In the last week or two I have planted:
*one nectarine tree,
*three blueberry bushes
*two guava trees,
*one viburnum shrub
*sweet peas
*climbing beans
*one cocktail tomato plant
*one corgette plant
*three rows of radishes,
*parsley
*basil
*strawberry plants
*sage
*Gloriosa lillies
*ten lavender plants
*four fuschias
*20 hedge plants (griselinia)
and shifted:
*two hydrangeas
*one apple tree (to the orchard)
*one hibiscus
*several clumps of dahlia bulbs
and repotted:
*lots and lots of bromeliads - too many to count.
and sprinkled in the wild flower area:
*poppy seeds
*aquilegia seeds,(granny bonnets)
*calendula seeds,
*honesty seeds
all saved from last year or gathered from friend's gardens.
And of course there has been the general garden tidying, digging of vege garden, clearing out compost bins, tending to the worm farm etc etc.
And its just the start of the summer season!
I wonder why I don't have time to blog?
Friday, October 1, 2010
Monday, September 13, 2010
More Quilt news
The story of the quilt I made my Granddaughter, as well as a photo, has appeared in the latest issue of the NZ Quilter magazine.
Needless to say I am quite pleased about this! It is only the second quilt I have ever made.
You will need to enlarge the photo to be able to read the article.
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Clean Up
The trauma continues for the people of the Canterbury region with more than 300 aftershocks, some of them very strong. In fact strong enough in a few cases to cause more damage.
Here is a link to some interviews with some children with their views on the earthquake(s).
There are some wonderful stories of the generosity of neighbours and others - people turning up with a spade and helping in the cleanup, checking on the elderly and providing for them with company and baking, and businesses lending out their machinery and time without payment to help.
Canterbury University students have organised themselves into a workforce with shovels and are helping many homeowners to clean their backyards and driveways of silt, sand and rubble.
And then of course there are a few tales of burglaries and looting.
A crisis brings out the best in people and unfortunately sometimes also the worst.
Google Maps map of the quake and the aftershocks. They are colour coded according to the day with red being last Saturday, teal Sunday, yellow Monday,green Tuesday, purple Wednesday,and pink today (so far)
View Christchurch earthquake: Where the land shook in a larger map
Here is a link to some interviews with some children with their views on the earthquake(s).
There are some wonderful stories of the generosity of neighbours and others - people turning up with a spade and helping in the cleanup, checking on the elderly and providing for them with company and baking, and businesses lending out their machinery and time without payment to help.
Canterbury University students have organised themselves into a workforce with shovels and are helping many homeowners to clean their backyards and driveways of silt, sand and rubble.
And then of course there are a few tales of burglaries and looting.
A crisis brings out the best in people and unfortunately sometimes also the worst.
Google Maps map of the quake and the aftershocks. They are colour coded according to the day with red being last Saturday, teal Sunday, yellow Monday,green Tuesday, purple Wednesday,and pink today (so far)
View Christchurch earthquake: Where the land shook in a larger map
Monday, September 6, 2010
Quake update
Christchurch is now experiencing gale force winds and heavy rain is predicted to add to the misery of the quake damaged city!
However the clean up has begun. I was talking to my cousin who lives in Kaiapoi and he has been out and about helping neighbours to secure their homes and make them watertight. However they are all traumatised by the event and shiver when another aftershock occurs.
There is an interesting account here of a young lad who fell out the second storey of his house and survived with very little injury!
We did not feel the quake here in the Bay of Plenty which is in the upper half of the North Island. Quakes are always a possibility in our region with the last destructive one occurring in 1987 at Edgecumbe which is an hour away south east of here. However we have an active volcano on our doorstep. White island sits just out there off shore continually smoking away and occasionally spewing more than steam!
Extract from this morning's NZ Herald.
"Parts of central Christchurch were being reopened, but weary residents face more disruption as schools, public buildings and many businesses remain closed.
