365 days in pictures – Page 39 – What I notice

Pukeiti walk

A splendid hour with Neelam and Emily (and Jenni, of course) among wonderful rhododendrons which the park trust placed AMONG New Zealand natives. Tuis everywhere and a few pigeons. John (Barkla's) recommendation, and I'm glad we took him up on it.

Ice cream on the walkway

After launching flax aeroplanes and making YouTube-inspired paper planes with little Callum Lewis, Matt took is all down to the public baths for a swim. (Where I got talking to a Muslim couple, who turned out to be Matt’s patients.)

Water can be studied in various, entertaining settings

Stories with Nan

Sunday, October 4, 2015
by Len

One of the nicest ways to start a wee girl's day. And Nan's!

“Happy birthday, dear Emily …”

Saturday, October 3, 2015
by Len

Her little friends came around this afternoon with their parents, and made this a very happy day.

These are finger things …

Five of them. And all were returned to the baking drawer

Send her down, Hughie!

Don't see rain as we did today in Christchurch. This is one of the differences between the two coasts of New Zealand.

Discussing fringes

Something best left in safe pairs of hands. Certainly not in granddad's.

Back with Emily again

A glorious, warm, sunny day in the 'Naki. And lots of time with this wonderful granddaughter.

Houda and the boys came to see us

On arrival, Adonis was happy to throw and kick a ball with me on the lawn, until he noticed tiny white plumb blossom petals on the deck chair. Then all he could think of was, "Mama!" so we took one in to show her. And joined Meer, whose first and only interest was "the castle".

The mid-Autumn festival tonight

Cong came around this afternoon with a gift of moon cake in a square tin. Tonight is the full moon in the middle of (the northern hemisphere) Autumn, and in China families gather and eat moon cake. So we did also. Only this much was left after Cong cycled off again an hour later. A few hours afterwards, as the sun was going down in the West, I saw the beautiful silver-white full moon lifting up off the Eastern horizon. Easy to see why ancient peoples were fascinated by the moon.

Rogaine for the first time

Toby Neilson organised a quick game of ragaine after a morning bedding in 400+ totora plants on a hill slope at Living Springs with 50 mainly Muslim students. Thirty of us joined the game and spent 75 minutes ploughing through bush, trudging along tracks and scampering on the road. First time I’d done it. I was teamed with Farzin and Marzin. VERY enjoyable. We came 3rd!

A visitor emerges from the orchid Sonya gave Jenni

Praying? Or preying?

See that dark line of cloud?

The temperature has suddenly dropped slightly and it looks like a whisk of rain moving onto the city. The last in a week of cold, wet days? The forecast is for a return to sunny days from tomorrow.

Need to wait a little longer …

Cong went for his restricted licence today, in the rain, but wasn't able to satisfy the examiner. Poor guy! I had thought he would pass comfortably. But he was a foot or two away from the centre line at several right hand turns ... and although the Indian tester did all he could to nudge him over the line, he got a fail. Next time!

Recently started using this plunger again

Thanks for your gift, Jonny!

Four vans together in our local carpark?

Doesn't it strike you as a little odd that four vans belonging to one company are parked in the local shopping centre carpark, where I would have said there was barely enough demand for even one curtain installer at a time?

The Smart Phone has landed

Jenni allowed us to charge the battery in her phone a few days ago, and yesterday OKed me to switch her number over to the Moto g2. Today she took less than a minute to choose a cover. She's going to be surprised how quickly the $230 device becomes useful!

Trimmed the pear tree just before the southerly’s rain

I used a decent ($50) pruning saw this time and it was MAGIC! Even on the end of an eight foot pole (a branch from our plum tree) it took no effort to saw through the branches. Should have had this when I first started pruning our trees here in Brookside Terrace!

Misleading morning splendor

Don’t be deceived by this beautiful warm blue-sky morning and the subsequent high of 18. There’s a Southerly bearing down on us that’s forecast to bring snow down to 300 metres “north of the Rakaia”.

Still alert, an hour after their performance

I have enjoyed learning how to work Bob.

Leaving tomorrow for Qatar

Unexpected surprise. We had lunch here today, and Ramon and Lorraine shared their news — the job in Qatar came through in writing. They are “51 percent sure” they will take it. But that percentage is rising, by the minute, I think, as they are departing Christchurch tomorrow and are talking about being set up in Doha in a few weeks!

Dylan 36 years ago

Today 36 years ago, Bob Dylan astounded his audience (again) by putting out this plain statement of a newly-found faith in the Lord Jesus. Radio DJs then, and still, generally played the Sunday School tracks, perhaps because they were embarrassed or upset with the full-on worship of the best numbers. The title track remains powerful and personal.

David and Isobel

David at Isobelle's newly erected gravestone, in the Kaiapoi Cemetery — David at Isobelle’s newly erected gravestone, in the Kaiapoi Cemetery

Home at an entrance

This home was built to survey the delightful, sunny Leith Valley near where it runs out onto the top of George Street, Dunedin

Friends with passion

So good to hear Bruce speak on the need to go to Central Asia at the Dunedin Neighbours’ Conference

Tropical fruit in Dunedin!?

Fraser MacKenzie found these SE Asian delicacies in the New World at the foot of the North East Valley and insisted on buying one each for the four of us who had driven down to help run the Dunedin Neighbours’ Conference. Delicious.

English is changing

stuffx2b — The word “stuff” has recently been brought into mainstream Kiwi vernacular. Here’s an example which would have been impossible in public 20 years ago

… if you dare, dude!

sandwich — Carlos’ I think

Sky above

Bruce’s home, 66 Brookside Terrace, which I shared with him on skype to show him the weather as we chatted

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