Sunday 25 September 2016

How time flies when you are busy making memories

Once more I find myself loosing time and not getting around to blogging.  Luckily for me you lot that I take photos, this way we all know what I have been doing and where I have been!!

We are currently in SPRING and because of this season our weather is all over the place.  Now daylight savings has kicked in so our time is all over the place too.  (I must alter the clocks to the correct time.)  So where have I been and what have I been doing you may well ask.  There have been outings a plenty of course with some work as well.

There was a visit out to 'Webberville' to catch up with Sue and meet her newest member of the family, the dearest little pooch called Ava.  I had a big felt Cock to deliver that is mine, that has been living at the Beach for a couple of years and now it is going to give Farm life a crack.  I took flowers from my garden as I finally have flowers back growing!!

As always a wander around the 'Estate' happened, I so enjoy the sights and sound of all that is Country.



After a cuppa and an overdue catch up I was back on the road for home, but there were two little stop overs to be had.

First was by the crumbling barn that continues to disobey and stills stand, but for how much longer who knows.  Second and last stop was to get a photo of the bovine above.  Every time I drive past the paddock that is home to this and a few others I tell myself how I should stop, SO I DID!

There was a visit to Dawns place.  The Beehive Letterbox just needs a pole and hill homes on macrame jute adorn the studio walls.  The little dishes got sent home with me.

We moved the Piano from the Studio to under the stairs to be used as a book shelf and it looks pretty awesome, just like the view from the kitchen window!


The rain has been an off an on visitor of late, but welcome to help my garden to continue it's growing.  Everything is flourishing!

The bees are returning to the garden, and if you want to know how old our Peach tree is, COUNT the rings.


Summer fruit is in blossom, Plums and Peaches!

And how the return of colour warms my heart.

Even the girls are happy and back laying.

 Mr Big continues to amuse me.
He is my constant companion competing with the dogs.


The Bird Bath is his drinking bowl.
 
My little camera is waterproof so under water it went and now we all know what the bird bath sees when Big is having a refreshments break.

He had an afternoon on fresh Cat Nip,
and liked it!!

Just proving he is really a wild cat!!

Oh look at my Lavenders, don't you love the colours.

Potted colour.

With the rain and the Spring warmth the Fungi has returned.

A Daff in the bird bath got photographed from above and below.

 Over the last few weeks I have had some successes in the op shops!

Me and TOF got ourselves a new to us bed base, an American Sleigh Bed.  The dogs think it is great.  It is so high and super comfy. Our old bed was a futon, super close to the ground but our old knees just found it too low to get in and out of, hence the update.


When the sun turned up the sky was so blue and everything looked stunning.  Amazing how a day like that makes life feel perfect.
 
My most favourite thing I have done of late was take photos for my friend Robyn, she is on the right.  This is five generations of women in her family ranging from her grand daughter at 5 weeks old to her own grandmother (nursing the bub) at 105!!  It was an absolute honor to be involved in this get together of lovely women. Let me just say what an independent woman her granny is, and amazing for her years.

But it was the youngest member that totally stole my heart,
she was just TUTU cute!!!

Some parting words:

 
 
and


 Hopefully I will see you all again soon,
cannot promise, but I will try.

Sunday 11 September 2016

Are you looking for a sign?

Did you think I have given up on my usual rounds of the local op shops.  Well I haven't I have just been busy with other things.  Then some days it just rains and I think, stuff it, and head home for the comfort of the great indoors.  But I managed to squeeze a visit into a couple while out doing things. At this time of the year it is slim pickings, or am I getting fussy? Or have I got enough stuff? NEVER!!  Soon people will be doing the change of season wardrobe change over so the shops will be full to overloading with treats.

BRING IT ON!!!
But make it soon please.

I found a pile of HELLO magazines which have been read from cover to cover over the weekend and are going back to Habitat on Monday to be sold again.  Mr 4 square is an iconic kiwi thing and this little tin will be good for storing things in, what things you ask? THINGS ok!  Nice big Blue clay pot for a shrub I have bought but don't know where I want it in my garden, so potted it will become until I decide.  Of course a Chicken themed linen tea towel, because, because.

Now I am fully aware I have no little people in my life but this gorgeous little hand knitted cardigan begged me to take it home for fear of some young mum throwing it in the washing machine on a hot wash!

Big took a fancy to drinking from the loo even though we have numerous bowls of fresh water on offer.  We now have a lid down policy in place.  TOF was worried Big might fall in and drown!!  Not a chance, Big is to clever for such things.

The Heir is having a month of work at the moment and we ended up having lunch in the car as it was raining, down at the lake.  The cheeky Sparrows were more than happy to eat food from my hand.  Mother duck was having fun keeping her young in line and the lame duck above managed to get around without me worrying.

Apart from the day being wet, it was bloody cold and extremely windy.  There were waves on the lake and the trees were getting battered.

Needless to say there were not many people out walking around the lake that day.

Meanwhile later in the week Big decided the Bird Bath was the perfect drinking place.  He walked across the Buxus hedge and balanced like a pro on the edge of the Bird Bath.

Unfortunately I can not put in place a lid down policy outside, so the BB has been cleaned and refilled.  Big will probably not drink it again.

Little injection of colour.

I found little Ms Autumn nesting in a box planter.  She make one hell of a fuss when you try to move her, sort of like a mini tantrum, melt down, call it what you want but she don't win.  I was rewarded with an egg, to go with all the others as the girls have got their egg production up and running again.

Big has no idea while we are all fussing over his choice of drinking bowls, he has that 'take a chill pill' look about him don't you think.

OMG we have the mother load of Lemons!!

A new to me dress bought off Trade Me.  I do love the hot pink and chartreuse green combo.

The Spare and I took the dogs for a River side walk on a lovely sunny afternoon.  Thankfully Oscar took a discreet comfort stop under some flax as I forgot the poo bags!

We followed the winding cobbled paths and took the odd cross country wander under big old pine trees.   The dogs love it, and so did I.
Skeleton leaves in the wild!!


A huge old Pine tree had fallen over and I reckon it would have gone all the way down to the river. 
Me and the Spare, just like TOF in photos, he is smiling on the inside.  Some of the houses on the River bank are lovely.  We saw one that had part of it's yard slipped away.









Sheba finally realised that the River was water when we got closer to it.  Poor Spare got pulled down to the edge where Sheba proceeded to dive in!!

Thankfully she found a spot that was easily accessible for dogs and humans.  She had a grand old time. 

With the day being warm she was all but dry by the time we got back to the car, PHEW!!  But she still stunk.

Note to self, next time take a towel for the dog.
There was a swing in this big old tree, tempted as I was to give it a go, I decided breaking a branch and ending up in the Waikato River was not really my idea of fun.

So nice to see a large flowering Kowhai tree among all the greenery.  But the colourful shrooms are what caught my eye.

I was trying to get a photo my retro Kiwiana Duffle bag I bought off Trade Me but my first attempt only got my hair!!  It is red vinyl and colourful linen.  Perfect for my drink bottle etc.

 I wonder who or what lives in that tree?


So have you been looking for a sign?







Maybe it is one of these!!