January 9th Dusk on the West Coast

Tonight we headed out to Raglan to have dinner and catch up with family. The Chicken Pox scare has lifted with the Grandies and we were well overdue for some quality time and hugs.

First up dinner - and if you are going to have a Fish n Chips Dinner when in Raglan, then down at the wharf is the best place to buy them. Fresh Fish Fresh off the Boat (try saying that tongue twister twenty times!) We had heart palpitations when we first saw this sign but all ended well

That was dinner sorted. We were then treated to a show by Havana and Samara. And of course being proud grandparents we thought it was the best dancing we have ever seen and certainly beat any shows we had to pay exorbitant admittance prices to.

Time to finish the evening off with pastoral views of Mt Karioi

Then the clock tolled and we thought we had better head back to the busy metropolis of Hamilton City (which is not really busy and only a 30 to 40 minute drive away).  Waiting to cross the one way vehicle bridge that has been in Raglan forever.

Yes that is Black Sand. The West Coast of NZ (in this part of the North Island) is predominantly black sand. However I am not sure it is as Black as it used to be when I was a child and I put this down to the amount of Iron Ore Mining happening further down the coast here.

January 8th Are They Having An Affair??

Walking Minnie, I am used to seeing odd sights. The one that always gets me however is when two cars are parked next to each other in a fairly secluded carpark on a weekday, and one car is empty and a man and woman are in the other car.The naughty part of me feels like running up and saying "Ha ha, I know what you're up to. Confess all"

So what do you think? Is my mind working overtime or are they doing the nudge nudge, wink wink on the blink? To protect what may well be a perfectly innocent liaison, I took the photo from a distance. Plus I didn't want one male species chasing me down the road, demanding my phone! I think I can wipe the career aspirations to be a Paparazzi off the checklist.

January 7th Waiting, Waiting and Waiting.......

Well today was a day of great excitement. A new baby in the family? No!  A major lottery win? - No! Well not that I am aware of as I have unchecked tickets and may well be the winner of the big draw last night (Apologies. I just had to stop typing there for a minute as I saw, out the window, a pink pig flying daintily by).

The cause of our excitement is a Cactus. This cactus to be exact

The Cactus I am referring to is the tall long skinny one in the centre of the photo. There is a story to this cactus. We planted this cutting when it was about 3 foot high (approx 90cm). The cutting came from the mother plant, which when originally purchased and planted in my previous home's garden, was only 6 inches high. That 6 inch cactus is now taller then the roof of the house and has so many offshoots. The trunk is huge.  A limb was taken off and had been lying on the ground for a long time, and we took it - our 3 foot one - and brought it home and planted it. This would have been maybe 5 years ago?

I have seen flowers on the mother plant at its original home, but ours has always stood upright and never, ever shown any hint of flowering. Until now that is

These flowers will be the size of a dinner plate. And we are eagerly anticipating their opening. I am not going anywhere because they only last around 24 hours and then drop off.  Watch this space people for more photos when the deed happens!!

January 6th Hair Today - Gone Tomorrow

A visit to the hairdressers was on the cards today (Hot Magenta anyone?). Actually what I do like about this particular salon is the little sleeves they provide for your glasses, While you are sitting there reading, or playing games on your smartphone, you aren't getting any pesky hair colour on your glasses.

But wait there's more! What do you think is the most embarrassing thing about your hairdresser being located in a shopping mall? Oh yes - having to go to the bathroom. You know you have at least another hour of sitting in that chair and you are fair close to bursting. Then TLC come over the loudspeaker singing ''Don't Go Chasing Waterfalls'' In the background they are rinsing another customer's hair and that water is gently, just gently running through their hair for what seems like forever. You know you have no option but just have to go.

They can take off the black cape fortunately. Why on earth do they only come in black? Also as one size fits all but with no shape to them, you resemble the Michelin man who became a Micheline woman!. So you can take off the cape, but there is no way of disguising the hot pink colour that is one massive wet blob in your hair. Fortunately I didn't have any squares of foil in my hair - people would think I was trying to counteract harmful space rays. I could just imagine them calling Security - ''There's a Mad Woman on the loose in the Mall'

Believe me, it is not a good look to have whilst walking through a shopping mall. Eyes down and hope I don't bump into anyone that knows me. Please don't let anyone see me. Please let me dissolve into a shroud of invisibleness as I negotiate the mall, wearing my glasses, complete with their little blue sleeves.

January 5th Feeling Boxed In?

