So long since this blog has been updated! Since the last entry:
- a long, brilliant summer with family, friends, swims, Fitzy, kayaking, and Charlie starting to play happily in the creek with his little buddies
- focus on prepping for Coralie & Will's wedding - mowing kikuyu, measuring, plotting....
- Fitzy getting more and more reluctant to swim across the high tide or in the surf, jump around the tree going to and from the bach - but still and always up for a walk along the beach, round the rocks or up the hill through the kikuyu
- a new post & rail entry fence, the beginnings of a garden, lawn-mowing between gates, and a lovely new THHayes Family Estate timber sign made by Tony for the gateway - to remind us that it belongs to us all
- a little blue penguin nesting and moulting in my upturned kayak behind the bach!
- and then THE WEDDING! on 26 Feb 2011.
Coralie & Will chose to have their wedding on the top of the hill, beside Fitzy's favourite pohutukawa, looking over Tauranga Bay, Tauranga Iti, Marble Bay, and out to the Arrows, Stevensons Island and the harbour. We were blessed by the weather and by the contributions of many of our now-wider family. The event flowed into the paddock and a huge marquee which made a perfect venue for Coralie & Will's special occasion - a very special day, special venue, with very special people for a very lovely couple. We were all so proud of them and so pleased they'd chosen to celebrate their marriage at our place.
And then. Our dear old Fitzy passed away on 21 March and on 9 April we took his ashes up to his beach and buried them up on the hill beside an old totara boundary post, where he could keep an eye on us all.
Easter 2011 was a time for Phil and Maxine to attack the inside painting job that had been waiting for about 10 years, and that was a job well done!! At last. Still lovely swims, even at the end of April, and mellow evenings. Until we were chased off by squally rain showers on the Monday afternoon.
And. All these events can be viewed on: https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/myphotos, and one day I might learn how to add more photos!
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Thursday, November 4, 2010
What a busy long Labour Weekend. Fitz and I came up Friday, in time to have a wee settling in glass of wine with Linda. The plan was to do my assignment and some tidying up in the bach, and for the kids to have a working bee on the garage re-cladding project that Coralie put her hand up for at the AGM. They arrived late Friday night and stayed in Auntie Ida’s. Breakfasts here as usual. I got a wee bit of study done each morning before they turned up. Just one morning paddle was had, on a still sea, around the inside of the hole-in-the-rock and in amongst the myriad of seagulls nesting on the rocks.
Larry arrived Saturday morning with all the gear and materials, and got stuck in. A bigger job than expected, of course. Coralie and Becky provided lunch for the boys. Good that Jase was here to help Will and Larry. Two walls were done. Barbie, Charlie, Sarah, Chantelle and Leah came after lunch, and the kids had a play on the beach.
They all stayed for a BBQ, cooked by Will. Christine joined us, for rowdy games of Articulate and Balderdash. All pretty shattered.
Sunday, Linda and I took over the painting of the garage cladding while the kids went up the hill to mow a strip for the wedding. Then they went down the Butterfly Bay end for a look-see and got a few little mussels and tuatua. Larry and Barbie and Charlie arrived later, for a relaxing visit. Charlie had a ball clambering up the hill – refusing to crawl, of course!
They went home earlyish, and we had a yummy bach chicken before hitting the sack.
Monday, after brekky, the kids went up to St Pauls. Will did a bit of finishing off spoutings, and tidying up first. I decided to mow a bit of the track behind the bach, paint a wee bit of chilli red, and tackle leveling the bit outside the main gate that had big humps of rubbish. Not much energy left after that. Then the kids got back for their lunch and pack up, and finally I got to tidy up, put the kayaks away, mow the lawns, and have a wander in the evening sunlight around the dotterel fence. Nice and quiet in the aftermath.
Poor old Fitzy was exhausted. Had to be helped around the tree twice, and even tried to tell Coralie he couldn’t get through the fence behind the bach. A busy but beautiful spring weekend. Millpond sea and foggy mornings, tui in the trees (but not on the flax yet) and dotterels nesting.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
4 days @ the bach
Very full on 4 days, but an excellent time!
Went up Wednesday so I could get on with the Boyd committee research. It was blowing a gale and showery, and Fitzy and I had a blustery walk to peek around to the rocks at the quiet side. Then we got stuck in to painting the back inside wall in the bach - I wanted to leave evidence of the original colours! Fitzy found it all very boring.
Barbie and Charlie came over Friday and squished into a corner while we worked - ALL the books off the bookshelves and all the other junk - beds etc, were inside cos it was a showery day! Anyway, it was lovely to see them - Charlie's growing so quickly - now running round and being very confident. Painting again on Saturday, and sorting and replacing books. Chucked heaps out. But lots of rellies were up (which I hadn't expected) and they came for cuppas, so again a bit slow on the work side - Phil kept on with it. Oh, and Dave & Cyn came down to inspect the new paint as well - Dave says it looks like primer. But everyone else likes it. Especially me, tho it's lost that patchy bach look.
Sunday, daylight saving started, so a big sleep in. The little whanau came over to visit again - nice and sunny - summer's here. But water was freezing. Larry knows cos he had an impromptu swim, chasing after his remote-controlled yacht that got caught in the tide!
