Sparrow Chatter

Whimsical Windows Delirious Doors 11

2012-02-13T17:35:00.004+13:00

Cuba Street Wellington

Tu B'Shevat

2012-02-12T21:27:00.000+13:00

In belated honour of Tu B'Shevat, or the Birthday of Trees.

Please take a seat Madam

2012-02-09T18:57:00.004+13:00

Who will dine, who will propose, who will sigh alone and gaze through the window? I will dream through your window, and build legends as I watch the candle illuminate the rose.

Whimsical Windows Delirious Doors 10

2012-02-07T06:49:00.001+13:00

Wellington CBD, between the window and the door

Blessings from the bees

2012-02-06T16:31:00.000+13:00

These pots represent about one third of the harvest so far - approximately 30 litres for my share of the hives.

Strange sightings in the CBD

2012-02-03T18:33:00.011+13:00

Lost Vikings wet their whistle at the railway pub

Freda Flintstone directs traffic, relatives and Stargate troopers

Pharoah texts Moses "Dude, there are frogs in my bathroom, get back here and fix it"

And history rewritten, sans biscuit

Welcome to the Rugby Sevens, Wellington, Waitangi Weekend.

Whimsical Windows Delirious Doors 9

2012-01-31T22:45:00.002+13:00

The Museum Hotel, Wellington
When the nation museum of New Zealand, called Te Papa was built. they needed the land where this hotel was located. Solution, they moved the entire hotel over the road. Why not?

And when the wind blows

2012-01-25T21:55:00.000+13:00

It's hard being a tree on the windy west coast.
Plimmerton, NZ

Whimsical Windows and Delirious Doors 8

2012-01-24T19:05:00.003+13:00

Inside the old city of Acco.
This has to be one of the most fascinating ancient towns in the Middle East (and believe me, I've visited a lot of them). Check it out the next time you visit Israel. You will LOVE it.

The Eyes Have it

2012-01-22T21:56:00.000+13:00

Aren't I gorgeous?
Wellington Zoo

Poo at the zoo and sleepy bo bo

2012-01-19T20:47:00.006+13:00

Whimisical Windows, Delirious Doors 7

2012-01-17T06:09:00.005+13:00

The Fort on my little island, Bahrain 2003. The curator owned an amazing falcon that sat on his desk on a perch. The photo isn't digital because it is scanned from a photo I had in an album.

Lazy Sunday with dusk around the corner

2012-01-15T18:55:00.006+13:00

Late bloom, dancing hydrangeas,

an open air desk, a peaceful place to think

Beeing a bee

2012-01-12T22:28:00.000+13:00

Whimsical Windows and Delirious Doors 6

2012-01-11T21:48:00.001+13:00

Wellington Zoo

For the meme started at www.iwishiwereaphotographer.blogspot.com

The mystery of the lost lotto ticket

2012-01-10T19:21:00.008+13:00

Little brother said he thought he saw it here

or maybe it was hidden down here

a chimp seems to know, but he's not telling

Not here, honest!

The spider monkey knows what we seek.

and do we detect a pelican hiding his beak?

Wellington Zoo

Does my bum look big in this?

2012-01-09T20:01:00.007+13:00

"How rude!"

Just keeping watch to make sure NO ONE escapes

or dies from overwork

or forgets to enter the Portrait of the Year competition

Then home to feed the lions in the garden

And the answer is........

2012-01-07T22:30:00.002+13:00

............President Sun Yat Sen of China and President Barack Obama attended the same school in Hawaii, Iolani School.

Sun Yat Sen embraced Christianity in Hawaii..............I wonder what happened to the other President?

Makes you think doesn't it?

A question with a fascinating answer

2012-01-06T21:13:00.003+13:00

Question. Which Chinese revolutionary, and 21st Century American President went to the same school?
Answers please in the comments section.

Jalousie not Jealousy

2012-01-05T16:48:00.005+13:00

Jalousie is the name for a window blind. This is the edible variety.

It is a wonderful "sweep up the leftovers and make a fantastic dinner" type meal.

Take one pack of frozen puff pastry and roll out two pieces, one slightly larger than the other (A4 paper size for the large sheet of pastry to be used as the base). Score the smaller piece across to make the "blind".

Take a small tin of salmon, and add any veggie leftovers. Mine included sliced red pepper, chopped green olives, onions in balsamic vinegar and two tomatoes, de-seeded and chopped finely. Bind together with a bit of natural yoghurt / cream / cream cheese / mayonnaise (whatever you need to use up). Season and pile up in the middle of the pastry sheet. Throw over the smaller blanket of pastry, and fold over the base pastry, sealing the edges (a bit of milk works well for the glue)

Bake in a pre heated oven at approximately 220 degrees for 15 minutes until the pastry is puffed and golden.