We very nearly thought our dinner was going to have to be purchased. This is the 'smaller' part of our Xmas decoration treasure trove. It did tend to take over a lot of kitchen space. For a wee, wee while there I felt like I was on one of those television reality shows where they film inside the house of a hoarder.

However all of this got put away and dinner was made. Later it was time to settle down for what looks like the start of some spectacular sunsets coming up. We are fortunately placed for some wonderful views at sunset

Then it was time to head to the Land of Snores. Well that is what I thought until for some reason the dreaded insomnia decided to strike. Could I blame George snoring?  Absolutely not, because I am the resident culprit of that crime. Could I blame Minnie taking over the whole bed and deciding she wanted to lay in the space reserved for my body? Absolutely not, because with a push and shove she is easily relocated - at least tonight she was, but I confess some nights I lose the battle with that furry four legged wonder.  Could I blame copious amounts of caffeine? Absolutely not, because I worked my rotund bottom off and was too busy to indulge in caffeine fixes. So there was nothing to blame but being unable to sleep for some unexplicable reason. Then I spotted this in a window. So for all the packing we had done, all the Xmas decorations we had removed, why did this large window adornment escape my beady eyes until well after the Witching Hour? It happens every year without fail. After everything is sealed and packed there will be one find. One ornament remains on the Xmas tree. One Xmas bauble will be loose. Then we have the dilemma of what to do with the one solitary remaining item for the next eleven months!!!

January 3rd and 4th Welcome To My Weekend

This past weekend was like any other. Saturday had a fair bit of wackiness. Firstly with this sighting as I was leaving the supermarket

Yes that is a grown man. In what looks like a toy car that wasn't a toy car, complete with a bright orange pendant on the back.  The vehicle wasn't there when I walked in. Is this the new age of mobile scooters?

Then on our walk, Minnie and I came upon this in the gutter

Now I know socks are prone to heading off on mysterious solo journeys. But a shoe? This could be the start of a new movement!

Finally Saturday finished with an extremely late night visitor.  This poor fella was really off the tracks

Then it was the Dawning Of The Sunday. Nothing really exciting apart from receiving inspiration whilst out on our walk. I am used to seeing inspirational messages on my Facebook timeline, but not whilst out enjoying sunshine

Time to go home and this dropped in unexpectedly, literally out of the blue

And you know the Xmas lights have all gone from outside when an old friend awakens and returns from his Summer holiday. Welcome Back Hugo!

January 2nd The Toys Are On The Move and the Missing Underpants

After a day of laziness yesterday, today was destined to be a day to move it, move it, move it. Well in reality to start to move it, move it, move it.  That is to start unplugging and putting Xmas decorations away.  Two little elves decided to have a last play on the drive way, whilst in the background Santa was still up his tree looking on

The North Pole Express had a last safety check for no damp spots and Santa waved his farewell

And the Three Bears (not to be confused with those associated with Goldilocks) stood aimlessly around wondering where they should go and why they weren't wearing any underpants!

December 31st / January 1st Out With The Old and In With The New...

I have never been a person to make New Year's Resolutions - most probably because I know in all probability they won't be kept. However if I make a resolution during the year then that is something I will stick to.

So it was time to farewell 2014. Not a bad year in retrospect. My health decided to behave itself relatively well this year. We have wonderful family and friends in our lives, some overseas and some nice and close here in NZ and others a bit further away. We travelled to Perth and the Margaret River region in WA, which was a great experience.

We farewelled 2014 and welcomed 2015 with close friends. Not without a bit of silliness and merriment - after all this is us we are talking about.

And I was advised not long after the clock struck 12, that it was time to get up our new calendar. I broke with tradition this year as the calendar in the ''You Know Where Room'' has always been one of elephants. But as the ''You Know Where Room'' is now a homage to the VW Beetle and Combi, we decided a new type of calendar was necessary. (Make sure if ever you visit us, that you do ask to use the toilet - or Bathroom if you are American!)

How did we spend our NY Day?  I finally tumbled into bed at 02:30am - which nowadays is a "Holy Moly Did I Stay Up That Late" occasion for myself. And an even more a "Holy Moly Did I Sleep In That Late" morning when we got out of bed at 11:00am.  So for these two old farts the day was spent as a 'Slob and Blob' day - watching movies (a total of five), eating nibbles and a feet up type of day.

  Welcome to 2015!

December 30th Happy New Year From Minnie

Hello my darlings. It's Minnie here. I thought I would get in for my final 2014 greetings. She, who thinks she is all it, actually condescended and let me have my say. I am happier then a pup weeing on an expensive leather shoe that I can get to say hello to you all.

