tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20071059818681451032024-03-14T00:18:38.281+13:00 my views of New Zealand<br><br><br><br><br><br>the ramblings of a woman who was transported from her comfort zone in the US Midwest to a different country and culture that shouldn't be so different, but is.betty-NZhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03950300478215339641noreply@blogger.comBlogger762125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2007105981868145103.post-49164660083945775162024-03-02T13:06:00.000+13:002024-03-02T13:06:37.364+13:00Patea Dam parking lot<p>Hubby has taken me to see so many places since I arrived here almost 18 years ago! It was a bit overwhelming at first and I asked sooooo many questions! After a while, I stopped asking so many and figured I will find the answers eventually.</p><p>The parking lot at <a href="https://www.manawaenergy.co.nz/patea-power-scheme">Patea Dam</a> was one of them: how in the world did seashells get to this dam, considering that it's about an hour's drive from the actual sea shore.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVnfED5PIq_YWsbiRv2oFCtWza3Q1v5AAx9ZdiWblTuSLsmbNMs1h61uzFg6TAfp1Qio1fl969DfAOrP9HFgrMcaElEQPblYzbGOYpLg0rGV58h3_Kyz47uNTEjN3NZi7IYJcJG-LBRIP7Trnb0f1JDw4PtiBTgkJzjPoa6OiFkHEI25GrgR12uPCfDGkj/s900/Screenshot%202024-03-02%20124527.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="758" data-original-width="900" height="540" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVnfED5PIq_YWsbiRv2oFCtWza3Q1v5AAx9ZdiWblTuSLsmbNMs1h61uzFg6TAfp1Qio1fl969DfAOrP9HFgrMcaElEQPblYzbGOYpLg0rGV58h3_Kyz47uNTEjN3NZi7IYJcJG-LBRIP7Trnb0f1JDw4PtiBTgkJzjPoa6OiFkHEI25GrgR12uPCfDGkj/w640-h540/Screenshot%202024-03-02%20124527.png" width="640" /></a></div><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc4bySznwGo8rYcZlz775_T3tKNm7yTNasNHoDz518mbJYirxie9ykjE5EEY4RCJqUr9sIH2IEiFGfVYM0-ZukLtiCC1-hW2w7WCCQf9_RCd90_KNosj7GCw8R67Ysuxmvsl_6V952QMsnueLM_5OpAhiJsqWS44bYStgknqtSlj1CnGMfCdpE1Qty98Wa/s900/DSCF3492_batch.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="675" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc4bySznwGo8rYcZlz775_T3tKNm7yTNasNHoDz518mbJYirxie9ykjE5EEY4RCJqUr9sIH2IEiFGfVYM0-ZukLtiCC1-hW2w7WCCQf9_RCd90_KNosj7GCw8R67Ysuxmvsl_6V952QMsnueLM_5OpAhiJsqWS44bYStgknqtSlj1CnGMfCdpE1Qty98Wa/w480-h640/DSCF3492_batch.JPG" width="480" /> </a> <br /></div><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUWJ5iK1QyNJGzIckyx22-AfKUC-QAZjxjOe53wI19E_mDDjC5QSxueX2eTRduQLMVgvZcPaiw5kG0JsUXir4YYVRk-x6Ojz1zRgBB77xVbQ0axNA4_zOAlzfyipM6-1DY1-PyL4zSn3XSKk1K78fPxC02_QEZ7RowhQ3WDDjuPrkBBPIuYWas_qA5pUcU/s900/DSCF3490_batch.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="900" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUWJ5iK1QyNJGzIckyx22-AfKUC-QAZjxjOe53wI19E_mDDjC5QSxueX2eTRduQLMVgvZcPaiw5kG0JsUXir4YYVRk-x6Ojz1zRgBB77xVbQ0axNA4_zOAlzfyipM6-1DY1-PyL4zSn3XSKk1K78fPxC02_QEZ7RowhQ3WDDjuPrkBBPIuYWas_qA5pUcU/w640-h480/DSCF3490_batch.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhByHtUO-UsTl5uV0UOTMU1wHMNiTPuLi61S8mBRxJ99hmJl6Tuf2ZWiiMVYoK52DXjtFfeAIK9cSsPeCugeNk2vFdLowoD6Slz_PsLjlLEDcwXSrKTROoASXf2YJ1yy04uB3_zl4hpsm9-RJQftd9WaM8ZfSPKP8YfH9gpIFa8cbRWNMl5M4tC9zrBeNqh/s900/DSCN2427.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="900" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhByHtUO-UsTl5uV0UOTMU1wHMNiTPuLi61S8mBRxJ99hmJl6Tuf2ZWiiMVYoK52DXjtFfeAIK9cSsPeCugeNk2vFdLowoD6Slz_PsLjlLEDcwXSrKTROoASXf2YJ1yy04uB3_zl4hpsm9-RJQftd9WaM8ZfSPKP8YfH9gpIFa8cbRWNMl5M4tC9zrBeNqh/w640-h480/DSCN2427.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLX0c71nfC24ndkfmE_s04Cw0KXTuRHYIJFjsZXWylnp0bxSLM4lLHsLm31xk4QD62MqK5Bk2da3El0i-slMvFFwXx08qpQdzDYMyBFJRWZfYR8yeIYYQPnTu30nljAMzRm3e6u1ffDwLso0PmwwmvAu8wRJ4dqWpnZchyphenhyphenqPdyujoP1tw7tfaHRzr6scfL/s900/DSCN2434_batch.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="900" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLX0c71nfC24ndkfmE_s04Cw0KXTuRHYIJFjsZXWylnp0bxSLM4lLHsLm31xk4QD62MqK5Bk2da3El0i-slMvFFwXx08qpQdzDYMyBFJRWZfYR8yeIYYQPnTu30nljAMzRm3e6u1ffDwLso0PmwwmvAu8wRJ4dqWpnZchyphenhyphenqPdyujoP1tw7tfaHRzr6scfL/w640-h480/DSCN2434_batch.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-ipyTZMXWXHTTpJ8XXycHv133NSsy-Ee0R7rbCMhvOoa0lK3J8myerBgNAPOBtGHYlPo9M9hhYU7mBxKPp3wpRuz4FgAelONHI4WAMSrV39a8ZQVTvX3aJvnVvu_6jNVNP9hT2vaeuB63fDclYlaEcwdanVniMWJvL7_fcXNVNWXIZU3n_0cqNttPprMW/s900/DSCN2431_batch.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="900" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-ipyTZMXWXHTTpJ8XXycHv133NSsy-Ee0R7rbCMhvOoa0lK3J8myerBgNAPOBtGHYlPo9M9hhYU7mBxKPp3wpRuz4FgAelONHI4WAMSrV39a8ZQVTvX3aJvnVvu_6jNVNP9hT2vaeuB63fDclYlaEcwdanVniMWJvL7_fcXNVNWXIZU3n_0cqNttPprMW/w640-h480/DSCN2431_batch.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWtpP70eJIBvAnHK8zIf-8ED2TBl4bNOywZ7TxGy8duo-G1dFZbgs3T4Nb4Wwl46Q1ttOKDp9eElqSqHwTiR4CmXsLmIIkxTLbCHVlZTMqFIH5qQByfRPL-kwCYaZqs9mDXoTiiWKJ9Vryb-tf-j3ve9-q04EPBMNd-WMtOaDc_e8mACwOsQkrwWr1Q6mI/s900/DSCN2430_batch.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="900" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWtpP70eJIBvAnHK8zIf-8ED2TBl4bNOywZ7TxGy8duo-G1dFZbgs3T4Nb4Wwl46Q1ttOKDp9eElqSqHwTiR4CmXsLmIIkxTLbCHVlZTMqFIH5qQByfRPL-kwCYaZqs9mDXoTiiWKJ9Vryb-tf-j3ve9-q04EPBMNd-WMtOaDc_e8mACwOsQkrwWr1Q6mI/w640-h480/DSCN2430_batch.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEvN7gcHoPhFtZaPbPVMO7EIvRoxMKOnpo4xVz4aOOBSh1Zx5I22eyIC2jW8must-eERoxQCS1ZPgBjps8RNjziTT-n6SecAIlayDqcp_U2hG9bUhyphenhyphenunKpmgWwikITb9oL7EYYRrBizEz0_3VPpUWoOPbvnHFlo8lST_Bk_6hIS5RSaeM3Me6RnL3cS-I_/s900/DSCN2429_batch.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="900" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEvN7gcHoPhFtZaPbPVMO7EIvRoxMKOnpo4xVz4aOOBSh1Zx5I22eyIC2jW8must-eERoxQCS1ZPgBjps8RNjziTT-n6SecAIlayDqcp_U2hG9bUhyphenhyphenunKpmgWwikITb9oL7EYYRrBizEz0_3VPpUWoOPbvnHFlo8lST_Bk_6hIS5RSaeM3Me6RnL3cS-I_/w640-h480/DSCN2429_batch.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnnM5f017Y-MNDpj87juH_Gi02nu8DUD80G1NtYVtNYUz87mBSrP-2NXoHhtY6JqOlKXFi6Vg99FgrCVf6LT7MPezP_4r_AAhMdCWSW5YiB9b05urFWgW6_akr3LsQx0TUi_roRQfDNh7zaOlYrtJVjIqS27FZm6wY4ufUIG3CDXvjFxCoss0ui5gB_8MM/s900/DSCF3496_batch.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="900" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnnM5f017Y-MNDpj87juH_Gi02nu8DUD80G1NtYVtNYUz87mBSrP-2NXoHhtY6JqOlKXFi6Vg99FgrCVf6LT7MPezP_4r_AAhMdCWSW5YiB9b05urFWgW6_akr3LsQx0TUi_roRQfDNh7zaOlYrtJVjIqS27FZm6wY4ufUIG3CDXvjFxCoss0ui5gB_8MM/w640-h480/DSCF3496_batch.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj263CCOHTMdMI7gq3UCiBV857RL6_lB2k-QSllgUiPpTjpulSy_d109KbU7FPLv4MLKwRTmqaI7jMXHDwusQEdUDabgB1zBwuW_JEufZrWkYttVXkzKKES2QAAtgumd84z-DiFnCp5NZSHrimawllcmKLmH9r1qLj4xxBhdBDOcYexSfqsMwuw-9ilaPPe/s900/DSCF3493_batch.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="900" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj263CCOHTMdMI7gq3UCiBV857RL6_lB2k-QSllgUiPpTjpulSy_d109KbU7FPLv4MLKwRTmqaI7jMXHDwusQEdUDabgB1zBwuW_JEufZrWkYttVXkzKKES2QAAtgumd84z-DiFnCp5NZSHrimawllcmKLmH9r1qLj4xxBhdBDOcYexSfqsMwuw-9ilaPPe/w640-h480/DSCF3493_batch.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><p><br />As curious and striking as it is, the answer is quite simple. A while back, Hubby was talking to someone who was a part of the project that built the dam. He was told that the concrete that was not up to standards was dumped out to become the parking lot. </p><p>Another answer!<br /><br /></p><p></p>betty-NZhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03950300478215339641noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2007105981868145103.post-91521500414431302232024-01-31T14:03:00.003+13:002024-02-01T10:59:41.447+13:00Another mystery solved<p> I have posted pictures of the strange 'beach' at Castlepoint a few time on the other blog with the following pictures. Apparently, there are similar coastlines near Wellington, too.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju6cpNvYT1wPYxSB5KI6v_NLFDuXNrxReCWEuTwnPx4dD0c7OUIUPERoTijXXKuj_OpoOzatWJZ2E8ceEePEPiHyHkRt8ibkmqDL-rtptn9yUuucLihl14abCX_g7OxwD6Zb_ynyWHEEOCsivi5ibOaCNYp3__v3PPQ_NllQnu4-lRm2GbCbY3WETsTte3/s640/DSCF0607.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju6cpNvYT1wPYxSB5KI6v_NLFDuXNrxReCWEuTwnPx4dD0c7OUIUPERoTijXXKuj_OpoOzatWJZ2E8ceEePEPiHyHkRt8ibkmqDL-rtptn9yUuucLihl14abCX_g7OxwD6Zb_ynyWHEEOCsivi5ibOaCNYp3__v3PPQ_NllQnu4-lRm2GbCbY3WETsTte3/w640-h480/DSCF0607.