35 Years.

35 years ago today I was 20 minutes late for the most important moment of my life (courtesy of my boss, Grant McKenzie, and soon to be brother-in-law, Paddy Coogan, who thought it a great joke! Thank you!) It has never been forgotten!)
However, it was definitely the start of the best years of my life. Of course, it hasn't all been plain-sailing - how boring would that be? This is life, after all! But considering what many would have called 'the obstacles' we started with - the bride was 13 years older than the groom and had four teenage children, three of whom were still at home - I am feeling totally blessed. So glad we had the strength to go with how we felt 35 years ago instead of bowing to 'what people would think'!
What richness we have shared. love you even more today than when you waited those awful 20 minutes 35 years ago...!

The Birds Told Me...

Am feeling very grateful for my life.
I have just had a week in writing paradise, a lovely holiday home among the bush, above Lake Taupo, at Pukawa. The only sounds were the birds and the breeze. A single beautiful flax was blooming just off the deck and tui came to visit it several times a day. Tui are nectar eaters and they start at the top flowers and systematically dip into every blossom on the way down the stalk.

Their magical song made up of ringing bell-like tones and deep 'churr' noises can be heard above the bush all day long.
They are also quite territorial, and noisy about it!

A kowhai tree grew a little further back which attracted a big fat kereru (wood pigeon) to munch on the green foliage. He only visited once but I was able to capture the moment.
Kereru are as large as a small hen and look rather incongruous perched in the delicate branches of the kowhai, but they seem to manage without mishap.

One afternoon while writing at the table on the deck, an odd sound caught my attention and I turned to see a pair of quail come out onto the small patch of lawn. I grabbed my camera and began videoing. Suddenly there appeared what I thought was a small flock of sparrows about their feet. It took me a minute to realise that it was baby quail, looking like bumblebees on stilts! There must have been a dozen at least. Unfortunately, the video is on it's side and I don't know how to turn it round and  I didn't get a still shot of them. So - a sideways video of the quail!

That same afternoon a bird that I didn't recognise visited the birdbath. And I will share another sideways video of it, hoping someone might know what it is. It was a little bit smaller than the tui and had a solid white ring about its neck.

Strangely enough, I did get quite a bit of writing done while I was there!
And the final morning Mother Nature gave us a glorious farewell.