Voila.

Red Letter Day

2012-01-05T07:19:00.004+13:00

December and January, it is always lovely to hear from friends. Somehow I think most letters would enjoy arriving in this box, after their arduous journey from the northern hemisphere.

Whimsical Windows and Delirious Doors 5

2012-01-04T20:40:00.002+13:00

Nelson, New Zealand

Wishing you a sweet New Year

2012-01-02T18:42:00.001+13:00

Weekend reflection

2011-12-31T15:28:00.003+13:00

Smith the Grocer, Old Bank Arcade, Wellington, NZ

Blessings in the Botanicals

2011-12-30T12:22:00.003+13:00

Today we have had some much needed, heavy rain. It made a coffee stop in the Botanical Gardens a rather soggy one. Somehow it felt like the vegetation was drinking and sighing with relief.

Preparing to hunt

2011-12-29T21:22:00.002+13:00

Half an hour after I took this photo, Cumin caught her first bird. The only evidence was the tiny black feathers on the end of one whisker and caught on both front paws. I was really sad - I was hoping she would stick to hunting cicada, weta and the odd stick insect.
Sigh - dry rations aren't even a punishment!

Whimsical Windows Delirious Doors 4

2011-12-28T16:00:00.002+13:00

These Ukelele were seen as THROUGH a window. I couldn't help but smile at their cheery colours. Very appropriate to the Pacific island culture, colourful, cheeky and whimsical.
Cuba Street, Wellington, NZ

The inner bedouin will out

2011-12-25T10:22:00.004+13:00

Ask me later how it tasted.

Wild goat, marinaded in allspice, cinnamon, and a Tunisian rub given to me by some Kiwi friends who work there. Then there is a leg of lamb and mushroom moussaka. Who is coming over for dinner?

Christmas Eve

2011-12-24T21:47:00.002+13:00

Plimmerton, Kapiti Coast

Happy Birthday to me! 50 today

2011-12-22T07:29:00.002+13:00

Whimsical Windows Delirious Doors 3

2011-12-21T06:42:00.002+13:00

Thorndon Wellington

For the meme hosted by Toby at www.iwishiwereaphotographer.blogspot.com

Scent of a woman

2011-12-18T16:37:00.000+13:00

Abel Smith Street, Wellington

Whimsical Windows Delirious Doors 2

2011-12-14T06:26:00.002+13:00

Auckland Cathedral

Beware what comes through the cat flap

2011-12-13T23:37:00.003+13:00

From today's Dominion Post

Photo Annette Swoffer

A baby seal gave a Tauranga woman the shock of her life when it fumbled its way through her cat door and cuddled up on the couch.

"I was looking at it thinking, it's got flippers, it's not a cat or a dog ... I thought I was hallucinating," said Annette Swoffer, who found the pup on Sunday.

It crashed its way through the cat door and up into her kitchen, where Swoffer discovered it hanging out with the cats.

Not knowing quite what to do, she called a friend to come and look.

"I said to him 'what's that?' and he said 'a seal' so I know I wasn't having a stroke or something."

Swoffer said at first she though the cats had brought in a rabbit, or perhaps the noise was an intruder. But she knew it was something different when the dog didn't react.

"I got a shock. It's kind of like finding an elephant in your house," she said.

The baby fur seal, however, was not perturbed. It waddled its way into the lounge and onto the couch, where it then took a nap.

"It got itself quite comfortable. I wanted to pat it because it was just so beautiful but I knew you aren't supposed to touch wild animals," Swoffer said.

"Apparently they have a very vicious bite and are quite toxic so I'm glad I didn't."

Swoffer called the SPCA, who called the Department of Conservation, who were already looking for a seal reported ambling along Welcome Bay Rd.

Biodiversity programme manager Chris Clark arrived to remove the young pup and release him back into the water.

He told the Bay of Plenty times he'd spent the afternoon catching what was likely the same seal after it wandered along the Devonport Rd area.

Clark said the pup had probably just weaned from its mother.

He said anyone who encountered a seal, or other wild animal, should call the DOC hotline 0800 DOC HOT before emergency services.

Swoffer, meanwhile, said she believed the seal would be back.

"I'm just waiting to see if it comes flopping back up the driveway."
A baby seal gave a Tauranga woman the shock of her life when it fumbled its way through her cat door and cuddled up on the couch.

"I was looking at it thinking, it's got flippers, it's not a cat or a dog ... I thought I was hallucinating," said Annette Swoffer, who found the pup on Sunday.

It crashed its way through the cat door and up into her kitchen, where Swoffer discovered it hanging out with the cats.

Not knowing quite what to do, she called a friend to come and look.

