WHANGAREI MATERNITY HOSPITAL

We were very impressed with the Maternity Hospital.  It was opened in 2016 and even has provision made to enlarge it when necessary.  The tile murals at the entrance were lovely.  This is one of them.

If you are interested there is a video here which shows you around the hospital.

We have a Long Weekend coming up  - Queens Birthday Weekend so a good time to keep off the roads.  For us it will be the usual - Market etc on Saturday morning, Gym on Sunday and the Parkinson Walk on Monday.

The vegetable garden is producing really well and we have been eating plentiful supplies of  silver beet (Swiss chard), spinach and  pak choi fresh from the garden.

A NEW GREAT-GRANDDAUGHTER

I have not posted for a while.  Life just seems to have been too busy.  Today was no exception but, apart from the appointment we already had in town, we got to go to the Maternity Unit to meet a new Great-granddaughter.  Doug's Grandson and his partner had a 9 lb 11 oz baby girl at 8 p.m. last night.  She is to be called Theia Grace  and is just adorable.  We both had a cuddle as she was passed around.  She is the first local great-grandchild.

Mother, baby and father are doing extremely well.

FRIDAY WALK

Another lovely day although a bit cooler first thing.  We decided to do the circular walk from home again.

Last night I got a half leg of lamb out of the freezer so we peeled some potatoe, kumara (sweet potatoe) and Buttercup Squash and put it all in the oven at about 160 degrees. 

The stream as one enters the bush doesn't have a lot of water.

I happened to look across the stream above  and realised the view is up the hill to the spot I took the following photo on a previous walk.  The colours are not as good looking from the shade but if one looks closely one can see the house in both photos.  A wonderful property going right down to the river. 

When we get to the waterfall this is the first set of steps taking us to the top of the falls.

As we got home there were two Monarch Butterflies on this daisy.  We have the Monarchs everywhere.

The walk took us about 80 minutes and, when I checked, the lamb was cooked so I removed it to rest and turned the oven up to brown the vegetables.  Went out to the garden and picked some silver beet (chard) and in no time we had a delicious meal.  Nothing flash but very tasty.

OAK TABLE

This oak table came from my late husband's parents when they downsized in the 1970's.  I don't know how old it is but they most likely had it in their bach or holiday home.  I am not sure why the left leg has had some stain put on it but it is a useful table, the right height for our small television.  

It has always seemed a waste of space under the drawer so this morning I asked Doug if he could make some shelves for magazines out of some leftover ply.  This is the result.  More practical and looks better.

WICKEN BONHUNT

Reading the post by John from "By Stargoose And Hanglands" made me think of Wicken Bonhunt which I knew had nearby windmills.  I looked it up on google and came across not a windmill but a pub.

The Coach and Horses

Only one publican was mentioned a Thomas Nash in 1851.  Thomas was my great, great grandfather.  His daughter, Lucy, embroidered this sampler two years later and I have it on my bedroom wall.   She was 13 at the time.

JACINDA ARDERN

Australia is going to the polls later this month and a survey has just revealed that  Australia's most trusted politician is New Zealand Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern. Surprise, surprise.

A FOGGY START TO THE DAY

We had a slightly later start than usual for a Saturday morning but I was surprised on opening the curtains to find a heavy fog. 

As usual we went to the Growers Market  followed by walking Sophie at the Town Basin.

Then we did our weekly supermarket shop and by the time we returned home the fog had lifted and it was a lovely sunny day.,