BANANAS

In November, 2020 we bought two banana plants and the photo below is of them in February last year.

They have been planted near our boundary and have made a good screen.  Yesterday, we noticed a flower bud had appeared.  It is quite hard to see and there is a long way to go before we are eating our own bananas but it is a promising start.

This is the plant now.

Max and I grew a lot of different bananas when we were in the north and I had a plant in a shaded spot at the bottom of the garden when I lived in Kamo.  These are some photos I posted in 2014.

SAD NEWS AND SOME TREES FROM TODAY'S WALK

 We had our Parkinson walk this morning around the Museum Grounds and also visited the Bird Recovery Centre on the same Grounds.  Sadly, when I asked how the White-Tailed Tropic Bird was doing I was told it had not survived.  

In spite of this we had a lovely walk.  At the weekend the country was hit by ex cyclone Dovi and there has been a lot of damage, mainly trees down, flooding and loss of power.  We had very little damage but with the new weather system the hot muggy days have gone and we are back to very pleasant weather - 24° C and a nice sunny day and it was pleasant and cool last night.

Anyway, we walked around the grounds and then had our refreshments at a picnic table.  Doug and I then went to pick up a book I had requested at the Library before going to Fish to Fish where we bought 6 fillets of flounder and 6 fillets of Gurnard plus some smoked mussels.

Back home, after lunch I froze most of the fish leaving out a couple of fillets for tomorrow's lunch and then prepared, cooked and froze some peaches.  The muggy weather has not been kind to the peaches but I got quite a good pot full.  They are a lot bigger this year, more like a Golden Queen.

Here are some photos of the lovely trees and a Kereru or pigeon.  It will be recovering from an injury.  There was a Tui in the cage alongside it but I could not get a photo of it as it was in the dark.  The cages are large enough for the birds to fly.

WHITE-TAILED TROPIC BIRD

 When I read about this bird last week I thought that was a description but it is actually it's name.  One washed up here in Whangarei on Tuesday and is now at the local Bird Recovery Centre.  It was found, barely alive washed up in the waves on the shore just off Beach Road where we often walk.

It appears to have come in on the same air flow coming from the Tropics that has brought our muggy weather.  It is a juvenile and has not yet grown it's long tail feathers.

By chance, weather permitting, our walk on Monday is around the grounds at the Museum and Bird Recovery Centre so, hopefully, we may be able to see it.

The photo below (from our local newspaper) is of Robert Webb, who runs the Bird Recovery Centre with his wife, holding the bird.

I found the photo below on a website called New Zealand Birds On-line and it said it is generally only found beach-wrecked.  Isn't it beautiful.

IT'S BEEN A WHILE

 I see it has been just over a month since I last posted.  We have had some lovely weather (late 20"s Centigrade) but have had to water every day to keep things alive.  

The garden has done well.  I cut down on tomato plants this year and put in 2 x Beefsteak, 1 x Russian Red and 2 x Scoresby Dwarf and we have had lots of tomatoes from them with more to come.  Later on I sowed some tomatoes from Yates Seeds just called Big Red and planted 4 of them and one offshoot from a Russian Red and they are just starting to ripen.  We have eaten plenty, I have frozen a lot ready for winter casseroles and given a lot away.

As well as this the three capsicum plants have been producing, 1 x red, 1 x yellow and 1 x orange.  These have been roasted with aubergine, courgettes, garlic, and onions.  

I planted both apple and Lebanese cucumbers and had a few of the Lebanese but lots of the apple ones which are Doug's favourites.  The beans have produced well and are still continuing to produce.  

The weather changed last week and we had some much needed rain and it has been great not having to water.  The only downside is that we now have high humidity so it feels as though one is living in a sauna.  According to the radio this morning the weather has come straight from New Caledonia hence the humidity.

We have been to some beaches and also done some walks in the bush but most of the time has been busy gardening and processing the produce.  (My happy place).

Omicron has now got through the border and is spreading, luckily, not as fast as predicted, but we are trying to stay away from crowds.  

For our Parkinson walks we now take our refreshments with us and have them on the walk rather than going to a cafe and this is working well.

Some photos from a trip to some beaches

We did a new walk which is alongside a forest being felled but the part where we walked had some lovely old trees.

and an ideal swimming hole.

Monday's Parkinson walk alongside the river where the river was flowing strongly after the rain.

A new leaf on a Phoenix Palm