the ocean

the ocean
Paraparaumu beach

The comings and goings of a hard working kiwi whose just moved home

May 31, 2009

Fourwheeling

 I had an invitation to go four wheeling lat weekend, out  in the trees off Balane road hill. I got to sit back and let someone selse do the driving and and just hang out and look at the trees.  Don my Friend here is pretty cool
 The trees are way cool as they are all green. there was some mud puddles around , but that is the fun of Four wheeling. 
And the view trough the trees. .....
hell i like it so who cares what you think.

Sunsets Fairbanks style

 i was coming home at midnight tonight when i saw this cool sunset.   since sunsets seem to last a while i got home and grabbed the camera and went for a walk.
 so i say to people in Santorini who  think they have sunsets.  come to Fairbanks .   this was out the window

 sunrise is 2 hours away.

May 25, 2009

a friend on Everest

 The son of a friend of mine has just summited  Mt Everest. 
 his blog is kinda an exciting read.

The Digital tv age

 I have just joined the digital TV age. It only took 1/2 an hour, and that included unpacking for the box. I now have 7 channnels. - 4 from PBS, 2 from channel 2, and channel  11. 
 so i am mising CBS, which sucks, I guess I can live for the summer  but i have to watch" the unit" on CBS in the Fall.  
 maybe another day i will change the direction of the  antenna and try again.
 7 channels isn't too bad on the first try.
 It all wasn't 1/2 as scary as i thought it was going to be.

 Other news-  for today I rotary hoed the garden, with my next door neighbours  machine . it was only a little one but i think it was easier for me to handle than the one I usually rent for $50.00   I gave my next door neighbour $3.00 for the oil and gas.   Planting will be tomorrow memorial day.

 The sad news is that  down in the garden the little birds nest  is all abandoned.   The babies were all jut fine last Saturday but are all gone now.  i am not sure when this all happened , as i was working 2 jobs all week. I am thinking some dog or animal came along and they weren't too well hidden . so I am feeling a little guilty.

May 22, 2009

the greenhosue

the green house has 4 tomatoes plants in it now  and a strawberry.  they just needed to go in ,  I still have  some herbs to find to get the other side filled in.   and we have a along weekend coming up. 
 Mint and parsley again   the 5 cucumbers are doing OK.
 I haven't even had a chance to go check on my little birds, it s been a long week.
 Its summer and the tourist season has arrived.  the restaurant opened last Sunday and i have worked every night since.   yes its nice to be $300 richer.  but all I get to do is come home and fall in to bed.  except tonight is just t really nice night and i needed to unwind, and that's what i have a greenhouse for.  
 I have saturday off , maybe  I will get to do some more then.

May 15, 2009

Cucumbers

 Today is the 14 of May, what is the purpose of having a greenhouse if you cant plant earlier than normal.   I had played mud  with water last night, its kind a fun you know.
 so today I finished replacing the bits of plastic PVC stuff that i didn't replace last year.   
   this evening I  put 5 cucumbers in the greenhouse,  plugged in the heat lamp, and 
 now we get to cross our fingers for no frost  for the next 10 days or so. (and double the power bill)
 A 2 week head start on the growing season  i will go shopping on Saturday  for other stuff. Not sure what herbs i will try this year. definitely mint and parsley, cause they did so well last year.

 About 2 weeks ago i got a soil sample and the local water and soil guys are going to analyse the nutrients for me. i should get the results any day now. Hopefully i can put whatever necessary in without disturbing the  cucumbers.

 of other useless stuff , i now have direct sunlight shining in my north facing bedroom.
 heaven forbid i want to sleep in summer.

May 13, 2009

red polls and babies

Photos from my camera from May 3, green up day, it is a lot of growth for one day.  the weather has been crapy this last week 40 at night and we have even had some rain. Now i know i shouln't bitch, but  i was trying t do some concrete patching out the front and the temp hasnt been warm enough to set it. and then it rained.

 My little red poll down the back fence, has ben siting quietly doing her thing. on thursday/ friday her babies hatched, all 4 are doing ok so far,   and the tree is starting to grow. if she wasnt there i would  have chopped this tree lots more.
 But she kinda cute so its ok.

May 6, 2009

Green up day.

 It was the warm weather- on sunday morning we woke up to green trees.  I have 2 or 3 photos in my camera,  and they will prabably stay there for aday or 2 yet.  Sunday was a lovely 70 something degree day  so everyone  was outside, and not inside blogging. 

 Monday the floods  arrived,   all the snow melted  in the 4 warm days flat. The Chena is very high, currently running with no more ice,  it all went down stream.   The Chena runs into the Tanana, the Tanana runs into the Nenana. The Nenana runs into the Yukon, so all our ice ,  plus a whole lot more is currently headed down the Yukon.
 the town of  Eagle has almost been taken out by its own ice. and Circle waits with baited breath tonight to see what their fate is.

http://www.newsminer.com/news/2009/may/05/yukon-river-flood-destroys-buildings-eagle/

  but Fairbanks is now green. this is  my version of the beginning of summer.  tourists arrive on the 13 th and the hotel I work for will open on the 17 th

May 3, 2009

Crashing Ice

 the ice was thundering past today
 Looking at it too much was enough to make to dizzy.

May 2, 2009

Birds

 the birds nest that i found yesterday i thout was abandoned, wasn't so, went and got the camera.
 i might have to track her progress and see what she does.  
 and leave the tree as it is with no more choping. <> its just wound in the fence.

May 1, 2009

First Mosquitoes.

 We broke the record for temp yesterday, It was 74 and I think we might have today as well.
 So today the mosquitoes came out, for the first time this year. Since i was down the back sawing some trees i would like not to grow through the back fence, I thought some insect repellent was in order.
 I don't usually get out then insect repellent the first  day I see insects.  But since i got bitten 2 or 3 times.
 I bought a saw it's just wonderful how much difference  the right tool makes in getting stuff done.
 10 45 pm and its still light enough to work outside.