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSA_M7kZ2aBpnS9Z_RTk4q1KPEvt-yfx_Qlnhrux4H8emIHPkAGDNgVggtRMb8Ty4K2g2Kiu9FBMksT1CoFfmJRU1QklpsUtivli1-su89zooHbvX5E6aihFsUpwaBNZtzNZyI0wYFY6WaaEQry1vcoD98QV7O85NEGwaBIuveC-gObo8kyoU8W-2Z4Ftm/s900/DSCF0825.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="900" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSA_M7kZ2aBpnS9Z_RTk4q1KPEvt-yfx_Qlnhrux4H8emIHPkAGDNgVggtRMb8Ty4K2g2Kiu9FBMksT1CoFfmJRU1QklpsUtivli1-su89zooHbvX5E6aihFsUpwaBNZtzNZyI0wYFY6WaaEQry1vcoD98QV7O85NEGwaBIuveC-gObo8kyoU8W-2Z4Ftm/w640-h480/DSCF0825.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>I searched many times trying to find out what it was made of but no success until now! It's called 'Miocene sandstone' on one page.</p><p>Here are some links if you are interested in how they are formed. </p><p><a href="https://outtherelearning.co.nz/2012/04/whakataki/">https://outtherelearning.co.nz/2012/04/whakataki/</a></p><p><a href="https://www.geotrips.org.nz/trip.html?id=19">https://www.geotrips.org.nz/trip.html?id=19</a></p><p><a href="https://openaccess.wgtn.ac.nz/articles/thesis/Foraminiferal_Analysis_of_the_Late_Miocene-_Early_Pleistocene_Mangaopari_Mudstone_South_Wairarapa_New_Zealand/17132204">https://openaccess.wgtn.ac.nz/articles/thesis/Foraminiferal_Analysis_of_the_Late_Miocene-_Early_Pleistocene_Mangaopari_Mudstone_South_Wairarapa_New_Zealand/17132204</a></p>betty-NZhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03950300478215339641noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2007105981868145103.post-53920163920214773162024-01-05T21:46:00.000+13:002024-01-05T21:46:34.831+13:00Neighbors<p> I met some more of our neighbors today. We had only waved to them in passing until now.</p><p>This is what happened: I was minding my own business about 11:30 this morning looking online with the tv in the background when the power went out. A few seconds later, Hubby hurried in the back door and said, "Phone, please! I need to call 111(our version of 911)!" </p><p>About 100 meters down the road to the left, the mail carrier had run into a power pole, although I don't remember hearing the crash. Apparently, Hubby was talking to our landlord in the back garden when it happened, so the landlord went to the crash while he was calling. </p><p> I went out front and watched from the gate so as not to be in the way. Up the road from the right comes the neighbors that we hadn't met yet in their farm car and they stop to get out and talk and introduce themselves. They are sharemilkers and had heard the noise when their equipment went out. So, they were looking out for traffic to caution them about the crash.</p><p>Then our closest neighbor came out and officially introduced herself to the couple and we stood in the road talking. Hubby came down to let us know that there are no serious injuries, thank the Lord, and wend back to the crash to wait for the drivers wife, the ambulance and the police. It wasn't long before we heard the sirens for the volunteer fire department and they arrived rather quickly.</p><p>Apparently, the load of mail had fallen forward onto the gear shift and, instead of stopping, he just tried to fix it while in motion. His wife has a heart condition, so they only told her there was car trouble so she wouldn't panic before she got into her car to drive.</p><p>We eventually all went back to our houses and I listened to the hustle and bustle as the professionals did their jobs clearing and moving and putting in a new power pole until I fell asleep on the couch. When I woke up all was well and the road crew was picking up road cones.</p><p>It was definitely a unique day for me--actually, seeing people and talking to them!</p><p><br /></p>betty-NZhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03950300478215339641noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2007105981868145103.post-21987605778175110092023-12-28T18:31:00.000+13:002023-12-28T18:31:50.378+13:00Blue door<p> On many of our trips to the other side of the North Island, we pass a farm with this building set up on it in Turakina. Each time we pass it, I wonder about it and finally got around to searching for its history.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivWSiferS21R0kP-pAre9dMjXPhd2yccoFywZomCEl3jJYbEdMHOEaI47xT0nxxYutMjjgZtqKpEq6OwxJszp7D-LxTpXe1_M0Ae3Q-guYtKa0Mda3tGv6XvLRGXk9xIqMMxUg4cR02k5p12af5ljtb6OQph4ArYIA1uLD4ms9EEwGtvkd7m4YMeMzbVSN/s900/DSCN3204.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="900" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivWSiferS21R0kP-pAre9dMjXPhd2yccoFywZomCEl3jJYbEdMHOEaI47xT0nxxYutMjjgZtqKpEq6OwxJszp7D-LxTpXe1_M0Ae3Q-guYtKa0Mda3tGv6XvLRGXk9xIqMMxUg4cR02k5p12af5ljtb6OQph4ArYIA1uLD4ms9EEwGtvkd7m4YMeMzbVSN/w640-h480/DSCN3204.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><p>I only found two or three references/pictures. Apparently, it was a one-room school house that was dismantled and reassembled on the farm about 60 years ago. </p><p>Here is a link to a Flickr account with other photos: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/brian_robinson_nz/11989609706"> https://www.flickr.com/photos/brian_robinson_nz/11989609706</a></p>betty-NZhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03950300478215339641noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2007105981868145103.post-70109239209522753062023-11-24T17:03:00.000+13:002023-11-24T17:03:36.890+13:00Ngaere Triump Cheese Factory<p> I don't get to Stratford much lately but it happened to be a lovely day this week when we passed this historic dairy on the way there. I had taken a great picture of it many years ago but can't find it so have been wanting another one.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDfXadz_RnQQ6oFkyb9DmqohgUscsmPDF7Sz_T-z9ohEhhOixqo-KM61SZDZDi70q17urPbJaCy6p4UcRc9wv2j0ck2vO64I4TWLhPEldbyUAWf_FEAiQnbbMq8L7OPra376wwSqes19mTcgzuo1Y-oPXTqV_GTpOYYzZtIdoO5nmVFi3tlDdOeZijY5ms/s992/ngaere1a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="657" data-original-width="992" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDfXadz_RnQQ6oFkyb9DmqohgUscsmPDF7Sz_T-z9ohEhhOixqo-KM61SZDZDi70q17urPbJaCy6p4UcRc9wv2j0ck2vO64I4TWLhPEldbyUAWf_FEAiQnbbMq8L7OPra376wwSqes19mTcgzuo1Y-oPXTqV_GTpOYYzZtIdoO5nmVFi3tlDdOeZijY5ms/w640-h424/ngaere1a.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>The Ngaere (pronounced <b>Nie</b>-ree) Co-operative Dairy Factory was formed in 1893 and built in 1894 to make cheese. 'Triumph' was the brand name of the cheese that was exported. It closed in 1977. <br /><a href="https://www.stratford.govt.nz/repository/libraries/id:2cvuccagl1cxbygm8445/hierarchy/Heritage%20Inventory%20Documents/Ngaere%20-%20Triumph%20Dairy%20Factory.pdf">You can click here for more history on this lovely place.</a></p><p><br /></p><p><a href="https://bettysnzblog.blogspot.com/2016/12/remaining-dairies-of-taranaki.html">If you'd like to see the old dairies that we have found over the years, click here!</a></p>betty-NZhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03950300478215339641noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2007105981868145103.post-72138669353228854032023-11-08T20:55:00.005+13:002023-11-08T20:55:38.309+13:00Hawkes Bay cleanup<p> We spent the first few days of November on the East Coast of the North Island in the Hawkes Bay area for a little get-away. They are getting back to normal after the effects of Cyclone Gabrielle back in February. There were lives taken, homes lost and so many roads and bridges destroyed.</p><p>Much of the devastation was not due to the water, believe it or not. The cause of most of the problems was--is--due to logging slash washing down the hillside and filling up riverbeds.<a href="https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/131236979/wall-of-wood-the-trouble-with-forestry-slash"> Slash</a> is all the bits and pieces that loggers leave on the ground after they fell the trees and move on. So much of it has been scooped up, some farms just covered with the piles with no place for crops.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3cemKasNtNCvUdxIMGE8Tvi259vWDESEF2dktFPfzRah4amUS-eKuW67yU2LTwIPiE4atjgbTPYKOm_Uk7Bg814P41RtLXDkbSk00lBw_wacpTV1NCTy5T0Lrd9yy0Pw1dV1lxGNFD3KDil_LYh1O8Z2zN3p7nYLhPq8I_DHuvgGw5CsHeuw9ju9o9_eO/s900/DSCN4937.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="900" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3cemKasNtNCvUdxIMGE8Tvi259vWDESEF2dktFPfzRah4amUS-eKuW67yU2LTwIPiE4atjgbTPYKOm_Uk7Bg814P41RtLXDkbSk00lBw_wacpTV1NCTy5T0Lrd9yy0Pw1dV1lxGNFD3KDil_LYh1O8Z2zN3p7nYLhPq8I_DHuvgGw5CsHeuw9ju9o9_eO/w640-h480/DSCN4937.