GROWERS' MARKET, GARDEN AND MONARCH BUTTERFLIES

We went to the Growers' Market bright and early this morning and got a good selection of vegies - spring onions, leeks, avocados, tomatoes, carrots and orange kumara (sweet potato) as I like them for grating and making patties.  

We also bought some vegetable plants.  They were getting a little large as the market was closed for several weeks so they just held on to the plants.  Anyway, we bought a couple of Beefsteak tomato plants, one Russian Red, and one each of a yellow, orange and red capsicum.  

We also bought a couple of plants of a tomato that is new to us, the Scorsby Dwarf - it sounds like an excellent tomato.  I have also sown seeds of a tomato by Yates Seeds which just goes by the name of Big Red but they have not emerged as yet.

I still have a lot of tomatoes in the deep freeze so we don't plan on growing as many this year.  

Rain is forecast for this afternoon so they should perk up 

Below is one of the Scorsby Dwarf.

We usually have self sown poppies in the flower gardens but for some reason we have them in two of the vegetable beds and none in the flower garden.  Still they are nice and bright.

It is starting to feel as though summer is on its way.

THE LOOP

After four days of solid rain it was fine this morning even though it was cloudy so we were able to go for the Parkinson walk around the Loop.  It is a Statutory Holiday and there were 13 of us.  It was good to see so many people using the walk  many with their dogs.

There is a new park and wharf being constructed alongside the Hundertwasser building.

Some nice murals on the fence alongside one of the boat repair yards.

Unfortunately, the coffee cart we had planned to go to was closed so we went to the home of one of the group and had an enjoyable catch up.

Because of the weather I have not been back yet to check on the teddy bears.

SPRING

I am so pleased I got work in the garden done on our fine days last week.  I knew the forecast was for the weather to change and it has definitely done that.  It is a Long Weekend here (Labour Weekend).

We have no plans to go anywhere.  Got our supermarket shop done early on Thursday morning when it was still quite quiet.  Went to the local roadside stall yesterday for some vegetables and the library to change some books.  It was easier doing that than going in to the Growers' Market in the rain today.

Yesterday, it rained steadily all day and the wind was quite strong with some of the foxgloves given a battering.  Still wind and rain this morning.

Lots I should be doing but I think sitting by the fire reading the newspapers and doing crossword, sudoko and code cracker is the best idea while a chicken roasts in the oven.

Tomorrow, Doug's youngest daughter is coming for a scallop lunch.  She called in with the Herald this morning but was running really late as there was so much mail (including Food Boxes) to deliver to Waipu,  she also had a lot of parcels in her vehicle to sort through for Tuesday's deliveries.

The seven day forecast.  At least there are two days when it doesn't look too bad.

I sowed some lettuce, tomatoes, beans adn flowers for the Monarch butterflies earlier in the week although nothing showing yet.  Hopefully, next week we will be able to go to the Market and get some plants.  

Two, possibly, three new cases of Covid in Northland so hope they are contained.

DOWN TO LEVEL 2 AND TEDDY BEARS

Today we went back down to Level 2.  We were only at Level 3 for ten days this time although it seemed longer as we were at Level 2 prior to that.  

We have had no problem with Level 3.  Finally, we have had some warmer weather and dry days so have both been in the garden doing much needed weeding and clearing.  Because we were both unwell in the autumn a lot of work just got left so it is great to finally get some work done.

Apart from that we have had our weekly trips to the Supermarket and a couple to the Fish Wholesaler where we have been stocking up on scallops.  They have gone up this year but we still get 500 grams of fresh scallops for $35 and that does the two of us two meals so I have been freezing them in 250 gram lots.  On our first visit we also bought some gurnard fillets and this week we bought a couple of whole flounder that I baked in the oven.

With the Growers' Market closed due to Level 3 we went to one of the stallholders roadside stalls.  They are just under 7 kms from here and we bought a good variety of items - avocados, lettuce, leeks, spring onions and some pesto.  I usually make my own but do not have any basil this early so it was lovely to have a nice taste of summer with my salads.  It was very well run with just one person allowed in at a time.

