THE BEANS AND TODAY'S WALK

Today's walk was along the Waimahanga Track.  It is a lovely walk and the Tuis were serenading us although I was unable to get a photo.  There were, however, plenty of flowers for them to gather nectar.  There were several banksias

and manuka or Teatree

These tiny flowers are a bit blurry as the wind had got up and they were moving around.  I can't think of their name

I can't think of the name of this one either - I don't think it is a native.

and a bottle brush

There was also the one I took a photo of last week.  These would all encourage the Tuis.

It was a lovely walk and the forecast had been for early rain but it came later than expected and we got quite wet in a very heavy downpour so passed on the visit to a cafe.  We went home to change into dry clothes and then went back to the library and do a supermarket shop.

Back home I cooked lunch then we cooked up Sophie's dinner before I got the rubbish ready for the morning while Doug did the dishes.  3.40 p.m. now and time to sit down with a cuppa.

The Beans

 Yesterday's photo of the beans I received from Jean

and the photo I found on line of Carioca beans from Brazil

The lines look the same.  Jean said they ate them fresh pods and all but it sounds as though they are used as a dried bean.  Anyway, we look forward to trying them.  Apparently they are similar to the pinto bean.

FATHER'S DAY

Last night Doug had a phone call from his friend telling him that his nephew who lives a couple of kilometres down the road would take him into the airport so we didn't have to start really early.

So, after breakfast Doug was able to carry on working on his "Sculpture".  I made an apple and blueberry crumble and then some Anzac biscuits for Doug.  We decided to opt out of going to the gym.

His daughter arrived at about 12.30 and we had some soup followed by the crumble and then later on a cup of tea with the biscuits.  

It was good to catch up. She only lives at the other side of town but as she works such long hours as a  Rural Delivery driver we don't get to see her that often.

As she was leaving I went down to the letterbox to see if there was any junk mail and was surprised to find three letters - the mail must have been delivered really late yesterday.  One of the letters was some bean seeds from fellow blogger "All Points of the Compass"  they are very unusual - thank you Jean.

SCAM EMAILS

Why can't people use their energy to make money in a legitimate way instead of trying to scam money from innocent people.  I had a scam email this week purporting to be from the New Zealand Transport Agency wanting me to renew my registration.  I also recently received one supposedly from the Inland 
Revenue telling me I had a tax refund and then I noticed I had received another earlier in the year also about car registration.  At first sight these emails look genuine and, if one was tired or in a hurry, it would be easy to "click" on them thinking they were genuine.  I take a screenshot of the emails and then notify the appropriate authorities so that they have a record of the scams.

 A cloudy but fine day today and Doug is making a "Sculpture" in his workshop  while I have been busy making soup.  I don't know where other bloggers in New Zealand get their kumara but I have been buying the 2kg. bags of "Odd Bunch" Kumaras from Countdown and find them a good size, a good price (you get 2 kg for the usual price of 1 kg)  and in the last bag as well as the Owairaka red skin, creamy flesh, there were the Beauregard with their orange flesh and Purple Dawn with purple flesh.  For lunch we had a mash of one ordinary potato, one Beauregard and one Purple Dawn and it was very tasty.

Printing and Gardening

 This morning, among other things, I planned to print out some new recipes that I have tried and given the tick of approval.  I find it easier to read a printed recipe than one on my cellphone or newspaper cutting.  I can get the font size so that it is easy to read.  I thought this would be a short job but soon realised that the print head needed cleaning.

It is a few years now since I changed my printer.  I knew how to do it on the old printer but all I could find by looking on line was that I should clean the print head but no instructions.  Eventually,  after doing a Microsoft search (I think) I finally found the answer and ended up with printed sheets just as I wanted them.

By now it was time go get lunch.  After lunch I managed to get out in the lovely sunshine and plant some seedlings, cuttings and do some weeding and pruning, not a lot but every little helps and it was so nice to be outside in the sunshine.

We had planned a quiet weekend but Doug's youngest daughter messaged yesterday that she was coming here on Sunday (Father's Day) so I invited her to lunch after we had been to the gym.  Today, Doug got a phone call from a friend who lives a good hour's drive away wanting a lift to the airport on Sunday morning.  He has to be at the airport at 9 a.m. so Doug will have to leave by 6.30 a.m. at least.  We may well end up not going to the gym once again.  Never mind as we seem to get plenty of exercise.  Still, it is far better to be busy than sitting home bored.

Monarch Butterflies and other things

 We awoke to a fine sunny day and I had planned to get out in the garden but once I went outside I changed my mind as there is a cold wind once again.  Still, I got another two loads of washing done and dry but the seedlings I was going to plant out will have to wait another day or so.

We belong to the Monarch Butterfly Society and recently ordered some cuttings 

Butterflies enjoying the white Mexican tree daisy (Montanoa grandiflora) and yellow Mexican tree daisy or sunflower (Tithonia diversifolia) both of which flower early in winter, a time of year when there’s not much else flowering in the garden, attracting butterflies, bees and bumblebees. Both of these grow 2-3 metres.

Yellow Mexican marigold bush – Tagetes lemmonii (see below) with its aromatic foliage and brightly coloured flowers. Can flower all year round in the right location! Grows 1-2 metres.

We could not find these plants anywhere else so today received a parcel with the cuttings - these are just plain cuttings - not rooted so I hope we are successful.  I put them in water and, because it was so cold, I was going to leave them but Doug has got them into pots of sand.

I just checked and the high for today is supposed to be 15 degrees but it does not feel anywhere like it.  Still, it must be A LOT colder further south.

FEELS LIKE IT IS BACK TO WINTER

The wind is blowing from the south where they have snow and feels as though it has ice in it.  I had intended to do some gardening but just managed to get some branches cut up into the wheelie bin followed by some pieces of the cactus that blew down a few weeks ago.  Doug went into town for a new piece for the tank and I was just about to go indoors and put lunch on when our friend who gave us the tank arrived.  Perfect timing for a cup of tea.  

When she had gone I got lunch on and Doug finished the tank.  He then went out to his shed and had decided to make some garden ornaments from the offcuts of wood when the vee belt on his drill press broke so he went back to town to buy a new one.

While he was away I got the vegetable soup with the bacon stock on to cook.

We look out to the Waratahs from our kitchen window and it won't be long now until they are in full bloom.

With the new tank Doug made a new gate further along to keep Sophie out of Kim's part of the garden.

We had a very brief shower but not enough to fill the watering can yet.

Looking down past where the old gate was to the new gate

FIRST DAY OF SPRING

A lovely sunny day and I got three loads of washing done and dried (two loads were Sophie's towels and bedding).  

I also cooked another Lamb Tagine and put three meals for 2 in the freezer and phoned two friends who have birthdays, had my walk and did a little weeding.  A good day.

Although it is a lovely day here, the South Island has snow and strong winds - pleased I live up here.  

While I was chatting and cooking Doug moved the fence and gate that give Kim and Sophie separate parts of the garden.  Kim can get through to Sophie's part but it keeps Sophie out of Kim's part.  The new tank was too close to the old fence so it had to be moved.  

Ran out of energy to cook the soup from the bacon stock so that will have to wait for tomorrow.

Showers forecast for this afternoon although it is nearly 3.30 and no sign yet.  Rain forecast for tonight.  It will be good to get some rain in the new tank.

My new seeds from Kings Seeds arrived - mainly plants for the Monarch butterflies and some purple sprouting broccoli and carrots.