Fiordland Quake measures 7.8

Tsunami warning cancelled for more info:

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/2597897/Fiordland-quake-measures-7-8

All okay here....

News will be filtering out to the World about a big earthquake in New Zealand.

It occurred down in the South Island. Was apparantly noticed in the lower North Island but not by me.

The Govy's Civil Defence procedures have kicked in promptly and the area down South has been declared a Civil Defence Emergency Zone. The worst I've heard is of items tumbling off shelves and power blackouts to a few hundred homes.

Tsunami warnings have been issued to try to keep people away from the western coastlines "just in case".

Mickle and Zebby are fine and are now heading to bed. Yes, we live way up high.

I saw Blue Sky Today

Well, only this afternoon. The blue was of the pale variety just as the sun light was very watered down. However, they were present for a wee while.

Still here, Folks

Lacking inspiration - mid Winter here m'dears - in a Winter of grayness and gloomy skies.

Our Winter arrived a month early, i.e. with effect from May. And is cooler than usual.

Wellywood/Wellington is normally a very windy place. In Winter I expect to get several Gale Force stormy type days a week. But Nope.... gray, grey, gray and boring calm.

Sunday there may be gale force southerlies (cold, cold super windy stuff) - but I'm yet to be convinced.

Mickle will liven up soon - I've foodie stuff including umpty something variations on a Summer Yummo dessert recipe to post.

Just need to locate the CD the photo is on ..........

Even Zebster fed up with it all - snuggles up to me overnight, and quick does quick loo, water and tummy-top-up times. Otherwise snoozles and (like now) loud sound asleep snoring on the bed. Coo - Winter doesn't end until August is done.

On the plus side my grape hyacinth plants, which currently look like overly luschious chives, have wee flower buds emerging. I'm keeping an eye on the huge magnolia tree down in the Botanic Gardens (they're at the bottom of the hill/mini mountain side I live on) because it will soon put out great big pink flowers. This tree flowers first of all the magnolias down in the "bot gardens".

Scrubbed out the bird bath, and the native birds are appreciating it along with the resident bloke blackbird.

So things may be getting better?

Three Scarves and a Hat

Pete tries on his present - the Bamboo scarf!

Mum, Pete and Liz model "Mickle Knitting"


Mum and Liz's scarves are each made from a hand dyed 2 ply Marino and Kid Mohair mix
from NZ company Touch Yarns.

-----
I made Pete's hat a few years ago from scrap woollen yarn.

The big picture to the right of Pete hanging on the wall is Liz's work - it is woven and shows

Mum with her parents and a young Liz

-----
And Mum's a quilter - Textiles in the blood!

Mickle Knitting

My first ever sock....

..... knit one, slip one......



and swear one when I realised I'd dropped a stitch right near the end.

-------

Have put the sock aside while I recover my equalibrium, buy a good quality circular needle of the appropriate needle size and circular length, and wonder at my Paternal Grandmother making socks on straight needles. Dear Dad remembers his Mum knitting them. It is all wonderful until the last few rows .....

-------

...... Special thanks to dear Dad for the loan of his camera, and his close up shots of my hands 'a knitting' ......

Zebbycat Thwarted

My rescue cat loves his possessions. They are his, and his alone. He doesn't have to share them or Mickle with anyone else. Here Zeb is sitting on the remains of catnip inpregnated scratch pads one and two. To his right is scratch pad three.

Scratchpad #1 was a Christmas present from my dear Parents for Zeb.

It took 6 months of determined love and happy destruction for Zebby to demolish the scratchpad. He ripped down the sides, so they lay flat and then did the same to the ends. Then determinedly scratch ed on the scratchy bit while also trying to detach this from its base.

Eventually there was only a small strip attached to the base that eventually gave way and was completely shredded over the floor. 6months of effort and Zebbycat fun. The base was left as it is HIS.

Scratchpad #2 : Gettting the hang of it, Zeb soon ripped the scratch pad bit from its base so it was easier for him to move around. The base was still around and left there too - it is all His.

Only three months this time to achieve his glorious demolition and get Mickle to vacuum up all the little bit of corrigated cardboard.

So by now there are the bases and lids from #1 and #2.............. and #3 is given to Zebby in about October 2007.

Sides flattened down again, top worn by scratching and chewing and bites but it still exists. Doesn't look to much worse from last year's photo above....

As a treat after his shaved belly, at the tests and the needles while I was away I bought a new Scratch Pad. A different brand this time.

Zebby loves it, there is even a separate bag of dry catnip for me to sprinkle over from time to time.

Only on this one the outer box is solidly glued all the was around to the inner scratchpad. Much harder to demolish for Zebbycat. He's already applied claws and teeth only to find strong resistance.

And there will be much less vacuuming for Mickle.