UPDATE

The strong winds and heavy rain have eased but it is still showery although I have managed to get some washing done and just finished in the dryer.  Cyclone Tam has been causing problems in N.S.W. and people have drowned in the rough waters. It seems that they didn't get the cyclone just the heavy seas.

We went to the Growers' Market bright and early yesterday and it was nice and quiet.  It would have been very busy later as, in spite of the weather it seems as though lots of people have headed north for the Long Weekend.  Youngest daughter came for lunch yesterday.  She went to the dump on the way here but the queue was so long that she brought her rubbish with her and went to the dump again on the way back.  Apparently it was chaos in the supermarkets.

We had a couple more large shrubs that got damaged in the storm and had to be cut down but generally got off very lightly.  

We bought another Chrysanthemum at the market and I also saw a plant I didn't know the name of so took a photo of its label.  

They make a stunning display.  Below are two of our yellow ones and we also have a pink and a white.  

I hope everyone is having a Happy Easter.

CYCLONE TAM

 It is hard to believe that just a few short weeks ago we were in drought.  Since then we had a storm last week and have had this storm (cyclone Tam)  since yesterday morning.

When I went down the drive to get the newspapers this morning I did some tidying up and cleared a pipe under a garden to let water flow out from our lawn.  I was drenched to the skin when I got in.  Doug is out now.  One of our N.S.W. Waratahs has blown against a fence but it is damaged at the base and he is going to cut it down. We will miss it as we looked out at it from our kitchen and dining windows. It is the one the Tui loved as in this photo for our 2023 Christmas card.

A lot of power outages.  Hope ours stays on. We keep intending to get a generator - must get around to it.  Thunderstorms forecast as well.

GWYNNETH

Gwynneth 2 of the tubs the kumara came out of have been planted today with the chrysanthemums we 
bought at the Market yesterday.  They are a bit (overstatement) lanky and one must have been laying on its side but they will come right.  Once the flowers come out I will pick them and leave the lower buds to flower.  They have plenty of room to spread. We used to buy our kumara from a lad at the Market and I think we will go back to that although we may well plant one or two.  It was a lot of work.

Apart from that I have made a large pot of lentil and vegetable soup using the smaller kumara and baked an apple and feijoa crumble which we had for our dessert.

It is a miserable day, drizzly and cool so the fire is going.

FRIDAY AND SATURDAY

 Yesterday morning (Friday) I walked down to the Pharmacy (750 metres) to pick up a script for Doug.  We used to get them from a pharmacy in the next suburb (Kamo) but changed a few months ago and find it much easier now to pick up scripts.  While I was there I popped into the butcher and bought a pack of shin on the bone to make some soup this weekend and a pack of Hot Cross Buns from one of the bakers.  Doug tells me they are the very best buns.

While I was away (not long) Doug started to harvest the Kumara (sweet potatoe) from 4 half barrels, we had already harvested one earlier.  When I got back I was greeted by Blue waiting for me on the fence

I then helped Doug harvest the Kumara.  It was quite hard work emptying the barrels then finding the kumara, moving the barrels to a new site and refilling.  Anyway, it is all done now and just one more plant in the ground left to harvest.

It was much more pleasant going to the Market today with Daylight Savings having ended.  Not exactly daylight when we got up at 6 a.m. but not pitch dark and daylight when we got to the market.  Apart from fish, fruit and vegetables we bought two more chrysanthemum plants still in bud, as well as a bargain bunch of chrysanths for $5.00 enough to fill two vases.  

It has been a lovely sunny day with enough breeze to dry my washing quickly.

WHAT A DAY

Very dark this morning at 6 a.m. and we both turned over and didn't wake again till 7 a.m. so a bit later than usual at the Growers' Market.  First stop was to get some more chrysanthemums but she only had one so we bought that.  She will have more in a fortnight's time. The crew from Seven Sharp a New Zealand current affairs programme were at the market filming.  

