Market Day

Two or three Saturdays ago we caught the bus into town and visited the inaugural Market Day. It was beautiful day and the crowds turned up. The city had put on free buses for anyone who wanted to attend, so we took up the offer. The market was held in the main street and stretched for four or five city blocks. 

Market day is an annual event. Once known as Thieves Alley and held in a small side street it has now outgrown its space. A popular event, there were thousands of people there and numbers were swelled by passengers from the two cruise ships that were in Port.

There was street entertainment  

and stalls of all kinds.

Plants, crafts and food stalls amongst them. I'm afraid that hubby and I sloped off into the mall to eat though, to have a respite from the crowds and also to get out of the sun for a while. Remind me to take a sunhat next time. After several hours we headed back to the bus to join the others who were waiting for their lift home. An enjoyable day out.

Activity around us. We watched scaffolding go up on the house across the drive from us and the next day watched the chimney being demolished. It's a big old house, one of the original on the street and well over one hundred years old I would think. The following day a big storm blew through so there was no activity and the next day I got up and threw the drapes back and there were men up on the roof. Whoops, close the drapes, get dressed, then open them again. I'd forgotten all about the work going on on the roof next door giving anyone who cared to look a great view into our bedroom :)

They removed the old roof and replaced it again all in a day. Pretty quick I thought. A couple of days later there was a man up on another neighbour's roof doing an inspection. We're not about to follow suit though as our roof was fixed a couple of years back.

A house being transported past our place this week. It was in two parts. We'd had notification that this was happening but the route showed that they were using a road further down than us and we wouldn't have access. I don't think we were the ones who were mixed up either as there were cars parked on both sides of the street further down which they had to manoeuvre around. I'm sure they would have been moved if they had thought a house was being transported past them.

That's all I have for today. 

Autumn officially starts tomorrow and I am looking forward to it. Perhaps the weather will settle for a while. I certainly hope so.

keep well until next time,

Diana

Love Those Sports! ~ Tuesday 4

If you'd like to join in or see what others have to share in this weeks topic just click on the link: Tuesday 4: Love Those Sports!

Love Those Sports! ~ Tuesday 4

Welcome to Tuesday 4 friends!  I am always so happy to have people come and take part.  The Olympics are taking place and  we just had the Super Bowl for American football so perhaps we can talk about sports a bit.  Thank you to Diana of  Doodles and Daydreams for suggesting sports as a subject for this week! So, let's think about sports this week...........

 1. Do you enjoy any of the sports from the Olympics either Summer or Winter? Would you tell us about it?  

I love watching the summer and winter Olympics but probably more so the summer ones. I always wanted to take part in the Olympics, swimming, but never made the grade. When my sister was picked to go in the regional coaching team as a teenager and only stuck at it for about a month I was so disappointed. I couldn't understand why she didn't make the most of the opportunity. I gave up going to Swimming Club not long after. I guess my siblings and I were quite sporty when we were young. I'm thoroughly enjoying the winter Olympics just now, especially the ski and snow boarding events.

2. What sports have you taken part in and what good did you get out of participating? If not, was there one you wish you had taken part in? Did sports help you in life?

My summer sport was swimming, I was passionate about it, Our public pool wasn't covered and so we had to wait for the warm weather before it opened and that waiting was a terrible time for me :) I played cricket one year during High School and softball one year at Primary. Marching was another summer sport I really enjoyed. I loved the discipline of the marching and taking part in competitions, and I loved our gold and royal blue uniform. Athletics was once a week but I wasn't very good at them.

During winter there were two sports for girls to choose from, as far as I knew, basketball (not to be confused with today's basketball game) or hockey. I opted for basketball. Teams were nine a side and I was a wing defence, couldn't shoot a goal if my life depended on it :) I loved that as well and it is the only winter sport I played until I left school. 

in my netball (basketball) uniform aged about 16

Once I left school I didn't play sports until I came south to live when I played basketball (today's game) for a season but I didn't enjoy it and wasn't very good. Then when I met my hubby I played darts, because he did. I was picked for our local rep team once but played so badly it wasn't funny. We were in a large warehouse in the middle of winter with no heating and I was frozen. That's my excuse anyway :)

 I loved the team sports as they gave me a sense of belonging, when you're shy you need that. But I also loved the competitiveness of the swimming, me against the rest :)

3.  Is there a sport you still engage in or one you enjoy watching a lot?

No, I don't play any sports now, although my girls keep wanting me to join a leisure marching group. I consider it :) Hubby watches sport all the time and I think you can have too much of a good thing. I've tended to stop watching a lot any more, after you've watched the darts every day for almost a year you go off it a bit :) 

4. Have you any favorite teams you cheer on? Or perhaps a favorite sports figure? How about both??

I don't really follow the local teams unless they are playing a rep game, then I'll watch if I'm home. And any of the national teams, after all we're only a small country so we've got to cheer them on. We're a very sporty little nation with some of the top teams in the world for some sports.

