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Source: (consider it)
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Thread: Lands of the Southern Cross
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Galloping Granny
Shipmate
# 13814
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Posted
I'm recovering brilliantly from surgery in the care of a cousin – we are contemporaries and are having a great time.
Her two cats are Felix (black, white paws) and Frodo (whom I address as Fat n' Fluffy for obvious reasons).
Brown sugar 'nectar' is hung in the tree outside the window for the tuis, who come in great numbers; I've even seen a couple of bellbirds.
More another time.
GG
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The Kingdom of Heaven is spread upon the earth, and men do not see it. Gospel of Thomas, 113
Posts: 2629 | From: Matarangi | Registered: Jun 2008
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MaryLouise
Shipmate
# 18697
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Posted
Sounds like a lovely place to heal, GG, a birdwatcher's recovery!
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“As regards plots I find real life no help at all. Real life seems to have no plots.”
-- Ivy Compton-Burnett
Posts: 646 | From: Cape Town | Registered: Nov 2016
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Huia
Shipmate
# 3473
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Posted
Hi GG. I've been thinking of you and wondering. Good to hear that your recovery is going well. I envy you the bird life, Fat'n fluffies are the best - more to cuddle.
Yesterday, being Labour Day, the traditional day for spring planting, I planted some sweet peas to train up a short fence in my back yard. I also have some seeds so I can have a progression of colour through summer ![[Yipee]](graemlins/spin.gif)
Huia
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Charity gives food from the table, Justice gives a place at the table.
Posts: 10382 | From: Te Wai Pounamu | Registered: Oct 2002
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Ian Climacus
Liturgical Slattern
# 944
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Posted
Colour is wonderful.
Great news GG; wonderful to hear from you.
The not-so-soothing sound of magpie babies screeching for mum or dad to bring them something delicious fills my days currently. I do get some lovely parrots in the large tree outside my window at work - noisy buggers, but beautiful in colour and sound. Anyone I speak to on the phone or Skype asks me if I keep birds in my office!
Posts: 7800 | From: On the border | Registered: Jul 2001
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Lothlorien
Ship's Grandma
# 4927
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Posted
Sweetpeas are one of my favourite flowere. Beautiful colours and perfume.
Ian, at Wollombi we had lots of baby currawongs and magpies still screeching at the mother to bring them food and now! Many of them could fly at that stage and were bigger than the parent bird.
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Buy a bale. Help our Aussie rural communities and farmers. Another great cause needing support The High Country Patrol.
Posts: 9745 | From: girt by sea | Registered: Aug 2003
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Huia
Shipmate
# 3473
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Posted
New Zealanders have had another chance to vote - and it's official - Kea, the very intelligent and playful Alpine Parrot have won this year's Bird of the Year. The vote raises awareness of native birds and $10,000 for the Forest and Bird Society.
It edged out the kereru (bush pigeon) and the Kakapo - the very rare, flightless night parrot.
I didn't vote, because I can never choose between them, but I will make a donation to Forest and Bird because they do good work.
Some people get really into supporting their chosen bird - making videos and competing with friends over lobbying for votes. (actually I think a lot of us are slightly barmy, but it's fun and the birds benefit).
Huia
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Charity gives food from the table, Justice gives a place at the table.
Posts: 10382 | From: Te Wai Pounamu | Registered: Oct 2002
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Clarence
Shipmate
# 9491
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Posted
I love the fact that NZers take the bird thing to heart (though why I'm surprised, given you are all Kiwis after all, I don't know).
This week in Oz it's Birds in Backyards week. There's even a survey app to do 20 minutes of bird spotting. Rather fun, even if it is just counting the number of currawongs and satin bower birds trying to eat my dog's food each morning.
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I scraped my knees while I was praying - Paramore
Posts: 793 | From: Over the rainbow | Registered: May 2005
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Piglet
Islander
# 11803
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Posted
There's been some sort of disease affecting the birds here, and we were advised by the City to remove our bird-feeders back in August. We took ours down before we went on holiday, and heard that we could put it back up after we returned, but sadly, the birds haven't come back.
We used to get hosts of grackles, mourning doves, cowbirds and a few sparrows and goldfinches, but since the summer, nothing at all.
I miss them. ![[Frown]](frown.gif)
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I may not be on an island any more, but I'm still an islander.
alto n a soprano who can read music
Posts: 20272 | From: Fredericton, NB, on a rather larger piece of rock | Registered: Sep 2006
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Ian Climacus
Liturgical Slattern
# 944
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Posted
- that is very sad.