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>For some reason, pine trees grow seven times faster here than any other place, even if the quality is a bit lower, so there is a lot of logging going on. For years, we have seen slash on the hillsides and wondered why it's not sold (or even given away) as firewood since most homes outside of the big cities have a fire burner for heat.</p><p>Here are some photos...</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRtkq1OGZmh1DHoIALA0kgieP9miG5Jslq_2WZ77Gz4NypkgQi69RxQTR57DNJiJrRkW8E1bSzjrjk9ZxDBDXud0-5Hdx7G4vUGyWTZXfIo0HCWU062DLNkAWSq7zy8Ez2ixdmx_AVDp4vqpOlRLK4XDbH3evKnPeywZjVA2ok14Ikl-P_kiRt43C3JPjo/s1347/aaaaaaaaaaaaa.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="491" data-original-width="1347" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRtkq1OGZmh1DHoIALA0kgieP9miG5Jslq_2WZ77Gz4NypkgQi69RxQTR57DNJiJrRkW8E1bSzjrjk9ZxDBDXud0-5Hdx7G4vUGyWTZXfIo0HCWU062DLNkAWSq7zy8Ez2ixdmx_AVDp4vqpOlRLK4XDbH3evKnPeywZjVA2ok14Ikl-P_kiRt43C3JPjo/w640-h234/aaaaaaaaaaaaa.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWV4xiJ4vJh119SlFtT-fvEiJK9TvBzHJTLJpeq4pv-FlOnIZAQcct2hRn8C-MpdheOpKK7cRaqQz93kuyf2OVHiX9yf2-Ayy0AdmdvCfxV3oz46MbTuFFr5jBeb1M1d7O67E49rtPMHxhMc1NHm70uTOlVhb5cI8PTJmIS9PvZqf8nRLCRJUDEpy4a9uB/s900/DSCN4828_batch.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="900" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWV4xiJ4vJh119SlFtT-fvEiJK9TvBzHJTLJpeq4pv-FlOnIZAQcct2hRn8C-MpdheOpKK7cRaqQz93kuyf2OVHiX9yf2-Ayy0AdmdvCfxV3oz46MbTuFFr5jBeb1M1d7O67E49rtPMHxhMc1NHm70uTOlVhb5cI8PTJmIS9PvZqf8nRLCRJUDEpy4a9uB/w640-h480/DSCN4828_batch.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibOU3oPrie9FgxDegon9EzDSs1gIPyrVHXG0NQUp3ndMHbJSAD7hQi7UtacPd7FL_jePO-dS8e_M0m3yCxT5Re4-E7tiMvZztXFUG19GmPZ18Iu-57Q1dzdwf7wZIfqVqQS6SlY5VYVjc3sX_1Eg6aBoSIRMIvXCoPqRRkCys_0i6q6niO0nSCO7dW73st/s900/DSCN4830_batch.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="900" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibOU3oPrie9FgxDegon9EzDSs1gIPyrVHXG0NQUp3ndMHbJSAD7hQi7UtacPd7FL_jePO-dS8e_M0m3yCxT5Re4-E7tiMvZztXFUG19GmPZ18Iu-57Q1dzdwf7wZIfqVqQS6SlY5VYVjc3sX_1Eg6aBoSIRMIvXCoPqRRkCys_0i6q6niO0nSCO7dW73st/w640-h480/DSCN4830_batch.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1SB_obDsmmDqNkFkv2Hg850RfS-EhnYERywM6OdFueqcUNPHWZRKlnmuuWhbGgVjJyJnwbHQfcQUWF95-P5wBTrO-vCPRe2FiBDdMFuL3V4lIGCmpcZY8_owwcfaqmxD34KV7slYO5m1Fa-_X4HiYxO7FEPuaG6KvdlNou2J9rLTwfWsHxVX2kT0-70mL/s900/DSCN4960.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="900" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1SB_obDsmmDqNkFkv2Hg850RfS-EhnYERywM6OdFueqcUNPHWZRKlnmuuWhbGgVjJyJnwbHQfcQUWF95-P5wBTrO-vCPRe2FiBDdMFuL3V4lIGCmpcZY8_owwcfaqmxD34KV7slYO5m1Fa-_X4HiYxO7FEPuaG6KvdlNou2J9rLTwfWsHxVX2kT0-70mL/w640-h480/DSCN4960.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKl4vpY36t-SNrhC2Cm_F9Y0N4jmRseWo57wKpAyCihifJOw4rI2ICtYcTJNUI6Sl7y6fVTer971D1Fv6g8V1k0S13cVca26oC_TkC3CEPFxQAoL3fNoHWCH81MTKN3svACYU_9edD8HXC2VbzJCzz5XFWMoNL0NzJMbuT7WaKqe8ZL3GCaYnziQKLHUWT/s900/DSCN4831_batch.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="900" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKl4vpY36t-SNrhC2Cm_F9Y0N4jmRseWo57wKpAyCihifJOw4rI2ICtYcTJNUI6Sl7y6fVTer971D1Fv6g8V1k0S13cVca26oC_TkC3CEPFxQAoL3fNoHWCH81MTKN3svACYU_9edD8HXC2VbzJCzz5XFWMoNL0NzJMbuT7WaKqe8ZL3GCaYnziQKLHUWT/w640-h480/DSCN4831_batch.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">At the mouth of the Mohaka River</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoBcm7WhmV3e57QY47wz1qTwgputqglRoZImgSpW_QiWqstiia7XYIrm3SevRkZKRYcWXXc_Cm68zTpt06Z4rH5WRFVXmyZjqRMbWazelsxyjB-EPYo0_6cDQFRZ6n63PzyNA9ZfREyAs7mr9xmYH1qUaA6aSXzxQqRDCRL0sNkf3AMO93sVNno3fUtVc_/s900/DSCN4834_batch.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="900" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoBcm7WhmV3e57QY47wz1qTwgputqglRoZImgSpW_QiWqstiia7XYIrm3SevRkZKRYcWXXc_Cm68zTpt06Z4rH5WRFVXmyZjqRMbWazelsxyjB-EPYo0_6cDQFRZ6n63PzyNA9ZfREyAs7mr9xmYH1qUaA6aSXzxQqRDCRL0sNkf3AMO93sVNno3fUtVc_/w640-h480/DSCN4834_batch.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Slash still caught under this bridge.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg6C41TO0hQJtzu0NIucbL02zeUt4zsnrFt2cIojntL9Vv3mmDYxO2trROU3LVapWIJ9XLb6MrujML0YR0OcsnL-bcgd7rvkYPLQjvvcq_S13gbZ4v1yAEEBx3lerOXH2dtNL1o1P-bMSeFvfUT-LGKnLFdHE_zmMO9TPbegTeSetb-qgTU8q24BUqSVLF/s900/DSCN4810.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="900" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg6C41TO0hQJtzu0NIucbL02zeUt4zsnrFt2cIojntL9Vv3mmDYxO2trROU3LVapWIJ9XLb6MrujML0YR0OcsnL-bcgd7rvkYPLQjvvcq_S13gbZ4v1yAEEBx3lerOXH2dtNL1o1P-bMSeFvfUT-LGKnLFdHE_zmMO9TPbegTeSetb-qgTU8q24BUqSVLF/w640-h480/DSCN4810.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoxc6R3sfRPzMSkpgU2vyJSNIgucjT1DzQcrCwqIwt8Wdv-Jg1ixWNsycnpPY8DZ7sfNseoR2J7ZP0gnq-InQSZbHcP6WEAOrgJSewpCe3YbSb0uRaH1dxDp23G04Ye4M_vVz8JckNhS2blGnAi0zpuLqHnLQdonbyzvl00jgcbMJwLAmcF69EsPZ9rkqY/s900/DSCN4981.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="900" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoxc6R3sfRPzMSkpgU2vyJSNIgucjT1DzQcrCwqIwt8Wdv-Jg1ixWNsycnpPY8DZ7sfNseoR2J7ZP0gnq-InQSZbHcP6WEAOrgJSewpCe3YbSb0uRaH1dxDp23G04Ye4M_vVz8JckNhS2blGnAi0zpuLqHnLQdonbyzvl00jgcbMJwLAmcF69EsPZ9rkqY/w640-h480/DSCN4981.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPXiEjk8RBXGrSpX97VE6xFjQMa62K-1CPxRzuRnq2kwXg0tCyHgOYS7tXp2Dhf2MNghuGspSC3n_GwSux9xtTODBGmTSNkkY5Q26MYmTAEnTzP0KinKh8J3o4tTOcC0dDnRwISJo-fp0gk_LYjdineXgQp2yH_mLUX9xW21xtOY8d2TdHqI8eauDCeYWS/s900/DSCN4791.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="900" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPXiEjk8RBXGrSpX97VE6xFjQMa62K-1CPxRzuRnq2kwXg0tCyHgOYS7tXp2Dhf2MNghuGspSC3n_GwSux9xtTODBGmTSNkkY5Q26MYmTAEnTzP0KinKh8J3o4tTOcC0dDnRwISJo-fp0gk_LYjdineXgQp2yH_mLUX9xW21xtOY8d2TdHqI8eauDCeYWS/w640-h480/DSCN4791.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Obviously, the laws concerning slash are being reviewed.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />These are just the sad side of our trip. Happier photos are on my<a href="https://myworldthrumycameralens.blogspot.com/"> photo blog</a>!</div><br />betty-NZhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03950300478215339641noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2007105981868145103.post-72409536150262138942023-10-27T19:14:00.002+13:002023-10-27T19:14:39.285+13:00River of Words<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Queenstown lakefront</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxxA9rI3FUmQ1dfucqp8wdn34ih0SUozZoXjYt62Fp0HJgELlxVzU50n3f00pdycNOAkpkrd1JlVliDx4SLEBTddyNvRmHkV04WdkWVcAERTmqT7uaJn4UrhpVNHmiK11M279hWnLmS63f8y-cJKq9lhI5hLva-M6PUwMSJdtDce9O_8KeKjPQqD3EcsLg/s900/DSCN7964.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="900" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxxA9rI3FUmQ1dfucqp8wdn34ih0SUozZoXjYt62Fp0HJgELlxVzU50n3f00pdycNOAkpkrd1JlVliDx4SLEBTddyNvRmHkV04WdkWVcAERTmqT7uaJn4UrhpVNHmiK11M279hWnLmS63f8y-cJKq9lhI5hLva-M6PUwMSJdtDce9O_8KeKjPQqD3EcsLg/w640-h480/DSCN7964.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Along the wall is a ribbon of words.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div> <span face="aktiv-grotesk, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #4c4d56; font-size: 1.0625rem; font-weight: 700;">WAIPOUNAMU (poem down by Queenstown lakefront)</span><p></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #4c4d56; font-family: aktiv-grotesk, sans-serif; font-size: 1.0625rem; line-height: 1.64706; margin: 0px 0px 1.5625rem;"><em style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">by David Eggleton</span></em></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #4c4d56; font-family: aktiv-grotesk, sans-serif; font-size: 1.0625rem; line-height: 1.64706; margin: 0px 0px 1.5625rem;"><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Hoisting history on his back like a sugar – sack,</em><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">The swagger strides along greenstone trails.</em><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">All night the crib creeks are humming home,</em><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">And drowned towns float in their canvas shrouds.</em><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">They are just the ghosts of their original selves,</em><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">An emotional investment looted by snow-melt for,</em><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Schemes to answer the question of illumination.