So we had a relaxed morning in and around a spick'n'span bach with a flash new wall. Charlie and Fitzy are friends now - Charlie fed him a biscuit (accidentally) and patted him on the head (on purpose) Then we headed home about 2.30pm. Great that Barbie offered to do the last tidy/sweep for us! That felt weird. Grandad approves the new paint. So does Mum.
Went up Wednesday so I could get on with the Boyd committee research. It was blowing a gale and showery, and Fitzy and I had a blustery walk to peek around to the rocks at the quiet side. Then we got stuck in to painting the back inside wall in the bach - I wanted to leave evidence of the original colours! Fitzy found it all very boring.
Barbie and Charlie came over Friday and squished into a corner while we worked - ALL the books off the bookshelves and all the other junk - beds etc, were inside cos it was a showery day! Anyway, it was lovely to see them - Charlie's growing so quickly - now running round and being very confident. Painting again on Saturday, and sorting and replacing books. Chucked heaps out. But lots of rellies were up (which I hadn't expected) and they came for cuppas, so again a bit slow on the work side - Phil kept on with it. Oh, and Dave & Cyn came down to inspect the new paint as well - Dave says it looks like primer. But everyone else likes it. Especially me, tho it's lost that patchy bach look.
Sunday, daylight saving started, so a big sleep in. The little whanau came over to visit again - nice and sunny - summer's here. But water was freezing. Larry knows cos he had an impromptu swim, chasing after his remote-controlled yacht that got caught in the tide!
So we had a relaxed morning in and around a spick'n'span bach with a flash new wall. Charlie and Fitzy are friends now - Charlie fed him a biscuit (accidentally) and patted him on the head (on purpose) Then we headed home about 2.30pm. Great that Barbie offered to do the last tidy/sweep for us! That felt weird. Grandad approves the new paint. So does Mum.
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Had an amazing Queens Birthday at the bach, watching the sea turn from blue and mirror-like to raging, overnight. And Phil did a fantastic job reducing the impact of the fallen pohutukawa, so we can now get around without getting so wet - still a lot to do, but heaps better. Had a lovely bonfire on the beach before the rest of the rellies arrived for the weekend. (oh this silly blog thing - now it wont let me upload the photos)
Had a cool visit from Barbie and Charlie too!
Had a cool visit from Barbie and Charlie too!
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Of Mice and Seaweed
Well, I was coming up then I wasn't then we were then we weren't, then I was! The weather forecast was dreadful for the weekend, but eventually I decided to go, and Phil didn't!
Just the occasional squally thundery thing on the way up. Nice when I got here. Low tide, thank goodness. Not raining THANK GOODNESS!!!! As soon as I unlocked the bach door, I could smell mice. Worse than usual. I was fleetingly pleased I'd not left it any later to arrive, cos time to air the bach out. Then I went inside.
Inside, it was a shambles. The bed was covered in mouse poo, including pillows and the bedside tray. In the kitchen, the bar of soap had been chewed and dragged to the opposite end of the bench. Mouse wee in the sink. Chewed up paper and poo all over the floor. And in the cupboards!! Even a roll of tinfoil had been chewed. Labels chewed off tins of food and off bottles of booze. Boxes not even remotely food were chewed. Out by the loo, things had been knocked off shelves, and BIG rat poo everywhere. No idea how they get in there.
So - all windows and doors wide open. Did I say thank God it wasn't raining? Or cold. There is a good wind, but not enough. Shook all the bedding outside. Vacuumed in, on, under and round the bed. clean sheets on the chewed mattress - well nearly - haven't done that yet. The cupboards got all emptied out and vacuumed. Windowsills, bench, floor. And they even chewed the citronella candles. Put big piles of rat and mouse bait outside under the shed and the bach. Hoped they'd stay out there to eat and not come inside!
A good reminder. Never never never never leave food at all accessible, not even remotely accessible. Even paper is food! And don't forget to put rat bait down (tho I did do it last time). Lots of it! Remember autumn is when it starts to get cold and the vermin come inside to get warm. (apparently everyone's been invaded, even brand new houses) And always plan to arrive in the morning so there's a whole day for cleaning and airing the bach! And preferably bring someone else to do it!
I was re-reading Marilu's comments in the visitors book - thank goodness they didn't find this when they came! That would have been SO bad.
A toastie warm, pitch black night, with rough seas and wind ra
ging outside. Lovely And a chubby wee mouse kept looking out the cupboard door to see if I was still there - no mousetrap. Then Saturday the lagoon filled rapidly with mounds seaweed torn from the ravaged seabed that proceeded to almost completely dam the creek!
Sunlight glinting on white spray surging over the rocks, but not over the sandspit, even tho a highish tide. Big brown gulls (baby blackbacks) flying low past the flax, battling the gusts - it's always cool looking down on such big birds flying by. And there's a crazy guy out there kite-surfing - going flat-out and getting huge air!
