Follow highway 23 to Raglan by the sea.

Today I took the drive to Raglan to catch up with a couple of friends that live out at the beach. One of the things I love about living in Hamilton is how close we are to lovely beaches on either coast. I headed straight to Diane's place as she like me doesn't work on Mondays.

The views from her upstairs deck are spectacular and it was rather pleasant sitting out there taking in all the beautiful clean sea air while basking in more glorious sunshine.  We headed to the dump and I checked out the dump shop while Diane unloaded her car of dump stuff.  From there we headed back into town and down to the wharf.

Fishing boats were tied up at the wharf, people were fishing and others were having lunch at what has to be a cafe with a fabulous view.

We had a look in the two shops that were open that are situated on the wharf, and looked through the window at this one which has recently moved there. Probably need to go back to have a good poke around in this one.  The red car doors we think may lead to a dressing room or office, hung like those western bar doors that swing.

Just some of the many sights we came across down this end of town.

 Up steep hills where glimpses of the ocean

can be caught through coastal trees.

So many cute colourful baches still surviving amongst the newer houses dotted all over the hills.  Give me one of these daggy baches any day!!

We parked at the end of a street and wandered down some man sized stairs to the back of the harbour.  Nestled amongst the trees was a lovely home that blended into the surroundings.  There was the tiniest picket fence that followed us down the stairs for part of the way.

Down on the beach we came across some boat sheds, how bloody gorgeous is the black with blue door one.  So quiet and lovely down here, but then it was time we climbed those stairs to continue on our way. We  had a lunch date after all.

We came across the best hedgehog letterbox and then realised there were more creations inside the property equally cool.

We went and collected Sharon from her work and went to the Harbour View Hotel for a spot of lunch as you do when you get together with the ladies!!  So old inside and I am seriously wanting to stay a night there now, the rooms upstairs have a balcony where you could watch the beach life pass you by.  The hotel is smack bang in the main street of the 'CBD' of Raglan, we even saw a meter maid chalking tyres!!  At the beach FFS!!!

We dined alfresco as it was so lovely and yes Sharon I know it isn't the best photo of you but suck it up darling, in my eyes you look great!!  What did we eat I hear you ask??  Well here it is.

From left to right, Steak and Bacon Burger pronounced as stakin-bakin-burga, Chicken Burger, and my Chicken Wrap.  All came with a healthy serving of FRYS! We drank water as Diane was driving, Sharon was working and I still had to drive home to Hamilton. 

This little bookshop I called Raglans answer to Spotlight as it has the dinkiest little haberdashery section. Spotlight if you don't know  is a supermarket sized Haberdashery shop in town.  With Sharon safely returned to work us two struggled to walk around the shops as we were so full of food we both thought we could explode all over the footpath at any moment.  Needless to say not one of us was planning on eating dinner tonight!!  I left Raglan after 3pm and had a sweet as drive home.  No hold ups or getting stuck behind those annoying turtle speed drivers like on my was out.

I stopped at Te Uku on my way home to take photos of the wind farm and show you all how dry the land is out there.  One day of rain doesn't solve the drought we are going through. Hopefully the prediction for more this week will come good, we certainly need it.

When you drive out of Raglan you go up and over some  hills know to everyone as the Deviation, the views either side of the road are brilliant, especially on a lovely clear day.  At the moment it is a combination of parched paddocks and forestry.  Once back in Hamilton I popped into the supermarket for ham and milk and remembered some biscuits we had at a friends place a while back with the best ever packaging.  Oh and the biscuits are pretty dam fine too.

Brilliant stuff, advertising genius at work for sure with a sense of humour.

Inside the lid and under the box!!

Turquoise and Chocolate Brown

my colour combination

for today.

This is a book cover,

true story.

28 degrees in April? Has the world gone mad?

Once again we awoke to another absolutely gorgeous day,

this weather just keeps on delivering.

 This of course would be the real

Incey Wincey Spider!

