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.