Anyway, lawns mowed, cupboards cleaned out (wrecked the vacuum cleaner) doors and windows all wide open - lovely wind blowing through. Sand shovelled away from the bottom weatherboard at the back of the bach, shovelled more scoria, ratbait refilled, and new woodshavings bin for the loo. So many chores, no time for Uni assignment! Oh well. Did have time to go visit Charlie tho. Went house hunting with Barbie and Larry.
And another surprise privilege - a kaumatua came down for a korero about my Boyd research, and I found out a huge lot about Whangaroa and Ngapuhi history and developments. More to come.
The creek cleared a little, and although the lagoon is chokker with seaweed, it's lovely to breath in the invigorating, autumn air on a stunning day Sunday - blue, turquoise and green seas, a few whitecaps on a gentle sea.
Just the occasional squally thundery thing on the way up. Nice when I got here. Low tide, thank goodness. Not raining THANK GOODNESS!!!! As soon as I unlocked the bach door, I could smell mice. Worse than usual. I was fleetingly pleased I'd not left it any later to arrive, cos time to air the bach out. Then I went inside.
Inside, it was a shambles. The bed was covered in mouse poo, including pillows and the bedside tray. In the kitchen, the bar of soap had been chewed and dragged to the opposite end of the bench. Mouse wee in the sink. Chewed up paper and poo all over the floor. And in the cupboards!! Even a roll of tinfoil had been chewed. Labels chewed off tins of food and off bottles of booze. Boxes not even remotely food were chewed. Out by the loo, things had been knocked off shelves, and BIG rat poo everywhere. No idea how they get in there.
So - all windows and doors wide open. Did I say thank God it wasn't raining? Or cold. There is a good wind, but not enough. Shook all the bedding outside. Vacuumed in, on, under and round the bed. clean sheets on the chewed mattress - well nearly - haven't done that yet. The cupboards got all emptied out and vacuumed. Windowsills, bench, floor. And they even chewed the citronella candles. Put big piles of rat and mouse bait outside under the shed and the bach. Hoped they'd stay out there to eat and not come inside!
A good reminder. Never never never never leave food at all accessible, not even remotely accessible. Even paper is food! And don't forget to put rat bait down (tho I did do it last time). Lots of it! Remember autumn is when it starts to get cold and the vermin come inside to get warm. (apparently everyone's been invaded, even brand new houses) And always plan to arrive in the morning so there's a whole day for cleaning and airing the bach! And preferably bring someone else to do it!
I was re-reading Marilu's comments in the visitors book - thank goodness they didn't find this when they came! That would have been SO bad.
A toastie warm, pitch black night, with rough seas and wind ra
ging outside. Lovely And a chubby wee mouse kept looking out the cupboard door to see if I was still there - no mousetrap. Then Saturday the lagoon filled rapidly with mounds seaweed torn from the ravaged seabed that proceeded to almost completely dam the creek!Sunlight glinting on white spray surging over the rocks, but not over the sandspit, even tho a highish tide. Big brown gulls (baby blackbacks) flying low past the flax, battling the gusts - it's always cool looking down on such big birds flying by. And there's a crazy guy out there kite-surfing - going flat-out and getting huge air!
Anyway, lawns mowed, cupboards cleaned out (wrecked the vacuum cleaner) doors and windows all wide open - lovely wind blowing through. Sand shovelled away from the bottom weatherboard at the back of the bach, shovelled more scoria, ratbait refilled, and new woodshavings bin for the loo. So many chores, no time for Uni assignment! Oh well. Did have time to go visit Charlie tho. Went house hunting with Barbie and Larry.
And another surprise privilege - a kaumatua came down for a korero about my Boyd research, and I found out a huge lot about Whangaroa and Ngapuhi history and developments. More to come.
The creek cleared a little, and although the lagoon is chokker with seaweed, it's lovely to breath in the invigorating, autumn air on a stunning day Sunday - blue, turquoise and green seas, a few whitecaps on a gentle sea.
Friday, April 23, 2010
Marilu at the bach
And I know this is all out of order, but the blog isn't complete without an IMPORTANT note about Jay bringing Marilu up for her first bach experience. He's rivalled me in the photo stakes. Took 100's of gorgeous pictures of romantic dinners, catching, cleaning and cooking snapper for dinner, marshmallows on a beach fire (despite a total fire ban), exploring Tauranga Iti and Butterfly Bay (Whanga is it's proper name), and climbing the hill. Hope it wont be long before he brings her back!
Jay, Barbie & Charlie - and the dinghy gives great service!
Never did finish that last blog where I was, supposedly, learning how to put the photos in the right place! What I wanted to talk about was how wonderful it was to spend time at the bach with Jay and Barbie and Charlie. And Fitzy of course. Charlie brought friends, and they were delivered in style!
The dinghy gave sterling service as a barge as well as a taxi!
Poor old dinghy. Charlie helped out and told me all about his troubles.
And Jay signed off the visitors book till next time he's home from Londontown
In the meantime, we'll have to get on and finish off the retaining wall!
The dinghy gave sterling service as a barge as well as a taxi!
Poor old dinghy. Charlie helped out and told me all about his troubles.
And Jay signed off the visitors book till next time he's home from Londontown
In the meantime, we'll have to get on and finish off the retaining wall!
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