Sunday is usually a pretty cruisey day round here and today was no exception.  With a clothes line full of washing and all the windows and doors open to enjoy the day, I went out to drop my youngest off where he had left his car over night.  So pleased he didn't do the drink and drive scenario.  So while out and about I decided to pop in on a lovely friend of mine who lived not far from the drop off.

My friend has the sweetest dog called Bella (9) who was groomed yesterday so her shiny black coat felt just like velvet.  Then there is Monty Morton the cat (18), he is a big boy is Monty.  I wonder if his full name is something as fabulous as Montague.

Being camera shy (my friend not me) I resorted to photographing plants in her garden.  She has a lovely secluded spot that would be perfect for a family shot, I am working on her for that.  Her hubby was quite proud of his cock in the garden (get your filthy mind out of the gutter) and other lovely bits of garden art that were in and around this little court yard.

After lunch I had a birthday party to attend for the cute as a button Giselle (above) who turned one.  I took photos of her and her parents the other day and now they want me to do their wedding photos, OMG!  The older sister and aunty of this poppet also is getting wed this year also, and has put in a similar request, so two weddings to photograph, I hope I am everything they expect and believe me to be.  I am not trained, I just take photos of things I see and like, maybe I have an eye or knack.  Certainly do hope so.

 

After 28 awesome degrees of goodness today the sun slowly slipped away leaving a pink hue in the sky on one side of our house.  On the other side the moon was arriving.  At this time of the day my Hydrangeas were looking so beautiful.  I do love how they are changing into multiple colour.

I topped up the  bird feeder as the birds have figured out that this offering is actually for them and not the small dog sitting below with his nose in the air desperately willing something to fall out into his little mouth.  Obviously he is starving!!

Not us, we aren't starving!!

TOF made us a huge Mac and cheese

with spuds and cheese

and breadcrumbs on top.

He is a good boy!!

Something to try this week if you dare!!

Hey, hey, hey, its Saturday....

....and it will be Sunday in a couple of hours, but we lose day light savings tonight so it will take an hour longer for Sunday to turn up. 

Ha sucked you in Sunday!

This morning there was a Gala at the school next door to our house, so of course I wandered next door to check it out.  No clothing, just activities, raffles, food, entertainment, so all I bought was some baking for TOF and grabbed a few raffle tickets.  

Community spirit up and running!!

Another fabulous day to chill out doing whatever you wanted to do.  Sheba even had some down time, and Oscar just followed me everywhere because he loves his mum so much!!

I put up some old wire shelves for my CDs to live on, and got the chair out of the car and ta fricken da it is perfect like I suspected for my sewing room.

I found these colourful alphabet beads that I guess little girls make their name into a necklace, but I started playing and came up with sayings some of my bloggettes use. 

Can you guess who?

 

This would be mine of course.

It was still warm this evening so I went out the back to enjoy the cool evening air, and discovered a cloudless night sky full of stars and the moon doing its very best crescent shape impersonation. Not sure if it is waxing or waning?

Of course Tex found me and we lay on the ground to enjoy the night sky together, although I don't think Tex looked at the stars once.

Goodnight all

and

all you Kiwis

remember

to put your clock back

ONE HOUR

before you go to sleep.

Out came the sunshine and dried up all the rain.....

After all the rain we had yesterday, which by the way was very welcome, we were back to sunshine and mild temperatures today.

Yesterday drains were blocked and doing wicked things like this!!

So many people were outside in the rain with rakes trying to get rid of all those autumn leaves that were clogging up the gutters and drains.  All good fun!!

I just hope it was enough rain for the farmers, and maybe if mother nature could organise it, maybe it could rain at night when everyone is indoors snoozing.  Just a thought.

So today, in the beautiful sunny weather, I went out to a few op shops and then to pick up a chair for my sewing room which is still in the boot of the car.  So no photo today.  I managed to find a few treats for myself and before you all go 'more shoes', well yes there is another pair, but when you see the suckers you so will understand.