Had to google grackles - beautiful bird. Have to google its sound when I get home.
Posts: 7800 | From: On the border | Registered: Jul 2001
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Ian Climacus
Liturgical Slattern
# 944
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Posted
Well, picked up the fleet car to drive to Orange.
I drive a hatchback.
This car, tank, is a Landcruiser. My goodness. I felt so high...and large. Managed to reverse into my carport so I consider that a success.
[ 25. October 2017, 05:17: Message edited by: Ian Climacus ]
Posts: 7800 | From: On the border | Registered: Jul 2001
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Lothlorien
Ship's Grandma
# 4927
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Posted
A long drive, Ian. Will you be by yourself? Orange should be lovely when you finally arrive. I guess you will cut across country somewhere.
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Buy a bale. Help our Aussie rural communities and farmers. Another great cause needing support The High Country Patrol.
Posts: 9745 | From: girt by sea | Registered: Aug 2003
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Huia
Shipmate
# 3473
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Posted
Zappa, I am deeply envious.
The most interesting birds around here are down by the river, but as there is going to be some dredging done soon they may take off for other places. We have a pair of putakitaki, the Paradise shelduck that come every spring and nest on our church roof, the NZ version of the wild geese.
I'm sure they weren't as common when I was a child, I remember one of my brothers getting very excited when he saw one, "Look," he said, "A paralysed duck." The same brother once pointed out a "Magna carta tree."
Huia
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Charity gives food from the table, Justice gives a place at the table.
Posts: 10382 | From: Te Wai Pounamu | Registered: Oct 2002
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Ian Climacus
Liturgical Slattern
# 944
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Posted
3 people with me. We'll go up the Hume, cut across to just north of Cootamundra, stop at Young, through Cowra then to Orange. 5 to 6 hours estimating, without stops.
Posts: 7800 | From: On the border | Registered: Jul 2001
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Moo
Ship's tough old bird
# 107
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Posted
In Austin, Texas, many people consider grackles a menace.
Moo
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Kerygmania host
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See you later, alligator.
Posts: 20365 | From: Alleghany Mountains of Virginia | Registered: May 2001
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Lothlorien
Ship's Grandma
# 4927
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Posted
I can't remember ever doing this before but I have taken my hearing aids out because of too much noise. The whole place here is having all tiled surfaces pressure cleaned. We were warned it would be noisy and possibly messy. I have put a draught excluder snake against my front door to catch any errant drips from sliding underneath.
There is a constant medium to high level whirring noise, bangs as equipment is moved and occasionally the motor noise steps up considerably for several minutes. This will go on all morning.
The tiles looked clean after mopping but really, there was ingrained dirt which needed the pressure. This type of cleaning has not been done here while i have been here, nearly seven years.
We can come and go, but no way am I using a walking stick on the wet tiles. That is asking for trouble.
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Buy a bale. Help our Aussie rural communities and farmers. Another great cause needing support The High Country Patrol.
Posts: 9745 | From: girt by sea | Registered: Aug 2003
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Lothlorien
Ship's Grandma
# 4927
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Posted
Barnaby Joyce is out on his ear, along with all but two of those also in Parliament but holding dual citizenship. I wonder what the odds are on his losing the by-election forced by this judgment?
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Buy a bale. Help our Aussie rural communities and farmers. Another great cause needing support The High Country Patrol.
Posts: 9745 | From: girt by sea | Registered: Aug 2003
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Huia
Shipmate
# 3473
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Posted
Well as long as he doesn't move over here, we have enough dingbats in politics.
We had a small quake around 5 this morning, that was shallow and on this side of town. I thought Georgie-Porgy was scratching around at the end of the bed, but I realised she was outside. Then I became convinced that someone else was in the house, so I got up, had a look around and made a cup of tea. The possibility of a quake never occurred to me until a friend visited at half past nine ![[Roll Eyes]](rolleyes.gif)
Actually I was quite relieved to discover it was a quake because that explained the sense of disquiet I had experienced.
The joys of living on the Ring of Fire.
Huia
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Charity gives food from the table, Justice gives a place at the table.
Posts: 10382 | From: Te Wai Pounamu | Registered: Oct 2002
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Piglet
Islander
# 11803
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Posted
![[Eek!]](eek.gif)
Glad to hear you and G-P are both OK.
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I may not be on an island any more, but I'm still an islander.
alto n a soprano who can read music
Posts: 20272 | From: Fredericton, NB, on a rather larger piece of rock | Registered: Sep 2006
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Tukai
Shipmate
# 12960
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Posted
Barnaby has been well described as a kiwi disguised as a beetroot.
