Rotorua Tree Trust

We have finally purchased a memorial tree for Ian. It is a mature dogwood located on the fringes of the Tree Trust. Ian's tree has a lovely spot with views across the the Redwoods as well as the Lake, and the whole of Rotorua. It also overlooks this lovely spot, the peace garden, which is looking great just now although the cherry blossom just past its best. The tuis love these trees but I'll never be an internationally-famous bird photographer. (Any one want to buy a campervan?)

Let us see you shake your tail feather

Drama! Almost a tragedy. Here's a sight you don't want to see when you let chickens roam free

A small dog ran in from the lakefront reserve, and attacked Edna. The dog owner slunk off, and I had to rescue a quivvering white heap huddled in a dark corner of shrubbery. No blood drawn as far as I could tell, but feathers everywhere! Don't laugh - but she has only one tail feather left

So far I'm still getting eggs, but maybe they are those that were in production already at the time. The funny bit would have been watching me and Rex from next door when we spent about 10 minutes lunging, flapping, cooing and shooing as we tried to entice the other hen back into my garden. Two very traumatised chooks. Edna is getting extra treats like worms from the worm farm and sunflower seeds, so hopefully the feathers will grow back.

Spotted!

Having breakfast on Saturday at Delicacy in Tauranga, I spotted these shoes - fabulous, no?

Rotorua

 I love Rotorua, smell and all. Where else would you have a hot stream running between the houses and a boiling spring in your backyard? I love the softness and drama of all steam rising on a grey day.

I don't have any active thermal stuff just where I live, and it is only a wee bit smelly, and only then when the wind is blowing from a particular direction. But I have the lake. There is a lovely walk along the lakeside and back along the boardwalk through a lovely bit of wetland which is cared for by a group of locals, the Hannah's Bay Community Restoration Trust.

My sock is growing -- slowly. Even I couldn't knit through the RWC game on Saturday night - the All Blacks against France game was riveting (can't believe I'm saying that!).

Socks

I have started making these Cherry Swirl Socks with yarn I bought in Dunedin

Socks are like a knitting tutorial - for these I have learned to do a Left Twist stitch. In between rows, I'm listening to Beck, musing about gardens with Vita Sackville-West, sipping tea, doing a bit of weeding and keeping an eye on the chooks so they don't scritch in the wrong places. Oh, and enjoying the sun.

On the needles

 This from the viewing platform at the Rotorua Museum. A new wing has just been opened with a permanent exhibition on the history of the Te Arawa peoples. I went on a guided tour with the local Creative Fibres group.

Nothing very exciting coming off the needles at the moment - I have been making basic dishcloths in cotton.

When not on the sofa...

 I finished a jacket (Vogue 2911) that I had cut out several years ago. Don't know where I will ever wear it though - is anyone getting married soon? It is made in a boiled wool so please make it a winter wedding. When cutting out the pattern, I added a bit of length in the waist, but I don't think I needed to. The peplum sits a bit low. Still, with the right skirt, it might be wearable.

 I also finished a useful thing to hang by the sewing station. This uses one of my "antique batik" (hmmm, really?) pieces that I bought in Solo years ago.

This next photo is just to show that we are having lovely spring days.

 

The chooks have been scratching in the neighbour's border, here is Madge trying to escape being put back into the coop. 

Finally today, this is the latest hat I made at work. It is in Zara Plus, a lovely soft yarn to work with.