Feasts of all sorts

Double rainbows and bright light on the sand dune with a dark gray sky was a stunning treat for myself and my visitors last week. We've finally had a bit more rain...but the scary storm that was predicted was far milder and without consequence, then ended with double rainbows! What a pleasure.

The week before we had another visual treat when the Sustainable Rural Develpment group went bush walking at Debbie (one of the students) and her partner Graham's bush block in the Bryndyrwyn Hills about 10 mintues from home. It seems we were walking about two hours, but it may have been less. They have magnificent trees and a wonderful waterfall. we only covered a very small area of their 60 acres.

We've also had a veritable feast with the vegetables we've grown in the class. Golden beans, pesto made from home grown basil, stir fried bok choy and Moroccan tagine of swiss chard (silver beet). I think we've all been amazed at how much we've grown with Jamie's help, and the plastic house is full of seedlings - both edible and ornamental.

Oh yes, and dare I mention the wonderful treat I had when the Sky City Media team offered me two nights' free accomodation and a media pass for the Firefighters Vertical Challenge? I had written some stories about Waipu firefighters who were climbing the 1029 steps to raise money for the Leukemia and Blood Foundation fundraiser. Hundreds of firefighters, male and female went up. It was a great weekend and the Grand Hotel was fantabulous, and I swam 2kilometres in the pool. The evening party was fun too and I got to sit with the mc, CEO of Sky Tower and Kellee, the wonderful media relations person who invited me along in the first place.

Life is full - the Flaming Ukuladies are getting ready for our first public gigs in June and July and we're looking forward to the Wellington Ukulele Orchestra coming to Waipu on September 26! What fun we're going to have then too.

A holiday weekend is upon us and on Sunday friends and I are going to see the local production of Cats, the biggest budget musical ever produced in Northland and directed by Waipu's own Lachie McLean. On Monday we're going to Scotland's Battlefield Band who play ancient instruments in modern ways and they rock!

Well, bedtime now. Off to a workshop on creating newsletters tomorrow, so will need my brain rest.

Ciao for now.

Industry and Control

We must be vigilant in our attempts to control our environment in Northland.

The minute the hedge is trimmed (most recently by new friend Debbie from the NorthTec gardening course being offered here) it starts growing again.

The beautiful raised beds are growing our vegetables well, but the weeds must also be pulled and the walking paths around the beds heavily mulched to keep the wild sorrel and other evil weeds from returning. Actually, wild sorrel is very tasty so not truly evil, but a menace and a pest where it is not wanted.

As soon as the rains come, they will take away some of the new rock recently laid by the giant digger and truck that were here on Saturday. My whole day changed when they showed up, unannounced after weeks or perhaps months, dry months, of waiting. Yes, it rained last week so the paddocks are a bit more torn up than they would have been, but never mind, the drive way is once again safe, at great expense. Some people travel and for the cost of the drive, I could be in Europe, but I'm not.

Here are a couple of photos then, for you to ponder as I head for bed!

New Love

My how time flies etc etc. Summer is coming to an end but the glorious weather continues, it is so dry and warm and humid that the veggies are growing wonderfully, bananas fruiting and I have even harvested grapes, which I said I was determined to do this year!

The new French chocolatier at Bennetts of Mangawhai liked my figs - fresh and candied and he made a delicious jam with samples I took him so next year he may make more.

My stories are appearing at greater frequency in Mangawhai Focus and on the green pages of the Northern Advocate. I must say, I am incensed over plastics. Stop letting them get into wild places, y'all. Collect them from beaches and parks, please. Birds are swallowing them and it is a bad thing. We do not need all the packaging, just because we know how to make it. More biodegradable plastics are being manufactured, so ask for them.

Now to my new love...my gorgeous looking and sounding, hand-made in Tauranga by Ian Milne, ukulele. It is rounded as you see in the picture but is not a banjo uke because it does not have a skin. Ian called them banjoleles when he made them for a primary school, but they are ukuleles...four strings...makes real music.

There are 10 of us playing together now and we are having fun! If you want to know more about what can be done with a uke (the sort of sound to which we aspire) follow this link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=puSkP3uym5k to a most marvellous version of "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" on uke.

I have lots of deadlines to day so must away. In my mind I am well organised, have a tidy house and all my stories written on time, the garden is in order and I'm in touch with all my friends. I'm part way there, and having loads of fun with the rest of everything.

Last thought, I really enjoyed watching the Ballistic Blondes skydiving at the One Tree Point Primary School Gala Day. Three sky divers had a ball and impressed the masses who looked up in awe!

Wellington Arts Festival and swimming in the river

So much has happened since last I blogged - and a couple of people have actually checked in and been disappointed there was nothing new, so here is something new!

Every year, just at the time my figs ripen, Wellington hosts the International Festival of the Arts. This year I went, despite the figs, and had a fantastic time. My nieces Mia and Mae, nephew Baly and I went to one of the BEST concerts of our combined lives - The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain.

The whole concept may seem an oxymoron to you, but it is not. If you don't believe me, google Ukulele orchestra of Great Britain and watch some of their videos. Excellent musicans and comics, wonderful voices and consummate performances! That's them in the first picture and the second is The Ukes Of Hazard who were busking. Not nearly as good as the Brits, but having fun anyway.

Wellington is a wonderful city and after the concert Mia and I went to another concert - Lawrence of Arabia (not his real name) and another band called Conan (the poor guy's real name, apparently). Conan's group was particularly unusual with funny pointy sleeved shirts and lots of high pitched singing. My precious pseudo-daughter Sarah who lived here for some years and now works with LOOP Aotearoa recording company was there with friend Rachel, Will Rickett and other local musos were there and it was a wonderful Wellington night. Rachel, Sarah and I went out for kebabs and then home about 2am.

