SUNDAY

The forecast was for rain but we awoke to a lovely sunny day although it is now starting to cloud over a bit (3p.m.).  Far more people walking our route this morning and a Tui flew in front of us and landed in a bush just beside us.  The photo I took wasn't the best as it was shaded but I have some Doug took on our property a couple of days ago..  Doug took the photos as he saw the Tui eating the mandarins but, of course, he stopped once Doug had his camera.

  The white eyes like both the mandarins and sugar water.

and this is not our cat, Blue, who spends most of his time here. 

For me the best part of the day was being able to get two loads of washing done and dried in the open air.

We went into Lockdown on 18th August and we will possibly be told how much longer tomorrow.  

TEDDY BEAR CONVERSATION continued

 We are still in Alert Level 4 Lockdown (the highest level).  Yesterday it was announced that all New Zealand except Auckland north which includes us will go down to Level 3 at midnight on Tuesday.  As far as Auckland and Northland (us) are concerned it will be reviewed again on Monday.  

We are quite happy in Lockdown and the only problems have been Doug's Doctor's appointment for his drivers' licence  medical which has now been cancelled twice and his appointment for his dental plate as he lost a tooth from it several weeks ago and is wearing an old plate.  Next week the only appointment is for the car to have a service but we are not worried about that being postponed.

So we stay home except for our daily walk around the streets and today the Teddy Bears had a new conversation.

We are trying to keep up with exercise - I know I am not doing as much as last Lockdown.  We do that that daily walk and I do my morning sit-ups as well as a few stretch exercises.

TEDDY BEAR UPDATE

On today's walk I noticed that the Teddy Bears' conversation had just been updated (I happened to see someone leaving the caravan).  

The last comment about spreading legs comes from a slip-up by Minister Chris Hipkins who told people to "spread" their legs instead of "stretch" their legs on the Covid Update the other day.

I have not been gardening because of the cold wind but today when we got home it had eased so I did some weeding and noticed a sign of spring - the N.S.W. Waratahs are showing their colour and should soon be in flower.

TUIS

There were more people about on our morning walk today but with plenty of social distancing.  We always notice the Tuis singing when we get near the Hospice (where I took a photo of the Kowhai a few days ago).

Today we passed another couple at this spot and they called out "Tui Corner".  I stopped and tried to record their song.  The only way I know to record sound is to do a video.  There is nothing in the video but the sound isn't too bad.  It is a beautiful day apart from the wind which you can hear on the video.

LOCKDOWN EXTENDED

There are 35 new cases of the Delta variant in New Zealand today and the Lockdown has been extended to next Tuesday at 11.59 p.m. for Auckland and this Friday at 11.59 p.m. for the rest of the country with possible further extensions.

I went to New World Supermarket in Regent this morning.  There was no queue and I have never seen so few customers.  Not only was I able to buy exactly what was on my list but the brands I prefer as well.  Masks are mandatory and there were extra precautions in place such as standing back at checkout until ones groceries had been placed in a new trolley and the operator had walked away before being able to go forward and finish the transaction.

We were shown a map by the Prime Minister showing where in the country "close contacts" are and the whole of Northland was marked so fingers crossed that we don't get any cases up here.  

We are quite happy in our bubble with our daily walk around the streets.  Keep safe everyone.

COVID UPDATE

Our Lockdown has been extended to 11.59 p.m. on Tuesday, 24th.  There are now 51 confirmed cases mainly in Auckland but also in Wellington with the number expected to rise.

We are quite happy staying home and go for our walk around the streets in the morning.  It is about 1.75 kms.  This is the walk we do.

This morning the teddy bears had made some new signs in this caravan.

and at the Hospice entrance a Kowhai was in flower - a sign of spring although spring is not here just yet.

PARCEL

A local group started delivering boxes of vegetables recently.  As our winter garden does not contain very much this year I ordered a box on Tuesday just before Lockdown was announced.  

It has just been delivered and we are very pleased with the contents.

