Ann & Peter

in New Zealand

Kia Ora

We had a public holiday on 6th February (Waitangi Day) so we took the dogs for another walk around Lake Ngaroto. This time we went the other way round. The walk started with a floating boardwalk - Jaz kept trying to walk on the very soft ground off the side and Ann had to hold on hard to stop her.
	Most of the walk is through glades of Manuka trees. Despite it being full sun the walkway was cool with the shade from the trees.
We turned round just over one third of the way round when we reached this little bridge where one of the streams that feeds the lake runs into it.
	No cows this way round - just a few cormorants looking for a catfish lunch.
Our mountain from the walk.

It's only rained once this month and the daytime temperatures have been between 25 and 30 degrees. Ann made some doggie ice blocks using vege stock – yum! Both girls lapped them up. Now Ann has made some with beef stock which goes down just as well.

Do you remember the grasses bed we planted two years ago? Well - they've grown well.

Coming back from our walk around Lake Ngaroto Ann's car started to make a funny intermittent squealing sound. She took it to the garage and they found that the brake pads were a bit worn and the rivets were just starting to show - hence the noise. So Ann had to take the Ute to work the next day and had a close encounter with a young cow. Driving along a 5km long dead straight road she saw a couple of young cows by the side of the road - nothing special as they often are left fenced in on the verge. As she got close one of them started walking across the road straight at Ann - there was no fence to hold them back. Fortunately the cow and Ann swerved in opposite directions.

Ann has now finished her fourth week in the new Melville Primary Unit. It was opened with a Powhiri (welcome ceremony) and blessing. Check it out here - http://patave.school.nz/room_22.cfm

Jaz managed to escaped into next doors garden. They were not there and when Ann found her and opened the gate to let her out she ran to our gate and waited for Ann to open it to let her in - with that 'what kept you' look. Later that evening Peter was on fence mending duty again.

Peter took the girls out for a walk on Saturday morning and came back covered in blood. Jaz had caught the tip of her ear on a rosebush thorn – a very vascular area apparently. We tried applying some new skin spray but all that did was to make her ear sticky then stiff as cardboard. It wouldn’t stop bleeding so off to the vet we went. One very stressed and sorrowful looking doggie later.

The vet had to fold her ear back, pad it, strap it to her head then put the collar on and give her an antibiotic injection. We had to try and keep the bandage on for a minimum of 12 hours – it started slipping after 3 hours and was completely off by 6pm. Jaz was so stressed she was hyperventilating. Then during the evening she shook her head again - and each time she bled more (thank goodness for sofa covers). Finally we found some paint on new skin which we applied like superglue and - yay - it worked and she finally stopped bleeding.

We're still eating lots of home grown veges and salad stuff although we've stopped planting any more as it's been so hot and dry that our water tank is running low. We love the sun and the high temperatures but the garden, vege beds and bonsai are hanging out for some rain! For dessert we've been eating our own home grown sweet, juicy watermelon.