(The story given out is that the treatment for some skin trouble has turned his skin red; certainly it's distinctive.)
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A government that panders to the worst instincts of its people degrades the whole country for years to come.
Posts: 594 | From: Oz | Registered: Sep 2007
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Gee D
Shipmate
# 13815
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Posted
Given that it is due to a medical condition, that seems a bit cruel.
Madame measured the rain yesterday and it was more than for the previous couple of months. The garden already looks better, coming back to life. Even the lawn's showing an improvement.
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Not every Anglican in Sydney is Sydney Anglican
Posts: 7028 | From: Warrawee NSW Australia | Registered: Jun 2008
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Piglet
Islander
# 11803
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Posted
We had hoped that our grass had had its last cut of the season, but after the 2½-plus inches of rain we had earlier in the week, it's taken a spurt.
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I may not be on an island any more, but I'm still an islander.
alto n a soprano who can read music
Posts: 20272 | From: Fredericton, NB, on a rather larger piece of rock | Registered: Sep 2006
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Ian Climacus
Liturgical Slattern
# 944
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Posted
Wow! That's a bit of rain. We had a little bit, with some wind, which has blown some (to me) unknown flower everywhere on the ground. Some even got in under my front and rear doors and left a carpet of leaves for me to wake up to.
So Qld is off to an election next month... Haven't been following politics up there recently; need to rectify that!
[ 29. October 2017, 03:28: Message edited by: Ian Climacus ]
Posts: 7800 | From: On the border | Registered: Jul 2001
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Huia
Shipmate
# 3473
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Posted
The temperature here yesterday was verging on mildly warm for Zappa - 26c Apparently a foehn wind is affecting a large part of the South Island. The fat'n'fluffy one is stretched out, belly down on a piece of shaded concrete. She has an upcoming appointment for a tummy trim at the vets.
Fortunately the nights are cooler and I sleep with the doors open (there are security screen doors in place making this relatively safe, but if someone was determined to break in they'd go for the windows anyway.)
Huia
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Charity gives food from the table, Justice gives a place at the table.
Posts: 10382 | From: Te Wai Pounamu | Registered: Oct 2002
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Lothlorien
Ship's Grandma
# 4927
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Posted
I have been somewhat distracted for almost a week, since last Friday. Son with back poroblems has had extreme pain for many months and muscle spasms which contorted his body and which did not respond to any treatment. He had fourth major back operation last Friday and said he could feel his muscles gradually beginning to react and improve. Then yesterday, the surgeon told him that discs further up his spine had been affected by the spasms. Last night another lengthy surgical procedure with lengthy general anaesthetic.
He is walking slowly this morning. Surgeon has excellent manner , but more than that a very good reputation for fixing problems others can’t.
Hopefully this is the startt of a brighter future.
I am planning on doing some complex lace knitting as a way of relaxing today.
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Buy a bale. Help our Aussie rural communities and farmers. Another great cause needing support The High Country Patrol.
Posts: 9745 | From: girt by sea | Registered: Aug 2003
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MaryLouise
Shipmate
# 18697
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Posted
Lothlorien, that sounds like such an ordeal. Prayers for your son's healing and for all who care for him ![[Votive]](graemlins/votive.gif)
Buried in work, hoping to take a few days off at the end of the month.
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“As regards plots I find real life no help at all. Real life seems to have no plots.”
-- Ivy Compton-Burnett
Posts: 646 | From: Cape Town | Registered: Nov 2016
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Lothlorien
Ship's Grandma
# 4927
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Posted
Thank you Mary Louise. He has been in agony for months, has an awful mix of drugs which he hates so he exerts his mind and works over the pain a lot of the time. Agony of a different type for those of us who watch, unable to do anything to help.
Now there may be a glimmer of hope, I am having trouble concentrating and could fall asleep even just after breakfast.
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Buy a bale. Help our Aussie rural communities and farmers. Another great cause needing support The High Country Patrol.
Posts: 9745 | From: girt by sea | Registered: Aug 2003
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Piglet
Islander
# 11803
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Posted
Lothlorien and family.
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I may not be on an island any more, but I'm still an islander.
alto n a soprano who can read music
Posts: 20272 | From: Fredericton, NB, on a rather larger piece of rock | Registered: Sep 2006
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Huia
Shipmate
# 3473
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Posted
Best wishes for your son Loth, backs are so tricky, and watching someone you love in pain is really difficult.
We have a temperature of 26c here today again and Georgie-Porgy and I are both melting. I've left buckets of water dotted around the section for the various cats that pass through. Often on days like this I see cats I've never seen before as the buckets act as waterholes for the neighbourhood.