"I said to him 'what's that?' and he said 'a seal' so I know I wasn't having a stroke or something."

Swoffer said at first she though the cats had brought in a rabbit, or perhaps the noise was an intruder. But she knew it was something different when the dog didn't react.

"I got a shock. It's kind of like finding an elephant in your house," she said.

The baby fur seal, however, was not perturbed.

It waddled its way into the lounge and onto the couch, where it then took a nap.

"It got itself quite comfortable. I wanted to pat it because it was just so beautiful but I knew you aren't supposed to touch wild animals," Swoffer said.

"Apparently they have a very vicious bite and are quite toxic so I'm glad I didn't."

Swoffer called the SPCA, who called the Department of Conservation, who were already looking for a seal reported ambling along Welcome Bay Rd.

Biodiversity programme manager Chris Clark arrived to remove the young pup and release him back into the water.

He told the Bay of Plenty times he'd spent the afternoon catching what was likely the same seal after it wandered along the Devonport Rd area.

Clark said the pup had probably just weaned from its mother.

He said anyone who encountered a seal, or other wild animal, should call the DOC hotline 0800 DOC HOT before emergency services.

Swoffer, meanwhile, said she believed the seal would be back.

"I'm just waiting to see if it comes flopping back up the driveway.

Hiding in Martha's Pantry

2011-12-11T07:23:00.003+13:00

Sometimes "High Tea" is called for

And a painted ginger cat watches as you sip ginger spiced tea

Fairy cakes with fairy candles eye dance

Only in Wellington

2011-12-10T17:55:00.001+13:00

If your Christmas presents arrive late this year, blame the tipsy Santas on Cuba Street.

Whimsical Windows, delirious doors

2011-12-07T18:30:00.002+13:00

A friend over at www.iwishiwereaphotographer.blogspot.com has launched a new meme, to showcase architecture around the world. Here is my first contribution from Greytown in the Wairarapa.

In the Old Bank Arcade, Wellington

2011-12-04T08:50:00.006+13:00

Ms Bunny is sitting inside "Ruby" fashion shop.

Wallace Cotton

Earthquake tonight

2011-12-03T21:14:00.002+13:00

There was an earthquake this evening. It actually took place on the S. Island, but was a strong one. Our house shook and squeaked and the china in the cupboards danced around. I don't think there was any damage anywhere on our property.

When you don't get them very frequently they can really spook you. It is simply unimaginable how the folk of Christchurch and Canterbury have survived over 8000 of the suckers!

perspicacity

2011-12-01T18:55:00.002+13:00

....now there's a word to conjure with.

Does it mean a city of cats who purr?

or that the cats who are purring pick a city to dwell?

Intercity, Perspicacity, letters that trundle, letters that dance, as per pick a city, pick a ditty, Piccadilly, Piccalilly.....

I probably need help, or perspicacity.

A peaceful harbour

2011-11-29T06:41:00.004+13:00

Bobbing yacht

Canary capstan

Shed 5 restaurant

It depends on how you look at it.

2011-11-23T21:12:00.003+13:00

This morning I traveled by train and found myself sitting next to a very large lady. Not large as in overweight, but LARGE. My guess was she was of Tongan blood, as the Tongans are often very tall and big boned. I felt small next to her. My hands looked like dolls hands as I knit next to her hands holding a mobile phone. She had tattoos on her forearms and was wearing skin-tight clothing, her hair pulled back into a disciplined ponytail.
Now you will have to trust me when I tell you that I was truly bowled over by her beauty. I am often shy of being tall and large, and in my own eyes, ungainly. But here was someone who could probably top my weight by another 40 pounds and my height by another 4 inches and she was beautiful. In another century she might have been painted by Gaugin. The fifteen minute journey next to her had given me the intoxicating perspective of being dainty.
Still recovering from the experience of skewed perspective, as if I had looked down the telescope the wrong way, I had another shock. This time it was a bus. Written in large capitals above the driver were three words that would simply never be uttered in many parts of the world.

SORRY, BUS FULL.

The life lessons you can learn from travelling on public transport.

Half Century

2011-11-20T06:45:00.001+13:00

In 32 days time I turn 50 years old.
I’m excited. It’s a great milestone and I have much to be thankful for.
Over the last few months, people have asked me, was I throwing a big party (no), was I going away to celebrate (no), was I expecting a surprise gift (no).
I made my husband promise he wouldn’t surprise me with a secret get together of friends or any other kind of surprise. I think you get the picture, I’m happy for the birthday, but I don’t want anything happening unexpectedly.
A few weeks ago, I woke up and told my husband that I didn’t want any kind of gift, what I really wanted was to FINALLY start my own business. I’ve been thinking about it for years, tossed around lots of ideas, but never got around to doing anything about it, for a variety of reasons. But I’ve held on to the dream.
The beginning of my next half century seems a good place to start something new.
Curious? Well keep stopping by the blog, as there may be clues.
The first clue is “take me on a journey”

Data Cat

2011-11-19T08:38:00.005+13:00

Testing a database

Selling the database to another customer

Not sure if it fits the client's requirements.
Who says one size fits all?

