Back in Thornton.

We left Taupo in fog last Friday morning. It didn’t clear until we were turning off at Rainbow Mountain.

We went and had a look at Lake Aniwhenua reserve. The lake was quite weedy looking, so it wasn’t that pretty. Heaps of tents were set up, but no people about, so I don’t know where they were.

You can camp there for 7 nights, but you have to take your rubbish with you when you leave. 

We got to Thornton at about 12. We got a great welcome from Louise.

We did a bit of a circuit around the campgrounds later in the afternoon and  met up with Mike. (He took over from Eddie when we went south). He was putting in pegs to show where the new houses are going to be. Louise is building 3. Her father is going to have one. They are alongside Mike’s at the back fence. There will be a bit of a view of the sea from the balconies. It will bring the permanent home here up to about 13

Eddie reckons if we win lotto he would buy one.

I offered to do the gardening 1 hour a day and Louise took me up on the offer. They aren’t too bad, so I think I am back just in time. Eddie had a spongy pad for me to kneel on, so that will make it more comfortable. Eddie is going to do some odd jobs too, just as and when he is needed.

When Eddie took the bikes off the rack on the back of the van and found my bike had blown a tyre. It was getting a bit low on tread, so I suppose I should have changed it a while ago. I was glad it didn't blow when I was riding it. That would have given me quite a fright.

We went and got the groceries on Tuesday. Not much has changed in Whakatane that we could see.

I did my hour in the garden, but didn’t set the timer on my watch, so I did 20  minutes longer.

My hips have been a bit sore since I started gardening. I did a lot of bending over one day, because there wasn’t any room to kneel. I have managed to kneel a lot more since. Louise said she could see the difference all ready, so that was nice.