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Rachael's friend Ashley came round for a sleepover. She wanted to go for a walk up in the bush, but stopped by the dam. The two girls then spotted the canoe and rowing boat that have been sitting there for years, and decided to try them out. We (I'm glad they didn't try it alone!) found one intact oar (plus some mush that might once have been the other oar and canoe paddle) and set off across the dam. It's not easy paddling a boat with one oar. Managed to get back with the oar plus a piece of rotten tree that Ashley was using on the other side of the boat. Then... Rachael went out in the canoe. On her own. I think she's used a kayak at camp, but this has to be the first time I've seen it. So Bronwyn's planning to buy a new canoe paddle...
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( 3 / 2048 )We lost a lamb today. Bronwyn found it lying down in a swamp a week ago, and brought it in. It looked like it wouldn't make it, but after a couple of days under the heat lamp it was up and about. Yesterday it spent quite a long time eating out in the garden. But today it couldn't stand up, and spent all day lying on the grass, rasping and wheezing. It just didn't have the strength to fight off the infection, and Allan quietly put it down. Sometimes things just don't work out the way you want them to.
And I've just had news that my Grandad's died. At 107, he was the ninth oldest man in Britain. It's also the same day several years ago that my dad died. Bronwyn's sent some flowers to mum.
Erica's spent her first week in the language school, and everything's going well so far. She's applied for a student visa (she's still here on the Working Holiday visa from last year). And she's also helping her boyfriend get a visa for when he comes to visit in October. Maybe she should go into business as an immigration agent.
I've been getting up really early this week. I take Erica to her bus for 7:15am, then back to help sort out Sarah and get Rachael for 7:40, then back again to see Sarah down the drive to her bus at 7:50. On Friday, Bronwyn did a day at one of her old childcare centres, so she went off as well, leaving me all alone after a short burst of chaos. Next week, I'm down to half time at the old job, and starting up the new one in the afternoons. Should be interesting...
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( 3 / 2004 )Rachael's party was last night. We had a UV bulb, about 150 glowsticks, fluorescent face paint and a variety of other decorations and streamers. I brought out some magic fairy dust from the laundry to sprinkle on the floor. It glows well in UV. And more fun than washing clothes with it. The girls were still up at midnight! Spent most of Saturday preparing the lounge, so we're tired today.
Sarah had a party (one of her friends) too. And she got to ride a pony. Very nervous at first, but she got used to it, and has been invited back to try again after school sometime.
I drove a tank!
OK, an armoured personnel carrier. But it came complete with catarpillar tracks and poison gas defences. Took a little time getting used to steering by applying one brake, and the gyroscopic clutch.
Erica has been sampling a few language schools, and has chosen one to start next week. I've been getting up really early to put her on the 7:15am bus. Then Rachael goes on the 7:40, and Sarah at 7:50. At least Sarah's bus goes past our house so we just have to send her down the drive in time!
It was quiet at work this week. Daniel's gone to Romania for several months, Kyle's in Melbourne and Ben's been busy back at the old office since he's still technically working for them. And the Australians are back at home. Think I'll work from home tomorrow.
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( 3 / 1918 )Bronwyn's parents are off touring Great Britain, and Allan, Stephen and Bronwyn have been looking after the farm. Allan is married to a diesel engine, and has been tending the paddocks with smelly fish fertiliser and trying to get the grass growing again. Stephen has been keeping an eye on the stock, and Bronwyn's just returned from feeding out some hay. With Erica. She's back.
Nana returned to us last weekend for a farewell tour. She's been in the country for 8 months, and was sad to leave. But she's off for seven days in Fiji, then over to Melbourne for a quick trip up the east coast of Australia. Celia was going to join her, but for various reasons, not all which are ready for publication, decided to stay in New Zealand for another couple of months...
On Thursday, I realised I'd left my laptop power supply at work. So I drove in to fetch it. Part way down the motorway, my engine died. Fortunately, a random person stopped and gave me a lift to a garage. Unfortunately it seems to have been the most expensive garage in town. But at least the car is fixed now (the ignition amplifier thingy had lost its spark).
Meanwhile, somehow, we collected Erica from the airport. She's coming back to fulfil her dream of becoming a pre-school teacher, but first she has to do some language lessons to improve her English. It's been a long road for her, and she's really excited that it's all coming together. And we're more than happy to have her back.
Meanwhile, Bronwyn smelled a rat. Or something similarly unpleasant. And under her bed. It's the season when the local rodents come looking for shelter, and obviously this one decided to spend its final hours with us. Bronwyn's tipped the whole bed up, cleaned, deodourized and repainted the wall. No sign of the rodent, but now our bedroom smells of forest glade and paint.
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( 2.9 / 2036 )Spent the week touring the north. One night in Dargaville (I was amazed. People do live there. Rough looking bikers. Aging women in miniskirts with tatoos up their legs. And one or two others.) Two nights in Kaitaia, and two nights in Paihia.
Saw the Big Tree at Pahi, and the Big Tree in the Waipoua Forest. While on the way to the second tree, we saw a car stopped, with a flat tyre. They couldn't get their jack to unwind, so we lent them ours. Turned out it was the nephew of one of our friends from the Catholic church. It was the first of several chance meetings.
Did a coach trip up to Cape Reinga, along with an old Maori named Robin. He had a few tales to tell, mostly involving marijuana and nipping over the fence to pinch some dinner. Very entertaining. And enlightening. Went up the beach on the way up. Looks like the other buses waited for him to go through the difficult bit first, then quickly followed.
Got to Paihia and spent some time at Waitangi, learning all about the treaty and the ensuing wars from another Maori. Also very enlightening. Some American woman was playing a Native Americal flute in the big marae building. Went out for a pizza.
Next day, we did the obligatory hole-in-the-rock cruise, and met up with two pods of dolphins, a big swarm of pilchards, two flying fish, the same woman who played the flute the day before, and a flock of surfing seagulls who rode the air currents over the boat and pecked crisps out of our fingers. As well as our fingers. The photographer was the same girl who was the waitress at the pizza restaurant. She's called Crystal. We learnt this when she sat on a button in the cockpit and the captain told us not to worry, it was just Crystal blowing the horn.
Decided to go for another pizza. During this time, the family that we'd helped fix their tyre came past the restaurant. Sat next to a mother and a daughter who lived near where I work, and used the same system that I program. I offered her information; boys phone numbers, that sort of thing. No, she wanted me to stop her getting homework instead. Ah, priorities. Said goodbye to Crystal and told her to go careful with the horn.
The rain came over as we set off next day. Got to Kawakawa and nearly went on thre steam train, but by then it was hissing down so we set off. Didn't even bother paying homage to the toilet (you really must Google for the Kawakawa toilet). Managed to get ahead of the rain again and unloaded before it hit us a second time.
Went out this afternoon and brought home a sofa bed to replace the old one that several generations of cats have claimed as a toilet. So now we've got enough beds for four, not including camp beds!
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