After a windy week the weekend has been
quite still. Yesterday we planted flowers in the front garden (Noreen’s
responsibility) and veggie seedlings in the back (my job). The garden is looking
good at the moment. Here are some of the new silverbeet plants (with the
remnants of last year’s mizuna forest behind).
This is a broad bean that has
over-wintered. It flowered soon after planting when we had an unseasonably warm
spell but it seems healthy enough now.
Today we walked the Eastern Walkway. I have
never seen this area so calm and tranquil – there must be a big storm brewing!
This afternoon I exchanged some noxious
weeds (blackberry and old man’s beard) for some young manuka seedlings at the
annual weed swap event. They will be planted somewhere up the bank although I
am starting to run out of space for newcomers. You can see some of the spring
flowers in the background.
In other news – the Rugby World Cup (RWC)
has started. We watched the opening ceremony and first match between the All
Blacks and Tonga on television. Last night England were lucky to beat Argentina
in a very physical encounter in Dunedin. Tonight we will watch the
Springbok-Wales game on the box. It’s being played in Wellington but I’m not interested
enough in rugby to pay the inflated RWC prices for tickets. There has been a
profusion of flags flying from cars and properties as people get in behind one
(sometimes more) of the teams. Here is a Welsh supporter’s house in Kilbirnie.
Happy Feet is still heading vaguely south,
although he seems to be meandering a bit. This may be caused by the inaccuracy in
his low tech tracking system. They deliberately choose this approach to keep
the device lightweight but capable of operating for up to a year (it’s
superglued to the tail feathers which will be shed when the bird moults). And now
I see the tracking satellite has stopped working due to solar flares. Hope it recovers
soon.
Finally, spare a thought for the
inhabitants of Christchurch – just over a year since the large 7.1 earthquake,
and six months from the far more deadly event in February, they are still
experiencing substantial aftershocks. If you know anybody there let them know
they have not been forgotten as they await the long task of rebuilding for a
better future. Kia kaha.