Purple palaces

2011-11-16T21:26:00.002+13:00

We call our house "Foxglove Hollow". We have rather a lot of these "Bee Apartments" all over our property. One year, one grew to 7 feet tall.
I wish I was small enough to live inside one of these purple palaces, just for a day.

Of Delis

2011-11-12T11:48:00.007+13:00

For a capital city, we are bit thin on the ground when it comes to genuine delis. Oh sure, there are the upmarket "fleece you for 100g of anything" places, but the New York type, "make everything on the premises with the owner smiling at you from behind the till" type are scarce. Until now.

Craig Dunshea took a rather unpromising looking shop on a side street in a leafy suburb and turned it into the talk of the town. The ovens are two paces away from the counter and the coffee machine, and you see the pies being made as you are buying your latte.

It's a bit like sitting at the welcoming kitchen table of a large country house. The scrubbed pine table seats about 10 and you are surrounded with larder like shelves and dressers, laden to groaning point with food.

Craig's philosophy "We make the stuff we love to eat".

As my husband and I returned home, he commented he was feeling sleepy. My response "It was probably the pie - it has left you with that Sunday post prandial happiness" The good news is that we have another day to appreciate that we have been "fed to within an inch of our lives".

Dunshea's Deli - Khandallah, Wellington

Philyda Laterly's at it again

2011-11-11T09:06:00.004+13:00

Always looking for that little treasure

Oh no, I've lost my contact lens

I thought I saw a Penny Red!

Darn it got away!

Linguistic miners

2011-11-09T19:43:00.002+13:00

If you love the mystery, wonder and craziness of language, this is a book for you. I am a terrible linguist, but studied linguistics at degree level, so although I can't string a sentence together in any other language than English, I revel in the technicalities and science of language. This book has me going to bed early on a rainy evening, to read and read and read. And as tonight is one such night..........

Making the medicine go down

2011-11-09T19:28:00.003+13:00

I HATE silverbeet. To me it should only be grown as a decorative vegetable and left to die an ignominious death in the veggie patch, or be gobbled by mice and snails. Small problem - it's good for you. So, tonight I tried to disguise its taste and texture by burying it under tahini sauce and very crisp fried onions.
The silverbeet still tasted hideous, but the topping was great!

Early morning peace

2011-11-07T06:27:00.003+13:00

Photos taken on a stroll before breakfast.
Greytown Wairarapa

What lies behind the red door?

2011-11-02T15:35:00.001+13:00

Greytown Wairarapa

The French Market

2011-11-02T15:22:00.004+13:00

We are now blessed with a "French Quarter" in Wellington. It comprises La Cloche, The French Market and Bordeaux, all within five minutes driving distance of each other. Eh voila, our newest "discovery". The coffee was not as good as La Cloche, but it was nice to be able to buy French cheese and provisions in their store.

Bhutanese micro tiger

2011-11-01T17:18:00.003+13:00

We recently watched a two part series about an expedition to Bhutan to look for tigers. Several kinds of naturalists hiked to some of the most inaccessible parts of the Himalayas in search of a missing "link" to the tiger corridor from China to India and across to Nepal. It was thought that tigers couldn't live at these kinds of altitudes. Well, the amazing thing is, they can, and were filmed there. We loved every minute of the documentary, marvelling at the beauty of Bhutan and the tenaciousness of the naturalists. We also marvelled at the similarities between wild cats (they also filmed snow leopards) and the domestic variety.
My husband has dubbed our little ginger princess "The Bhutanese Micro Tiger" - all 3.5kgs of her. Here she is in the gorse canopy, grooming herself!

Where did you get THAT hat?

2011-10-29T20:05:00.002+13:00

About a week ago I was asking my colleague how her unpacking was going after her recent house move. She told me that she was trying to downsize her possessions due to lack of storage space. That is when the hat doffed itself into the conversation. She had bought it for her mother and had somehow managed to get it back from the UK to NZ preserving its shape by lining it with cardboard and stuffing it with newspapers – vintage 1981 – dated typeface and stories about Charles and Diana.
The hat was purchased in Moscow on a holiday and was reminiscent of the hat Julie Christie wore in Dr Zhivago, fur, moulded to the head and oh so Slavic.
My colleague very generously asked would l like it? I was touched but said even if I accepted it would be unlikely I would be able to wear it, as I have such a huge and weird shaped head.
Today she brought it to work, I tried it on, and it fits like a glove (if you know what I mean). I don’t know who was beaming the widest, me or her, seeing how happy it made me.
On my first trip to Russia in 1991, I had neither the money nor opportunity to buy a fur hat. The second and third time I visited in summer, so they weren’t anywhere to be bought. I had to come to New Zealand - where it is politically incorrect to wear animal on your head.
Perhaps I will wear it to the Premiere of The Hobbit. I’ll blend right in.

