructions for a family member on how to close down a blog if the writer ( me ) is for no longer able to do it ( could be for various reasons...or the big one )  Till that happens I will keep posting when I can think of anything interesting.

 I have picked  and eaten the first 3 persimmons for this season and the mandarins are ripening. Thankfully its stopped raining.    Today I have been cooking. I've made pikelets and ginger biscuits and Focaccia Bread.

 I hope to see you all here again soon.