Wireless connection - at last

For some time now I have been procrastinating about whether or not I need/needed a wireless connection or not - well I finally decided that I would go ahead and do it and I have :-).  Even my connection speed is faster and my printer has a wireless facility so I just need to purchase a new cable to hook that up.

Wonder why I procrastinated for so long.  I think it was the thought of having to part with more money.

I've been sewing

It is my great nieces birthday this month so I asked her mother what she would like.  Turns out she is right into owls and would love an Owl cushion.  Managed to get some material remnants and found a free pattern on the internet and away I went.  Was so pleased with the first one I made that I made another one for her.  Wish I could see the look on her face when she receives it

The are being posted unstuffed so my niece is going to stuff them when they arrive.

Rugby World Cup

Phew it's been a long time coming but the All Blacks finally won the World Cup again, 24 years after they first won the inaugural one!

It was a real cliff hanger to watch as the AB's were starting to fall like dominoes with injuries.  Have to say the French really took it to us but thankfully we held on and made it.

This afternoon they are in Christchurch for a victory parade.  Times like this that I wish we lived closer but then again I don't think I would handle the crowds all that well these days

More on Larry and Dolly

Well they have been in their own paddock for quite a few weeks now, running around, eating grass and happily accepting their morning and night drink of milk

They are going to wonder what hits them tonight as I will be moving them to a bigger paddock which has ewes and younger lambs and they will only be getting one bottle a day for the next couple of weeks!  I hope they enjoy being with the other young lambs and can't wait to see them all playing together.

Yes, it's true I am a softie but I also have to be realistic and their milk powder supply is getting really low so they must learn to fend for themselves sooner rather than later.

The other day they got outside of their perimeter fence and when I arrived to feed them they both went ballistic as they couldn't get themselves back in!  It must have looked and sounded like a real circus as I was busy trying to untie the temporary gate.  Dolly got herself to me but then when they were both separated you would have sworn I was trying to strangle them - what a noise and commotion! LOL  However all ended well and they were both reunited and fed.  Poor Larry couldn't finish his bottle as he was shaking so much from his frightening experience!

Larry and Dolly

Here they are enjoying the sunshine in their new pen up the back of the section

Good to be alive day

Yes it really is a good to be alive day!  The sun is shining, no frost.  Was out feeding Larry the lamb in the sun this morning and the birds were all sitting in the Kowhai tree waiting for food.  The Kowhai tree is starting to burst into flower, my daffodils are all out in flower.  Dare I say that there is even a hint of Spring in the air!

More snow photos

Just went for a drive up the road and took these

It was snowing heavily as I took the bottom photo.

Snow at MotunaU Beach

Yep the forecast was right - we did get snow to sea level.  This is what I woke up to this morning

As I write this it is snowing a blizzard again and it is 1.5 deg C outside.  Time to put another log on the fire!

photos from the red zone

these are not my photos but those taken by Ross Becker Photography
Hereford Street

 

 Worcester Street and demolition dust

 Christchurch Cathedral

 

Looking south down Manchester Street

 

Cathedral Square

Finally - a background

Yes I finally came across a background for my blog that depicts where I live!

On a different note, the weather is absolutely freezing here today and I heard on the radio that they have had sleet in Christchurch and believe me, it looks like it do something like that here.  I just read in the paper where snow can be expected to sea level brr

Weka Pass Field Trip

Yesterday I joined members of the Rangiora Photographic Society on a field trip to the Weka Pass via steam train.  This steam train is 102 years old!  We travelled in an open carriage with an abundance of photo opportunities.

We left Glenmark Railway Station at 11.30pm and travelled inland through the Weka Pass to Waikari.  This took about 45 minutes but along the way the train stopped and we could get off to claim a vantage point whilst the train backed up and steamed up towards us giving an excellent photo opportunity.
Some photos along the way:

 

 

When it reaches Waikari it has to turn around so it backs up, changes track and moves forward onto this turntable.  This was then turned around and then it was able to back up to rejoin onto the carriages.  

 After a break for lunch we left Waikari at 1pm and it was full steam ahead back to Glenmark

A well known rock formation commonly known as Frog Rock

 A lovely day out

In the Blog World again

Hi, here I am again! I haven't vanished off the face of the earth.