Mad hatters

2011-10-28T20:00:00.003+13:00

Greytown, Wairarapa

Winsome Wysteria

2011-10-27T19:00:00.002+13:00

This year our 30 foot long wysteria had to survive not the Southerly, but our 3kg kitten who thought plucking the buds and bringing them into the house to play with was a "Good Thing".

Do-er Upper

2011-10-27T18:59:00.000+13:00

Greytown, Wairarapa

Cardamom bread for tea

2011-10-24T18:47:00.001+13:00

Thanks to my lovely French friend Isabelle for the recipe.

Framed in red and green

2011-10-24T12:24:00.004+13:00

Greytown, Wairarapa, New Zealand

Days Bay, Eastbourne, New Zealand

Sugar and spice

2011-10-22T14:29:00.003+13:00

Sitting on the table at Chocolate Days Cafe, a romantic assignation between a slender salt and a sugar daddy.

Day's Bay, Eastbourne

Of books and progress

2011-10-21T20:41:00.001+13:00

For a number of days I have been pondering something as I have travelled on the train. It started as an observation of the two men sat opposite me, one late middle aged with an iPad, the second a young guy with an open pocket bible (we live in what is known as the Bible Belt of our city). They were surrounded by people who, without exception, were playing with Kindles, mobile phone applications or iPods.
Two things bothered me. Firstly, here was a place where only a few years ago you would have heard the buzz of early morning conversations between passengers, even if it were only the initial “good morning” or “is this seat taken?” kind of conversation. Now, everyone was pre-occupied with “social media” whilst being anti-social with the living being sat next to them.
Second, the Kindle. Just in case you have been living in the jungle for the last 30 years, this is an electronic tablet that you can download entire libraries of books onto. It is cheaper than buying the somewhat antiquated type of literature that involves paper, a bookmark and the ability to turn pages.
As anyone who has ever owned a computer knows, technology changes so fast, it is difficult and expensive to keep up. If you have data stored on a floppy disk these days, you would need an equally “antiquated” computer of say 1995 vintage to extract the data. The most recent model to incorporate a floppy disk drive is probably 2001.
So, say you bought a Kindle, and decided to download ALL of your books onto it. What happens in 15 years time when the technology is obsolete? What happens when your two year old drops it in the bath? How do you pass on the joy of pictures and the smell of a new book, or the magic of the illustrations in a children’s alphabet primer?
What of precious discoveries of papyrus scrolls in the desert, or Genizas where worn and broken holy books were stored and rediscovered centuries later? Or libraries that stretch back half a millennia. They exist because the learning bound in the Moroccan leather was considered precious to store for future generations. I doubt Johnson’s dictionary or Josephus or the writings of the early church are exactly fighting on the top ten of downloads from Amazon.
So, are we in danger of losing our heritage, each and every culture and language that ever wrote or printed a book? Perhaps we are the last generation to haunt dusty bookshops and trail our fingers over shelves of Dickens, Dostoyevsky and Dante, the last to scuttle home with a precious find, dive onto the sofa, open a packet of digestive biscuits and delve into paper pages of fantasy, mystery and parable.
I’m so glad that my university studies were punctuated by the daily stagger to the library with a satchel of books, and the equally exhausted stagger home to tip my precious quarry onto my desk. A desk piled high; the challenge of a wall of wisdom to scale.
I currently have three piles of books next to my bed. I am thinking that a Kindle would make a great coaster……..

Lebanese Italian

2011-10-19T18:20:00.001+13:00

Sometimes, you just HAVE to make pizza. I love this yoghurt and olive oil bread dough (actually a Lebanese recipe) - so versatile.

Sparrow peek a boo

2011-10-14T20:33:00.007+13:00

On an early morning walk, I encountered a sparrow suburb in a very large palm tree. They were a noisy bunch, gossiping over breakfast and peeking a booing with my lens.

Greytown, Wairarapa

Of flowers and florists

2011-10-12T20:20:00.004+13:00

Greytown, Wairarapa

Warm Fuzzies

2011-10-10T20:23:00.006+13:00

We stumbled across a Pantheon to the 1960's and 1970's on the high street in Carterton. The music playing was "my music" from that era, the clothes on the racks were crimplene and nylon, lurid maxis, midis and minis, with a nice bit of glitter thrown in. There was Hornsea pottery, boucle sofas, plastic chairs and vinyl records. Kipper ties, platform heels, baby doll nightwear, Afghan jackets, Swedish glass and lurid lamps.
"Fuzzy" is a must visit if you are over 40 and want to wiggle down a nostalgic corridor into to psychadelic heaven.

