SPRING

The start of spring is on Saturday and we have signs of it in the garden now. In the first photo are some delightful miniature daffodils.  They have been flowering for a week or so now.

The geraniums and other daffodils are just coming into flower.

The forecast for today was rain but, although it rained during the night, it has been a lovely sunny day and really feels like spring.

MILK BOTTLES

Back in the day we used to get our milk delivered in bottles.  It was then changed to tetra packs and, at one stage plastic bags that went into a specially designed jug for pouring.  Home deliveries ceased a long time ago.

More recently it has been in plastic bottles.  The milk has changed along the way as well and recently there has been milk advertised as being permeate free.

We have just discovered a local farm that is producing Jersey Milk. It is sold unpasteurised from the Farm and pasteurised in local shops.  It comes in 1 litre glass bottles that are returnable and has a screw top lid.  It also tastes good.

MAGNOLIAS

Today we drove 30 kms to Poroti to an open Magnolia Garden with 150 deciduous magnolias.  There was a $5.00 entry in aid of the "I Have a Dream Year 7 students trip to Hillary Outdoors, Tongariro".    I always think that deciduous Magnolias look their best with some greenery behind them but they were still a magnificent display.

It was a pleasant drive through lovely countryside.  The weather was variable (sunny with the odd shower).

OPONONI

We have just had a couple of nights in Opononi.  On Tuesday morning after taking Kim and Sophie to a nearby "Pet Stay" we headed off north in quite a thick mist.

It soon started to lift.

We stopped for a coffee in Kawakawa just opposite the Hundertwasser toilets and I took this photo of the side wall of a shop that sells Hundertwasser memorabilia.  (the shop front was designed by him).

We then stopped for lunch at Rawene  where the mist was still showing.  Unfortunately our usual Flounder was not available (apparently the two people,  one on either side of the harbour, who have the licence are no longer fishing due to age and health problems - surely someone else could step in).

When we arrived at Opononi we went for a walk along the beach.  

The following day we went for a drive to Waimamaku taking a drive down a side road to the beach.  On the way we noticed this rock formation that must have been lifted up by some major force.

It was quite a long walk to the actual beach.  We then had coffee at Morrell's cafe at Waimamaku and, as they didn't have any gluten free cakes I went to the grocer's next door to see if I could get some g.f. biscuits.  The only ones looked a bit like cardboard so I said I would leave it whereupon the owner went into his office and brought out half a packet of a very good biscuit and gave them to me.  How is that for service.  He was also on a gluten free diet and, presumably had these biscuits to try before stocking them.  A very kind gesture.  

On the way back we stopped for the view of the Hokianga Harbour.

In the afternoon it rained but it was lovely to be able to read and watch daytime Antiques Roadshow without having lots of jobs that needed doing.

The next day we headed home taking a detour to Kerikeri where we bought a few plants.  We then went to pick up Sophie and Kim who were none the worse for being left.

A very pleasant break.

BIT BY BIT

Bit by bit the sun room is coming together.  We have been sorting through various "pictures" and have just put a selection on the end wall of the sun room.  I am pleased with the result.

Lots of memories.  Left to right the top row is a lovely embroidery that my Canadian cousin gave us when we got married then a print from Norfolk Island and on the right is a painting by my step-daughter's partner of the view from their deck near Bowral in New South Wales.

The middle row is a rough painting by the lady I was named after (my second name Heather).  She was a friend of my parents and was killed when a bomb was dropped on the primary school opposite their shop/house about 8 - 9 months before I was born. next is a brass rubbing - unfortunately, I cannot remember which church we got it from.  Then a print of a sketch of York. 

The bottom row is a bark painting we purchased in  Brisbane then a caricature of Doug done by the cartoonist, Evans and last a print of a sketch of Chester.  Yes, it is coming along nicely.

I won a giveaway

Jean from All Points of the Compass recently had a giveaway with one giveaway for New Zealand and one for overseas.

I was the lucky winner of the New Zealand giveaway.  The postie was late today and I was just checking the mail box at about 5 p.m. when he arrived with Jean's parcel.  I had won a choice of a frog pen and pencil holder or a large size thread holder both made by her husband, Hugh.  As I don't do a lot of sewing and don't use large size thread bobbins I chose the pen holder.  This will be very useful on the dining table as that is where we do our crosswords, code crackers and sudoko and there are always pens lying on the table

As Jean wanted something to wrap the "frog" in she very kindly used a microwave bowl holder.  When she wrote about her giveaway this was a choice for the overseas part and I had admired it.  Only yesterday I burnt my fingers getting a bowl of sweetcorn out of the microwave.

Thank you Jean for two very useful gifts.