Late yesterday, 60,000 people were still without water supplies and 10,000 were without power. About 100 water mains were broken, and only a quarter of them had been repaired.
Schools and early childhood centres in Christchurch City and Selwyn and Waimakariri Districts have been told to stay closed until at least Wednesday following concerns from the Chief Medical Officer of Health.
All non-essential procedures at Christchurch Hospital have been cancelled, as have jury trials due to start today.
Much of the hard-hit central city remains cordoned off, but engineers have made progress inspecting about 500 damaged buildings.
Civil Defence officials are urging visitors to stay away for at least a week, unless absolutely necessary, as the city tries to come to terms with its shattered infrastructure.
One Kaiapoi resident said a constant flow of sightseers was distressing residents, and urged people to stay away.
Most public buildings and schools remain off limits for at least the next two days, under the Civil Defence Act. A curfew is in place in Christchurch from 7pm to 7am, and police said the central city was still dangerous.
Aftershocks from the quake are expected to be felt for several weeks.
The weather seems likely to add to the misery. The MetService predicted winds of up to 130km/h would hit many parts of Canterbury. Those winds are expected to be replaced later today by a cold southerly and rain.
The rain may well force further evacuations, especially of residents near the Waimakariri River, where stopbanks were badly damaged by the quake.
Civil Defence Minister John Carter said safety was the most important factor for emergency staff, who were contacting elderly people to ensure they were being looked after.
"We are aware that there could be significant rain up in the Alps and that the [Waimakariri] River may swell over the next couple of days."
Mr Carter said Civil Defence was working to rebuild the stopbanks and set up an evacuation plan should it be needed.
If people were evacuated, they would probably go to welfare centres set up around the region to help hundreds whose homes are too damaged to stay in.
About 250 people have spent the past two nights at makeshift Red Cross centres at Linwood College, Burnside High School and Addington Raceway.
The Salvation Army has fed about 1000 people since Saturday.
Today, work will continue around the region to restore essential services and assess damage caused by the quake, which has made headlines around the world.
However the clean up has begun. I was talking to my cousin who lives in Kaiapoi and he has been out and about helping neighbours to secure their homes and make them watertight. However they are all traumatised by the event and shiver when another aftershock occurs.
There is an interesting account here of a young lad who fell out the second storey of his house and survived with very little injury!
We did not feel the quake here in the Bay of Plenty which is in the upper half of the North Island. Quakes are always a possibility in our region with the last destructive one occurring in 1987 at Edgecumbe which is an hour away south east of here. However we have an active volcano on our doorstep. White island sits just out there off shore continually smoking away and occasionally spewing more than steam!
Extract from this morning's NZ Herald.
"Parts of central Christchurch were being reopened, but weary residents face more disruption as schools, public buildings and many businesses remain closed.
Late yesterday, 60,000 people were still without water supplies and 10,000 were without power. About 100 water mains were broken, and only a quarter of them had been repaired.
Schools and early childhood centres in Christchurch City and Selwyn and Waimakariri Districts have been told to stay closed until at least Wednesday following concerns from the Chief Medical Officer of Health.
All non-essential procedures at Christchurch Hospital have been cancelled, as have jury trials due to start today.
Much of the hard-hit central city remains cordoned off, but engineers have made progress inspecting about 500 damaged buildings.
Civil Defence officials are urging visitors to stay away for at least a week, unless absolutely necessary, as the city tries to come to terms with its shattered infrastructure.
One Kaiapoi resident said a constant flow of sightseers was distressing residents, and urged people to stay away.
Most public buildings and schools remain off limits for at least the next two days, under the Civil Defence Act. A curfew is in place in Christchurch from 7pm to 7am, and police said the central city was still dangerous.
Aftershocks from the quake are expected to be felt for several weeks.
The weather seems likely to add to the misery. The MetService predicted winds of up to 130km/h would hit many parts of Canterbury. Those winds are expected to be replaced later today by a cold southerly and rain.