</em><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">To tap this yearning for a golden age,</em><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Singing shepherds held wisps of tussock</em><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Which curled like lighted Chinese joss-sticks</em><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">On the fan – tan tables of sly-grog dens,</em><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Frozen in that glacier known as the past.</em><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">In the forgotten graveyards, hair grows into grass</em><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">While wind sifts the sweet vernal over and over,</em><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Like diggers letting gold dust pour through their fingers.</em><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">The Kingston flyer is chuffing</em><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">On the great Northern Railway to Wakatipu,</em><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">John Turnbull Thompson cut the run holders loose</em><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">With a panoramic survey and the confidence of a faith healer</em><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">In the middle of Queen Victoria’s royal century,</em><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">When the boom-time harvest of Celtic place names</em><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Seeded central like a nouveau-Hiberian dialect</em><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">From Balclutha to Glimmerburn to Glendhu bay.</em><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Winter arrives on time in a glitz blitz of powdery snow.</em><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">The hoar frost in a Quartztpoils of ice crystals</em><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Turning weeping willows into frozen chandeliers.</em><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Some strung the coils of number eight into fences</em><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">As trail bikes took to the state highway with a roar</em><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">And the rain shower passed a plume</em><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Over small towns that are hardly seen for hills.</em><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Tarns prickle with bubbles from upland soakage</em><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">at the start of Wakatipu on mounts Humboldt and Forbes.</em><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Pasture stands four- square</em><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">To the intersection of lakes Hawea and Wanaka, from where</em><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Nat Chalmers shot the gorge in a flax raft with his guides</em><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">After descending Mount difficulty in flax sandals,</em><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">The first Pakeha to see Lake Wakatipu, for which he paid</em><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Reko and Kaikora a three legged pot – Te Kohoa!</em><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Viper’s bugloss is the honeyed heart of the hive and veranda shadows are dark as delphiniums.</em><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">The four-fold path of the farmer leads to hot and cold taps, the meat-safes a Muslim bag, but the kerosene lamps gone</em><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">The way of aunt Daisy’s and uncle scrim’s voices on the wireless</em><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Or goals from the boot and pine-tree when rugby took a capital.</em><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Braids of rivers run dreadlock plaits from a taniwha’s</em><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Stone head, so his blind eyes spurt waterfalls</em><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">and his chest is the sucking valley of a mudslide,</em><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">when swollen rivers heave against mountain flanks</em><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">and sinkholes laden with silt roar old man floods here!</em><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">He’d ride the whaleboat molyneaux from its tributaries</em><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">To the sea, or disgorge the matau of its spears and hooks,</em><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">If they hadn’t drained the hydro-electricity, way back.</em><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Rivers rule our lives, gurgling, puddling, dripping,</em><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Working the lake country round like a greenstone,</em><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Turning out a tiki of interlocking curves flowing</em><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Into Waipounamu, which breathes its green glow,</em><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Of purple grape froth trickling a ripe roses scent</em><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">And beetroot palate into our salad day memories.</em><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Views of the lake in its many moods: sometimes quiescent,</em><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Like a windowpane stippled with rain, behind which</em><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Cucumber leafage and swollen twigs revolve, and you</em><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Can imagine fridge-full’s of rare home brews,</em><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Or spiced-plum brandy, tots doled out to travellers;</em><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Sometimes waves snapping fierce enough to whip out</em><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">All the tent pegs in canvas-town, with a wind able to upturn a wedding marquess’s trestle tables tomorrow.</em><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Days of wooden coach wheels bumping out of Ida valley on the old Dunstan road in journeys of the pioneers.</em><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Days realising meteorological balloons into a delicate apricot sky</em><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">In this landscape we invent, as it invents us –</em><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">From rock flake and spring water, from a skiff of froth</em><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Tumbling over a weir into the afterglow of the Aurora.</em></p></div>betty-NZhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03950300478215339641noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2007105981868145103.post-54539575818710165462023-10-07T14:52:00.006+13:002023-10-07T14:53:17.806+13:00somebody's darling<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