This morning I went into the garden around 7am and managed a couple of hours work before it got too hot. I have cleared one of the 1 metre square raised gardens and am going to a plant sale tomorrow where I hope to get some vegetable seedlings to plant. it's a fund-raiser for the local community gardens, so I hope we can be of mutual benefit.
Huia
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Charity gives food from the table, Justice gives a place at the table.
Posts: 10382 | From: Te Wai Pounamu | Registered: Oct 2002
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Lothlorien
Ship's Grandma
# 4927
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Posted
Thanks all. This is now the fourth and fifth operation after he fell down fire escape stairs at work several years ago. The first operation was never really successful and the others have been trying to fix things from that. Not counting the two ankle reconstructions from same fall.
We all feel optimistic that recovery may go well and be the start of a new season of life.
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Buy a bale. Help our Aussie rural communities and farmers. Another great cause needing support The High Country Patrol.
Posts: 9745 | From: girt by sea | Registered: Aug 2003
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Ian Climacus
Liturgical Slattern
# 944
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Posted
Lothlorien and son. Sorry to hear. Here's to a good recovery!
Yeterday I put my sheets in the wash. Then left for work. Without hanging them. Is this what happens when you hit 40?
Washed them this morning again. Started to rain. I can't win.
Oh well. Weekend is here! Here's to more gardening, Huia, and less work Mary Louise! ![[Smile]](smile.gif)
[ 03. November 2017, 07:33: Message edited by: Ian Climacus ]
Posts: 7800 | From: On the border | Registered: Jul 2001
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Lothlorien
Ship's Grandma
# 4927
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Posted
My son returned home from hospital after two operations on his back in under a week. He says this surgery has been life changing and miraculous. He is still on pain meds but the nerve pain is gone, he is walking properly if slowly. He ha a schedule set up for drugs, sit up, stand up, sleep etc but it is so good to hear him optimistic at last. He was facing life almost crippled and in constant massive pain. He is on strict bedrest for at least the next two weeks so that the surgery is not compromised.
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Buy a bale. Help our Aussie rural communities and farmers. Another great cause needing support The High Country Patrol.
Posts: 9745 | From: girt by sea | Registered: Aug 2003
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Huia
Shipmate
# 3473
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Posted
Loth I am so happy for him. Ongoing prayers for full recovery ( aim for the top I say).
I am exhausted. I went to the plant sale only to find I had the wrong day - it's on Tuesday. So I came back and have cleared about 90% of the other raised garden. It's so hot I can only work in the evening and early morning. Georgie-Porgy is annoyed because she used to hide in the long grass which is no longer there. Once I have planted the vegetables I'll have to rig up nets to stop her and assorted neighbourhood cats from getting into the garden. Fortunately when I first set up the gardens I put a pole in each corner so it's easy to drape the nets (or shade cloth if needed) over them without squashing plants.
Bubble bath time now
Huia
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Charity gives food from the table, Justice gives a place at the table.
Posts: 10382 | From: Te Wai Pounamu | Registered: Oct 2002
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Uncle Pete
Loyaute me lie
# 10422
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Posted
So glad to hear of your son - I remember how appalled I was to read of the fall so many years ago. Holding him in the Light for swift recovery.
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Even more so than I was before
Posts: 20466 | From: No longer where I was | Registered: Sep 2005
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Piglet
Islander
# 11803
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Posted
What Pete said - prayers continuing to ascend.
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I may not be on an island any more, but I'm still an islander.
alto n a soprano who can read music
Posts: 20272 | From: Fredericton, NB, on a rather larger piece of rock | Registered: Sep 2006
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Zappa
Ship's Wake
# 8433
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Posted
I spent 24 hours in Huia's fair town (ending this time yesterday) having driven down from Auckland. As an occasional visitor I have to say its going from strength to strength, and I reckon it will be Aotearoa's showcase city soon (with Auckland being seriously broken).
Back home at Scarily Close to 40°S (but at least north of it) once more ... sadly nowhere near 40°C! After leaving the vehicle in Huia's town I flew back to the Megalopolis, walked from the Airport to One Tree Hill, retrieved my car, then drove back here today.
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shameless self promotion - because I think it's worth it
and mayhap this too: http://broken-moments.blogspot.co.nz/
Posts: 18917 | From: "Central" is all they call it | Registered: Sep 2004
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Lothlorien
Ship's Grandma
# 4927
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Posted
Barnabas Aus, hope you are OK. If it’s not fire, it’s tempest. Looked frightening and was bad enough down here.
