Thursday 20 August 2015

Flooding - a post from June

In the last 48 hours the N. Island has been on the receiving end of disastrous rain. For 36 of those hours, the damage was so bad, the capital was cut off. State Highways 1 and 2 were impassable due to damaged bridges and slips. One of these was less than 2 Kms north of our home, so although we could drive south, we couldn't drive north. Anyone desperate to get to Wellington had to go detours the equivalent of York to London.

Our small road was also hit. We have a stream running across the area where we live, about 1km from our house. It was this raging torrent which took out the bridge on SH1.

Before and after photos




Postscript. This post was saved in draft form, because back in June our internet collapsed. Since June 23rd we have had other minor landslips on our road. We are trusting the entire hill doesn't take a tumble. If it does, our end of the country road will need to declare itself a land locked Republic!

Wednesday 19 August 2015

Three Mousekiteers

Two months neglect of my blog. Shameful! My only excuse is a month visiting my almost ninety year old mother, two weeks of illness followed by a new job. It is a three month contract, but full time, so a tad hectic.

Whilst I was in the UK, my husband was adopted by a 6 month old kitten. The ginger beauty turned up one day on the verandah. He was completely famished. Beautiful, hungry, friendly and looking for love. At first I thought it might be our neighbour's newly acquired kitten. But no, a quick check via Facebook, and I received the reply, that Sir Ginger had tried to move in with them and their new kitten. We got him checked for a micro chip - none. He wasn't neutered either. So we concluded he'd been dumped in the countryside.

We always said that the spirit of Otto, our much loved and missed cat, would direct us to another cat. Well, the cat found us. Ms Ginger Diva Princess was a bit cautious at first, but as the new boy is very gentle, she eventually took to him and they play together.

Mr Shy Tabby Boy who is our Special Needs cat was hopelessly discombobulated. First Otto disappears, then I disappear, then a ginger tom swaggers into Coneysthorpe without a by your leave. Three weeks on, he has almost forgiven me. Little Ginger always nose greets him, and Lonely Grumpy Tabby is now hunting with him at night.

So here are the threesome.