Brake certificate

,Another week has gone by. The festive season will soon be upon us. Goodness gracious me, where does the time go.

We have another tick in our list of things to do. The dodge got it's brakes certificate at the weekend, so it can now legally tow the caravan. We are very pleased. Now we have to get the certificate of fitness and we can do a bit of weekend traveling.

We had a couple of starlings making a nest in the goose-neck (where the truck hooks on), so it is wrapped up in rubbish bags to keep them out. Going traveling may have been tricky with baby birds on board.

Eddie got rained off today with a thunder storm. A great clap of thunder went off just above him. He nearly had an accident in his pants. We have had more thunder and hail since. Weather wise, spring is such a weird season. My little vege garden has survived though, so it is all good.

We went to Tauranga yesterday and picked up a canoe that Eddie bought. He will either keep it or give it a bit of a spruce up and sell it.

Dodge is home again

Good news! The dodge came home on Thursday. The computer arrived on Wednesday, but the auto-electrician  (he works from home) was busy on Wednesday night, so we had to wait until Thursday. 

His wife and I were inside watching the news, when the truck came to life with a satisfying roar. Heather and I looked at each other and said “it's alive!” It had got quite dirty up at Charlie's, so Eddie gave it a good clean when he got home from work on Friday night. 

There is much contentment at home this weekend. We took a trip to Tauranga to visit Eddie's sister on Saturday night. The truck went well, so we are pleased and relieved that that little episode is over.

We have enjoyed the long weekend and the weather has been lovely too.

At Last

The computer for the dodge is on the way at last. Eddie found another broker to deal with customs as the one we were using was just asking questions via email (apparently no phones) and not doing much else. The new chap wrote them an email and asked where was it at and if you are still having trouble, I'll do it. ( or words to that effect). Strangely enough it was released that afternoon. We paid the duty on Friday afternoon and it should be on the courier this morning.

With any luck it will be back on the road by the weekend. Hooray!

Jones's Landing, Waikato River

Weather has been quite nice over the past few days. It's getting warmer which we are enjoying.

We have bought a diesel heater to replace the gas furnace. It will be quieter and not as big. It's the size of a large brick. It has a thermostat, so we can select a heat and it will turn on and off to suit. The gas thermostat leaves a lot to be desired. It goes off when it hasn't reached temperature or goes on until we are cooking. Eddie took out the gas yesterday, ready to install the diesel at some point.

I went on a tramp/ walk with the tramping club yesterday. We walked from Arapuni dam to Jones's landing on the Waikato River. It's a nice walk.There were lots of roosters there. I guess people don't dump a hens. The roosters all looked well. I think they are well fed by picnickers and campers.

Then we walked to the cafe at Arapuni village for lunch and back to the cars afterwards. 

A look out view of Jones's Landing on the left of the river

Huskies at Arapuni peeping out at passers by

Canoes on Arapuni Lake

A view of the river from the track

The track

Reflections on the river

We are still waiting for the computer for the dodge to arrive. Eddie tried to ring them the other day, but they don't have a phone number and it is all done by email. Instead of asking lots of questions in one email they send one question at a time. All very frustrating.

My Garden in October

Well you would think we would have the computer for the dodge by now wouldn't you? Seeing as it has been in the country since the 11th September. We got the number and we were very optimistic we would have it by now, but no. On Tuesday Eddie got an email from customs to ask for a copy of the invoice, which they already have. He replied that they already had it and then when he got home, he resent it. And still we wait.

My little garden is coming along quite nicely with new plants in it. I have planted lettuces, silver beet, celery, leeks, spring onions, broccoli and cabbages. The broccoli and cabbage along with a cauliflower were planted in autumn, but the garden doesn't get a lot of sunshine in the winter, so they have been very slow going. The cauli had too much rain and I had to toss it, which was a shame. The broccoli, however is doing well. We have had several feeds off it.

October garden