State Highway 23 will take you to the sea, and, P.S: Happy Birthay Elizabeth!!

Who doesn't enjoy a long weekend?  I know every weekend is a long one for me, but it is nice to have other people off work on the same days as me sometimes, not always, just sometimes.  This weekend is Queens Birthday Weekend.  

So...

.. Happy Birthday Ma'am,

and thanks for the day off work!! 

So what else has been happening you may well ask, and what is it that keeps me away from blogging?  Work, lunching with friends, you know the sort of stuff.  It is all very good stuff to!!

On a sunny  day I visited Sue W and took out lunch for us.  We dined on a delicious Chicken, Cranberry, Brie and Spinach Pizza and drank Cranberry Juices, and we did this high up on her huge deck in the sky.  Max of course joined us there and on our walk around Webberville.  It was a beautiful day to be enjoyed outside.

Fantails are a plenty out here and they dance about you in the garden.

Such delightfully happy little birds.

The old barn down the road still stands, but how I do wonder.  Each year more of it has given way to the elements, but each year it provides a spot to stop and photograph in it's state of decay.

I have managed to poke my head in some op shops of late and discovered all sorts of goodies.  How could I leave behind such colour and handiwork?  Indian scarves are so vibrant, and I think I could some how turn them into something wearable for next Summer.  Always look forward I say!

Then the most beautiful old table clothes came into view, both need a gentle soak, both are so lovely and both only $4 each.

I love kids books and have quite a collection so one more didn't hurt and only 50 cents.  

A very tiny boat trapped in a very tiny bottle caught my eye, and a divine little colourful dish made in India, obviously a Country of colour.

Of course I found clothes, this little haul made me have a major sort out and I am pleased to say quite a lot of things have made there way to be sold and some have been given to Habitat.  What I sell pays for new to me things for this Winter.

Like a pair of Black boots to add to my ever growing collection.  The new ones are 2nd from the end in the last photo.  The only colour I want now is BLUE, so my hunt continues.

You all know how I love to layer my clothes, well with the weather we have been having, layers are the only way to go.  The black boots got an outing with the animal print dress.

The garden has been watered with rain and coated in the odd frost, some days it has been hidden in fog. At this time of the year not much happens except a lot of racking up of leaves!!  My Hibiscus is still flowering but maybe because it is sheltered on my deck.

My night class is going well.  Last week we worked on our wax castings for rings.  You start with a wax ring like the one on the left and you carve, saw, and file until you have the desired size, shape and form.  The one on the right I finished and it has now been sent away to be cast in silver.  Cannot wait for it's return to see if my carving comes out, of course either way I shall show you.  Next lesson is band rings using soldering irons, again I will choose to work in silver. 

Last weekend I went and visited the Heir and this is the greeting I got at the gate.  His dog Stella gets so excited and can not contain herself so her nose pops through the gap you open the gate with.  We went out for coffee and cake because that is what you do with your kids no matter how old they are or how often you see them.  Always nice to go out and catch up on life.

I met up with Sue W at a local book fair at the end of this week.  I was happy to find the two books on the left that I had wanted to read and happy to pay $3 each for them.  The Calligraphy ones were $1 each so time to have a play I think.  After the book fair we had some srumdiddleumpcious lunch and then visited a couple of op shops, it was a pleasant way to end the week.

Yesterday the weather was stunning so TOF and I took a drive out to Raglan.  Manu Bay was packed with people, any one would have thought it was a long weekend??  TOF reckoned he counted at least 50 dudes out in the water surfing, you could say it looked congested.  It was so nice and quiet, just the sound of those gorgeous big waves then a bloody Jet Ski came racing past!!!

Anyway it was so nice to sit and watch as the surfers leapt off the rocks at the perfect time to reach the waves that would then let them ride up to the shore line again.

We always park at a look up high on the cliff to look over the beautiful Manu Bay and the ocean beyond.  This is what Paradise looks like to me.

We ventured on down to the wharf where many people had the same idea.  The sky was so blue and the wispy clouds above the Silo Apartments on the Wharf looked magical.  

We sat in the sun on the Balcony at The Wharf Kitchen and Bar and enjoyed a cold beer and some piping hot chips (french fries).  I also went into Soul Shoes, if you check out their website www.soulshoes.co.nz you will understand my passion for visiting this iconic local business.

I purchase this pair of super comfortable hand made shoes and wore them for the rest of the day.  Years ago I had some of their shoes and they last for such a long time.  You should see some of the gorgeous colourful leather they use on their products, go on, check out their website.

After a quick visit to see our friends that have just got back from a 12 day Mediterranean Cruise, we started our drive home.  Past rolling farm land and the Te Uku Wind Farm, such a great drive on a sunny Winter day.

 

The sky was forever changing as the day slowly gave way to the evening.

I have never had such an entertaining and loving pet as I have with Toebee.  I am so glad he came into my life when visiting Julie at the beginning of the year.  With his extra toes came a large dose of Extra Personality.

He has discovered climbing and one of his very favourite places to climb is up on top of our freestanding cupboard.  Apart from sleeping up there he likes to knock things down for me to pick up so he can knock them down again, just like a toddler!

He likes WATER!  Every morning when I am trying to brush my teeth he joins me, trying to play with the water.

 

My empty rubbish basket became a great spot to sit in for a time.

Every time I need to use the airing rack for things like sheets, duvet inner or blankets, he thinks it is a Kitten Hut.  Seriously he has had me laughing a lot these last few weeks.

Then he thought the Water Cooler was a perfect step up to the top of the fridge.  Yeah Toebee you are sooooooo Funny!!!

Toebee and Sheba are still BFF (best friends forever) and the daily play fights continue.  

They play hard.......

....and then they sleep,

together most of the time. 

Other times I find him upside down like Big (right photo).

As for Big, he is still Top Cat in this house and Toebee knows it.  As long as Big is left alone life is fine, but if Toebee gets up in his grill there are words!!

Oscar couldn't give a rats you know what.  I gave him a haircut yesterday hence the Camo jersey, he was shivering this morning.  It's been raining all day!!

*********

So our long weekend is all but over,

it has been nice.  

I do hope the Queen has had a pleasant old time to. 

 Wisdom

 and

***Stay Happy and Well***