Kia Ora

The annual Pirongia Craft Fair was great as always. We decided to go early this year to beat the crowds. We got there at 9 am and it was already in full swing with large crowds wandering up and down the main area! Peter bought some fudge and Ann was very restrained and only purchased one bottle of wine! She also bought a poppy (made from scallop shells) and ordered a garden stick man (more on him later).
We were also entertained by school friend Chris on the bagpipes.
	The next day whilst working in the garden our stick man arrived (awesome service since it was supposed to be a week before he was made)! We’ve called him Kev.  He’s about 5 feet tall and greets everyone at the front door. Eventually he’ll hold a sign saying ‘Welcome to Harveys Hideaway’ – when we find a sign style that we like.
Whilst at the fair we saw several stalls selling garden sculptures made from driftwood. When we got back home Ann sorted through all her driftwood then Peter created this for her – not bad eh!
	Our veges are growing well in the tyres and raised beds. We've also planted a pumpkin in a well composted hole in a spare mound of topsoil rather than let it grow in the compost heap. The strawberries are all flowering and we should have lots of fresh strawberries and strawberry jam soon! To keep the birds from feasting on our cherries we've had to put a net over the tree and fasten it down with clothes pegs.

We've had this little competition on over here called the Rugby World Cup - not sure if you heard about it. Peter saw some of the teams walking through Hamilton where they were using a gym for training and we watched the semi-finals and finals on TV. A pity Wales lost to the French but a good result when the All Blacks won in the final - which was a relief as just about the whole country was at fever pitch!

October has been a bit wet at times, the river was very high and there was flooding in a newly planted field of sweetcorn just outside the village. It didn't stop us walking the pooches each day though.

At the annual club bonsai show Peter got another certificate for one of his junipers. This year was a lot quieter than last year as we did not have all the convention stuff to organise, but it was still Wednesday before Peter had finished unloading everything from the ute and trailer.

News from Home

Clive, a friend from our old shooting club - 49th Rifle and Pistol Club - sent us a message ...

If you remember I set up the target shooting for the visually impaired. I felt it would be good publicity for the blind, 49th Club and target shooting in general if we could have someone famous to officially open the facility.  Buckingham Palace advised me to contact the Lord Lieutenant's Office (Queens representative in the West Midlands) and the Duke of Kent accepted my invitation and is going to visit us!!! He is on an official visit to the Midlands in December and will have the Lord Mayor, High Sheriff and the Lord Lieutenant in the party and they are calling to Officially Open the Range for the visually impaired.  So it has been frantic activity at the 49th, a new ceiling has been put in, club room painted, doors, walls, stonework, railings have been painted.  This weekend we have work party to repair and paint the ranges. If nothing else we have got a lot of work done that was needed.  I am having a plaque made for him to unveil and hopefully he will sign the visitors book.  On top of that I have to be available in November for a visit by the Royal Protection Officer.  As Alan Rose commented remember the Chinese saying, 'be careful for what you wish for, it may come true'.