A walk in the fog

Our walk with people with P.D. yesterday was along Beach Road at Onerahi.  We had an enjoyable walk in the fog.

Today is the shortest day so it is great to think that we get more sunshine hours from today onwards.

MAJOR DISRUPTION

I have finally decided to get new carpet.  Prior to that the house needs painting as there is no point in getting the new carpet down and then starting to paint.

First up Doug has painted the outside room for me and I cleared out Max' desk in the small room off it and Doug put up some shelves.  

Shelves in the small (former office but now cupboard).  They are now filled.

A couple of "before" photos of the outside room

 and a couple after painting.

The master bedroom has now been emptied and Doug is in the middle of painting it for me.  I am awaiting a painter but he is still on jobs for neighbours.  I was just going to get the bedrooms painted but have now decided with the disruption I may as well get the lounge and dining room done.

While Doug is busy painting (his least favourite job) I am sorting items to give to charity shops and moving other items into the outside room.  This could be a long job.

The first day of winter

The Indian Summer has only recently left us and now we have the first day of winter.  There was rain overnight but none today and the temperature had dropped considerably.

First thing this morning I took a few photos in the garden.  This rose is coming to the end of its flowering.  It flowers from early spring through to winter.  The rhododendron is just coming into bud.

     An azalea that was here when we purchased seven years ago.  The garden is in need of some T.L.C. at present.

The chrysanthemum flowers well - I have just picked enough for a couple of vases.

Still a few flowers on the gardenia

and the frangipane

and some photos taken in the park while walking Sophie this morning

HUNT FOR THE WILDERPEOPLE

We have just been to see the New Zealand Film "Hunt for the Wilderpeople".  It lived up to everything we had heard about it.  It was based on a novel by Barry Crump see here

It is very much a New Zealand film and the scenery is magnificent.  I give it a ten out of ten.

INDIAN SUMMER

We are having an Indian Summer and, apparently, it is set to linger for another three weeks.  It is Tee Shirt and shorts weather, in fact that is what I have been wearing today and have, at times, been too hot.  When you think that it is May (the equivalent of November in the Northern Hemisphere) we should be having temperatures several degrees lower - it was 24 degrees C. yesterday and that would have been at the airport where temperatures are usually lower.

Anyway, I took a few photos today.  The top two were at Tikipunga Sports Field when we were walking Sophie this morning and the bottom ones are in my garden.  Although we have had very little rain there has been heavy dew which has helped the garden.

I have also been releasing 3 - 4 Monarch Butterflies every day.

Te Matau a Pohe (the Fish-hook of Pohe)

On Monday for our Parkinsons' walk we walked over the Te Matau a Pohe Bridge and then alongside the dog park before returning over the bridge again - it was a pleasant walk.  The bridge opened just before we started our walk and then again while we were going over it.  It is interesting to see how much higher it would have to be if it didn't have the bascule.  It was a busy time as it opened yet again while we were by the dog park.

Although we had rain/showers forecast for the long weekend (Anzac Weekend) it kept fine in spite of the clouds.

If you enlarge the photos and click on them quickly you get a good view of the bridge opening.

"Me and My Shadow" at Portland on Monday