Too good an opportunity

2011-10-09T12:39:00.004+13:00

The White Swan Hotel, Greytown, Wairarapa

Do dogs with black spots live here?

2011-10-08T22:46:00.002+13:00

Greytown, Wairarapa

Whisked away to the Wairarapa

2011-10-08T14:28:00.002+13:00

Antiques shop, Carterton

I'm going to Greytown, Greytown

2011-10-08T14:26:00.001+13:00

.....to the tune of "Graceland". Watch this space for photo fest, coming soon.

Drunk as a Lord

2011-10-01T17:17:00.007+13:00

It's that time of year. The Kowhai trees are dripping with amber nectar and our resident Tui are getting drunk. They have been singing rugby songs all afternoon, getting progressively more squiffy and silly.
The blur on the photos is because they are very high in the trees, and there is only so much wobble I can compensate for with a long lens.

Ten Four Rubber Duck

2011-09-30T13:11:00.004+13:00

The following story appeared today in the Dominion Post. Photo credit Phillip Johnson

GRILLED DUCK: The duck lodged in the grill of Phillip Johnson's car.

An indestructible duck hit by a car at almost 100kmh survived with bruises after getting stuck inside the vehicle's grill for a day. Wellington man Phillip Johnson was driving on State Highway 1 near Levin on Wednesday when two ducks waddled onto the road. He braked to avoid the pair, but heard a thump and thought he had clipped one.

"I looked in the rear view mirror and it was walking. I thought the other one had flown away."

Mr Johnson forgot about the incident till the next day, when he thought he should check the car for damage.

"I saw some feathers, then I saw the whole duck was still there, and it was still alive. I was surprised more than anything, then concerned about how badly was it damaged."

The duck proved quite unflappable however.

"It was just sitting there looking at me the way ducks do. It was quite curious. It looked like the grill had bent back and it had gone straight in."

Mr Johnson left the duck where it was, and drove to his local vet Allan Probert.

"He said he had never seen anything like it."

The two men plus duck then drove to a local panel beater.

They bent back the grill to extract the female bird.

"It got a bit agitated so we let it go for a bit. It went straight to a puddle, I think it was pretty thirsty."

Mr Probert said the duck had bruising and a damaged wing.

It was expected to make a full recovery.

"It's one of the most unusual cases I have come across.''

Sushikaashvili?

2011-09-28T19:15:00.008+13:00

It has been a day of randomly wonderful encounters.

On my walk to the station was the bunny. A small black and white chap hopping around close to the neighbour who works for the SPCA (a great charity working for animal welfare). This little fellow was breakfasting on the “over the road” verge, revising the age old question to “why did the bunny cross the road?” – obvious really; the grass was more plentiful. He would have dodged cars, bicycles and the recycling collection to get there. When we introduced ourselves, I noticed he had a long scar running between his ears. Oh mercy - a vivisection rescue! That made me want to cry and smile. Here he was, large as life, being given a second chance to do bunny things.

The next encounter was a bright green neural pathway on the pathway – a massive bunch of wild fennel leaning against the bridge over the stream near our railway station – a herbal computer sending important messages up the line.

At lunchtime on the way back to the office I almost dropped my sushi when I randomly spied President Saakashvili of Georgia! He was being given a traditional Maori Powhiri, complete with warrior challenge and much shouting and aggression in front of our Parliament building. It was all softened by the friendly smiling soldiers of the NZDF and the RAF band playing cheerful music as he walked up the red carpet. I'd like to think he was planning to recruit a few Maori warriors to help him with a few issues "back home".

Me, I got back to my desk all of a flutter and didn't know my Saakashvili from my Sushikashvili.

Bring a Plate

2011-09-25T16:11:00.004+13:00

Everyone stumbles with cultural differences when they settle in a new country. I am currently living in my sixth country, and even though it is English speaking I have made some serious bloopers.

The first was the misunderstanding of the word "supper". Where I come from it means a main meal. Not here; it means a drink with a piece of cake (or something similar). So I hadn't eaten a main meal when I arrived at 7.30pm at the house of my new friends. Needless to say, I was still hungry when I went to bed that night.

The other mistake was responding to the "bring a plate" request. Usually, this is mentioned for large gatherings, so I assumed it meant "bring your own crockery". It actually means bring a plate of food to share.

