Randomness

I haven't been up to posting for a few weeks as my Little Mother hasn't been at all well and I have been seeing to her needs.  

I have been looking in on you though and catching up on what you are all doing but I'm sorry I haven't had the energy to comment. 

It's relaxing just to read sometimes.

But I was looking through my photos and found some 

I've taken over the last few weeks that I could use to take part

 in Five on Friday with Amy and her lovely friends.

So number one: A shot taken one day while I was walking along the Silverstream. That is a cabbage tree (cordyline australis) on the bank. It is over the back fence from where a friend of mine used to live. The cabbage tree was given to her and her husband as a gift but she didn't think it went with her garden so she planted it on the floodbank instead. This way we all get to enjoy it. A lot of people think they are ugly but I like them. They are New Zealand natives and native birds find their berries very tasty.

Number two:  Do you remember a few months ago I told you that my friend's cat had departed to where all cats eventually go? Well shortly afterwards  she was offered this little lady. She is a real character and a lot of fun. She loves playing in the box and is a real blessing to my friend who missed her ginger boy dearly. But the thing that really struck us was that her lovely ginger boy was already named Leo when he arrived on the scene and when this little lady came along she was already named Cleo! I'd say it was meant to be, wouldn't you?

Number three: The Children's Marathon challenge. Out walking around the town one day I was passed by these kids out on a run. I see in the paper that a lot of the schools in the area are taking part in a  marathon of sorts. For the past 6 weeks they have been running around courses at the schools until they have clocked up almost  40 k's.  The final section of the run is then done at Logan Park on a running track and when it is over a ballot is taken to see who gets the donated prizes of sports shoes. A good prize for the lucky ones, only 10 to give out I believe.

Number four: My reading challenge books for a couple of months. I'd had the Joyce  Meyer one, Look Good, Feel Great, for quite a long time and had read a couple of chapters but no further. So I decided now was a good time to finish it. Easy reading, common sense stuff, but something to give you a prod into taking a little bit of action as well. That was the August read completed. :) 

The September book is going to remain unread I'm afraid. Too cynical, hard, and brittle for me. Nothing relaxing about it or even, for me, entertaining. So after persevering for six chapters I've given it the heave and shall probably be putting it in a bin for a book sale instead. What was it? The Best Awful by Carrie Fisher. 

Someone else may enjoy it.

And finally to Number five: These beautiful daffodils are growing at the boundry fence between our house and the neighbour's. They are the only true daffys I have and so I am reluctant to pick them. But the bonus is that I can see them from my kitchen window and can enjoy them anyway. They are a real promise of better days to come. We have had a few stormy days, snow and hail lately so it is lovely to see this splash of colour along with the jonquils all along the front of my house. See the header picture for a look at a small section of them.

Run! It says RUN??

 Blogger alert

Google is about to change it's policy for people to follow blogs on Jan 11th. You may want to check it out as there is a very real possibility of losing followers. 

The link is here.

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Otago Rail Trail.
photo credit: Kay Humphries Travel

My sister is coming over from Australia in a few weeks and while she is here we intend to walk part of the Otago rail trail together. How far we'll get is incidental really. Once upon a time we thought we would walk the full distance over a three day period. Back then it was achievable by both of us. But almost 10 years on we are not as fit or as young as we were so we decided to just start walking and after a couple of days, or maybe three, we will stop. And when she comes back again we will pick up where we left off and keep going. Eventually we will accomplish the full 150 kms. My GKB is going to drive and be our support person. 

I'm really looking forward to it and so decided to follow a walking programme to get myself reasonably fit. The programme is over a six week period and my sister arrives in seven, so it works out quite well. This week is week two. I went out for the prescribed time and came home and checked to see what the times were for the rest of the week as it seemed to me I was repeating week one. Uh oh. Week two you RUN! How on earth did. I. miss. that. when I was reading it originally? I can't remember the last time I ran so this is going to be interesting. I will take it gently and ease into it, she says apprehensively. This evening. On the Silverstream bank where no one will see me if I time it right, haha. 



Watch this space :)
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Oh, and I nearly forgot to tell you that my youngest sister is arriving tomorrow from Australia with her daughter and small grandson. They are staying with little mother but I hope to
 see quite a bit of them.

And that's it for today. 

See you next time

Diana