Like OMG lime green with red spots!!!  Brand new and only three bucks, there was no way they were being left behind.  The top in the middle actually came in the post from a trade me purchase.  Huge table cloth in citrus colours, yummy little Scottish mohair scarf because Winter is going to turn up eventually and kick our sorry arse into reality.  The cardy of many colours is rather nice and going to be spectacular over something plain.

After my mini op shopping I collected my $5 funky old chair for my sewing room, the one that is still in the boot of my car, and then I went country.  Dawn had plenty of yum as things to take photos of.  More totem poles, bird baths, big jugs, and even a flying pig! She sent me home with the bell on the top right.

This afternoon I had a date with a gorgeous young family (a good friends daughter) to take photos for them as they are getting married soon and wanted something to go on their invitation. I think I took 40 odd in the end so plenty to choose from.

Such a lovely afternoon for photos on the river bank,

and such a beautiful, happy young family.

Have yourself a fabulous weekend!

PS: Thanks for all the compliments on the super duper fabulous sketch done by the Red Headed Angel of Oz, she is pretty clever!!

It's raining, not cats and dogs or even men!

Go you good thing go!!

The farmers will be dancing in their paddocks!!

My garden sure is happy.

 How beautiful does everything look

when droplets of rain are left resting on them.

I wore a frock that can be

twirled in

and twirl I  did!

Glitter Jelly shoes,

Labradorite necklace,

faux black pearl ring,

all this just for the supermarket!!!

Both = $200

Groceries or cash?

Food might last a week at a push.

Cash?

Give it a good nudge in a day!!

TOF and I have new slippers!

Tis a sign.

Winter will turn up eventually.

And as you all know
'Failing to prepare is preparing to fail'
so we shall have cosy  feet
because we are
PREPARED!!

The most gorgeous Red Headed Angel in Australia
called Jo
did this sketch of me
and she is going to send it to me!!
STOKED!!
(if you do not follow her blog, it is time you did!!)

 Isn't Nature the best!!

My weekend starts NOW!

This week I have worked Monday to today, instead of Tuesday to Thursday.  End of month/beginning of month accounts and stuff so swapped my days.  So now I have the next five glorious days away from work.   What to do????  Plenty of whatever floats my boat I'de say!!  Especially as the weather is still so nice.

Today I wore to work an old favourite combination of layering with a pair of ultra comfortable pair of Birkenstock sandals.  Like wearing slippers it was!!  Dug out my spoon necklace and a big arse ring! 

Another super afternoon to kick back in the back yard with my animal buddies.  We had huge fluffy clouds to gaze at today while lying on the lawn in the sunshine.  Could have just gone to sleep.

When is a ball no longer a ball?

For Sheba, a ball is a ball

until it is all gone!

Even the girls were enjoying the afternoon sunshine.

Thanks for the eggs!!

Today is nearly behind us,

and tomorrow is on it's way.

See ya!!

Join me on the lawn and lets watch the world go by

This morning we had

FOG!

In Hamilton we are used to Fog,

because know what comes after it.

(well at this time of the year we do)

I love the way the garden looks when we have had Fog.

(I could call it dew or a light mist)

 

See, this afternoon was bloody gorgeous!!

Yeah look behind you Sheba,

that big black cat is on the move.

Be afraid, be very afraid.

 

  Tex may be old

but he managed to get up

onto the garden couch

and join me.

While Sheba had all the toys,

Oscar decided to plant himself in the garden box.

Freshly washed white dogs

do that!

It got to a beautiful 27* today.

Tex and I lay on the grass in the shade

of a big tree

and watched the sky.

(just like when I was a kid)

 Autumn Pose!!

It is good to do things like lying on the grass and watching the clouds (if there are some) or just chill out with your eyes closed. Make daisy chains, throw Autumn leaves (at your cat), and at night go look at the stars.  I dare you all to do something that you did when you were growing up.  It's good for the soul.

 When CDs are only a couple of bucks each,

why not get a pile.

My buzz is old stuff at the moment.

 (PS: I flirted with a bunch of workmen this morning, and they flirted back.  Men are better at it I think.  SUCCESS!!)