It's amazing how big the human heart really is and this is one instance that has withstood the passage of time, even if it isn't all true. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/22801/lonely-graves-near-millers-flat">Click here for a letter that explains the graves.</a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NRy6tHOIpmI/Vt9k28iV0xI/AAAAAAAAseg/aUz_WHuZx00/s1600/DSCN3849.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="480" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NRy6tHOIpmI/Vt9k28iV0xI/AAAAAAAAseg/aUz_WHuZx00/w640-h480/DSCN3849.JPG" title="the-lonely-graves-horseshoe-bend-otago" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sOibvrh_L78/Vt9kf8dOsjI/AAAAAAAAseY/evOg1VwZRww/s1600/DSCN3844.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="480" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sOibvrh_L78/Vt9kf8dOsjI/AAAAAAAAseY/evOg1VwZRww/w640-h480/DSCN3844.JPG" title="the-lonely-graves-horseshoe-bend-otago" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-274EGNAInY8/Vt9kfh6gRnI/AAAAAAAAseU/KNUeti83Kk4/s1600/DSCN3845.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-274EGNAInY8/Vt9kfh6gRnI/AAAAAAAAseU/KNUeti83Kk4/w640-h480/DSCN3845.JPG" title="the-lonely-graves-horseshoe-bend-otago" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kjt6ye-PYVU/Vt9kfktVHWI/AAAAAAAAseQ/Ni9psPpFYzE/s1600/DSCN3846.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="480" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kjt6ye-PYVU/Vt9kfktVHWI/AAAAAAAAseQ/Ni9psPpFYzE/w640-h480/DSCN3846.JPG" title="the-lonely-graves-horseshoe-bend-otago" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Un-LSUs3UGM/Vt9kin9SofI/AAAAAAAAsec/e44mGdH-4ls/s1600/DSCN3850.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="480" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Un-LSUs3UGM/Vt9kin9SofI/AAAAAAAAsec/e44mGdH-4ls/w640-h480/DSCN3850.JPG" title="the-lonely-graves-horseshoe-bend-otago" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />betty-NZhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03950300478215339641noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2007105981868145103.post-36947697058215081782023-09-04T20:14:00.001+13:002023-09-04T20:14:29.219+13:00I must be getting old<p>There is not a lot of stuff on tv here that interests me and Hubby doesn't watch much at all. One thing we watch most evenings is 'The Chase' but the adverts for even that one hour make me wonder about society. It seems that little by little, the world out there has forgotten how to share and now it is sending the message that making yourself happy is the most important thing in the world.</p><p>*A couple rush their kids to bed so they can enjoy Maccas delivered without sharing with the kids.</p><p>*I don't even remember what the ad is for (that's how annoyed it makes me), but a lady pulls up next to another car and looks--just looks--over to the car beside her with a kid in the back seat rapping to a song on the radio. Kid's mom looks over, smiles with a snark and turns up the radio and joins the singing.</p><p>*A grocery store advertises the pans you can get there with several people out-and-out lying to someone on the phone so they can stay home and cook.</p><p>*And, then, there is the ad with people being disappointed about their choice of car because someone they know bought the car that they really wanted.</p><p>I know these ads don't represent most of the world, but it's sad that they should be sending such self-absorbed messages.</p><p>And <b>then</b> the shows that make a mockery of marriage:</p><p>*Married at First Sight</p><p>*90 Day Fiancé</p><p>Goodness, what is this world coming to?</p><p><br /></p>betty-NZhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03950300478215339641noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2007105981868145103.post-29748151379880602982023-08-11T12:44:00.006+13:002023-08-21T11:28:31.175+13:00Puzzling World<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC9KQsbpzZZkupH8oKzO7HVntdUSO25gC_bxZT3rxkGi-LrqTVQDQqAlRA2zyxPqu1U6oN-bLIECqMptWLW-f8vJZyN01sTvrrl1ZPEkRH9xuN4JM5d1JcmnbDjVJ0yC1kR9mBLzN7VwJgunrKgWc9yKFVHuxUjY9FD2yUd2olTyxO49TmpZoNOwiCNXzi/s900/DSCN3019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="900" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC9KQsbpzZZkupH8oKzO7HVntdUSO25gC_bxZT3rxkGi-LrqTVQDQqAlRA2zyxPqu1U6oN-bLIECqMptWLW-f8vJZyN01sTvrrl1ZPEkRH9xuN4JM5d1JcmnbDjVJ0yC1kR9mBLzN7VwJgunrKgWc9yKFVHuxUjY9FD2yUd2olTyxO49TmpZoNOwiCNXzi/s16000/DSCN3019.JPG" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;">We passed this place in our travels, but didn't have time to stop. It sure looked interesting! </p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.puzzlingworld.co.nz/">Here is a link to their website!</a></p><p></p>betty-NZhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03950300478215339641noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2007105981868145103.post-2494020477877716012023-08-10T13:34:00.000+13:002023-08-10T13:34:01.564+13:00Memorial to US Marines<p> </p><div style="text-align: center;">In Queen Elisabeth park in Paraparaumu, there is a memorial to American Marines.</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QoK2NWiOVPY/XD51gTO5hcI/AAAAAAAA02U/_KtbUciWJNAraYxC99WQUUnU24AAlNzUACLcBGAs/s1600/DSCN0962.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="900" height="480" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QoK2NWiOVPY/XD51gTO5hcI/AAAAAAAA02U/_KtbUciWJNAraYxC99WQUUnU24AAlNzUACLcBGAs/s640/DSCN0962.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qHbu8B9UIFU/XD51g4JMr6I/AAAAAAAA02Y/7rQBl5fgs8QMoDiBqMmL83TA3RQyVsSRgCLcBGAs/s1600/DSCN0963.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="698" data-original-width="900" height="496" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qHbu8B9UIFU/XD51g4JMr6I/AAAAAAAA02Y/7rQBl5fgs8QMoDiBqMmL83TA3RQyVsSRgCLcBGAs/s640/DSCN0963.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />betty-NZhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03950300478215339641noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2007105981868145103.post-4580503519699747582023-08-03T19:28:00.001+13:002023-08-03T19:28:19.427+13:00Some NZ trivia<p>Some of this is personal observation, some was blatantly stolen from various websites.</p><br />In New Zealand you can get milk from Bulls.<br /><br />Auckland, the largest city in New Zealand, has the largest Polynesian population in the world.<br /><br />There is no tree on Auckland's One Tree Hill, but there was one until a few years ago.<br /><br />Most native New Zealand trees are evergreen. Not pretty green, but definitely green.<br /><br />The only accordion museum exhibition in the southern hemisphere is in Dargaville.<br /><br />This country is the size of Colorado or the UK and would fit into the Caspian or Baltic Seas.<br /><br />Lake Taupo, the big lake in the middle of the North Island, is the worlds largest volcanic crater.<br /><br />There are over ten million beef and dairy cattle in NZ.<br /><br />The Kiwi bird, which is about the size of a domestic chicken, lays an egg that is almost a quarter of its total body weight.<br /><br />New Zealand is actually some 1,000 miles from Australia.<br /><br />We have the world's:<br /><br />largest flightless birds [ the kakapo],<br />largest earthworms,<br />greatest timber volume of any tree [the kauri]<br />heaviest insect [the Weta].<br /><br />If you live in Gisborne, you are living in the first city to see the light of a new day.<br /><br />New Zealand has one of the highest car ownership rates in the world, with 884 per thousand people.<br /><br />We have the first documented case of 'exploding trousers'.<br /><br />Unlike most countries around the world, New Zealand Pizza Hut offers chips with its deliveries.<br /><br />New Zealand is one of only three countries that have two official national anthems.<br /><br />The Wildfoods Festival is held in Hokitika, New Zealand each year. You can sample icky cuisine like possum pate and fried duck tongue.<br /><br />Bungee jumping was invented here, as were<br />tranquilizer dart gun,<br />pavlova,<br />milking machines,<br />ear tags for animals,<br />disposable syringes,<br />blokarting and<br />zorbing--<br />THUS proving that there's not much to do here when it's raining! <br /><br />Here, same sex marriages, prostitution, soliciting, and brothel keeping are all legal.<br /><br />Ninety-Mile Beach isn't.<br /><br />New Zealand oversees two overseas territories, Tokelau and Ross Dependency (in Antarctica). We also keep an eye on the Cook Islands and Niue.<br /><br />Wellington, the capital city, is windier than Chicago!<br /><br />New Zealanders consume 4kg of chocolate per capita annually.<br /><br />The Maori name of New Zealand is Aoteroa, which means "Land of the Long White Cloud."<br /><br />New Zealand has 6000 kilometers of coast line and nowhere is more than 120km from the coast.<br /><br />There are no native predators here--no snakes or lions or tigers or bears, oh my!<br /><br />New Zealand has every climate in the world.<br /><br />Each year New Zealand has about 100 to 150 quakes that are big enough to be felt. The last fatal one was 2016.<br /><br />The longest road bridge in New Zealand is the Rakaia River Bridge and is 1,757 metres long.<br /><br />The population of the city of Sydney, Australia, is greater than the entire population of the country of New Zealand.<br /><br />We have one ski resort called The Remarkables and one called The Aspiring.