The Market will be back again this weekend but the weather forecast is not good so we may well just go to this stall again on Friday.  While we were out we carried on to Kamo Farmlands and bought some grain for the doves and pigeons which was pre-order and one vehicle at a time let in to pick up items, then Hammer Hardware for some potting mix on the same basis.

Doug is laid up at the moment with another bout of gout - the other foot this time - so I went for the morning walk on my own.  The Teddies had been busy chatting once again.

Unfortunately, Covid numbers in Auckland have been increasing so they are still at Level 3.  Unfortunately, there have been some protests with unmasked people which does not help things.

THE BEARS HAVE BEEN TALKING AGAIN

 

I like the Koala's comment.  This time there was another note on the side.

COVID UPDATE

We have just had our Level 3 Lockdown extended for a second time.  The second woman who travelled from Auckland to Northland has also tested positive.

She is being more co-operative with Locations of Interest although there are still very few considering the time they spent in Northland.  Luckily, so far, there have been no cases of Covid (these two ladies are back in Auckland) so, hopefully, they were not contagious when they were here.  

So, once again, there will be no weekend Growers' Market and we stay home apart from a trip to the Supermarket and our daily walk from home around the streets.

Here is some Spring colour.

Unfortunately, there is snow in the South Island and the wind here is bitter so no gardening for me today.

FOR JEAN

 We missed our morning walk yesterday but on today's walk found that the Teddy Bears were chatting once again.

It finally seems as though Spring is in the air and I got some much needed weeding done this morning.

COVID LEVEL 3 LOCKDOWN.

At midnight on Friday we went back to Level 3 Lockdown.  We had just been to the supermarket for our weekly shop but had planned on getting oranges and salad ingredients from the Growers Market on Saturday.  I feel for the Growers as they would have been all packed up and ready to go when the news was given on Friday afternoon.  I know that several have had contactless delivery.

This has all come about because a woman crossed the border to Northland from Auckland as an Essential Worker but, apparently, this permit was obtained under false pretences.  For some reason she had a Covid test in Whangarei which showed a weak positive and then had a second one which was positive.  She has not co-operated with the authorities and it took some time for the Police to track her down and put her in an Isolation Hotel.  The only places of interest that she visited have come from CCTV footage.  She also had another woman in the car with her who has just been traced but not yet located.

There are all sorts of rumours circulating about her occupation and associates but the disappointing thing is that she has caused the whole of Northland to go into Level 3.  So far no further cases have come to light so we all have our fingers crossed.

Meanwhile in the garden I have been on Snail Patrol in the mornings.  We have had a lot of rain and they are just loving it.  The first of the foxgloves are flowering as well as a Pelargonium we got a cutting of last year.

A NEW SPADE

 Our lovely La Festa car has had a few problems lately so, when we were in the area last week we called into Toyota for a browse, as one does. 

We noticed this funny little car called a Spade. It fitted all our requirements and came home with us yesterday. It is shorter than the La Festa, more economical and has a higher safety rating.  

The passenger side has a large electric sliding door.

EXERCISE

First of all a cartoon from our local paper a couple of days ago.

I want to try and do more exercise to, hopefully, keep my blood sugar (and other) levels under control and decided to buy a rowing machine.  Because of Covid and transport problems a lot of the machines are not currently available.  I knew that Doug's grand daughter and her husband had one in their home gym and messaged her to find out where they bought it.  I got a reply that, as they use a commercial gym in town they do not use the rower and we were welcome to have it either until we no longer need/use it or they need it.  Yesterday, Doug's daughter brought it here in her Rural Delivery van and we set it up in the sunroom off the lounge.  It is a good fit in the narrow room and is nice and handy to use.  It is also much bigger and sturdier than the model I was looking at.  I am hoping that when I have my next lot of blood tests at the beginning of December things are good without the meds.