I bought the usual eggs, local bananas, tomatoes, watercress, plus some heirloom apples that we have yet to try, feijoas  and some John Dory fillets.  We often meet up with Doug's eldest daughter at the Market but today it was his youngest grand-daughter.  

Then it was off to two supermarkets as our usual one was out of stock of some items.  Then home and packing everything away always takes a while and I did a couple of loads of washing and put it on the line.  In the meantime we had breakfast.  Yesterday we had phoned the Pharmacy to book our flu vaccinations and had an appointment for 11.30.  I had a third load of washing in the machine by then and put it out when we returned.

I also went across the road to see the daughter of our 92 year old neighbour who is going to live with her daughter in Western Australia next week.  The mother is in a Rest Home for a couple of weeks while the daughter gets things sorted.  I wanted to make sure that we had their contact details.

It turned out that someone was supposed to be coming from Auckland to collect their Hippeastrums but had to cancel so would we like them.  We ended up with about four wheelbarrow loads of pots plus a wheelbarrow and the shelving some of the plants were on.  I have always admired her Hippeastrums so was pleased.  I will share them with another neighbour if she wants them.  We also brought home a young plant that has both pink and white flowers on it (not sure of the name) and Doug got that planted in the afternoon.  

I think it was about 2 o'clock when I finally got around to cooking the John Dory for lunch and then cooked a pot of mince as I had got carried away at the supermarket and bought mince as well as a leg of lamb for tomorrow when Doug's youngest daughter is coming to lunch as it was her birthday on Friday.

The mince cooked I got the various loads of washing in and folded and did the dishes while Doug did the planting.

Tonight the clocks go back with the end of Daylight Savings thank goodness so it will be a bit lighter next week for the Market.

Some of the fruit from the Market plus both red and gold kiwifruit from the supermarket. The rest of the apples are in the fridge.

I will get a photo of the pink and white flowered bush tomorrow.  Getting late now.

There are twenty pots altogether most of them alstroemeria.

This is the pink and white bush.  A bit past its best at the moment.

RAIN

We have had a lovely, gentle rain today and yesterday afternoon.  More, possibly heavier, is forecast for tonight and tomorrow.  I am not sure if it will  enough to break the drought but it is good that we don't have to water the garden for a few days at least.  

Prior to that I had been looking for some chrysanthemum plants.  I finally saw some advertised at Mitre 10 as well as some Romanesco cauliflower so we went in with the intention of buying both.  When we got there the chrysanthemums were dwarf and sad looking plants so we left them.  We did, however come across some dahlias and came home with 4 dahlia plants, one zinnia and some veg seedlings.  

Then at Saturday's market Doug saw a chrysanthemum plant.   It was pot bound and a bit lanky but we bought it and I have already used the flowers in a couple of vases (one for us and the other for a neighbour).  Everything is now planted and enjoying the rain.

            

  The lovely chrysanthemum flowers

The dahlias before planting. 

There should be more chrysanthemums at Saturday's Market.

FLOWERS

I always like to have at least one vase of flowers in the house, usually on the dining table.  Just as the vegetables we eat change with the seasons so do the flowers in the vase.

This week's vase consists of Buddleia flowers, Alstroemeria, Yarrow, Garlic Chive flowers, Lovage flowers and a dahlia and I am pleased with the result.

KUMARA (Sweet Potato)

 For the first time we planted kumara in half barrels as there was no room in the garden as we had potatoes growing.  (Last year we harvested the potatoes a bit early in order to plant the kumara).

We knew that they should be left growing for a while longer but one was starting to turn yellow so decided to harvest today and check how they were.  

We will leave the rest for about another month but are happy with what we have (Just under 2 kg.)

We removed the tops and could see there were some kumara there so managed to tip it over.

This was our harvest - I mashed some in with our buttercup squash for lunch. No food miles involved.

AUTUMN

On Wednesday we got our second load of firewood and got it stacked away.  It was just over 1.5 cubic metres and is offcuts from a nearby mill.  Various sizes which suits us fine.  Usually we stack together, me loading the wheelbarrows and Doug emptying them but this time I got the smaller pieces and stacked them in containers while Doug dealt with the larger pieces and this worked well.  As usual we stacked it when it was delivered.