The rain may well force further evacuations, especially of residents near the Waimakariri River, where stopbanks were badly damaged by the quake.
Civil Defence Minister John Carter said safety was the most important factor for emergency staff, who were contacting elderly people to ensure they were being looked after.
"We are aware that there could be significant rain up in the Alps and that the [Waimakariri] River may swell over the next couple of days."
Mr Carter said Civil Defence was working to rebuild the stopbanks and set up an evacuation plan should it be needed.
If people were evacuated, they would probably go to welfare centres set up around the region to help hundreds whose homes are too damaged to stay in.
About 250 people have spent the past two nights at makeshift Red Cross centres at Linwood College, Burnside High School and Addington Raceway.
The Salvation Army has fed about 1000 people since Saturday.
Today, work will continue around the region to restore essential services and assess damage caused by the quake, which has made headlines around the world.
Sunday, September 5, 2010
The Shaky isles
Photo from Geonet - link here.
"A magnitude 7.1 earthquake occurred at 4:36 am on September 4, the epicentre was 40 km west of Christchurch city, and the depth of the quake was at 10 km."
I have posted about earthquakes in New Zealand before - they are a fact of life here, we all live with the possibility of a major quake happening at any time.
The people of Christchurch are counting their blessings that not one person was killed, there are two people with serious injuries and many minor injuries. An earthquake of this magnitude (similar to the one recently in Haiti) can often cause more destruction and loss of life.
The time of the earthquake meant that most people were at home and many in bed, not on the streets, in the business areas or at workplaces, schools etc. While there has been destruction of homes and other buildings, roads, sewerage systems etc, our very strict building earthquake codes have made many of our buildings in a good position to withstand a good 'shake'and although damaged many are not 'totalled'.
I have several relatives living in Christchurch and thankfully all are safe and well, but one has quite extensive damage to her house. They are all feeling very very nervous with all the aftershocks that are occurring day and night, over thirty in all and some quite strong. (Click on the map above to see the sites of the major shock and all the aftershocks)More information here and here.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Hadn't heard this excuse before!
And I have (used)heard just about every other excuse under the sun!
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Sock Toys
These little fellows jumped into my hands begging to be assembled last week. Now I am looking for a child to match them with!
Monday, August 2, 2010
Meeting a blog buddy at Morpeth
When I travel I usually attend to all the obvious bookings well in advance ie air fares, accommodation, any organised group tours etc. So those type of experiences flow along without any surprises - barring the odd airline hiccup of delayed flights, airport holdups etc that are likely to happen along the way.
Often the memories of my trips that stay with me are the unexpected events or opportunities that appear, the people I meet, and the unplanned enjoyment that can arise as a result.
As the saying goes - A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour.
We had several such 'detours' on our trip to the UK last month.
One unexpected event happened on our visit to Morpeth, Northumberland and one planned event as well. We had traveled up to York to see the usual sights and decided to go on just an extra hour and a half to Morpeth which is not too far from Alnwick castle and gardens which I wanted to visit. And also, living not far away from Morpeth is Gail from Irritatingly Optimistic.
I had talked to Gail before we left and we arranged to meet in Alnwick village. How amazing it is to actually meet a person you have only met previously in cyberspace. And to talk to them as well. I hadn't really given much thought to how different our accents would be. Gail is as lovely in person as she is on her blog!
The unexpected event happened that evening. After dinner at a local restaurant we wandered out to the town square and over to the bell tower which was resounding with the peal of bells. I was rather curious about the sounds and poked my head into the open door at the base of the tower. A man popped his head out from a trapdoor above and invited us to come on up the stairs and join the local bell ringers for their evening practice.
Rather embarrassed at being caught snooping we sidled up the steep stairs and were amazed to find a group of 10 people crowded into a very small room, eight of them with a bell rope in hand. We were given a seat and told to remain very still, keep our feet away from the ropes, and that there were several tons of bells above us.
