Quiet time

Still no guests and I have accomplished HEAPS in the house... many papers filed, taxes done, you know the tedious bits of life. Outside is being ignored, but Jorge from Madrid  returns today so after he's vacuumed and tidied, he'll be outside collecting fruit and using the chain saw, something my first husband forbade me to do, which I am now contemplating. Main problem is, I get distracted easily.

In the meantime, I've just interviewed a local artist, Karen Cullen, for my Northlanders at Play column and I thought I'd share her view with you... It's the same islands you see from mine, but hers if from farther back.  On the left is a group of islands known as the chicks. In Maori each has its own name, and on the right is the Hen or, in Maori it is Taranga, which does not mean hen.

Yesterday was the season wrap up and thank you by the Department of Conservation (DoC)  for the volunteers who look after New Zealand's rarest bird, the NZ fairy tern during its breeding season. The DoC workers dug a pit to cook a hangi here at my place - they made a fire and heated 'hangi stones' then put the stones in the bottom of the pit, banana leaves from my garden on top of them, food (pumpkin, chicken and lamb) wrapped in foil in metal baskets on top of them,wet burlap on top, then wet sheets, then covered in dirt and steamed, effectively for several hours.  It took hours to do the whole thing and Matiu, Duncan and Whiria kindly burned my garden rubbish pile at the same time.

The meal was delicious and the Maori oral history of our area was so interesting, but more of that later when I relocate my notes..

 

Now I'm off to mail the CD of pictures I took at the 50th celebration of the Ahipara Volunteer Fire Brigade and the retirement of their Chief of about 38 years, Rodger Beatson, a most inspiring man who has dedicated hundreds of thousands of hours to looking after people in his community through mentoring young people, being a Chief Fire Officer and volunteering with St John Ambulance Service. He's particularly proud of being involved with starting the first women's fire brigade back in 1974 when all the men were working in Kaitaia and there was no one at home to fight the fires during the day.

That's Iri, Rodger's wife and Rodger.  Above is the brigade and I've got to get to the post office before the mail goes.  Ciao for now,
Sandra

PS Happy Birthday Ann Jones!

No guests

For 3 weeks I had 2 to 6 people here, working on the Glorious Tangle - 4 1/2 acres being whacked into shape... weed eaters going, chain saws, kikuyu grass being pulled.  Then it rained, for 3 days, now the kikuyu is back in the trees, delicious feijoas are strewn about the ground under the trees, fruit trees bending under the weight of the fruit, are cracking.  SO Much to do AGAIN.  I am supposed to be writing a novel, doing a newsletter, exercising, looking after myself - what do I do?  Is it time to move down to a simpler life?  Anyone want to come and do a LOT of gardening in my paradise?

All shook up, or Don't worry, be happy!

While the world goes crazy with natural and man-made political disasters with dictators, life goes on in Northland and I've had a United Nations of my own here with wonderful visitors from Spain, Scotland and France plus my 18 year-old nephew who was in Christchurch during the earthquake.

Thanks to www.helpx.net and the misfortune of Gordon and Kelly's van breaking down because it overheated in the Bryndyrwyn Hills on their way north from Auckland, my 4.5 acres is looking pretty darn tidy.  It's amazing what a team of six 30-something year-olds can do! Gordon and Kelly came to stay after they fizzled into Liffy's Glencairn Garden Centre in Waipu and had to have their van repaired over a few days.  They stayed in my cabin and were here over the time Carlos and Jorge from Madrid were scheduled to come (they'd been down at Angie and Rowan's in the Wairarapa, after coming to NZ to study English) and Axel returned from France with his beloved Anouk. All visitors were here "for a few days" but loved it so much they stayed on...and the Spaniards are still here!

Axel was here last year when we had a tsunami warning and this year he brought another warning with Japan's devastating earthquake occuring the day he arrived. Friends up the road did time-lapse photography of the tide going in and out at the beach in front of my place... I used to think the wee bluff that my home is built upon would protect me, but having seen the footage of Japan, and having joined civil defence,  I know that if the earth moves here, I will instantly head for the hills behind me.

Howie was here too, for a rest, while Canterbury University was closed due to the earthquake. He's back at school there now and it seems the earth may be settling down. However, given that NZ, Australia, Antarctica and a few other islands down here were once all attached "Gondwanaland" we must consider that these terrifying natural events will occur.

So, enjoy your friends and your daily lives... live each day as if it was your last, or as close to that as you can. and be happy... after all even at 60 good friends like Jesus (Jesse) De la Rosa get married and visitors like Carlos Sanchez get to see Carlos Santana in New Zealand.

The picture, from left to right, is Kelly, Gordon, Howie, Jorge and Carlos with Mouse.  Axel and Anouk arrived later and will be added soon.

Don't worry, be happy!

Politics and summer in NZ

After our drought we've had two days of serious rain...20cm (about 8 inches) in 48 hours, surface flooding and lots of wind... my niece Mia's 6 camping friends came round and slept indoors for a night, joining Ian, myself and our French HelpX guests - Gael (from Brittany) and Benedicte (from Leon) - making a full on return after my week in the Hokianga.

