My Birthday.

I have had a wonderful birthday today.  I can't believe how many cards and messages I have received.

My stepson is up here for a couple of days with a friend's ten year old daughter (as she is busy at work).

We started by walking Sophie, then back to Doug's for morning tea and some board games then
down to the Town Basin for a delicious lunch.  Back home to pick up some fishing rods and we headed down to the river for some fishing where a fish was caught.  We then stopped fishing so that a boy and his mother could operate a remote controlled boat which travelled at 55 kms per hour.

Been out virtually all day and just returned at 5.30.  I will now make a quick frittata for our tea and I know there will be some more phone calls.

Oh, and I got a special tattoo for my 71st birthday and a lovely watch from Doug.  I am spoilt!!!!

CHRISTMAS

In spite of everything going on with Max I had a very enjoyable Christmas.  We spent it at Doug's with two ladies who would, otherwise, have been on their own.

I had a lazy day as Doug insisted on cooking the meal.  He usually, no, always, comes to my place for his evening meals and said it was my turn to have a meal cooked for me and delicious it was too.

I visited Max on the way there - he has not been very well lately and the Rest Home has just started to mouli his meals.  He has been their best eater but lately has been holding his food in his mouth and not swallowing hence the mouli.

He is sleeping more and more and it is rare for him to wake up while I am visiting these days.  Because he was unwell I have increased my visiting.

One of Doug's daughters and her children 18 and 19 were going to come for a meal late afternoon on Christmas day but, at the last moment, it was decided that they would come on Boxing Day for lunch - a much better idea so we had a second Christmas meal then.

Yesterday, after walking Sophie at the Town Basin, we did some shopping - I wanted some trousers for Max but could only find 3/4 length ones as he has to have elastic waist.

More shopping today in another part of town and I got just what I was looking for at Farmers - only one pair in his size left  and they will need to be shortened by a good few inches.

My stepson arrives tomorrow to stay for a day or two and see his Dad.  Must get ready for him.  Have just been to Hikurangi to pick up some freshly caught fish from one of Doug's nephews.  Enough for about six meals plus mussels plus a crayfish.  Yummy.

Yesterday, the flowers in the house  needed replacing so I picked this bucket full.

Every year my cousin in Canada sends me a pewter ornament from Amos Pewters in Nova Scotia. Here  is this year's one - a nautilus shell.  I always receive them in November but wait until Christmas Day to open them.  It is on the tree with all the others - must be getting close to 30 now.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Wishing everyone a wonderful Christmas

I have been very pleased with a couple of flowers in particular over the last couple of days - a surprise as we have had such terrible weather, rain, rain, rain.

The above is a flower from my Oak Leaf Hydrangea.  The flowerhead is 15 inches long.

Yesterday morning I discovered this in flower just at eye height - it was all over this morning but was wonderful while it lasted.

and here is a smaller Hydrangea with some Christmas Decorations.

The best news of all is that Max and I became Great-grandparents on  the 17th - a 7lb baby girl called Taylor.  The photo I have is in a format I am unable to transfer to the Blog.

Waipoua Forest and Kai Iwi Lakes

After the Hokianga we headed down through the Waipoua Forest and went in to see Tane Mahuta, the huge kauri tree.  There are actually workers at the base who were working on the boardwalk.  I had hoped to get them in the photo to show the size of this massive tree but they must be behind the bushes.

Walking back along the track we noticed this tree propped up with a large pole.

We then called into the Information Centre and I noticed this grove of cabbage trees (know as palm trees in Devon and Cornwall).

Then we drove to Kai Iwi Lakes.  I find it hard to believe that I have never been there before.  Below is the largest lake and it was just wonderful and would be ideal for young children.  We were the only people there apart from the caretaker although come summer it will be packed.

We also visited another of the Kai Iwi lakes.

Then it was time to head home via Dargaville.  I felt really refreshed after this trip but had not been home for long when I got a call from the Rest Home to say Max had been in a lot of pain and they finally worked out it was his elbow.  He saw the doctor and had an xray which came up negative and they had given him Morphine.  This didn't help my stress levels.  Still when I visited the next day he was just on paracetamol.  He now seems a lot better thank goodness.

The Hokianga

Last week we had a wonderful three days in the Hokianga.  The first day we drove via State Highway 1 and stopped for a delicious lunch of local whitebait fritters at the Boatshed Cafe in Rawene..  The view across the harbour is superb and one can watch the ferry crossing backwards and forwards between Rawene and Kohukohu

We then drove to the lookout at the harbour mouth and walked down to one of the bays before headiing to the Copthorne where we had a "Grab One deal".

Next morning we drove back to Rawene stopping at Kouto beach to see the boulders and for Doug to collect some kaimoana.

In this photo one can see the hard piece of rock around which the boulder formed in much the same way as a pearl is formed.

We had another delicious lunch in Rawene (flounder for me and soup for Doug) before going to the headland again for another walk.

Day Trip to Kerikeri to see the Bluebells in Roland's Wood

On Wednesday we set off for Kerikeri to see Rolands Bluebell Wood.  On the way there we passed the area of a major slip that closed State Highway 1 for a week in July.

In Kerikeri we saw Chris Booth's sculpture

the seagulls were enjoying the moat like pond at its base.

Then on to Roland's Wood where we had a picnic after a walk around the wood.

 On the way home Doug sat on the mosaic seat in Kawakawa he pronounced it not very comfortable.

It will be interesting to go back at different times of the year to see the woodland in its different stages.

Spring

I think spring has finally arrived.  We have had some lovely days although we all got thoroughly drenched on our Parkinson's walk yesterday.

On Sunday we went to a concert put on by the Whangarei Brass Band in Christ Church.  We attended last year and would have  missed it this year if a lady at the gym on Sunday morning hadn't mentioned it.

I think this year it was even better than last with a guest artist and girl's kapa haka group fromTauraroa Area School.

Tomorrow we are going to Kerikeri to see the bluebell wood.