<br /><br />Ernest Rutherford, who is known as the father of nuclear physics for his orbital theory of the atom, is from New Zealand.betty-NZhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03950300478215339641noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2007105981868145103.post-53645673100846351572023-05-19T18:11:00.003+13:002023-05-19T18:11:35.391+13:00SS Waitangi<p style="text-align: center;"> May 5, 2023 marks the 100 anniversary of the sinking of the SS Waitangi on the beach at Patea. </p><p style="text-align: center;">I have several photos from when the sands scattered and revealed the remains of the ship.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">2010</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhALQtufkPwF-sL17O_XATeLg5iLYmOByFGKmBFQB_iFInR-8Yw-zGWdxXGxhoGCPqaCqhnK2ch_bLFRvCf9UDIU8g_8VTfZHeVEJL0ootTT4o4_CqnSejWpXAnMi2vHVgd2lEQPRPscx4fc_F7DouWkihXKD3H5SSwts8JhltTMV-LvRFsVu293vvFUA/s3072/2010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2304" data-original-width="3072" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhALQtufkPwF-sL17O_XATeLg5iLYmOByFGKmBFQB_iFInR-8Yw-zGWdxXGxhoGCPqaCqhnK2ch_bLFRvCf9UDIU8g_8VTfZHeVEJL0ootTT4o4_CqnSejWpXAnMi2vHVgd2lEQPRPscx4fc_F7DouWkihXKD3H5SSwts8JhltTMV-LvRFsVu293vvFUA/w640-h480/2010.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;">2011</p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCwnO-PFkYpB06ypGCQdIXKDSiVT67If48urhPTLI06HgekFubaP8klK3QR7yrd_EgAs95aPwMitLFdvkijD6R02nRqsIG1lMQ2te5GZb8PR12rub-T4Tn1oXNXuXu-eSLbLtLXGzxmby6mwoK2_JOfiU16nFXIDEHNDfrxWCVszJFkhXQjSUJ5lc3sQ/s900/2011a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="900" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCwnO-PFkYpB06ypGCQdIXKDSiVT67If48urhPTLI06HgekFubaP8klK3QR7yrd_EgAs95aPwMitLFdvkijD6R02nRqsIG1lMQ2te5GZb8PR12rub-T4Tn1oXNXuXu-eSLbLtLXGzxmby6mwoK2_JOfiU16nFXIDEHNDfrxWCVszJFkhXQjSUJ5lc3sQ/w640-h480/2011a.jpg" width="640" /></a></p><div style="text-align: center;">2014</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrECW9pbBiVjkcrimZERrr6vH7lJWc9I41Fg0a-7mSFfT6lhH4ccrnMU8igJuFiuL3IQo2knLe2JqFEMyRyt7VH7w3UWNY48qMPAe1UyuubUrkuX2QccIcAlMqJSp9z_yqj04rrKYtu6wKtxKe6lezUd4OBh09slQTyA3RSPxv2mpm1We1iiYtmH6_Ow/s900/2014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="900" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrECW9pbBiVjkcrimZERrr6vH7lJWc9I41Fg0a-7mSFfT6lhH4ccrnMU8igJuFiuL3IQo2knLe2JqFEMyRyt7VH7w3UWNY48qMPAe1UyuubUrkuX2QccIcAlMqJSp9z_yqj04rrKYtu6wKtxKe6lezUd4OBh09slQTyA3RSPxv2mpm1We1iiYtmH6_Ow/w640-h480/2014.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">2020</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhyvsyusqzCYGtqZtGbZYNNG3dJn6w31vMHpZZSmlKnehEGK3bgI_NZfHxi3-ikEP7ZSHegEcyNLmC7vPibY5UPXhYHh-GyW8MOXfL96A9Ho7rMQILpy5on-RckUwZLuwNiGE5-iudpPSZFQuPLFGlbVNRaMC77Bzx72bIAwXUh5Vi1q0c5Euszckn-Q/s900/DSCN2147.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="900" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhyvsyusqzCYGtqZtGbZYNNG3dJn6w31vMHpZZSmlKnehEGK3bgI_NZfHxi3-ikEP7ZSHegEcyNLmC7vPibY5UPXhYHh-GyW8MOXfL96A9Ho7rMQILpy5on-RckUwZLuwNiGE5-iudpPSZFQuPLFGlbVNRaMC77Bzx72bIAwXUh5Vi1q0c5Euszckn-Q/w640-h480/DSCN2147.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">2022</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPbag_NJXOEl3YW7YrkuT8D-4Xc2ooIucMzodUMuxd8DqZpY3JFEdWtNX4YrEbasUHqmf1cOX7der_SU4xnuNYjzczW6St6sjBXJ833VH8_2zqlJ8c28-Yo5zBItLx1VyRJKI5KZZTUbbC8uPjdAtsB7ZpFdiV29YSShgtV_MU9b4yaWg-94rTURpaAQ/s900/2022.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="900" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPbag_NJXOEl3YW7YrkuT8D-4Xc2ooIucMzodUMuxd8DqZpY3JFEdWtNX4YrEbasUHqmf1cOX7der_SU4xnuNYjzczW6St6sjBXJ833VH8_2zqlJ8c28-Yo5zBItLx1VyRJKI5KZZTUbbC8uPjdAtsB7ZpFdiV29YSShgtV_MU9b4yaWg-94rTURpaAQ/w640-h480/2022.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">The local paper ran an article with some photos of the original ship.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEB0u5rXRhTaOl3-J9mc7P1LzAz3MOVNmwezzadMUaxVLhmNxCjFK-qTEziGcBlkwbG6upHT3-ivOqjqbnw-VVOmaV8vpJE6MyRDt_qRSS0Gjmv_Nv2rwb28jue2PFMngyeoWslHeSXcPulIrMzO7jO0hJwKocdFJ-NTCNwUfn_DXFj3zp_x9jCUOMPA/s1240/1595273406168%20(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="697" data-original-width="1240" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEB0u5rXRhTaOl3-J9mc7P1LzAz3MOVNmwezzadMUaxVLhmNxCjFK-qTEziGcBlkwbG6upHT3-ivOqjqbnw-VVOmaV8vpJE6MyRDt_qRSS0Gjmv_Nv2rwb28jue2PFMngyeoWslHeSXcPulIrMzO7jO0hJwKocdFJ-NTCNwUfn_DXFj3zp_x9jCUOMPA/w640-h360/1595273406168%20(1).jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTabku2sKEcpCt3HdlY_2ST9k92hmnD32LYfD6Zsv8rdJ97XL1FRLwjnf7YAehF7KcxQ_iAhgKppoWJtE2KtJIefGwuW1-Egy1h0ufzZUQo5qF9AoF0b8Z7Dpl9NoIJew1e6pfovxoxsHbSt18z5707LfTC0CqNXZq3Ad78gLwBguOwbcHxU4fO_RN1g/s710/1595273406168.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="399" data-original-width="710" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTabku2sKEcpCt3HdlY_2ST9k92hmnD32LYfD6Zsv8rdJ97XL1FRLwjnf7YAehF7KcxQ_iAhgKppoWJtE2KtJIefGwuW1-Egy1h0ufzZUQo5qF9AoF0b8Z7Dpl9NoIJew1e6pfovxoxsHbSt18z5707LfTC0CqNXZq3Ad78gLwBguOwbcHxU4fO_RN1g/w640-h360/1595273406168.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGipDfkBe9cQKi2oQlu4hZTgTPd2pUFVOmgDnlpNdNqMUsxi5rN7iiPRj1W6v8PK9a2hgWjPrYShvgYIscdzau3tPArBichAyR038UsNfOJl-k1psNF9OfM19p7Bpd6YM8ARNrQYs4fT9pKhemITCC9lB_Vkcumdu3XbzxWeUvbtTQUliKXo5prDjhzw/s768/ss-waitangi-shipwreck-1923-photo-from-hockensnapshot-website.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="462" data-original-width="768" height="386" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGipDfkBe9cQKi2oQlu4hZTgTPd2pUFVOmgDnlpNdNqMUsxi5rN7iiPRj1W6v8PK9a2hgWjPrYShvgYIscdzau3tPArBichAyR038UsNfOJl-k1psNF9OfM19p7Bpd6YM8ARNrQYs4fT9pKhemITCC9lB_Vkcumdu3XbzxWeUvbtTQUliKXo5prDjhzw/w640-h386/ss-waitangi-shipwreck-1923-photo-from-hockensnapshot-website.webp" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH9ISTZAYmITixTEQYE4CaXFVtW4WM7VG3R5Fd1l6Ja76idIo_nDyrKBpBpJgQANEA4qf2U0f5jksUJdcij4CjPVpImW-9yBjQEzVRMI5qGDRmplpklrS75JAxG4DW6mbsGKD72sjnq_p1Z1MxplUGO4dSWhEZbufp7pAck1XHBSwPdCfja6kSas2NKA/s982/ss_waitangi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="982" height="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH9ISTZAYmITixTEQYE4CaXFVtW4WM7VG3R5Fd1l6Ja76idIo_nDyrKBpBpJgQANEA4qf2U0f5jksUJdcij4CjPVpImW-9yBjQEzVRMI5qGDRmplpklrS75JAxG4DW6mbsGKD72sjnq_p1Z1MxplUGO4dSWhEZbufp7pAck1XHBSwPdCfja6kSas2NKA/w640-h500/ss_waitangi.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://museumofsouthtaranaki.wordpress.com/2023/05/03/waitangi-shipwreck-100-years/">You can click here for more information about the wreck.</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div>betty-NZhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03950300478215339641noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2007105981868145103.post-19683947596043448032023-05-02T17:51:00.000+13:002023-05-02T17:51:40.173+13:00Meet Bruce<p> We moved to our little house about a year ago. Mickey seemed happy at the new place with his chip-controlled cat flap. After a few months, we went for a 4 day trip, as we had many times before. Hubby found a lady to feed him while we were gone, so we didn't have to worry. </p><p>Apparently, something happened to him soon after we left as the lady never saw him at any time and the food wasn't eaten. <br />We were devastated that he never came home.</p><p>Fast forward to last Sunday... Out of the blue, Hubby asked me if I was ready for another cat. I, of course, said, 'Sure' and he began telling me about a very friendly cat that needed a home.</p><p>It seems the cat belonged to the owners of a small store in a nearby town but he was left behind when the store changed hands about a month ago and the new owners chased him off.</p><p>A concerned neighbor lady put a plea out on the FB page for a home for him and Hubby told her we would take him if a family with kids didn't want him.</p><p>Long story short...we have a new family member and his name is Bruce. </p><p>They guess he's about 7 years old and as friendly as cats come. He loves being petted and wasn't scared at all when he got to our house. He's finding the best places for a nap and seems OK that we won't let him outside yet. I don't think he will wander too far when he finally gets to go out but we'll see after we get him chipped and looked over by the vet.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUt9gLvK2xraynAk_lk4NUkQHJNpFFQb89omNg3xlZ99wHERWalUPzjdZBMAeYNXSC1RAmd0nTBgXQQsuMiKnaFQ61Wvs3WGHd9mTwGcSxinpKWqTRqT7b6UAAPfQJG1gAM9dIa0wOJc-YmtqLfK3zL0XZFTn4c2qp2u0WRT9ipstuBxWfAVCrUBZzgA/s1080/DSCN3457.