A dinner party the next night brought together some of my best friends for a political discussion about power and the colour of one's skin, and another 2am night.

Sunday Liz, Milu and I went to see the Shen Wei dancers from New York who were surreal and other worldly as well as amazing dancers in a very unusual way. Their choreographer, we read, is a film maker, set designer and painter and that was apparent in the staging of the performance and costuming.

Back to Waipu for the end of summer and it is hot and beautiful, the sea and river at its warmest and parties about everywhere. Last Sunday, for example, was a breakfast BBQ (no, not meusli on the barbie, but sausages) and swims in the river, kayaking and champagne. Straight to a birthday lunch up in the hills of Waipu - some people I hadn't seen in years, friends of dear departed Hans whose birthday was earlier this month. This week friends from Los Angeles called in, unexpectedly, and that was a giant surprise. Next week their son is arriving for several weeks in NZ. I've booked him in to a caving trip so roll on the good weather.

My doggie almost died just before all this excitement. He ate some old barnacles that gave him food poisoning - his tummy was like a bellows - and his liver enzymes went mad. The vet did not think he'd make it, but Mally's recoverd and as precious as ever.

Bye for now!

Waipu ukulele or Waipukulele

Bob, me, Jan, Robyn and Mary the Waipu Ukulele Band!






I have been so inspired by the Wellington International Ukulele Orchestra that I asked my friend Robyn to teach me and then we began studying with Bob McNeely, a fantabulous guitar player and teacher. Now there are four of us women playing and two more who would like to join us in the Waipu Ukulele orchestra, also known, perhaps, as Bob and the Waipuukuleles! at a recent party we had our first public performance - truly a rehearsal for our upcoming performance - and we were a hit! At least we were in our own minds...and we had so much fun it was hard to believe. Watch this space for more and perhaps a conncection to YouTube soon!

I am also thrilled to announce that I'm going to the British Ukulele Concert at the Wellington Festival of the Arts soon, and if you think I'm nuts. google both British ukulele and Wellington Ukulele and check out their videos on You Tube.

Returning to the future

Have I blogged since Christmas? can't recall, but Sarah, on my right in picture was here and then came back later with Blacky and Dairney for the Black Seeds concert. We had a great time, as you can see here, and then the year progressed!

In 2008, I'm returning to past loves in hopes of going forwards. Five years of travelling to and from Titirangi have led to lots of undone chores at the Glorious Tangle, and synchronicity has brought me many friends over these holidays who have loved being here and working on the land. Weedeating has been happening thanks to various friends and yesterday, on the sixth anniversary of Hans's death, Pablo finished restoring the plastic house!

Pablo is my friend Rosa's brother, a 38-year-old Chilean immigrant to NZ. He's a mechanical engineer and is staying with me for a while to practice his English and in trade, has put the plastic back up. YAY!!!

This restoration is just in time for the Northtec course I'm partnering by using my land as a campus for their Sustainable Rural Development course. We will have students here learning and working - a tutor who is a permaculture specialist, Jamie Hancox, is in charge and hopefully some business opportunities for all of us will arise. This blog may become more of a sustainable gardening site, which suits me.

Dan Mills is still here while he works on the murals at Waipu Cove and Ruakaka. His girlfriend Katchka comes on weekends and the barbecue has been going for lots of wonderful summer evenings. Check his work on http://www.danmillspaintings.com/

I've also been Nordic Walking with Barbar Faust and helped her with her website text. Check it out on http://www.nordicwalkingnz.co.nz/

Ukulele practice is also fantastic fun and we have a performance coming up so must dust off the video camera for that!

200gr8 !!

Happy New Year you all,

What a busy time it's been and fabulous summer weather for Christmas. I've had loads of guests - paying and not, and several late night parties with Sarah Crowe (my pseudo-daughter) who works at LOOP Aotearoa, a record making company, friends of hers and my niece Ruby - all presently Wellingtonians.

The portacom, now called the "green house" is up and running, will post a picture of that next time.

Perhaps, most notably, I've finally seen fairy terns - the rarest bird in New Zealand. They nest on the sandspit (wildlife refuge) that sits between my home and others on the secondary dune and the sea. They are on the primary dune. There are only about 14 of the birds left and they nest in 3 places...this year a pair of them are nesting in a new location, much farther south and a greater distance into the dune (away from the sea) than any scientists thought they would.

This nest is only minutes from my home and I will be helping the Department of Conservation bird wardens keep an eye on it. The birds are nearly impossible to see, even when you know there is one sitting on its "nest" in a general area. They are white and black with orange beaks so they nest in shelly patches that have white, black and orange shells. This nest has two eggs. I saw the male sitting and the female call as she flew in. They swapped places, he did some "housekeeping" which is moving shells around and turning them over then flew off for a feed in the estuary.

Even if you know where the nest is, it is nearly impossible to spot and would be so easy to step on. The nest is only a scratch in the sand. The tiny eggs are mottled so they blend in with the shell. Can you spot them in the photo? The chicks are eaten by hawks and black backed sea gulls. People are not allowed to go near them unless they are certified rangers or volunteer helpers and then only if they are in danger. Otherwise volunteers sit a distance away with telescope and binoculars and watch...noting when the adults change over and trying to keep people and predators away. There is a large "fence" put up around them - with signs saying keep out and people often ignore them.

So that's it for now. Hoping to rearrange my bedroom today, need help with moving furniture, so if you're in the area, call in!