What's the most memorable comeback or turnaround you've ever seen in a sports game, and what made it so special?

None that I can think of off the top of my head.

************

Well It's a rotten summer's day today. I have soup simmering on the stove for tea, the rain has been bucketing down and the Silverstream at the bottom of the street is in flood. Some schools have been closed and there is some surface flooding. But I won't complain - the North Island has taken a hammering in the past fortnight, first the top half and now the bottom half and top of the South Island. We're only getting the tail end of the weather bomb.

photo courtesy Taieri Community Board

So keep well until next time,

 blessings,

Diana

Tuesday 4 - Watching TV

It's time again for Toni Taddeo's Tuesday 4 and I hope you are in the mood for it. If you'd like to take part just click on the link:  Tuesday 4

Television has become part of life for many. 

Let's talk about Television okay?

1. Do you own a TV or do you have more than one? Is it old fashioned or one of the new wide screens?

We have one. I suppose our telly would be classed as old fashioned but I'm old enough to remember rabbit ears and getting up to change channels - we only had 2. Sooo...to me ours is modern. Not wall mounted, not 54 inch or larger, just your standard sit in the unit tv. It suits us or has done, hubby has made noises a couple of times lately about getting a big one for the wall but I want a new kitchen bench top. So we're at a bit of an impasse.  :)

2. Which progams do you like to watch ?

We like quiz shows, not game shows so much. At the moment we're enjoying Tenable. Sports are on quite a bit and we're enjoying the winter Olympics just now. Good to see a local hometown girl competing too. Other than that I pick and choose, I prefer to read really.

3. Were you ever a soap opera or serial fan and if so what series or soaps were your favorite?

I enjoyed the original Forsyte Saga series way back in the day but can't get into the remake of it. Also Midsomer Murders was a favourite and we watch reruns when there's nothing else on. I enjoy Call the Midwife too but its not on just now. Currently we're watching The Piano, where amateur pianists were invited to play a piano in various railway stations in Britain. Several were selected from each venue, then one from each group was invited to play in a concert with world renowned pianist Lan Lan and singer songwriter Mika. Each one who took part was invited to the final concert which we're watching tonight. Which means we'll have to find something else we both want to watch :)

4. Is there a TV character that stands out in your mind and if so what makes them special or noteworthy? 

No, sorry.

I hope you're having a good week. We started the day off having coffee with friends from Aussie who are away to other parts tomorrow. It was great being able to catch up for an hour this morning.

Have a good day and stay well until next time.

Diana

Wal's for lunch

 Out of the blue today Bob said 'lets go to Wal's for lunch'. So we did. Although it's only a five minute walk from home we take the car as half that time is walking up a dirt path and Bob's legs are not the best. I'm not sure whether he finds the dirt path or the asphalt footpath worse but he won't walk it.

Wal's Plant & Fun Land also has a cafe attached. On the left of the picture below is the mini golf course and the Miniature railway runs around the periphery. Another great attraction for kids and adults when it's running. I remember having a ride on it myself many moons ago :)

When you come out of the cafe its straight into the tunnel house with all its young seedlings and bushes that are waiting to be planted out.

It's always nice to take stroll through and browse the plants. Sometimes we even buy something, which I suppose is the reason for this being the way to the exit. Clever marketing.

To the right of the tunnel house is a large open area with all the more mature trees, bushes and roses. It's lovely in the summer just to stroll through, though we didn't today as I was feeling the cold. There's also this old rusty tractor.

Indoor plants and accessories are in a big open barn like space at the end of the tunnel house and no choice here either but to go through it if you want to leave :)

Turn 180 degrees and you are in the gift shop. There are some lovely items and we have been known to buy the girls Xmas presents from here. The exit is halfway down the gift shop :)

As well as plants, gift shop and cafe Wal's also has mini golf, a driving range, a maze and an ice cream stall and is a popular place with families. I haven't found the maze yet, let alone found my way around it :) I wouldn't mind having a go one day though but I don't really think it's Bob's cup of tea. Maybe when sis comes over in a few weeks we'll go and do it. 

That's it for today. 

Take care until next time, 

Diana