A book was published a few years ago called "Ladies, a plate" and features all the marvellous home baking recipes of NZ. I have just finished baking Afghans from it (these are biscuits which have NOTHING to do with Afghanistan).

So, here they are. I don't put the traditional chocolate icing and walnut topping on them - far too sweet for my taste. I highly recommend the book if you enjoy well tested recipes that work and don't involve exotic ingredients.

The Final Coffee

2011-09-25T07:57:00.003+13:00

Not long after this "silhouette" coffee was served, the coffee machine had a meltdown, so we had to leave without our coffee shot. What a thing to happen on a busy Saturday afternoon.
Finc Cafe, Wellington

Royal visit

2011-09-24T19:22:00.003+12:00

Is it time to go shopping?

Only if you wash behind your ears first.

Pussy cat pussy cat where have you been? I've been to Wellington Central to see the Queen.
Finc Cafe, Wakefield St, Wellington.

Fashions that age?

2011-09-21T19:24:00.003+12:00

A cousin recently sent me this photo of my dad and grandparents, taken in 1949. It just dawned on me that my grandma is the same age in this photo as I am now. She looks so much older - or am I kidding myself?

They don't feed me you know

2011-09-20T18:33:00.000+12:00

Cumin's recent favourite snacks include stamps and wisteria buds.
Is this normal?

Florist reflections

2011-09-18T16:28:00.003+12:00

Early morning stroll, Petone

Busy doing bee things

2011-09-17T18:42:00.000+12:00

Botanical Gardens, Wellington

Waiting for the table to be vacated

2011-09-17T18:38:00.002+12:00

This chap was sat in the grapevines above my head. No sooner had we finished our cranberry and pecan slice, he was cleaning our plate of crumbs.
Botanical Gardens, Wellington

Celebrating being different

2011-09-17T18:32:00.000+12:00

Wellington Botanical Gardens

and now, the weather

2011-09-13T18:47:00.002+12:00

Today we had over 500 lightning strikes in the capital, and a hailstorm which dropped hail the size of gooseberries. It was SCARY!
Now, my husband left the country the day before the snow arrived in the capital. He returned to the storm.

I'm slightly worried there may be a connection........

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/5616116/Heavy-hail-pounds-Wellington

19,000 kms off track - the best kind of story

2011-09-13T05:26:00.001+12:00

From the Dominion Post 13th September.

A South African couple promised "splendid" views of the bustling Eastbourne pier from the Majestic Hotel couldn't understand why it wasn't on their GPS – until they realised they were about 19,000 kilometres off track.

"I booked into the right hotel, just in the wrong country," said Michael Adendorff yesterday, who was unfortunately unable to keep his booking at the $180 a night Majestic Hotel in Eastbourne, England, for last Friday and Saturday night.

Michael and Sunette Adendorff found themselves driving around in circles in Eastbourne, Wellington, on Friday afternoon, wondering why a street named Royal Parade wasn't registering on their GPS system.

When they pulled in to Eastbourne pharmacy on Rimu St to ask for directions, employee Linda Burke had some bad news.

"They just walked in and asked me where Royal Parade was, with the Majestic Hotel, and I said: Oh no, there's no hotel here.

"I looked at it and said: That's in the UK, that's in England.

"He checked on the internet and said he did think it was funny they charged him in pounds."

Ms Burke wasn't about to let the pair go without accommodation, so offered to put them up in her own house for the night.

The long-term Eastbourne resident then took the pair to the local RSA for beers and dinner, where they watched the New Zealand v Tonga match and received some good-natured ribbing.

"We met a lot of locals from Eastbourne, it was very nice," Mr Adendorff said.

"The Kiwis took the piss out of us because of our silly mistake but it was very nice and they were very friendly."

The website of the Bay Majestic Eastbourne Hotel in Eastbourne, England, advertises splendid views directly opposite the beach, "within a few minutes walk of the bustling pier and picturesque Redoubt Gardens, and lying close to the heart of the town".

Mr Adendorff couldn't understand how they managed to make the colossal mistake, which left them about $363 out of pocket.

But Ms Burke's hospitality more than made up for the mix-up.

"The welcome and the way we were treated and the way we saw Eastbourne was much better than if we had booked into a hotel," Mr Adendorff said. "She took in two complete strangers, and it all worked out well."

However, the English hotel would not refund him, saying he left it too late.

The pair are now in Picton, and will be back in Wellington next week to stay at the West Plaza Hotel – which Mr Adendorff has double-checked is indeed in Wellington, New Zealand.

Yesterday, Ms Burke shrugged off her generosity.

"I've done a bit of travelling, and sometimes you get in a tricky situation and people just help.

"That's what Kiwis do, don't they? They were a lovely couple."