At this time of year I tend to get a bit restless. We have had lots of people visiting for the Xmas light displays. They wonder why I just totally ignore all the moving Santa's, dangling decorations etc etc, but come on guys - I have class.   I know also a photo with my image is much sought after and when the camera comes out, I know to get off my resting perch and make my way to the crowd for a photo. I really do add a bit of celebrity to the photos.

Also now the garden is in full bloom, and I do appreciate the scents.Unfortunately I am not well camouflaged so I do tend to be spotted and removed from the scene.

I thought I was quite well hidden here though, but no they still got me. Not much fun playing Hide and Seek with them in this garden.

Now if I could only have climbed up this arch that would have fooled them - but it is covered in flowers so ended up being a no go.

2014 was quite the year for me. Some mysterious illness had me at the vets for overnight monitoring. I pulled through and was quite touched to see how much I am loved. They were both in tears and I wouldn't let them know this, but I actually shed a tear as well at being away from them. A few stints at my Doggy Motel which I don't mind. They are such lovely people that tend to my every whim. The bones here are starting to creak and I have days where I am not as agile as I used to be. But I am looked after well and a thick blanket is there for me to jump on from their bed. And the best of all is our walks. I am not sure who walks me the best. If I go with Him.. .he takes the lead and we walk quite briskly, which is good and he still lets me stop and smell. If I go with Her, she lets me take the lead - I have taken us on some weird and wonderful routes and I know she enjoys these. I guess the only thing all three of us agree on is that coming home can be a killer. Have you seen the incline of our driveway coming up to the house? That is an oh my dog believe me. No matter how much any of us walk up here - all three of us curse away, but it is a good cardio workout at the end of our walk.

Enough of my waffle!!  I am looking forward to 2015 and I am sure I will get to share more moments with you.  I would never confess this to either of them, but I do love them dearly and I count my blessings that I am in this house with these absolutely wonderful, adorable people (you won't believe it - she pushed me off the keyboard and she wrote that!!  I would never confess to such a deep rooted love from them!!  But actually it is true so I won't edit it out. And I have loved meeting some of you - you are all worthy of my affection and are pretty cool too.

So Happy New Year to you all from me. A big huge woof woof and dog paw hugs to you. See you in the New Year and be safe!!  

Woof Woof and With Much Love from Minnie

December 29th Salmon Gravlax

Getting ready for New Year and on the food list is Salmon Gravlax, ie cured raw Salmon. You can cure it fancy with lots of trimmings but I prefer to keep mine plain. I want to taste the Salmon thank you!

Here is the piece of Salmon a couple of days ago

And now this is what it looks like as it is curing

Guess what we will be indulging in on NY Eve?

December 27th and 28th The Visiting of the Montanans

December 27th We have had the lovely Greg & Leslyn from Montana visiting NZ, and not for the first time and we hope not for the last time.  They have been staying in Hamilton for a couple of days. So far during their time in NZ they have developed a reputation as seafood gatherers.  We decided a Seafood meal would just have to be the order of the day.

The menu started off with George's BBQ'd Mussels - believe me I was not much of a Mussel lover before but am a staunch convert eating Mussels cooked this way.

But wait there's more!  Greg and Leslyn have been gathering Oysters and Greg cooked up an Oyster Stew for us.

There's a strange man at my stove!

And I have to share the rest of our meal as it was just so yummy. George also BBQ'd Salmon with Capers and his secret Moustade recipe.  I made a Raw Fish Salad (also known as Iki Mata, Kokoda or Ceviche). Overseas guests are wary when they hear me call it Raw Fish, however the proof was in the eating and it was enjoyed. Accompanied by a Ham & Potato Salad and Marinated (?) Cucumber.  We were all that full after that effort that dessert was a definite no no.

December 28th We decided to take Greg and Leslyn on some nearby sights. First stop was the Otorohanga Kiwi House where we were told there were 2 Kiwi on display today. But as this was a Royal Visit we had access to a third Kiwi, so we got to see 3 Kiwi in total. From there we made our way to Waitomo Caves and that was a circus. Long queues to even enter the carpark, and Greg & Leslyn decided they would happily forgo a visit there until next time and at a quieter time. So we ventured down the quieter road to Mangapohue Natural Bridge.  A beautiful picnic lunch (comprising last night's left overs), an oh my god this is divine dessert (Denheaths - google them and go forth and order), and of course as there can only be one driver (my lovely George), a fine bottle of red for us ladies and some cool beers for Greg. After indulging in this lot, we thought we had better get down there and let Greg & Leslyn check out the bridge. We have been here a lot now and never tire of it, and everytime I am constantly clicking away and taking photos.

