GREEN DRINKS

Last night we attended a Green Drinks function held at the Hundertwasser Art Centre Afforested Rooftop.  There was a speaker telling us about the rooftop itself, how it was set up and Hundertwasser's vision, another on  the Northland Regional Council's Predator Free programme and particularly on the pekapeka, New Zealand's bat.

Although there were black clouds around the weather stayed fine and we both enjoyed the evening.

We arrived a few minutes early so had a stroll around the Town Basin.  

I didn't see the title of these - a bronze and a wood carving.

the Hundertwasser building through the trees.

The Town Basin quiet between daytime and evening visitors.

The stairway leading up to the Afforested Rooftop

Photos of the view from just below the Cuppola

The evening sun on the building as we were leaving.

It was the second Green Drinks evening we have attended having been included since doing the composting course.  Both were very interesting.  

TODAY'S GARDEN

My garden is my Happy Place.  When I go down to get the newspapers first thing in the morning I love checking the garden to see what has come up and what needs cutting back, removing or weeding.

I like the way it changes day by day.  Here are some plants from today's garden:

Cucumbers - Lebanese and apple

Tomatoes from a neighbour - she wasn't sure what variety.  one of two that she grows.

I also have two plants of a small bush tomatoe that I got at the Market.

Sugar snap peas doing well

Rhodohypoxis - I can remember buying this in Thames - would be about 30 - 40 years ago.  

The garden alongside the drive - more yellow at present

 

I do like this Echium Cottage Charm which has self-sown through the garden this year.

One of several Alstroemerias

This lavendar got a hammering and split in the last storm but we have staked it and have our fingers crossed that it will survive

I like these little poppies

I don't know the name of this - it came from a neighbour who got it from another neighbour

The lovely red rose that we have several of throughout the garden

I love this little old fashioned alstroemeria.  I call it the Christmas one.

Potatoes flowering.

HALLOWEEN

Well, yesterday (31st) the rain finally stopped and the wind eased  in the early afternoon.  About 4.30p.m. I had just put my feet up to read when the doorbell rang and it was a young lad, the grandson of our neighbour across the road, Trick and Treating.  He went away with his haul.  I was just going back to read when the bell went again and it was his sister and a friend Trick and Treating once again.  Brother had, obviously, been sent over first to check on our reaction.  

All went quiet then for a couple of hours and we were just watching the News when the doorbell rang again.  This time Doug went and it was a young lady with her two young children with special bags for their haul.  That was it as far as Trick and Treating went.

A couple of years ago we had a lot of teenagers coming around and ran out of supplies so last year we stocked up and no-one came so we gave the treats to a young boy a couple of houses down the road.  He and his grandfather live with a friend so they would all have shared.

As far as the weather is concerned it has stayed dry today and the lawn is drying out.  Amazingly, all my vegetables have fared well in spite of the wind and rain.  First thing this morning I staked a lot of the foxgloves and cut some that had snapped off in the wind.  Apart from that we have been in town all day so that is all I have done  apart from getting 3 loads of washing done and out drying.

I collected these foxgloves and borage this morning as they had broken off. The foxglove has a distorted stem which gives it a lot of extra flowers.  I must remember to move my finger out of the way with this new phone.

nothing much has happened here.

The forecast has improved and apart from a few showers on Friday and Saturday it is now forecast to be fine until Tuesday.