The Shortest Day

Wellington's weather is mild compared to many parts of the World. It doesn't get freezing cold in winter or boiling hot in summer. Wellington is very windy.

Here, at 5.15pm on the shortest day of winter it is 9C. Sunrise was at 7.47 this morning and the sun recently set at 4.58pm. There has been some wind and light rain is expected overnight.

Last winter I tried growing cauliflower and broccoli without any success. This year I have spinach and rainbow chard happily supplying me with luscious leaves.

My biggest joy and suprise is the broad beans. You see, I was a month late sowing their seeds. After their sitting under the soil in a huff for several weeks I now have 17 little bean shoots, each a couple of inches tall. Every single seed has sprouted!


While the worst of our winter is yet to come - dampness, rain and winds from the Antarctic that endeavour to slice thorough you - I have glorious broad beans (fava beans) to look forward to come spring.

Zebby is snuggled under his quilty on the bed - his place of security and peace. He is loudly purrrrrumbling away to himself in happiness.

Christchurch shaken up again

Today poor Christchurch was rocked by two big after shocks - a 5.5 at 1.00pm and a 6.0 at 2.20pm.

So, once more the schools are closed, the sewerage system is out and everyone needs to boil their water before use. The lines staff have been busy however at least 20,000 homes are still without power.

All is fine here in Wellington - but poor Christchurch, when will it end?

Update: The second quake measured 6.3, the same as the 22 February one.

To reassure you all..

..I have not been spirited away by the pixies...

Work is keeping my mind very busy as I delve into the depths of the debt and general ledger stuff on the computer system. Ha, I'll work it out before this work computer system has a chance to confuse me further.

Other stuff has had my thoughts and caring stuff busy, and Zebby is an ever present love and danger -often both at once. It is lovely that he wants to help me during my bouts of insomnia - only purring very loudly in my right ear at 3.00am ain't a help (warming up his right hind paw in my ear is also an "awakener" for me).

Added issue - just now loading down, up, sideways or backwards of photos aint working. All will be sorted some time this year.

But please don't worry - Mickle is still in the blogosphere, reading your blog posts and still working on explaining and writing up in a helpful manner the Mickle Ginger-beer making method, experimenting with it and, of course, drinking the results.

And Zebby Cat is okay - just tolerating me heading off to work 2 or 3 days a week, waking me up when ever he feels like it, and still delivering many purrs and happy, affectionate huggles and demands for head scritches (and, of course, for FOOD)

Our month of May in NZ was on average 2.5 degrees centigrade above average, which is a lot. Many trees which should show bare branches by now are still clinging to green leaves.

This includes the giantly huge tree magnolia down in the Botanic Gardens which is always the first of these trees bearing the most primative of tree flowers, giving a glorious display of pink leaves/petals in early August. The other magnolias are already completely bare of leaves, ready to bloom after the giant usually does - best guess at which will be out flowering first in August?

Otherwise the start of Winter here means still lots of green trees and shrubs in my excuse for a garden, and a very squelchy "lawn" to walk over to empty out His Nibs' litter tray (am building a wee kitty litter mountain for later use as mulch) and to clean out and top up the bird bath.

My spinach and rainbow chard plants are providing wonderful, luscious leaves - and will continue right through winter. Snails aren't the challenge - is still the caterpillars from those pesky white "cabbage" butterflies.

Sending care and huggles, Mickle and ...... a sound asleep Zebby Cat