Reflections

Today I'm having a quiet day.  The third lot of washing's in the machine and Mike's gone to the Te Mata Croquet Tournament.  I'm not playing this year because tonight's the Mission Concert with Sting and the New Zealand Philharmonic Orchestra.   We are to be there at about 4pm for dinner and the full works. Good weather, pleeeeease!   I arrived home late yesterday afternoon and emptied The Handbag and my cases.  Wendy came down and we caught up on the news of the previous 10 days before Mike arrived to stay for the weekend.

So today and tomorrow I shall be relaxing, reflecting and taking stock.

Over the last year or more I've read a lot about the Bar-tailed Godwit (Maori: Kuaka) on Katherine DeChevalle's Blog, The Last Visible Dog.  The Godwit is not only and amazing and fascinating bird but it is also a New Zealand icon.  Anyway I learned from Katherine's Blog about Miranda.  So, as you know from my recent posts, I went to Miranda for the 'Miranda Experience'.   I would recommend it unreservedly. 

This sculpture is at the entrance to the Miranda Shorebird Centre:

Old Chevak is the settlement in Alaska on the tundra where the Godwits from Miranda go to breed during for the New Zealand winter (which is, of course, the Alaskan summer).