Waikato River Walkway.

First light on any day is special. A time of promise. I spent that first hour of Sunday morning walking ( with my camera ) along the walkway on the city side of the mighty Waikato River in Hamilton City.

Walkways on both river banks extend for many kilometres, consisting of cobbled paths , steps and bridges. Even a troll bridge ( you remember -trit trot, trit trot, over the rickety bridge ) - I listened carefully to see if I was challenged by," Who goes there? " But nothing.

I wasn't alone. There were folk learning canoeing on the river, many ducks quacking and many other water fowl circling and landing. The water level was below normal but still flowing strongly. It was on the banks that the drought showed and odd trees were dead .

There were runners and doggie walkers; cyclists and one mad racing cyclist who approached so fast and so silently behind that I was startled. There was as always in these public places - rubbish; some dropped; some blown and even some deposited by the river itself, left high and dry. Nature left a few treasures too - the best I heard first.Plonk. Plonk. As acorns ( still in their pipes ) from a mighty oak dropped to the cobbles.

A kind lady, also walking asked if I'd like her to take a photo of me gazing down on the river. So there I am. I love new and interesting walks and breakfast later tasted good and was earned!
It was only 24 hours away but I enjoyed the different scenery.

Rain and Sun.

Beaches don't feature here too often, but I have walked on 2 different ones in the last 5 days.
Starting on Easter Saturday - that was a scorching hot day and people were swimming in the surf at the Mt beach. We walked for a short while but it was very hot. We had just spent about $80 and an hour an a half at the Rotary Annual second hand book sale...... held in an empty coolstore and has books ,CDs, records etc as far as the eye can see.We didn't get there too early as we wanted the crowds to have dispersed which they had, so we browsed in amongst sensible numbers. I got 8 paper backs, 8 Patchwork and Quilting old mags and booklets and 3 CDs. DH got 10 books and 1 CD. The P & Q mags and books will have a couple of pages copied then be returned to a sales table; only 1 CD will get a second playing, BUT the books are good so far. I enjoyed the first one I have read in the last few days, "Hanna's Daughters, " by Marianne Fredriksson.

(The Mt. beach photo has the bright umbrellas ).

I have been keeping a tally of the number of strawberries I have picked off my plants ; 197 from 6 plants and still going strong - certainly worth growing and covering!

Our younger son is home on holiday from London - we haven't seen him for just over 2 years. He has lived and worked in UK for over 7 years. This weekend we are doing a family get together over in Hamilton; with elder son & partner, brother and sister in law.

Yesterday we 3 travelled up the Coromandel to Hahei to see a property that was for sale - that eliminated that one - too far ; very winding roads - not where I would want to live.( We also looked at some others locally at the long weekend ) The weather was not kind, shower clouds kept darkening the sky but we took a short walk on the beach which was deserted except for some fishermen catching Kahawai and a few others strolling too.One photo shows son in front and DH catching up, another shows the amazing old pohutukawa trees - this one clinging horizontally in the cliff face. The roots making patterns as they are exposed by the elements.

Signs of Autumn.

" Until they think warm days will never cease," and certainly, " Seasons of mellow fruitfulness" as Keats so eloquently said. The last 2 days have been perfect weather. Clear blue sky with not one cloud , no breathe of wind and sun from dawn till dusk. Today there is a little cloud cover which is very welcome as we have 3 hydraladas here picking the late avocados ( for local market sale ) and pruning the trees at the same time. One photo shows the 3 machines trundling down the track towards the avo block. They did look a comical parade.

A very sad thing happened this morning. I was inside and heard a horrendously loud bang......a beautiful native pigeon ( Kereru ) had flown into the window and broken his neck. He died slowly ,small drops of blood dripping from his beak - That was so bad to watch.

The red nerines are flowering.( a Viburnum is also turning red in the background of the photo ) From this big clump I have transplanted lots of bulbs to different sites in the garden These ones along the bamboo fence are flowering there for the first time. Another of my very favourite flowers - the white Japanese or Wind Anemone is just coming into bloom. It is hard to fault it's clear perfect form and colour. ( much, much nicer than the pink ones which are also flowering )

My ankle and foot are back to normal, but I am freaking out a bit each time a wasp comes near me under the vines now. Thanks for your concern. I learnt something from that. When I was buying the anti histamine the lady said a nurse told her the very easiest, cheapest thing to do straight away for any sting or bite is to put roll on deodorant on it . The Aluminium apparently neutralises the sting or bite. She had proof of it working on a wasp sting so when DH got stung on the neck on Monday he tried it and it took the swelling away and gave instant relief. We now carry a roll on with our orchard supplies!