So we were captive there for the next 20 minutes as they finished their practice. And how fascinating it was. They follow a very complicated sequence pattern and there is much more skill involved than I would ever have thought.
The bell ringers were all very friendly and welcoming - a dedicated bunch of people of all different ages.
It was a memorable day.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
I am back
Yes I am back in the country. And reflecting on a hectic three months.
Firstly a trip to Perth Australia to visit family. Home for four weeks then away again to the Northern Hemisphere.
I have been to the UK and Europe four times in my lifetime.
The first was the summer of '69. They may well have been the best days of my life - but there was no doubt it was a good summer. London was sweltering, we were so young and ready for adventure.
My friend and I had emigrated to Canada, worked there in northern British Columbia for a year and were now in Europe and heading home to New Zealand.
Canada and America we had explored by Greyhound bus - before leaving New Zealand we purchased an open ticket for three months travel and we made the most of it, touching on 42 states in all.
After a stint of hitchhiking in the English countryside we joined a bus in London that took us overland through Europe to Greece, Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Nepal. We then flew to Singapore, train through Malaysia to Thailand, Cambodia, then flew to HongKong and home. Three months of hilarity, partying, and amazing sights seen and people we met along the way.
My next foray to the northern hemisphere was in 1998 to accompany my daughter as she took up a university exchange for a year. Another hot and sweltering summer. We journeyed to Italy where we stayed with friends, then back in England hired a car and wandered around exploring the countryside.
2006 was my next summer in the UK and France,this time our journeys were mostly by train. I donned a backpack and did some more wandering. This time staying in Bed and Breakfast places, unlike the Youth hostels and backpackers of 40 years earlier.
And now, 2010, again in the summer, another trip. How the times have changed. B and B's again and we took a rental car to travel around in. This time the trip was as much about visiting friends and family as it was seeing the sights. In France we hired a canal boat and experienced a slower mode of travel.
While its good to be home etc etc - I am finding it hard to settle down. Its the middle of winter and wet and cold. Friends have 'flu and colds and all is gloomy.
Oh well - the cat is pleased to see us.
Firstly a trip to Perth Australia to visit family. Home for four weeks then away again to the Northern Hemisphere.
I have been to the UK and Europe four times in my lifetime.
The first was the summer of '69. They may well have been the best days of my life - but there was no doubt it was a good summer. London was sweltering, we were so young and ready for adventure.
My friend and I had emigrated to Canada, worked there in northern British Columbia for a year and were now in Europe and heading home to New Zealand.
Canada and America we had explored by Greyhound bus - before leaving New Zealand we purchased an open ticket for three months travel and we made the most of it, touching on 42 states in all.
After a stint of hitchhiking in the English countryside we joined a bus in London that took us overland through Europe to Greece, Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Nepal. We then flew to Singapore, train through Malaysia to Thailand, Cambodia, then flew to HongKong and home. Three months of hilarity, partying, and amazing sights seen and people we met along the way.
My next foray to the northern hemisphere was in 1998 to accompany my daughter as she took up a university exchange for a year. Another hot and sweltering summer. We journeyed to Italy where we stayed with friends, then back in England hired a car and wandered around exploring the countryside.
2006 was my next summer in the UK and France,this time our journeys were mostly by train. I donned a backpack and did some more wandering. This time staying in Bed and Breakfast places, unlike the Youth hostels and backpackers of 40 years earlier.
And now, 2010, again in the summer, another trip. How the times have changed. B and B's again and we took a rental car to travel around in. This time the trip was as much about visiting friends and family as it was seeing the sights. In France we hired a canal boat and experienced a slower mode of travel.
While its good to be home etc etc - I am finding it hard to settle down. Its the middle of winter and wet and cold. Friends have 'flu and colds and all is gloomy.
Oh well - the cat is pleased to see us.
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