Well, that was nice

It has, overall, been a lovely week. This has been due both to the weather, and to the things we have done. At the beginning of the week the days dawned with overcast skies that cleared by mid morning into warm sunshine. The later end of the week has seen us rising to cooler temperatures due to the clear blue skies and a whole day of warm to hot sunshine. The temperatures have been hitting 25-28ºC, so we have abandoned the northern patio in favour of the south-east for most of the day, and the south-west in the evenings. Here we have been reading while consuming our post-dinner pots of tea, enjoying the evening air, watching the sun drop in the sky, and taking in the view of the river. To say we are still getting used to how fortunate we feel is a bit of an understatement.

The beginnings and endings of the days have seen the most activity (by us) in the garden. Nicky has been planting, weeding and watering. I have been strimming (an English verb which relates to the use of a line trimmer), and pegging out a couple of alternative locations for the retaining wall by the path that runs into the garden and to the shed. A mid-week weather forecast warned us of cyclone Cody heading our way early next week, so we had a busy few hours on Friday distributing the remainder of the mulch and super garden mix, as I didn’t think the tarpaulin over it would survive the wind, and then the material itself wouldn’t survive the rest of the weather. We finished the day with fish and chips and a sound sense of achievement. The garden looks better for the mulch and compost, and it’s good to have the north-west patio clear again.

Nicky and Elaine (at 404) have been discussing bread making on and off for awhile. Nicky has honed her skills over the last few months and Elaine wanted to learn, so she came over for much of the day on Tuesday for a tutorial (which also seemed to include drinking a lot of tea). They both had a good day. Mark and I have enjoyed consuming the produce with our respective spouses.

Some new bedding has been on our list of things we needed to buy for quite some time. When we were on Salt Spring Island visiting Bruce and Wendy in 2013 we bought a lovely multi-coloured stripy duvet and pillowcase set, and some gorgeous yellow sheet sets. The fitted sheets wore out a few years ago, and Nicky elasticised the flat sheets but they are wearing thin too. The pillow cases had already been darned when towards the end of last week a large hole appeared in the fabric of the duvet cover, its zip having failed some years ago. We have been looking for a multi-coloured replacement similar to the set we bought in Auckland a couple of years back, but have had no joy in finding something sufficiently appealing. So, on Monday morning we had a trip to Farmers in town and discovered they had 30% off all their bedding. They also had a couple of duvet covers which, while plain, appealed. One white and one grey. They also had some good Egyptian cotton white fitted sheets, so we spent up large, while there were products available (we have found in the past sleeping on these decisions has not helped because when we go back to the shop what we wanted has gone). The white set has been put to use this week, and when the early morning sun lands through the eastern bedroom window, it really lights up the room. We have also found them very comfortable to sleep in.

I have has some paid MacOnSite work this week, along with assisting my niece in Wanaka. I have also had a few morning walks which has been good. Yesterday we went down to the Saturday market because we hadn’t been for ages and in the afternoon a couple from church stopped for a cuppa after recognising Nicky as they cycled past. I started feeling a little under the weather, so didn’t join Nicky for the shared lunch today after church.

Our quake gel was put to good use just before midnight on Wednesday with a 5.8 quake east of Stratford. It woke me up, but none of the glassware fell off the beam. Nicky was in the Map Room toilet at the time. We both felt the house moving. The event didn’t make it to the evening TV news, unlike the eruption in Tonga and the tsunami which has followed. This event and Omicron have been the major news headlines this weekend. New Zealand has its first community case, unwittingly leaked by a South Auckland MIQ facility staff member.

As I sit and write this another dragonfly has decided that it doesn’t want to go out the same way it came in, and is trying to head-butt its way through the high windows at the north end of the living area. If I can reach to catch it and take it outside I will do so, but it has reminded me of the visits we have been getting from a fantail. On two or three occasions now, mid-evening a lovely fantail has appeared in the house. I don’t know if it has been the same bird each time, or different ones, but it doesn’t appear to be particularly concerned to be inside, and soon finds it way out again. During the last visit, it took a rest for a moment on the back of my leather chair. We are now closing windows and doors a little earlier in the evening.

Take care, Rick and Nicky.