This week's update

 

Here we are trucking along in our new life and enjoying ourselves, thank you very much. I think that because we don't work all day, but do bits here and there, it isn't too much of an effort.

It rained most of last Thursday, so Eddie didn't get the lawns started. He started them on Saturday and did some on Sunday. I know! A Sunday! He got them finished on Monday, before the thunder storms later in the afternoon. I was in the gardens listening to it rolling around the hills. The birds kept singing, so I decided it wasn't going to rain at that time and kept working. It did rain, but not until all the outside jobs were done. This week was lovely and sunny, so the lawns were finished in 2 days. 

Nita ( our boss) bought 4 more bags of compost for the vegie garden. I have been putting our scraps into it and also seaweed from the beach. I hope to get some plants in next week.

 Nita has 3 dogs. 2 Jack Russells called Minty and Benny. They are brother and sister. The German Shepard is called Shaka. (Not too sure of the spelling). They have adopted us as an Aunty and Uncle. When Nita goes out, they come and hang out with us. It's like having grandchildren, all the fun and no responsibility. 

We took Shaka to the beach on Saturday, when we went to feed the crabs. Not a single nibble from a fish, but the bait all disappeared, so I guess the crabs were happy. Eddie threw a stick into the sea for Shaka to retrieve, which he did. Then he wouldn't give it back, but dug a hole and buried it. Funny dog.  

On Sunday we went to Urquhart Bay, which is on the way to Ocean Beach at the Whangarei heads. Ocean beach was busy and as Eddie wanted to fish, we went back a bit to a quieter bay with a little wharf. No fish again, but a pleasant day out.

There are lots of quails here. They all have their babies just now. They are like large, fluffy walnuts on legs. They can run pretty fast for such short legs. Nita has put out some old bread for them, but no one has told the sparrows who it is for. The quails are going to be lucky to get any. In the end the seagulls got the lot. greedy lot.

The photos are of Urquhart bay; a logging ship that came in while we were there and Mt Manaia with it's amazing cliff faces, which I think must be the result of volcanic activity back in the early days on New Zealand's development.