I came across a blog by Aussie Scrap Girls which laid down a challenge using the template they posted on their blog. It certainly inspired me and I decided to do the layout digitally of my niece's wedding last December as I had just finished working on an album for her.

A long time missing!

Yep, it's been a long time since I was in blog world but I think I can manage to participate again. I kind of went down hill in a big way when I fractured my heel last September!

I went crafting yesterday and below are a few of the things that I made. It was really enjoyable to get together in a group and share a few laughs.

What I like the best about the day was the faux metal effect using the cuttlebug

This was a photo frame that was covered with cuttlebugged silver card

This was a cuttlebugged silver card frame around the picture

This is a cuttlebugged faux metal sampler card

This a gate fold card and the black and white image has been divided into three

This is a tri fold card and the image has been stamped with versamark and black embossed and the poppy has been coloured with a tombow pen

New Bird on the block

We have been seeing a large bird hanging around and one day I was able to get some close up photos. Having searched our bird books it appears that this could be a white faced heron and possibly looking for a mate.

Long time no write

Because I haven't had much to share! However I have been busy weaving harakeke (flax) and have been enjoying the change of thought. Also costs nothing to create as there is an abundance of flax where I live.

I went to a class last weekend where I made the 2 small bowls, bag and bowl. A few of us got together again on Wednesday and I created the wine bottle holder which I am quite pleased with.

Queens Birthday weekend

This fell the last weekend in May and Monday was a Public Holiday. I flew up to Wellington for a weekend of scrapbooking and had a fantastic time despite the cold blast of weather! Yep, hail and sleet even though we were staying at sea level.

However, I had a very productive time and completed 24 pages and started on a fairy castle mini album for my great niece Faith's 5th birthday later this year.

I was so chuffed to achieve so much as usually when I go away I talk and don't do much!

I was pleased that Jock dropped me off and picked me up as it was a late flight and we didn't pull up the drive at home until 10pm

Now I need to get my photos of my Motunau Island trip printed for scrapbooking at a crop this Saturday

My trip to Motunau Island

28th May 2009. My friend Rita and I flew over to the Island in a Squirrel helicopter along with Dept of Conservation (D.O.C.) employee, Anita to meet up with other DOC employees who were there for different reasons

I was meant to go with Anita and Rita down the track to the bottom of the Island to check bait stations and help plant some Captain Cook Scurvy Grass - problems, because of lots of rain, the track (originally made by the penguins trundling down to the water) was extremely soft and very, very slippery. I got about 3/4 of the way down and decided enough was enough and told them I was going back up to the top. That was another toughie, at one point I was on my hands and knees climbing my way up!

Scurvy Grass is actually part of the brassica family and has a peppery taste to it. Motunau is a Maori name and translated means Island of Scurvy Grass. DOC have had success in planting this on and around parts of the Island and are continuing to extend the scurvy grass plants.

Fortunately for me, when I reached the top I caught up with other D.O.C folk who were going to check the bait stations on the top of the Island and look for Gecko's and Spotted Skinks. They needed 5 of each to take DNA from. This is done by taking about 3mm to 4mm of the tip of their tail. Sounds awful but you could hardly tell this had been done. This is a Canterbury Gecko.

I actually held one of these and they are so unusual. Their skin is very velvety to the touch and their little claws are like sucker pads as they travel across your hand. Never thought I would see the day when I wanted to, let alone hold one! So cute.

Gecko's shed their skins quite frequently and this is what we came across!



Heaps of shredded skins! They are very opaque and still in the shape of the Gecko. They wriggle out of their skin headways which leaves the shape behind. They feel just like tissue paper.

This is a spotted skink

I was informed that the Gecko is a very social lizard and they like to 'hang out' together in the bait stations. Look at these that we found in one bait station!

Motunau Island is one of the few breeding grounds for the White Flippered Penguin. One was found in it's burrow

They say that all good things must come to an end and they did. About 3p.m. we returned back to Motunau Beach aka 'the mainland'

All strapped in and ready for take off back to the mainland. This trip I had the front seat and my stomach gave a real turn when we suddenly had no land underneath us, just a cliff face and water