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="519" data-original-width="1080" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUt9gLvK2xraynAk_lk4NUkQHJNpFFQb89omNg3xlZ99wHERWalUPzjdZBMAeYNXSC1RAmd0nTBgXQQsuMiKnaFQ61Wvs3WGHd9mTwGcSxinpKWqTRqT7b6UAAPfQJG1gAM9dIa0wOJc-YmtqLfK3zL0XZFTn4c2qp2u0WRT9ipstuBxWfAVCrUBZzgA/w640-h308/DSCN3457.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p>betty-NZhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03950300478215339641noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2007105981868145103.post-21914386780762338692023-03-24T13:21:00.004+13:002023-03-24T20:17:16.937+13:00My garden...<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">With all that has been going on with Hubby's knee (and recent broken toe!)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I haven't had time or much inclination to start my garden here.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I had scattered some seeds and bulbs but the weather has been quite</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">un-summer like and now autumn looms.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Oh, well! Next spring will be better :)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I did manage to get some angel-winged begonias hung up on the</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">front porch.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz1SyYawH37OGPg4hxBq1aB7r2ZbJDvm6-Sr3BfBX0UCV0Bz80_fp8yfEr-ClXS3UsGJ92cv49hw5BsyBl5wb8hF8cRheIXfz_dpu137ae7iszyWqXCeXz8BKrtLvUMCpd8SHjN9CIF_DTFt4bRBqj-ced-VvBmKX88t_fz2cwQfLEk9Hg0xWYSrJnWw/s800/collage.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz1SyYawH37OGPg4hxBq1aB7r2ZbJDvm6-Sr3BfBX0UCV0Bz80_fp8yfEr-ClXS3UsGJ92cv49hw5BsyBl5wb8hF8cRheIXfz_dpu137ae7iszyWqXCeXz8BKrtLvUMCpd8SHjN9CIF_DTFt4bRBqj-ced-VvBmKX88t_fz2cwQfLEk9Hg0xWYSrJnWw/w640-h640/collage.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /> <p></p>betty-NZhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03950300478215339641noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2007105981868145103.post-48904567534068725002023-03-06T10:07:00.000+13:002023-03-06T10:07:08.183+13:00Update on the house with something special<p> A while back I posted about a house down the road that was in a battle to survive--<a href="https://bettysnzblog.blogspot.com/2022/10/the-house-with-something-special.html">the house with something special.</a></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha0IT6J7_ngZpa8-511lwb_FZAcyG4XNrFt5GXuuTRfqjF8fl3_xqhe9Rd77rFnCj5nToTN9H1pGAogwcsxKcuKWoQSRf_mQ874r8dV3DbyokBsIApqkfdn8ryvpzZB5_JJ83KjZeC7GgvsZeS05bELL52lrfD6cc_CX1DJ9VKPEvwfqnaCV5-fuuQuw/s400/1651186320464.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="400" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha0IT6J7_ngZpa8-511lwb_FZAcyG4XNrFt5GXuuTRfqjF8fl3_xqhe9Rd77rFnCj5nToTN9H1pGAogwcsxKcuKWoQSRf_mQ874r8dV3DbyokBsIApqkfdn8ryvpzZB5_JJ83KjZeC7GgvsZeS05bELL52lrfD6cc_CX1DJ9VKPEvwfqnaCV5-fuuQuw/s320/1651186320464.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Sadly, the court decided that it was not historically valuable and would be torn down. <div><br /><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Stuff Sans", "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 20px;">According to the article, "This assessment found the whare was built later than initially thought, and that the interior room was part of the building, so permission was given by the Crown entity for the building to be bulldozed."</span></div><div><br /></div><div> <a href="https://www.stuff.co.nz/pou-tiaki/130919837/mori-land-court-backs-trust-decision-to-demolish-whnau-homestead">Click here for the article.</a></div><div><br /></div><div>We drove by a few days later and it was gone.<br /><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><br /><p></p></div></div>betty-NZhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03950300478215339641noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2007105981868145103.post-69158426291952974602023-02-01T13:20:00.000+13:002023-02-01T13:20:08.331+13:00I'm OK! <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Thanks to all those that expressed concern about the</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">flooding. That area is around Auckland, far north of me, over 2 hours drive.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">We have had rain but nothing unusual.</div></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCyMtwmvxZbJYnp8VPtZiGMh1evQTy7PYuPbmeZPJpqmMIi2dSaK5G_yeWcuSvvf5OtPPRkbbJFpkqpQaswsCyLMX6DNwHAl-m_YpLcuYGRXammcAM2lfRm3VeJS5uWjapmMJLJrF7AaUFKCZJTrEKq9PPJbYlRDPxTb9S3FgOneH1zwDXfD6gUBLhBA/s744/6ce69aeecf8bb1c27c2eb3aca999f984.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="744" data-original-width="564" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCyMtwmvxZbJYnp8VPtZiGMh1evQTy7PYuPbmeZPJpqmMIi2dSaK5G_yeWcuSvvf5OtPPRkbbJFpkqpQaswsCyLMX6DNwHAl-m_YpLcuYGRXammcAM2lfRm3VeJS5uWjapmMJLJrF7AaUFKCZJTrEKq9PPJbYlRDPxTb9S3FgOneH1zwDXfD6gUBLhBA/w486-h640/6ce69aeecf8bb1c27c2eb3aca999f984.jpg" width="486" /></a></div><br /> <p></p>betty-NZhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03950300478215339641noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2007105981868145103.post-79949663564113847972023-01-31T00:00:00.002+13:002023-01-31T00:00:00.209+13:00our night in jail in 2016<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Our last night in Christchurch was spent in the Jailhouse Accommodations at the locally converted jail. <a href="http://www.jail.co.nz/">Click here for their website.</a> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-V-hhZRbHFtc/VuT9i7t7THI/AAAAAAAAsfk/bVydYkDFBO0u_xciFTf_lmj_3MxdWMw7g/s1600/DSCN4819.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-V-hhZRbHFtc/VuT9i7t7THI/AAAAAAAAsfk/bVydYkDFBO0u_xciFTf_lmj_3MxdWMw7g/s1600/DSCN4819.JPG" title="jailhouse-backpackers-accommodation-nz-christchurch" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Being a backpackers' hostel, I expected it to be loud but the 'inmates', even though most of them were pretty young, were well-behaved and respectful. That's our room with the bunk beds!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Q7633jXvJjk/VuT6qBuAqdI/AAAAAAAAsfU/wfFGSjbj_8IZUdwQ7gzeZ_qXWPCiNhiKQ/s1600/jail.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Q7633jXvJjk/VuT6qBuAqdI/AAAAAAAAsfU/wfFGSjbj_8IZUdwQ7gzeZ_qXWPCiNhiKQ/s1600/jail.jpg" title="christchurch-jailhouse-hostel-nz" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6kdUwwYV97k/VuT6qAhys3I/AAAAAAAAsfY/KzCoSlDoFuMcqpaemB_wDvrUkvgy4SwBw/s1600/jail1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6kdUwwYV97k/VuT6qAhys3I/AAAAAAAAsfY/KzCoSlDoFuMcqpaemB_wDvrUkvgy4SwBw/s1600/jail1.jpg" title="christchurch-jailhouse-hostel-nz" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>
betty-NZhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03950300478215339641noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2007105981868145103.post-16467791231028590712023-01-23T11:35:00.001+13:002023-01-23T11:35:46.802+13:00St Michael's, Stanway<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5yR3BhQ_3Ic/YWY1U08jaCI/AAAAAAAA8DU/q4Gc4bm48-Yr0zo22_0nx3KQpCXv6XZxwCLcBGAsYHQ/s900/DSCN0696.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="900" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5yR3BhQ_3Ic/YWY1U08jaCI/AAAAAAAA8DU/q4Gc4bm48-Yr0zo22_0nx3KQpCXv6XZxwCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h480/DSCN0696.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_hbrgC_9NTQ/YWY2UwjRdRI/AAAAAAAA8Dk/FH7MC3S6y1QD1r7CySMNVVSt5LaGEaAjQCLcBGAsYHQ/s900/DSCN0700.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="900" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_hbrgC_9NTQ/YWY2UwjRdRI/AAAAAAAA8Dk/FH7MC3S6y1QD1r7CySMNVVSt5LaGEaAjQCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h300/DSCN0700.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">There is not a lot to be found about this church except it still holds regular services.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The Anglican church has been operating for 126 years </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">and was designed by Frederick de Jersey Clere.</div><p></p>betty-NZhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03950300478215339641noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2007105981868145103.post-68873554991842889722022-12-21T18:12:00.006+13:002022-12-21T21:27:18.540+13:00Merry Christmas!