I think this is a Protea, will have to look it up.

The view from my car window, while I was stuck in a traffic jam. Which lasted all of 5 mins would you belive it. The first jam for a very long time. Would have been happy to be stuck there for another few minutes.

Scary cat in a Cabbage Tree. Rana is just a big softy really.

It was the Tremains triathalon today. I did the 5k walk bit. I was the first walker back, or should I say no walkers passed me. Sounds good, but I was the first walker out, so not quite that good.

The relevance of the daisy is that it was growing just beside the course. No, I did not stop to take the pic, I took it before we started. Viki our cyclist would not let me take my camera with me.

I am not sure what this is called, Para Surfing perhaps. Taken at West Shore Napier.

We have just been to see "The Science of Sleep". An interesting film. I really enjoyed the cinematography, the shots of Paris (at least I thought it was Paris) , the sound of different languages and the cool models (the cardboard and fabric kind I mean). The story was a bit predictable and stilted. At no time during the film did I feel involved, which is really unusual for me.

The website for this film is well worth a visit. http://wip.warnerbros.com/scienceofsleep/

I took these weird cloud formation pictures this morning. You are probably thinking, yeah yeah just clouds. But we do not see a lot of clouds in Hawkes Bay.

We have just had a visitor. Brought in by our cat Buffy.

Peter carefully trapped Buffy and the mouse in the washing basket. Buffy stayed in the washing basket. The mouse just strolled out through the gaps!

By that time our youngest heard the hue and cry and joined in. Poor little mouse ran all over the house, under the beds, under the wardrobe, in the walkin cupboard. Followed by Buffy, Peter, my youngest and me.

Eventually it lept in the box held by Peter, probably to escape my youngest who was bouncing around the walls by then. We released it back into the wild, hopefully not tooo traumatised.

Today''s Daisies.

Remember last weeks pumpkin.
We have had some rain this week and it has grown to over double its size. Maybe I should start a new blog called Pumpkin Watch, with daily updates. Or is it just me who is getting over excited about my first ever pumpkin.

My son's class have been studying Monarch Butterflies. Here are a couple of snaps of the Caterpillars, the Chrysalis and finally the Butterfly its self.

The Quilters Cabin is running a $25 quilt at the moment. You sign up to do it, pay your $25 and then each month you get a little pack to make up one block. To get your next block you must complete your previous one and pick up the pack on a certain date.

I did miss out on a few blocks and thought that I would have to give up. But one of my brill friends collected all my missing blocks for me.

I chose to do the Amish version and I am quite pleased with it so far.

Thought I better post some quilting pics as I have not done any for a while.
Do you remember the raffle quilt blocks
I won while on my trip to Auckland Calico Christmas. This is what I have done with them so far. I still need to find a border and backing.

I cut each of the blocks I won into 4 and then combined half of each block with half of another block. It helped blend together the different fabrics. The result is quite different to the original blocks. I really hate to admit that it was my hubbies idea to do this.

Scary pic or what. Yes, believe it or not this is my number for this weekends triathlon! No, I am not doing the whole thing, I am just doing the walking bit. Two other colleagues are doing the swim bit and the cycling bit. I am doing the 5k walk, which should be a doddle if not a slow doddle.

Main worry is that Josh our swimmer is quite good, so is starting among the fast swimmers. Which means the rest of the team are streamed in with the other fast teams. As the walking bit is last, I will have to stand waiting for my cyclist with the other fast runners and will look a little out of place. My very caring hubby (huh) said "Do not worry the thin runners will all be jealous and say you are cheating as there are two of you"!!!!! Meaning I am twice their size. And he thought this was a compliment. Boy has he got a lot of making up to do.

Here are a couple of links to other blogs I read.

The first is my friend Dale who is searching for her ancestors.

The next is a friend of a friend who has the most gorgeous house in Nova Scotia.

This last one is a blog I found at random. The tale of a back packer traveling through New Zealand.

The view of some palm trees from Woolworth's car park in Napier. For any confused UK readers, Woolworths is a supermarket over here and not the Woolworths you are used to in the UK.

A scottish nasturtium.

We have trimmed one of the plum trees quite radically. It has opened up that corner of the garden and we can see more individual trees, instead of a wood.

I bought some Hohepa cheese when we where at the fair. Some Tasty and some Cumin seed. We had them with some tomatoes and aubergines from the garden. Very delicious.

Some fluffy bantum chicks, from Hoepa fair. I was very tempted, Peter has wanted to get hens for a long time.

In our changes to the side garden Peter has made a couple of raised beds. To fill them we have been adding to the bottom a layer of kitchen scraps. In the first bed Peter must have added some pumpkin seeds. Which have all sprouted and the whole bed is full to the brim with pumpkin plants, as you can see from the pumpkin on the right (hmm I mean the left). I am not sure if it is too late in the season for them to be growing. But with a bit of good weather, which we have in abundance here in Hawkes Bay. We should have enough pumpkins to keep us in pumpkin soup all winter.

If you have never had pumpkin soup, give it a try. It is the easiest soup to make and has the best creamy texture I have ever tasted. My favourites are Pumpkin and Tomato, Pumpkin and Spinich and Curried Pumpkin soup. Leave a comment if you want me to post the recipes.

I went to see the surrealist exhibition at the museum in Napier with a friend a couple of days ago. It is quite interesting in a strange way. I enjoyed looking at the black dresses, but the vases did not do a lot for me. The combination was interesting. The skirt I liked the best was over 100 years old and was huge. It looked like it had been handquilted in silk, the wearer would have kept very cosy. Difficult to describe you will have to drop in and see if you are in Napier. See link above for times and dates.

Today's daisy is a Poppy.

(In a bit of a surrealist mood tonight)

My second favourite flower, I think. I am still trying to figure out what my favourites plants top 10 is. Though it may have to be a number of top 10s, one for flowers, one for trees, one for climbers..... this could go on for ever. If you want to leave your fav top 10 plants and why, as a comment, I would love to read them.

Some more of those Havelock morning views. It was so clear the mountains seemed so close.

This drive has been turned red by the flowers dropping from the tree.

Lillies at Keirunga Gardens.

Today's daisies.

Another sign of Autumn.

Art works at Keirunga Gardens.

The second pic is of work done by the Potters group.

I do not know the history of the first pic. But for some reason three trees have been changed into paintbrushes.

Some daisies frozen in the snow. Sent to me from the Scottish Borders by my Mum.

If anyone else would like to send me some pics of daisies from around the world, or even other locations in NZ, please do get in touch and I would love to add them to the blog.

Pine trees at the Black Barn. I really love the colour of these trees with the sun on them against the dark background.


Shame there is a television ariel sticking out of one of the trees.

Some snaps from last nights brill Bic Runga concert. What could be better than sitting in among the vines and olive trees, with good friends, eating nice food, drinking good Black Barn Sauvignon and listening to cool music. Thank you to Keriann and Ian for sharing their picnic, and brilliant Choclate Fudge Brownies (heaven).

The first pic is of the view over to Hastings.

The second is of Bic's sister Boh Runga who was the supporting act.


And the third is of Bic herself, sorry about the quality.




During the concert Bic introduced the band. Peter and I thought she said there was an Italian man playing the harp. Then wondered why he was wearing a dress and looked like a girl. It takes all sorts we thought. Until at the end of the concert we relised that what she had actually said was, I think, not "an Italian man" but "Natalie Lamb"! Guess we better get our hearing checked.

Tomorrow I am going to see Bic Runga at the Black Barn

and really looking forward to it.

Gum tree in the morning sun.

Some rosey apples to celebrate the first day of Autumn.