Lunch at the gardens

 Yesterday dawned cool and crisp, just 5C when I climbed out of bed. A lovely sunny, autumn day but with a decided nip in the air. Just nice for a wander around the Botanic Gardens about lunch time.

If you zoom in you will see people sitting on benches enjoying the sun.

On Sunday my son usually takes me and a friend in to church but yesterday he and his wife were wanting to stay in town and do some shopping after the service. So my friend and I decided to take her car and go somewhere for lunch.

The rose gardens are getting a bit shabby.

We decided on the Gardens tea rooms as we were down that end of town anyway and parking wouldn't be such a problem as if we went into the CBD. After a nice relaxed lunch we decided to have a bit of a stroll around, it was such a nice day. 

Ducks on a small part of the pond.

We wandered through the tropical glasshouse, too hot in our winter coats and a relief to get back out into the cooler air :) Then through the rose gardens and past the duck pond. There were a lot of ducks around, maybe they knew it was the start of duck shooting season this weekend. Finally past the bandstand and the children's play area and it was up the hilly part to the car.

The children's play area.

I hope you've enjoyed this little stroll around a small part of the gardens with us. They really are rather lovely at any time of the year.

   We really enjoyed ourselves and have decided to have lunch out on a Sunday more often. 

Have a good week,

Diana

Stinky plant

My brother has been over from Aussie and is away again. Middle sister arrived the following day so it has been a bit of a busy time. This morning we, sis, youngest daughter and I, went in to the Dunedin Botanic Gardens to view the Corpse Plant as it is commonly called. It's botanical name is Amorphophallus titanum. We weren't sure that we would see it before it collapsed as it has already been open for two days but we were in luck. It was closing when we saw it and was past it's best and the stink had dissipated somewhat. I'm not sure whether that's a good thing or not as I would have liked to experience the whole shebang, stinking or not. Another time maybe.

This way.

Sis (in pink) talking to an attendant.

Corpse plant

or Amorphophallus titanum.

We have also been to a Chinese opera 

but I'll tell you about that another time.

Until next time,

Diana

Merry Christmas

On a cold, blustery summer Sunday we went to the Botanical Gardens in Dunedin for a community sing-a-long. 

Although it was cold there was quite a good turnout to sing some old Christmas favourites and learn a new one or two. 

The Taieri Gospel Band led the singing 

and there were one or two guests between brackets.

We ended with Feliz Navidad and as my GKB recorded it on his camera I thought I would share it with you. So without further ado, from my city to yours 

Merry Christmas

Meri Kirihimete

Feliz Navidad

sung by The Taieri Gospel Band

And yes, thats me about 1.30 minutes into it.
Diana

...so why isn't it March yet?

The Christmas tree is down and packed away and everything is beginning to return to normal. 

So why isn't it March yet? It feels like it should be.

 So much has happened this past two weeks I can't believe it is only a fortnight since Christmas.

What on earth is she on about? you may well be asking yourself. 

Well here's a wee look into my past two weeks.... 

at the beach

As you know before Christmas  I was involved

in the church 's Christmas outreach to the community

 and it was a lot of fun. 

Then it was straight into preparations for Christmas day

 as everyone was gathering at our place.

Eldest Grandson arrived on Christmas Eve and we went

 to the evening church service with his sister and my little mother.

One of the ladies there wanted to get a photo of us all together., 

so here it is below.

Caitlin, Andrew, me , little mother

We had a lovely time over Christmas, the weather behaved and the kids,

 big and little,  played outside in the sun. 

We all ate too much and drank just enough and generally had a convivial time.

Christmas puddings

Two days after Christmas my grandson and his partner departed

and I was rushing around getting beds changed and remade 

for my Aunty and her daughter who were arriving to stay the following day.

You see, just two days before Christmas my little mother's sister had died

and we now had a funeral to look forward to. 

This leaves just three sisters out of a family of six siblings.

So as well as getting ready for Christmas 

I was also trying to find another aunty in Australia 

who was in the middle of shifting cities. 

Well not literally, she was the one moving, not the cities.

Old phone disconnected, new one not yet on. 

But when you've got Facebook it's amazing what you can do.

Mission accomplished eventually, thank goodness for technology.

my little mother and her little sister - a bit blurred, sorry

The funeral was a nice gathering of extended family

with a group of cousins all round about the same age. 

So nice in fact that it was decided that maybe we should have a family reunion - 

and because I was the oldest cousin there I could organise it. 

I'm letting that sit for a while and will check back after things have settled down a bit. 

Am I up to it, I think so but with help, otherwise forget it.

a group of cousins

While Aunty was here we went shopping for a 'grandmother of the groom' outfit,

and found a pretty one for her, then after a couple of days they went away back home.

And New year hadn't arrived yet and I have to admit 

I was in bed by about 9:30pm New Years Eve.

No seeing the clock strike midnight for me.

In the meantime my sister had also arrived  

from Australia for a few weeks holiday with our little mother.

She likes a busy holiday, doing stuff

so we went to beach a couple of times with her 

and I went shopping when she bought presents to take back for her grandchildren.

And that is just my side of the family.

Aramoana beach

A nephew and his wife on my GKB's side were also down from the North Island on holiday

and wanted to catch up, so off we went for an afternoon at the Botanic Gardens.

We really did enjoy our day out with them and the kids, 

and my GKB's sister and her husband. 

A fun time all around.

fun riding the train at the gardens

It really has been a busy time and I haven't even mentioned

 that in amongst all that we have also fitted in two hospital appointments.

Which is probably the reason I was sitting in an empty coffee bar 

a couple of days ago looking a bit like a stunned mullet.

So with all that has been happening my question is,

 "Why isn't it March yet?"

Blessings to one and all,

Diana

joining in with:

roses of inspiration #2

pounding the pavement...

Well it hasn't been a bad week, as far as the walking goes anyway. I have pounded the pavements from the centre of town to home, a couple of k's I guess. It's quite different walking on the footpaths to walking along the Silverstream, no give on the surface. Different things to look at too. And more traffic.

Earlier in the week I walked halfway around a country block, it was great. The sun was shining, the trees were in bud and blossom and only a little traffic. Coloured sheep and alpacas were out looking down their aristocratic noses as I went past their paddock. Walking past the timber mill brought back memories of the plywood factory about 40 years ago, I love the smell of freshly hewn timber.

Today I walked down the Silverstream to the bridge, out on to the road and back home down Bush Road, 3 kilometres in half an hour, not to bad for me!! Horses were communicating across the paddocks to each other and a couple of ducks flew overhead. The Alpacas were out with their coloured sheep mates, and I am sure I saw a water rat scampering up the bank of the ditch at the side of the road. Talking of horses there are some appoloosas grazing in the Bush Road paddocks. I didn't see any deer today - or ostriches!! It was good to get home again to have a drink, it was 22deg (I wore the GKB's Speights cap) and I was talking to a cyclist at the intersection who was on her way to the nearest shop to get a bottle of water. Fancy cycling around the plains without a water bottle.

And I have even been on the bike, for half an hour yesterday. Also been to the cricket grounds with the youth group and kicked a ball around, chased a frisbee and chucked a tennis ball. I slept well last night.

Anyway, this week I think I have not done too badly at all. I love getting out into God's book and seeing the sights and smelling the smells, some good, some not!!

And I did walk around the Botanical Gardens with the GKB a week or so back...