<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCm6zZL4aEDDl0SCZ5Lwqf8CEfaFiJmTcIosbtZDfuJmUwNiuY2B4K6XhslBNKRrSZQWrFhFdmbdc7DU7ov-cjnIrkuReaLkk5LuMcmRKas3UsvJaaUrM684R4MIsEO_hwJ4kq3ZYDADOZ_cTYb7KBQBs7P9SdAzHNw4smUZAxkjeLU0XCe3IqRjnUHw/s900/DSCF2039.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="900" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCm6zZL4aEDDl0SCZ5Lwqf8CEfaFiJmTcIosbtZDfuJmUwNiuY2B4K6XhslBNKRrSZQWrFhFdmbdc7DU7ov-cjnIrkuReaLkk5LuMcmRKas3UsvJaaUrM684R4MIsEO_hwJ4kq3ZYDADOZ_cTYb7KBQBs7P9SdAzHNw4smUZAxkjeLU0XCe3IqRjnUHw/w640-h480/DSCF2039.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /> <p></p>betty-NZhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03950300478215339641noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2007105981868145103.post-92177003192841181792022-12-21T15:47:00.006+13:002022-12-21T15:47:53.354+13:00Hubby's knee<p>Today we went to the outpatient's center and were told that Hubby is infection free!</p><p> His blood tests were all normal and they removed the PICC catheter that was used for antibiotics. We are both so relieved and appreciate all your prayers.</p>betty-NZhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03950300478215339641noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2007105981868145103.post-4763835459225199072022-12-08T19:47:00.000+13:002022-12-08T19:47:44.450+13:00Update on Kevin<p> It has been a while since my last post on <a href="https://bettysnzblog.blogspot.com/2022/10/hospital-update.html">Kevin's knee replacement infection.</a> </p><p>He was back in the hospital for minor surgery on the 15th of November to remove the weepy bit on his leg but when we had his GP's nurse take out the stitches, it didn't look great. </p><p>The GP gave him some antibiotics but we knew that wasn't going to do any good, so we went back to the ER again. He ended up staying for 12 days and had a major surgery cleaning up/replacing small bits of his new knee (on the 22nd).</p><p>Three days later, he came home with a permanent port for antibiotics that the district nurse showed me how to change every day.</p><p>We went for blood tests and checkup Wednesday the 7th and it looks really good but are waiting for test results. If all goes well, we have one more week of the IV antibiotics then oral antibiotics and we should be done.</p><p>We are working on paperwork for compensation (it's called surgical misadventure) and, hopefully some payback for mileage.</p><p>It seems we are getting to the end of this whole thing. Kevin can drive again (YAY!) which I know makes him feel more independent.</p><p>FYI: The surgeon said that about one in 100 knee replacements get an infection but they have no idea what causes it.</p><p><br /></p>betty-NZhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03950300478215339641noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2007105981868145103.post-16013717925103508942022-10-30T14:21:00.017+13:002022-10-30T14:27:26.527+13:00Surprise!<p> A while back we got a car for me to use because it's too far to take Hubby to work to get the car for the day. It has several 'auto' settings but I don't really care for those settings, especially the one on the windshield (windscreen) wipers.</p><p>It's not often that we drive it out in the rain. That's a good thing, because the wipers did an OK job but and the sensors thought they were reading correctly when they chose the speed. Fast, slow, super fast, off, repeat!</p><p> And, of course, every time we would look at each other and one of us would say, 'We need to get new blades.' Yep,</p><p> 'We need to get new blades.' Yep, </p><p>'We need to get new blades.' Yep.</p><p>And finally, 'We should get new blades before we go on our trip.' </p><p>Yep. </p><p>Nope. </p><p>But in the first hour or so I remembered that 'We need to get new blades.'</p><p>So, we pull into a Super Cheap, Hubby goes in and a worker comes out to take the blades off the arms to replace them inside.</p><p>Come to find out, the blades on the car were the original factory blades! 10 years! No wonder we needed new blades.</p><p>So, now we have new, quiet, great-working blades and the 'auto' setting actually works quite well! </p><p>For several hours of our trip, it rained a bit and we looked at each other and giggled. Maybe the previous owner didn't go out in the rain.</p>betty-NZhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03950300478215339641noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2007105981868145103.post-45939072265227964792022-10-23T11:54:00.004+13:002022-12-08T19:48:03.205+13:00hospital update<p>It wasn't crazy enough to have one hospital stay...we had another one on the next Wednesday after the <a href="https://bettysnzblog.blogspot.com/2022/10/hospital-weekend.html">hospital weekend</a>. </p><p>Hubby was admitted again and there were more antibiotics and the threat of opening up his leg again if it didn't stop completely the second day at the hospital.</p><p>As it turns out, it was decided that the weeping wasn't critical and was probably just the last stitch inside his leg that was the problem.</p><p>So, with more antibiotics to take at home, we are feeling quite relieve and are on schedule for our getaway later this week!</p>betty-NZhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03950300478215339641noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2007105981868145103.post-22679993248697381102022-10-17T20:37:00.002+13:002022-12-08T19:48:23.416+13:00hospital weekend<p> Last week, we noticed a couple of places on Hubby's knee-replacement leg that were weepy so I insisted he call the doctor, even though they didn't seem connected to the surgery. He finally got a response from his GP on Friday.</p><p>His GP wrote a prescription for antibiotics which was CC'd to his surgeon. A few minutes later around 5pm, the surgeon called and told us to get to the A&E (ER) <b>right now</b> so we don't get caught up in the weekend crowd and have to wait forever to be seen.</p><p>So, we got up and went (over an hour's drive) without dinner.</p><p>There weren't a lot of people there so Hubby was seen without much waiting. He was tested into the wee hours and kept overnight and I left him on a bed in the corridor after a while (at his insistence) thinking I would be back the next day to get him. I blindly followed the GPS to get home since it's amazing how dark our part of the world is, even in the city limits.</p><p>As I waited for him to be discharged, he texted the next day, Saturday, to say he needed another round of strong antibiotics so he would be kept another day and would I bring him some clothes and things.</p><p>So, for the second day in a row, I drove up there. Of course, I didn't mind because it was Hubby. I was a bit apprehensive, since he usually does the driving when we are together but I got past that bit of fear and got to the hospital with his stuff. With the construction going on (and a huge lack of signage), I ended up following voices to ask for help (it was Saturday so not a lot of people around) and eventually found his room THAT YOU ACTUALLY CAN'T GET TO WITHOUT KNOWING HOW TO GET THERE!! *SIGH*</p><p>So, on Sunday, I waited for his text to let me know that he was released and, for the third day in a row, drove to the hospital to pick him up insisting that he meet me at the door, as I am sure I couldn't find his room again without help!</p><p>We got home and relaxed and poor Hubby was looking forward to a good night's sleep.</p><p>He did sleep pretty well, but I didn't (as happens with Thyroid problems). So, it wasn't the best possible scenario when Hubby woke me about 8:00 to tell me we had to go back to the hospital because some paperwork for an ultrasound of his leg got misplaced and we had an appointment at 11:15!</p><p>And, away we went for the <b>fourth </b>day in a row. We had some other appointments and plans in town already, so we worked it all out, one thing at a time, and got them all done--including picking up chicken so we didn't have to cook.</p><p>We both were exhausted when we got home and, of course, took a nap.</p><p>I'm just so tired of riding in the car for now, so I hope I can stay home for the next few days.</p><p>We are both looking forward to a little get-away that Hubby has planned for next week. I think we both will feel better after being home together for six weeks.</p>betty-NZhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03950300478215339641noreply@blogger.com5