- The Dominion Pos

A wry observation on Rugby

2011-09-08T18:00:00.002+12:00

This afternoon I was walking to the bank and in the distance I could hear loud chanting. My initial reaction was "Humph, the Rugby mob has arrived!" But as the "mob" moved closer I saw that it was group of about 20 guys, and they weren't grunting or singing some meaningless chant, so beloved of crowds at international matches.

This group were swaying with an off-the-beat rhythm, and as they drew closer I recognised harmonies - perfect pitch harmonies to be precise. This was no drunken prelude to the Rugby World Cup, this was a four part harmony, swaying smiling group of supporters from Samoa. In a strong southerly wind they shuffled and danced in their lap laps and jandals, nodding and smiling to everyone in suits running back from their lunch-hour.

I reflected later. I have never been to a football match in my life, but I have had the misfortune of being in the way of drunk and loud supporters exiting a stadium and staggering home, smashing windows as they went. I have only ever been to one Rugby match, in S. Africa. It was marked by hilarious good humour and singing on the terraces, and grunting good humour on the pitch, in spite of the mud and the rain.

I hope this snapshot today will be indicative of the mood and fun of the tournament. I'm not interested in watching the matches, but I wouldn't mind bumping into more supporters from Samoa on the streets.

God bless you islanders.

Just something I threw together

2011-09-06T16:32:00.002+12:00

Mustn't get caught in the rain dahlingk, it's newspaper don't you know.
Barnard Castle, Co. Durham

Whiskus maximus

2011-09-04T20:07:00.002+12:00

They just don't do staircases like this any more

2011-09-04T19:18:00.000+12:00

Wynyard Hall, Cleveland

High Tea for the soul

2011-09-03T15:19:00.006+12:00

High tea was a feast for the soul as well as the body. We were eating in one of the old libraries at Wynyard Hall and every table had the most amazing flowers.

Very High Tea

2011-09-01T19:20:00.002+12:00

Wynyard Hall, Cleveland

Glass from the past

2011-08-30T19:11:00.007+12:00

Carlisle, Cumbria

When I married, I had the white rose of York as the main flower in my bouquet. I was born in the city and my family has lived there for generations. The rose is part of the coat of arms of a number of aristocratic families. Here it appears in a window dedicated to the Richard, Duke of York.

No ordinary glass

2011-08-30T06:15:00.004+12:00

Carlisle, Cumbria

Flowers and a place to dream

2011-08-28T12:07:00.005+12:00

Durham, County Durham

Stokesley, N. Yorkshire

Hexham, Northumberland

Draught excluder philosophy

2011-08-28T08:16:00.004+12:00

Sedgefield, Cleveland

Window shopping for kids

2011-08-28T04:45:00.002+12:00

In Sedgefield, former constituency of Tony Blair.

25,000 visitors

2011-08-27T15:41:00.001+12:00

Visitor number 25,000 to this blog is from Dexter, Michegan. I would love to know who you are. Thanks for stopping by.

Britain in Bloomers

2011-08-27T05:11:00.005+12:00

It's that time of year again. Every town in England is trying to outdo the other with their spectacular blooms/ers. Sedgefield and Stokesley compete here.

Return of the native

2011-08-26T13:12:00.005+12:00

I am back, like a migrating bird, only in reverse; meaning I have flown north for the summer and landed in the S. Hemisphere, just in time for spring.

In other words, I'm confused.

Over the next few days, for your delight and delectation, some of the UK photos, with stories.

To start off with - the potatoes. This year my 80 year old father harvested 128 pounds of them, which is a heck of a lot of mash.

Then there's the onions. Firstly dried, hung from the garden wall like outrageous earrings, then from the ceiling of the garage like bulbous chandeliers.

Dad in carrot discussions at the allotment with my friend Hilary

In my mum's words "We don't have much money, but we do see life"!

Odd stuff

2011-08-08T22:51:00.002+12:00

A report in a local newspaper this morning had me choking on my coffee. The Cat's Protection League in the UK had recently done a survey with its patrons, asking what kind of things their cats had brought home. The three funniest were: a complete string of Christmas tree lights, a pair of Playboy Bunny ears, and a Yorkshire Pudding.

The latter shows that the cat had taste!

Long silence

2011-07-20T07:04:00.002+12:00

Sorry for the long break in posts. I am in the middle of a conference I have been helping to organise ever since I started my job two years ago. Next week I fly to the UK for a month, so will probably not have much opportunity to post until the end of August. But then there will be lots of photos and stories to tell, so please come back for a visit. Thanks!

Moth Jam

2011-07-07T21:26:00.004+12:00

There is a subtle clanging coming from the other side of the living room. Cumin is fishing for her quarry inside my great grandmother's jam pan.

Speech Bubble "I know there's a moth in here somewhere"