Kia ora,
Covid Delta reached Hamilton at the beginning of the month and the government extended the lockdown boundary to below the city limits – luckily this didn’t include Pirongia so we were able to stay at level 2 – until it did reach us – then we moved back up to Level 3. By the end of the month Covid was in all the towns and villages around us. We are surrounded! Fingers crossed Pirongia stays Delta free!
One good thing about being in a long lockdown was a change in behaviour for Sox during car journeys. There were very few opportunities for car rides for Honey and Sox so they had several weeks with no time in the car. Then we took a trip into town with both girls and Sox behaved really well. She used to be so excited she would hyperventilate, bark at every dog and get herself into knots with her seatbelt. This trip she was still excited but not twisting around and she just watched the dogs she saw – no barking!
Honey loves car rides!
As the weather warms up Honey’s skin itches increase, bless her, so the bath times are more frequent (usually weekly between now and next April when things start to cool down again). Peter bathed Honey and as usual did some desensitisation with Sox. Well! The new Sox walked into the shower and allowed Peter to give her a full wash! Her first in over a year.
Sox and Peter have continued their longer walks and this quite often means they often go over the bridge and along the road which follows the river. On this road they have seen lots of wildlife, kingfishers, pheasants, quail and rabbits (both small and very large).
The lockdown of the Waikato area has meant the postponement (again) of our annual club bonsai show. We’ve managed to rebook the venue for the weekend before Christmas and hope the lockdown eases by then – which it will – if everyone gets vaccinated. We prepared our bonsai for the show in September – they’ll need lots more prep work by the time December comes around.
One night Ann was woken at 3am to lots of excited barking. The girls had discovered a hedgehog in their garden! Honey was doing her usual excited spin in circles whilst Sox was trying (and failing) to pick it up in her mouth! Ann had to grab coat and gumboots, gloves, dustpan and brush, go outside, scoop up the poor hedgehog and take it down the paddock leaving it behind the compost bins so it could amble on its way. Needless to say she used some bad words on the girls before going back to bed.
We’ve been tidying up the garden, especially the one bed. We pruned back some of the really big bushy plants and removed some of the old weed mat. Next we’ll plant some sweet peas, swan plants and sun flowers before adding fresh mulch.
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