Can you spot the Monster looking down at us?

We finished our day with a visit to Marakopa Falls, classed as one of the most spectacular waterfalls in NZ. So you can't be in the area and by pass the falls can you?

And there were some fantastic bits of Fungi spotted on our walk out

Then it was time to head home after a day of wonderful company and beautiful sights. We were so glad to have the opportunity to share, a piece of New Zealand that we dearly love, with Greg and Leslyn.

December 24th to December 26th Xmas Attacks the Remiss Blogger

Oh gosh I have been naughty with my blogging. Xmas Day with all its preparation caught up with me. Then when it was all over, I was as tired as a salmon trying to swim upstream (I was going to say a sperm trying to swim upstream, but decided that was decidedly tacky!). I have however continued to take a photo everyday - I just didn't get around to posting online about them, and will make up for it now. Get prepared for a few days whammy in one.

December 24th - Xmas Eve:
Today was spent in a flurry of pre Xmas Day cooking preparation. I didn't dare venture out and brave the shops, and George kindly offered to do the last minute food shopping for me.  Now that it is a few days later, I honestly couldn't tell you what we even had for dinner or who was here to see Xmas lights (with apologies to whoever you were for my massive Xmas Brain Fart forgetfulness!!).  But I do know that this photo of Minnie just about sums up how we felt by bedtime

December 25th - Xmas Day

And the big day presented itself. We expected just a quiet day with four of us around the table - due to the dreaded Chicken Pox afflicting itself upon the granddaughters. Or so we thought.  We got the Merry Xmas phone call and to say that the youngest had been given the all clear by the Doctor for her Chicken Pox, and the oldest, whilst she may have them, as there were no physical signs apparent, as long as we avoided physical contact we would be okay. So our dinner table swelled from the expected four to nine - with an extra stray ringing and having no where to go. I have to share the following photos with you. Everyone knows my aversion to food that is green and leafy and grows in dirt. Shudder (bad I know for someone my age). So to see these in preparation to go with Xmas Dinner is a bit of a shock in this household

What was even more of a shock is that the recipe I selected for the Green Beans, ie lots of Garlic and Olive Oil and home made Chicken Stock, was so beautiful that I will be making these - and eating them - again. Also gracing the dinner table was the first of our home grown new potatoes. Xmas Dinner just doesn't cut it in this hemisphere without lovely new potatoes.

And the best Xmas present I have ever received? Was to be surrounded by people I love dearly, and in my eyes the two most beautiful girls in the world. I love my granddaughters so much and to be able to share Xmas Day with them, made the day so special. Today I felt I was the luckiest Wife, Nana and Mother in the world!

December 26th - Boxing Day

A time to finish the cleaning up - thank goodness for dish washers that are not of the two legged variety - and to put the feet up. To watch movies and catch up on outstanding recorded TV serials (Has Oliver Queen really died in Arrow  - yikes what a cliffhanger! Who will save the world?). Finished off with a lovely visit by proud Nana Raine, who had a granddaughter newly born on Christmas Day and her lovely friend Shirley. Those photos are on the camera and unfortunately not on my phone. So you will have to make do with my afternoon shot instead

This is what our lounge looks like in the daytime. Time is rolling around and soon it will be time for the Santa's to head back North (ie up into the roof they go) and for the elephants to return from their holiday in deepest, darkest Africa (ie in the garage).

December 23rd Merry Christmas Eve Eve

Santa was ready for his busy time of year
Mrs Claus smiled at his good cheer
The elves were busy giving toys the final touch
The Reindeer just wanted to rest and a carrot to munch

Santa asked to sight his passport just in case
Oh no, visas had expired and he could not get in every place
For instance in some countries he needed a Visa on arrival
This was painful but part of his survival

What could he do at this late hour
He berated Mrs Claus with a huff and a glower
Mrs Claus remembered Irene of the Fine Travel Group
The best in the land, even when navigating through a Pea Soup

She sent off an email - thank god for the Web
And almost instantly she was the Claus Celeb
A minor glitch that was fixed with no fuss
Thank God Santa wouldn't have to take the Bus

So Xmas was saved for another year
And on this note I wish you all good cheer
I hope your Xmas is the best that can be
A very Merry Xmas from George, Minnie and Me!!