Wednesday 16 May 2012

Autumn drawing in






Leaves and berries and fungi showing their colours. How about you? I am trying to avoid wearing black, but find I am in browns and greys a lot of the time.

Saturday 28 April 2012

Some autumn images

The current knitting project - a jacket for me 

I love hydrangeas 

A stroll by the lake after work last week

The Rotorua Tree Trust park is looking lovely. We planted some daffodil bulbs under Ian's tree on Anzac Day, a gorgeous sunny afternoon.

I bought another Canon S95 on Trade Me, replacing the one that was stolen a couple of months ago.

Friday 23 March 2012

Government Gardens


I am missing my Canon S95, the one that was stolen. My old Canon is just not up the mark. Still, I took these on my way to have lunch at the Museum. I do love that Rotorua has such lovely public plantings. Also in the street around town we have these lovely flower-beds, showing off the best of the season.

Tuesday 20 March 2012

Cafe at the Library

Select a current issue of your favorite magazine from the Hot Mags selection at the Rotorua District Library.

Swipe that library card to check it out for $2

Pop out the door to the Library cafe and select something to eat.




Enjoy food, coffee and a fat salad wrap with a good read. We love the Library Store!


The Library's free wifi network extends to the cafe. Including the outdoor seating.



This blog has taken a back seat now that I'm working again. But I will post some pictures of the latest knitting project, and I'm experimenting with Pintrest for the Library so keep an eye out.

Rotorua cafes


My fave spot on a Saturday morning is Third Place. Fresh magazines and a fresh scone with a coffee and a view over Ohinemutu, with the steam drifting up out of the ground around the church and the lake silvery calm all the way across to Mokoia Island...

Wednesday 18 January 2012

Harvest time

The raised garden bed is starting to deliver meals! I read somewhere that two zucchini plants is enough for the average family, so I only planted one. Had one big fat zucchini yesterday grated and made into fritters with rice noodles - what to do with today's? Yes, one plant is enough. And when I say big, I mean by supermarket standards. I know that these little critters will morph into marrows given just a bit of leeway to grow!

Forgive my enthusiasm, but today I picked my first beans. They are also coming on so fast.

Dinner tonight is easy, just wander around with a colander and pick. The first roma tomato is ripening fast but not ready yet, so it will be greens in a stir-fry. I'm juicing spinach leaves daily at the moment before the bugs eat them. And the old bucket with a broken bottom that I rescued from somewhere, well it produced enough potatoes for about 5 meals. No I won't eat the flowers...



Edna the white chook has gone clucky again but that's OK, I have been giving eggs away lately.  Her tail feathers have grown back nicely. Madge seems to think I'm responsible for her mate being closeted away, as she tries to peck my feet at every opportunity.



My beloved S95 Canon was stolen last week, along with my mobile phone, so these photos are taken on the old Canon PC1309. It is not as good, but will do for now. This is the stunning dahlia that Rachel gave me. I'm not happy with the photography, but love the blooms.

Tuesday 17 January 2012

More reasons to live in Rotorua




Lake Tarawera is only 10 min away. Great for swimming, kayaking, trout fishing and just to remind you that you live in one of the loveliest places on the planet. No cell phone reception is nice too.

Reasons to live in Rotorua


The Saturday morning markets at Kuirau Park are a treat. Local delicacies include mussel fritters on fresh soft white bread - tomato sauce optional - and steamed pudding. This steamed pudding is like a bread, very solid. The local bread is rewena, made using a fermented potato-based starter. But the real treat is fry bread. Lumps of bread dough, fresh from the deep frier, with lashings of butter and great dollops of golden syrup; now that's a breakfast worth getting out for. A visit to the markets is a uniquely Rotorua experience, complete with boiling mud holes and a warm foot bath.