Ouch!

"Ouch, you vicious little b...er," I cried, slapping my ankle. Too late one got me fair and square. Late on Thursday, after slaving in the garden all day I stood on a wasps nest! I should have gone straight back to house ( and put something on it ) but wanted to finish what I was doing cause the Real Estate person was bringing the whole office to look around on Friday. About quarter of an hour later DH called down to me that they had just rung to say they couldn't make it tomorrow but would come sometime next week! I did knock off then and dragged my sore swelling leg back inside. By yesterday it was so puffed up and itchy I went and purchased some anti histamine...... it had helped the itching but my foot and lower leg still belongs to the Michelin man. Never mind it could have been worse they all could have had a go at me!

Today at my house the rooms are all vacuumed and dusted, there are flowers everywhere ( vireyas on the coffee table in photo )and only us to appreciate them.( of course it should be that way every single day I know.....but I don't want to waste the world's power resources! )

If my leg will allow I am off to the garden again cause the part I finished on Thursday did look good for my being there. The wasps nest is now dead ( I hope )!

The purple and green Scrappy quilt now has a label and binding and is finished. I am still adding hand quilted circles in the outside purple border in the evenings. (if you enlarge it you might be able to see some circles.)

There are 40 completed flower blocks ready to assemble - still can't decide how to do that. Any Suggestions???

If you enjoyed the "I Am From" blogs, Isabelle in UK has done a lovely one with photos.

File It.

I've been meaning to write about this for some time; filing things; nails in particular. I was given a glass nail file ( photo )and it is just amazing. It is far and away the gentlest, smoothest file I have ever used on my nails - a pleasure to use. It will last a lifetime, can be washed and never wears out. It was quite expensive I suppose, but not if you think you will never have to buy emery boards again. It was made by Touch of Glass and this website shows their whole range .( www.thetouchofglass.co.nz )

Some colourful night skies over us lately.

Last Thursday we signed up with a different Land Agent who came and asked if he could try and sell our property.We have given him 2 months sole agency. The first lot were very good but only one person came to look in all that time and they didn't bring the potential buyer someone else did. Real Estate prices and in particular Orchards are at an all time low in BOP so we are not stressing; we can wait as long as it takes to get what we want for our property....... keeping it all up to standard constantly is a bit of a b...... but still, we can only do our best.

I am half way through sewing the binding on my scrappy purple and green quilt and will finish that today. The flowers are slowly building up in the completed pile for the other quilt. The sun is shining brightly today so I know lots of my time will be in the garden, weeding but also picking beans and tomatoes which we now have in abundance.

I'm Reading.....

I'm reading, " The Book Thief," by Markus Zusak and would certainly recommend it as a good read - written from an unusual perspective. There is a book meme on some blogs at the moment, but I will only loosely follow that cause it doesn't serve the purpose of endearing this book to others. It does have 123 or more pages - 584 in fact, but what is written on the 5th sentence on page 123 won't give you any enticement to read it so instead I will pick another extract.

I quote - page 359. - For me, the result was five hundred people, or there abouts. Fifty thousand others ambled homelessly around the ghostly piles of rubble, trying to work out which way was which, and which slabs of broken home belonged to whom. Five hundred souls.

I carried them in my fingers, like suitcases. Or I'd throw them over my shoulder. It was only the children I carried in my arms. -

The flower blocks are gradually having all sorts of different centres added. I have 35 blocks made ; about 20 now have centres. Am I going to assemble them just in rows or am I going to add sashing? Straight or on point? I'm playing with them.

39 more mls of rain yesterday. The total for the month of February was about 6.5 inches for us. You can really HEAR things growing.( weeds included )

I'm really enjoying others ,"Where I'm From," blogs and the Book Reviews. Thanks all for your comments. I now officailly have too many blogs I like to read, what a lovely problem! I also like the daily photo sites. Keep writing everyone and add those photos that give life to your words!