Thankful Thursday

It's raining this morning.  Yesterday was 30℃ and it was sunny.  This morning it's 13℃ at 10am.

The world is crashing down around me.  I know it is.   I feel like Librarian did fleetingly in her post a few days ago Am I Going Nuts?.  I want to shout STOOOOP!   

On Tuesday evening Wendy asked if I would set up their new laptop and load various items of software that I had suggested might be useful.  A couple of hours would see that job done and I could carry on with my own things whilst the programmes were loading.  Wrong!  Basically the network adapter wouldn't work so it wouldn't connect to the wifi or internet and I spent the evening and a lot of yesterday trying to sort it and then trying to convince the shop that it was probably a hardware and not a software problem.  At 6pm last evening after their techno wizard had been unable to fix it they decided that it probably was faulty!  Today I should be picking up a replacement.

That, in itself, doesn't phase me one little bit.  I have infinite patience with computers these days.  My philosophy is that everything is soluble.  If it's not (ok I know that's a non sequitur) then it's not.  Of course if it's mine and I'm relying on it it can be a pain and a half and I may be slightly less equable.

So what's my problem?  Why do I want to shout STOOOOP?  

The answer is that I want to do too many things in my life and all at the same time.

Yesterday,  for example, as I was trying to take stock at the same time as sort the computer I realised that I had not realised that it was February already.  February already!  That means that in a few days several friends have birthdays and I have done nothing about it.  That wouldn't matter but for the fact that I'm at least 5 days away by post.

So what's all this to do with being thankful?  Well as it's raining I won't be going to croquet so I can concentrate of getting things done round the house (it really does need a good clean) and catching up with those things which I ought to have done but haven't.

So this morning I'm thankful for rain!

Mind you if I spent less time writing silly posts like this one...............

Seeing Through Glass

I recently took these photos of a Goldfinch from about 2 metres away.  How, you ask, did I get so close.  Well I didn't get close to it, it got close to me.  I was working in the kitchen area when it came down onto the bank outside the window.  I moved away to get my camera and moved back and took the photos.  It seemed completely unaware of my existence.  The double-glazed windows are clean enough to take a photo through and there was no sun.  As it appeared to be looking straight at me I wonder if it just couldn't see through the glass.  Odd.

The Weekend Reviewed

It seems like an age ago that I set off on a sunny Saturday to drive to Tauranga about 300k via Taupo, Tokoroa, Tirau and over the Kaimai Ranges.  There is definitely something therapeutic as well as thrilling in driving in an open-top car in the sun on roads perfectly designed not for the large cruisers but for the nimble cars like the MX5.

The reason I was in Tauranga was to attend an Aftermas at Katherine's.  It was a wonderful and diverse gathering of friends on a warm afternoon to share food and conversation.

Because of the distance I stayed two nights: two nights when I didn't have, or wasn't aware of having, a night-mare nor even a dream.  I wondered why because it is exceptionally rare for me not to wake in the morning with a dream or, more often, a night-mare.  I very rarely wake during the night though.  So what was different about these nights?  I was sleeping in a caravan and I slept the sleep of the dead until - and herein, I think, lies the answer - I was woken suddenly and without my usual natural wakening. The first morning it sounded as though a harrier had crashed into the roof and the resultant alarm calls from a Blackbird made me think that it had possibly have been the subject of the attack.  The second morning at some hour when the dawn must just have cracked the sky because it still seemed dark to me, a Tui started up its melodious but loud and piercing racket song what felt like about three feet from my head.  I never use an alarm but wake naturally.  Perhaps I'll try setting an alarm for pre-dream time.

The highlight of the food so far as effort was concerned went to this fruit salad made by Katherine's elder son and his partner.

My journey home was via Rotorua and was equally enjoyable. 

Waipunga Falls

I had decided that on the way to Tauranga I would stop and have a look at the Waipunga Falls on the Napier to Taupo State Highway 5 North of Tarawera.

In the past when I've stopped there has been little water in the river and the falls have been anything but spectacular.   On Saturday there was plenty of water and the 40 metre three column waterfall was giving a good show.

The Waipunga River on which the falls are is a tributary of the Mohaka River, It runs roughly 50 km from its source near the eastern edge of the North Island Volcanic Plateau to its junction with the Mohaka, of which some 15 km follow alongside the Napier-Taupo highway.

Eastern Rosella

Friday evening I arrived in Tauranga having had a wonderful drive in the sun.  In the garden I was puzzled by a constant scolding by some invisible birds high up in a Tanekaha.  Then one showed itself.  It was an Eastern Rosella.  Originally from Australia these parrots have established populations in New Zealand.