Kia Ora
Although spring is here the weather for the first couple of weeks didn't really warm up so Ann hasn't yet packed away her winter thermals.
We finally managed to finish paying off our home loan last month and as a ‘reward’ Kiwibank sent us a garden gnome, as they put it “to celebrate becoming a homeowner you are now also a gnome owner”! We had to take a photo of it and post it to their facebook page. Unfortunately for the poor gnome the tip of his green hat was broken in transit so Peter fixed it by giving him a bright red bobble.
We’ve called him Gnigel and he sits just outside our sleepout.
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| Ann entered Honey in a photo competition on the Waipa District Council page on facebook and she won a reward of some delicious (so we’re told) liver treats for having the ‘biggest and best smile’. Not that you can see her smile from this photo - too busy watching Peter working in the garden. |
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Maxie loves the treats too, of course. |
The Red Cross had another book fair and we came away with 22 books (all for Ann). We then popped into a second hand bookshop in town and managed to find another 9 books before going out to our favourite Italian restaurant to celebrate our 24th wedding anniversary.
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Our hothouse was beginning to fall to bits. It had a 4 year warranty and we’ve had it 10 years so not bad going. Peter took down the plastic from the hothouse frame and has begun to convert it to a shady area for bonsai. |
We went on a bonsai crawl around some of the members’ collections last weekend. It was lovely to see other club members’ trees but not so nice having to drive through heavy rain and huge hailstorms! It was apparently a very localised hailstorm - not something we tend to experience very often here in the Waikato. |
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The annual Pirongia Craft Fair was very busy as usual, with the added bonus of some warm sunny weather for a change. Peter bought Ann some fudge but there was no wine stall this year.
We did get a garden water feature which the dogs will love as they seem to enjoy drinking water from everywhere but their water bowls. Peter just needs to run some power across the grass. |
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Peter went over to Whakatane (a 2½ hour drive) one Sunday on an olive dig. An old olive orchard was being ripped up to make way for some housing and bonsai enthusiasts from around the Waikato and Auckland descended on the field, complete with saws, wheelbarrows and chainsaws! |
| He managed to dig up two rather large olive trees. They’re now potted up and we’re keeping our fingers (and toes) crossed that they survive. |
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Although Ann’s been on holiday for the last few days of the month she’s been busy weeding, pruning and prepping the bonsai ready for our annual show next month. |