[ 06. November 2017, 07:29: Message edited by: Lothlorien ]
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Buy a bale. Help our Aussie rural communities and farmers. Another great cause needing support The High Country Patrol.
Posts: 9745 | From: girt by sea | Registered: Aug 2003
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Barnabas Aus
Shipmate
# 15869
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Posted
Thanks Loth. A bit of water through the garage. We only had about 15mm in the gauge but it fell in about 5 minutes, so the drains just didn't cope.
Most of the damage was in the main street and the other side of town. Our church is on nearly the highest point in town only two doors from the hall that lost its roof, but when I went to check we only had a few branches down from the big trees and the acacia near the front fence had been snapped off at ground level. A bit of water under the front door into the porch and no structural damage at all. We were blessed.
Posts: 375 | From: Hunter Valley NSW | Registered: Sep 2010
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Ian Climacus
Liturgical Slattern
# 944
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Posted
For our NZ cousins...
Thought of you when I saw this.
Wow Barnabas. That is a lot of rain.
Still adjusting to the new manager. I think she worked from home today. Wouldn't know. No email. Very different from the previous one.
Posts: 7800 | From: On the border | Registered: Jul 2001
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Huia
Shipmate
# 3473
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Posted
Ian re the maps that leave NZ out. It's actually a Very. Cunning. Plan. So when North Korea (or any other country) declares war on the rest of the world, no one will be able to bomb New Zealand because they won't be able to find us. ![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
I am getting a bit blasé about severe weather warnings. We've had a couple recently, and while other parts of the country have had snow
hail, heavy rain and strong wind resulting in power cuts, Christchurch has had moderate wind and a sprinkling of rain that fell overnight. I would actually welcome some rain as I'm trying to establish a vegetable garden.
Huia
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Charity gives food from the table, Justice gives a place at the table.
Posts: 10382 | From: Te Wai Pounamu | Registered: Oct 2002
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MaryLouise
Shipmate
# 18697
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Posted
Sympathy, Zappa!
We've had a couple of days rain to break the worst drought in a century and I felt I could even take a bath in defiance of water restrictions (just an inch or so, but it felt luxurious).
News, fake news, rumours and speculation flying back and forth about Zimbabwe. Called my Shona aunt in Harare who said, 'Yes, a military coup and arrests, usudaro (don't even go there), I need your chicken and mango casserole recipe. And the Logan's Cup cricket match at Harare Sports Club is going fine. We do coups better than Kenya.'
#tearshairout
I do understand that most of my family and friends in Zimbabwe and Kenya (and here in South Africa) have gone through so many dramas and crises that they would rather discuss the weather or cricket than tanks in the street. Now we wait to see what strong-arm dictator has replaced the previous dictator and what South Africa might do to make things worse, or better.
[ 16. November 2017, 04:56: Message edited by: MaryLouise ]
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“As regards plots I find real life no help at all. Real life seems to have no plots.”
-- Ivy Compton-Burnett
Posts: 646 | From: Cape Town | Registered: Nov 2016
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Piglet
Islander
# 11803
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Posted
It's all a bit puzzling to this foreigner: the military have arrested Mugabe and his missus, and taken over the government and the television stations, but they say it's not a military coup.
If that isn't a military coup, then what is?
![[Confused]](confused.gif)
Not that I think getting rid of Mugabe is a bad thing, you understand ...
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I may not be on an island any more, but I'm still an islander.
alto n a soprano who can read music
Posts: 20272 | From: Fredericton, NB, on a rather larger piece of rock | Registered: Sep 2006
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Lothlorien
Ship's Grandma
# 4927
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Posted
Such good news of my son. Surgeon is very happy with the results of those two big operations in four days on son’s back. All dressings have been removed and he can get back to hydrotherapy which has been impssible for months.
I saw him Sunday night at birthday pizza for another son . My immediate impression was that he had his height back. 6’5” but has been compressed and contorted for months.
Even better than that is that his medication will slowly be decreased. He has had a horrible cocktail of fentanyl,tramadol, endone, all opioid derivatives, lyrica and endep, an antidepressant but used also for pain. Meditation, pain clinics and techniques as well and only slight relief from all of this.
He is overjoyed at the drop, but it will take him a while. However, progress. We are all overjoyed too.
[ 16. November 2017, 20:41: Message edited by: Lothlorien ]
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Buy a bale. Help our Aussie rural communities and farmers. Another great cause needing support The High Country Patrol.
Posts: 9745 | From: girt by sea | Registered: Aug 2003
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