We ordered a third load plus some lengths of timber for Doug to make picture frames and were expecting to wait a week or two for that to be delivered but got a call the following afternoon and had the delivery.  As it was late in the afternoon we just stacked a small amount and did most of it on Friday.  We were both tired at the end of it but it was a good tiredness.  The timber delivered for Doug was Redwood.

                                               Just a part of the timber stacked in the shed

The containers of the smaller wood stacked three deep in another shed.  I was running out of containers hence the polystyrene one in the front.  There were also about half a dozen containers of the very small wood at the bottom of the first photo.

It is really starting to feel like autumn and this morning when we got up at 6 a.m. to go to the Market it was quite chilly and dark.  By the time we arrived at the Market it was light.   Our vegetable garden is starting to wind down with only a few beans and tomatoes left now apart from one Russian Red tomato that is just starting to turn colour so we bought quite a variety.

Today we bought leeks, a couple of Buttercup squash, a small broccoli, some figs, a bunch of bananas (we have three bunches on ours but they are not ready yet), a new to us variety of plum, some Asian aubergine, blueberries, Reed avocadoes, 500 gm. tomatoes and a tray of free range eggs.  Our diet has already changed from our summer diet.

FRONT GARDEN.

It must be a couple of years since Doug cleared out the invasive Alstroemeria from the back of the front garden.  Since then we have been moving plants around.  We now have Michaelmas Daisies along the back and the bees just love them.  They are getting a bit past it now but still make a good show.

TAHI

The property that is now called Tahi was bought twenty years ago and as a run down 320 hectare cattle farm.  Since then it has been transformed into a rich ecosystem. Thousands of native trees have been planted, pests dealt with and rare species have returned 

It was open to the public yesterday (Saturday) so we skipped our usual trip to the market and went out there.  It is 27 kilometres away on a very winding road.  There was an article in our local paper which you can read here.  The main income is from honey.

Everything was very well organised and we were able to get on a walk at 10.15 a.m.. which said it was through bush.  Unfortunately, before the bush there was a long walk in the sun and it was really hot  so we only walked to the bush and not through it.  We walked from just by the coast on the right to the blue X.

The pace of the walk was quite fast and I only managed to get these few photos.

We then went on a van tour at 1 p.m. Everyone was very helpful and all so proud of what has been achieved.  

We had just arrived home when the phone rang and it was someone from the walking group who had been out fishing and wanted to know if we would like some fish.  They were willing to bring it to us but that seemed over generous so we drove out and picked it up.  We enjoyed some last night and the rest for lunch today.

MONARCH BUTTERFLIES

It has been a bad year for Monarch Butterflies and Doug has only released about 50 this year so it was great when there were five to release this morning.  

We released them early before heading out and had a busy day but more of that later.

TODAY'S WALK

Fifteen of us enjoyed our walk today at Tamaterau.  The walk starts with a reasonable climb then a walk down the road to the beach and back along the shore to the starting point.  Once again we took our own refreshments and found a picnic table in the shade to enjoy it.

Once again Mr. Google has put the photos in the opposite order but never mind.

PATAUA SOUTH

 It is a long time since we went to Pataua South for a walk with the walking group but today was the day.  Only nine of us on the walk but the day was perfect.  Some cloud to start with and a cooling breeze.  We walked over the long pedestrian bridge to Pataua North and these photos were taken from the bridge.

We then walked alongside the Harbour.

For some reason the photos are coming last to first so I am grouping them together.  We then walked to the ocean beach.

The beach

and the houses alongside the beach

On the way back another view of the harbour

We had all brought some refreshments so there was more than enough to eat and drink. The view back to the bridge from our picnic table.

On the way back home we took a side road that led us to the other side of the harbour with a view to the  path we had walked on the other side and the sea.

We got home at about 1.40. It is now nearly 7 pm and raining so no need to water the garden.