Another step closer to a finished kitchen

Nothing much has been happening in the kitchen lately. Until we found the perfect fabric for the kitchen blind, and at a bargain price. I still have to finish putting the loops and cords on the blind, but could not resist letting you see how it looked so far. As you can see we are still saving for the rest of the workbenches. Maybe by 2020 we will have enough.

Attempted shared lunch

This little sparrow sat on the chair next to me while I ate lunch with a Peter at ZigZag cafe in Napier, waiting to clear up my scraps. He may have been a bit disapointed.

Cape Kidnappers at sunset again

The title says it all. When I took my camera out the white cliffs were pink, but they changed in the few seconds it took to lift my camera to my eye. Maybe I will catch them next week.

Not a good start to the weekend ............

Driving home on Friday the car infront of me stopped suddenly. So I breaked hard and stopped with plenty of room, thankfully. Unfortunatly, the white van behind me didn't break. Result one squished car.

The things I wanted to photograph today.

I don't usually see this view at this time of day, quite pretty isn't it. I used to only work mornings. From today I will be working full days twice a week, as well as my usual mornings. The benefits are getting to see Cape Kidnappers at sunset, getting a lunch break (more on that later) and having all the daily jobs done at home by somebody else. The one major unbenefit (if that is a word) is having to sit still in one place for a whole day, my fidget level reached new heights. Thank goodness for lunch breaks. I had a great walk through the sunny streets of Napier. The photo below is off a new art work that has been installed on the main shopping street, which I would have missed if I had just driven straight home. I think it looks amazing

To hedge or not to hedge

The two parts of our garden, the formal and the wild, are divided up by this hedge. For years I have trimmed it and cared for it. But never really liked it that much. In fact to tell the truth I hate the smell of it. Its only good point is that the bees love it. Sooooooo I was thinking about removing it. Then planting with grasses, hebes and flaxes - like the pic below. I love to see the light through the grasses and the way they move in the breeze. I have tried to do formal gardening - it is not me. I just can't get it to work. Therefore I thought that a more edge of wild look to the garden would be more me. What do you think? Should I take it down?
I am so glad you said, yes. Because this morning the sun was shining, I fancied a bit of gardening, and the hedge has gone.

Looks great I think. What do you think? I nearly gave up it was hard work, and I was quite tired. I am glad I didn't. Though I suspect I will have some sore muscles tomorrow.

The extra benefit is I can now get close enough to the pampas grass to remove it. When I say, I can get close enough to remove it, what I actually mean Peter can get close enough to remove it.

Joys of Gardening

One of my greatest joys of gardening is growing my own food. I find it a great pleasure being able to wander around collecting fruit and veges and eating them. It is also brilliant to see my garden design ideas working. Below the mandarin tree looks exactly as I wanted it too.

A day of rainbows

Wednesday was a day of very wet showers, that kind of drizzle that soaks you too the skin. With the showers came the rainbows.

Our house is over there somewhere behind the trees. I am hoping that the pot of gold might be hidden in our garden.

Alas not be, no pots of gold in our garden.

Study Makeover - half way stage

We are halfway through the study makeover - at the moment it is a spare room for our guest. That is not a ghostly apparition through the window. Just Peter and my middle son moving furniture.
Soon the bed will be stripped out, the floor varnished, shelves in and desks built. Or at least I hope so.

The view from the top

We had a visitor staying with us last week. We tried to show her some of the Hawkes Bay sights.
The view from the top of Te Mata Peak is one that should not be missed. Peter usually does the trip, I am a coward. But Peter was working, and I knew the weather was going to change. So I decided we should just go for it, and the view is so worth it.

You also see some strange sights up there.

Buddist monks and people just running and jumping off the edge.

Giant Pigeon

The other day, while hanging out the washing, I noticed a very large bird in the gum tree. At first I thought it was some large bird of prey. So I got out my trusty camera and sneaked up for a closer look. It was the largest pigeon I have ever seen in my life. It was fatter than our cat Buffy. Apparently the New Zealand Pigeon is a very large bird.