At North Tec summer school in Rawene (on the Hokianga Harbour in the far North) I did the Flaxroots low budget film making course again... this time taught by Murray Nathan (my Godson's father) and Lavinia Kingi.  I must get to know the editing software, and to this end did the course and will do again, probably.  Together, each of the nine people in the course made a short film  Mine was my first episode of Sundays with Sandra, which I will post before too long.

Another pleasure of being in the Hokianga was spending time with my wee Godson, Kahu, and watching his mother Jessie and her team members train for the NZ National Sprint waka ama (outrigger canoe) championships (held last week) where they (the Hokianga Solids) made the semi-finals!
 

 

Anyway, regarding politics, this morning I was watching Al Jazeera news regarding the Palestinian Papers that were leaked to the station and have been released to the public via their website.  These have to do with Israeli/Palestine negotiations, mediated by the US.  There are riots and bombing and lives lost, futures at risk.  I changed the channel to New Zealand's TV 1 where the talk show was covering a nudist group seeking new members.


Hmmmm, same planet?

Summer fun

It's been full on at The Glorious Tangle with guests, gardening, music, swimming, making cheese, cooking, dancing and going to concerts.

Here are some photos of Angie and Rowan cooking (in a light rain, hence the umbrella) and Angie with the Brazilian cheese we made, it's hard to see white cheese on white plate, but was tasty.

My niece Ruby and her friend Sofie from Sweden were here and we took them to a KatchAFire and Black Seeds concert, thanks to Sarah and Craig (Black Seeds manager). Sofie was pretty excited to meet some of the Black Seeds on her 21st!






I've spent this morning watering and pulling kikuyu grass and after vacuuming and a computer tidy up I'm off to a video editing course.  I did one a documentary making course a few years ago but need HELP with the Adobe editing software so Monday through Thursday this week that is what I'll be doing.



I had a guest a couple of days ago... a surprise guest I hadn't seen in 14 years or so..an Israeli woman from Auckland, Tame Vazey... who has opened up a new group of friends here in Waipu with middle eastern ties who make delicious food and have built a Moroccan castle up in the hills.  I am so often amazed by the circles life makes here in New Zealand, but more about that later as I must concentrate on getting ready for my course tomorrow.

Spare a thought for the poor Aussies and Brazilians and the rescue crews helping them.  What a nightmare mother nature can be.

Ciao for now,
xS

Summer

Chirimollas and cauliflower too!

First came the sweet peas of spring, next the Matilija Poppies (spectacular!) and then the big dry.  We've had two months without rain... so the sunflowers and tomatillos need daily watering and everything else at least weekly. The plums, apples and figs haven't had much but seem to be coping. My guests from Finland and Liz who has been in the cabin helped with a leaky hose irrigation system on the figs.. whew, soon we'll have grilled figs with feta!

Lisa and Taapani from Finland

Two days ago it rained, today is drizzly so there is hope, and has it been HUMID? Oh boy, I did not leave the desert for dry and I do prefer rain but muggy heat, oh my my my!

Ciao for now, busy day with Christmas parties beginning.  Happy holidays to you all!

On Mally’s passing

On Saturday, September 25, 2010 in New Zealand, at home on his bed, we put Mally to sleep forever.  He decided he’d had enough of his old body which was very crippled with arthritis and he quit eating a few days before.  I couldn’t even tempt him with raw rabbit straight off the bone so I saw that as a sign.

 

Lots of his (our) friends came round to say goodbye.  He bravely walked around the whole property twice that morning, as he usually did, with a few more trip-ups and spills than before.  He stopped at all his favourite spots and breathed the air blowing from the four corners of our rural paddocks with rabbit and cow poo and other peoples’ breakfasts titillating his palate.  He drank muddy water from the puddles and ate a couple of pieces of rye grass and rabbit poo here and there.

 

We made a fuss of him and after Diana came to take away his pain, we buried him on the ridge overlooking our favourite garden and the sea next to TomCat who died 5 years and 1 day before,.  I’ll walk by them often on the way to compost, worm bin and beach and keep them informed of my comings and goings.

 

I remember eight years ago when our darling Hans died and someone said God must have needed a gardener. Well, now God’s gardener has the dog who he helped train while landscaping on earth.

 

May they all rest in peace and I hope Tom  will only tease Mally now, though he kind of tortured us both while he was alive, just to let us know who was boss and on whose land we lived.

 

Love you all and thank you for all the help and joy you’ve shared with Mally and me over very nearly 16 years... and especially to vet Didier who went beyond the call of duty in meeting Mally outside and in the car to prevent his wee panic attacks and hyperventilating to try to get a good listen to his heart.

Mally was so frail... vets say you can put a pet down too early or too late, but I think we got it just right. and then, I went to the pet blessing the next weekend, for St Francis of Assisi Day, at the Ruakaka Anglican church and got Yvonne Judge, who owns a second hand shop and has given hundreds of thousands of dollars back to community organisations over 10 years, to come along. Idabelle, the minister, announced that I had nominated Yvonne for the new Kiwi Battler Northland competition and she won and had donated the winnings of $10,000 to the SPCA in Mally’s memory.... I’m so happy, how can I be too sad? I think I might be if I was alone... but that’s the other nice realisation. I am not alone. I have Ian and his dog Mouse and I’m actually quite happy.