A quiet week

 Eddie’s cold has just about gone and I haven’t got it. (touch wood). He was hoping for wet weather on Monday, but it wasn't too bad in the end, so he did a full day.

I started in the garden and did half an hour before the rain came. It was supposed to get worse as the day went on, but it seems to be the opposite. 

We had a quiet weekend as  Eddie didn’t want to pass his germ on to anyone, so we just relaxed at home. On Sunday we went into Whakatane and went to a car wash. The car is parked under a tree when he is at work, so it gets quite a bit of bird droppings on the bonnet. We went to one where you put in the coins and keep feeding it until the car is done. The soap was bright pink and stained Eddie’s shirt sleeve and his hands. It came out in the wash, so I was pleased about that. I was worried that it might be like the dye they put into weed sprays, which don't go away with a simple wash.

There is a track that goes along the top of the dunes here. Apparently it goes all the way to the Tarawera River. It's about 5 ks long. I have a plan to maybe walk it one day, but it is quite sandy and not easy to walk in.

I went along it the other day when the weather was threatening to rain, but I got home dry.

a non photo of a heron.

 Another lovely day in paradise. Eddie managed to survive working a whole week last week and it looks like it might be the same again as the weather forecast is looking very nice.

Eddie woke up sneezing like mad on Friday morning and came home feeling rather miserable with a cold. He said he had sneezed all day. On Saturday we got him some drugs and he is feeling a lot better now. It’s the first cold either of us have had for ages. So far, so good for me. Fingers crossed it stays that way.

I have started to do the gardens again for Louise. She has the property on the market and wants them to look nice. I am getting along quite well. On Saturday I went to an op shop to get some shoes to wear when working in the garden. I found a nice pair of boots in the free box. I am not sure why they were free as they seem to be in quite good condition. In a way it’s a shame to be wearing them in the garden. They were very comfortable when I wore them today. 

When I go for a walk along the river bank there is always a pair of herons there. I tried to take a photo of them yesterday, but it didn't come out very well and when I edited it, the bird was very fuzzy and out of focus. So that didn't go so well. I don't think wild life photography and I are friends. So the picture is of the river bank walk, with a heron in it that is too hard to see.

The two little blue bumps in the background of the photo are, on the left, Mt Edgecumbe (Putauaki) and on the right Mt Tarawera.

A new phone

 We have had beautiful days this week, so it looks like Eddie will have to do 5 days this week. It will be the first full week he has done. He will be tired by the weekend.

On Saturday we bought him a new phone as his old one was starting to malfunction on occasions. We think it is 10 years old, so he has had a good run with it. He spent Saturday afternoon getting things transferred to his new phone. He hasn’t been able to get his photos off the old one, so we will have to go back and get the shop to do it for us. On Monday morning the alarm on his new phone didn’t go off, so he was a bit late going to work. Luckily I woke up and saved the day. On Tuesday it went off at 5 am and every 10 minutes after that. Goodness knows what he did. Today was good. It went off at the right time and didn't keep ringing.

On Sunday we went to Matamata to visit friends who have just bought a new home. They are doing lots of renovations. The laundry is big enough to be a laundry and a bathroom and the old bathroom is going to become the ensuite. We think that the door frames are rimu. They have been painted over, but they are going to get the paint off to show the wood. It’s going to be quite a process and will take a bit of time. 

I have started back doing the gardens for Louise. I am making good progress and I don't think it will take too long to get right around.

I realized today that Browning hasn't been on any adventures lately. I have put in some photos of him around the caravan.

checking the tow bar is up to standard

waiting for aftternoon tea in the awning.

Gladioli on the dunes

 On Saturday we were like  little homeless waifs as the caravan was at the garage getting its new springs put on. Louise has a flat behind the office and we spent the day there. We were all set to spend the night, just in case it took a bit longer to finish. Luckily we were in our own bed that night.

When we went to pick it up, Barry (the mechanic) said take it for a ride around the block and let the springs settle. There was an almighty bang as we left the garage. When we got back,  Eddie and Barry spent half an hour or so doing an adjustment. Barry said that the other spring had a bolt missing, so I think we were lucky that it didn’t fall off. 

The springs have been put on top of  the axle instead of under it. It makes us a bit higher off the ground so we won’t scrape underneath going over gutters etc. It makes an awful noise when that happens. It means the step up is a bit higher than it was. I managed to fall in the door one day, when I forgot and misjudged it. Needless to say it is better than falling out of the door. Now I have to stand on a stool to reach the clothes line. The joys of being of average height.

I thought Eddie might get a full week's work this week, but the rain is going to be back tomorrow.

The photo this week is what I think is a gladioli growing

beside the track that runs along the top of the sand dunes. Apparently it goes all the way to the Tarawera River, but it is hard walking in the sand and the river is about 5 ks away, so I don't think I will be doing that anytime soon.