Matariki

24 June 2022Uncategorized admin

Yesterday was Matariki. We have had some amazingly clear nights of late and the stars have been clearly visible.

Matariki is the Māori name for a cluster of stars known elsewhere as the Pleiades. The constellation is visible from New Zealand for eleven months of the year, but disappears from the skies for a month in winter, reappearing in mid June, around the time of the winter solstice. Its rising is recognised by many iwi [tribes] as the beginning of a new year. The holiday centres on three principles: remembrance of those who have died, celebrating the present with family and friends; and looking to the future promise of a new year. It is believed to be one of the first Indigenous celebrations to be recognised as a public holiday in a settler colonial state.

We went for a lovely walk yesterday and then just enjoyed hanging out together.

Rich has been continuing to work on the deck area…

Yesterday we hung the flower baskets that he gave me for my birthday, they look wonderful, I am looking forward to fulling them with flowers in the spring!

Speaking of my birthday (which was a couple of weeks ago) Rich and Luca planned a lovely day for me. I went for an early mornng hike to see the sunrise

Then we drove to Glenfalloch Gardens for brunch and a hike around their amazing woodlands

Later it was off to the movies and dinner, such a nice way to spend the day, very decadent!

My work has just announced that they want to give all employees their birthday off with pay, how nice is that?! The company is wanting to focus on giving back this year, both to employees and others. We spent a day recently planting native trees in a department of conservation area, was a lot of fun, and beautiful day which of course helped! I took this as we left the city, this church is right across from my Dunedin clinic, sometimes I need to stop and look around me, there is beauty everywhere, even in the middle of the city.

I have bedded down my vege garden at home, leaving a couple of plots that are still producing things like broccoli.

When we lived in Nova Scotia I brought some bird boxes from a lovely guy who made them out of his shed and sold them on the side of the road. I have been unable to find similar here but wanted to create a similar look so thought I would give it a go myself. Happy with the outcome, hoping we get some nesters come the spring…

Luca really on the count down now to the school holidays, working on finishing up assignments etc

With a little help from friends….

This particular one Luca made, it is complicated but fun, there is much confusion and laughter when it is played 🙂

He will be very happy I am sure not to have to polish his school shoes for the break, not a favorite chore of his at all!

The girls are looking very healthy and feathered up again (all looked very bedraggled as they went through their molt). Another week or so and they should be ready to start egg production again.

The building process is moving forward slowly but surely. There are hold ups at every level now, but things are happening albeit at a snails pace. I took this recently, living small like this, it is first come first in the big bed!

Then I thought about it a bit more and remembered it has kinda always been the case, even when we lived in a normal house 🙂