Everything loose (or a cellophane bag for the spinach) so no plastics and the quality is great.  There are kumara (sweet potato), yams, carrots, spinach, broccoli, squash, oranges, pears,  golden kiwifruit and two bunches of bananas.

There are now 21 cases of Covid all in the Auckland Region.  We will find out tomorrow whether we stay in Lockdown.

LOCKDOWN

 One new case in the community in Auckland so Auckland and Coromandel are going into Level 4 Lockdown for 7 days and the rest of the country for 3 days from midnight with possible extensions. Updates to follow.

Rain forecast so just as well we went to the Library yesterday.

TODAY

It was a perfect day for our Parkinson's walk along the harbour at Onerahi this morning.

Last week Doug's eldest daughter mentioned that she was having trouble with her television so we asked if she would like our old one which has been sitting at the back of the sunroom since we last used it.  We had it installed for her with a new aerial and then found a set of nesting tables to put it on.  As a thank you she turned up yesterday with a delicious fruit crumble and cottage pie.  We had some of the crumble last night (and again tonight) and it was great having the cottage pie for lunch after our walk as it just needed heating.  Thank you D.

COVID AND WEATHER

Yesterday, we had our second Covid shots.  It feels good even though we have been Covid free up here.  The Government is talking about going straight into Lockdown if just one case of the Delta variant is found here.  With things seemingly out of control in Sydney it could easily spread here.

We have had an extremely wet winter.  This is the first year we have had to cancel so many Parkinson walks and, if we have a fine day, I go into Washing mode and usually do three loads so that I can get them line dry.

Spring does seem to be on the way though with freesias and daffodils coming into bloom and it is definitely getting light earlier.  

PURIRI MOTH

At the weekend, when on our regular short walk around the streets from home we came across this Puriri Moth.  It was lying on the pavement and we shifted it to a safer place.

 

It is New Zealand's largest moth and this specimen would have been over 2 inches long but they get larger than that.  They are nocturnal forest dwellers.

The caterpillar stage can last up to six years but the moths last only a couple of days as they have no mouthparts and cannot feed.

WHAU VALLEY DAM

Our last Parkinson's walk was to the Whau Valley Dam and we were pleased to see that it is now full.  There had been worry earlier that it would not be full before the start of summer but all the rain we have had has filled it nicely.

On the way to the dam we passed the new $30 million water treatment plant which will increase the capacity of water treated a day to 22 million litres from 15 million.  Photo from the Council website

R.I.P BOBBY

I have mentioned previously that Bobby had been sneezing and coughing and has been on several lots of antibiotics.  The last lot we were told would be the final ones.  In between his sneezing fits he has seemed quite happy but last night he deteriorated and this morning was not at all well.  

He then went outside and Doug found him lying in the rain under a bush - a sure sign that things are not good.  I phoned the vets at about 9 a.m. after we had put him in the cage but they were not able to see him until 11.15 so we took him inside and let him out.  He went and lay in the outside run looking pretty miserable. 

The vet who saw him was Natalie, the same vet who did his initial check-up and several others in between.  We got her to check him over first before giving him a relaxant followed by the lethal dose of anaesthetic.  Bobby just lay there quietly and went peacefully.

These two photos of him were taken this week.  He loved sitting on the back of the chair looking out of the window

or on his back either in front of the fire or in the sun.

He had been with us less than nine months but has left a big gap.  

PLEASANT WALK

We wanted to check a walk for the Parkinson's group.  It is one we have done before but starting from Vinegar Hill Road.  This time we drove just under 2 kms. to The Tikipunga Sports Field as there is now a new bridge linking it to the walk to Vinegar Hill.  

It is a lovely day and we came across Doug's oldest daughter walking three of her four dogs  (forgot to take a photo of them).  

Walking across the park

The lovely new pedestrian/cycle bridge (No motorised vehicles allowed)

Looking back at the bridge through the trees.

There were several horses along the route

We weren't sure what this (presumably native) tree is

When we got back to the park there were a couple of games of football being played.