Spring has Sprung

The grass is riz, I wonder where dem birdies is? I know - they are on the farm honking and squawking, including; thirty broody Canada geese plus cormorants fishing for whitebait. It is that time of year when the birds wake you up just before you are ready to wake up.

I want to garden but the rain is back so the wedding swing seat has to remain lonely until another day. I shifted the bricks underneath and filled in the gap with a few hedging shrubs but it needs more tender loving care. It helps that dear neighbours are on growing rose cuttings and promising me hydrangea slips too.

So instead, I bake little walnut cookies and take some over to Henri in the Flying Shack for his afternoon tea. He is finishing up making grappa and I disturbed him axing tiny branches of old grape vine pruning’s to feed the fire under the copper. The smoke is delicate and fruity and wafts up into the pines where the herons roost.

Seal the Day

Mount Maunganui has a couple of rather large residents that slumber on the rocks at the base of the mountain. They are well camouflaged and I have never seen them do anything other than vaguely lift a flipper. They reside about five minutes walk around the base track from the ocean side on what must be one of the most convenient walkways in the North Island.

(It is convenient because a forty five minute saunter can conclude with delicious coffee from a choice of cafes.) As I have mentioned before, there are hot pools and many aquatic activities available in the area, most especially in the summer months. For us, it is only a half hour’s drive from home and easy parking.

Holly and I pretend to be exercising, by walking around the base track but it is a thin excuse before going to lunch at a relatively new restaurant further down the ocean beach. It is called Tay Street Beach Cafe www.taystreetbeachcafe.co.nz and I love their food. Holly ordered a lamb fillet salad with fried haloumi cheese, rocket greens, tomatoes and crumbed egg plant and I had ahi tuna with a crisp prawn spring roll, warm soba noodles and soy sesame dressing with oyster mushrooms. Divine!