The adventures of the Kiwi Mulligans

Rotorua in the sun

2012-01-28T17:52:00.000-08:00

Our Xmas holidays ended with afew days in Rotorua. Why there? Because we got a Welfare Trust unit for a week. It is a nice location - Holden's Bay, although the day can be disturbed by planes taking off and landing at the airport! The property is split by a small stream, which is now surrounded by a nice little garden And we were much intrigued by this little statue just across the main road.

A January wedding

2012-01-28T16:30:00.000-08:00

Well, actually, not quite a wedding, because Sara & Kenjiro got married in April in Japan. But many friends and family weren't able to attend it, so they all came out to NZ, and staged a 'celebration' in Napier. The Williams' are long-time family friends, going back to the days when our Sarah Rose was a pre-schooler. The two families lived next door to each other, and have remained friends

Xmas 2011

2012-01-03T16:04:00.000-08:00

Christmas is a time of family rituals and traditions in the Mulligan household. I take the girls (if they're at home!) to buy the Tree, help place the lights on it, and then the girls decorate it. We have an esoteric & eclectic collection of decorations, some inherited from my Mother and the result of her handiwork with needle, most bought, one-per-daughter, each Christmas time. And the

Cats

2012-01-03T15:11:00.000-08:00

If you've had a look at these pages before, you will know that cats are an integral part of our household. Three cats call us their people - Goldie, Tiffany and Peaches (who is actually Charlotte's cat!) Tiffany is a petite, delicate wee creature who is hopelessly spoiled by Desiree. She often spends a good part of the day on our dining table because it's in the sun. So when we put a box

New Plymouth views

2012-01-03T14:33:00.000-08:00

In mid-October we took a few days out and took Jayne with us to visit Wanganui and New Plymouth. Wanganui to visit the Sarjeant Gallery and New Plymouth to visit the Len Lye exhibition at the Govett Brewster Gallery and Puke Ariki. The weather wasn't brilliant, but we did manage to get out and wander about one day in New Plymouth, as well as visit the galleries. And the Len Lye works are

Farewelling Nicky

2012-01-02T16:27:00.000-08:00

A good friend of Jayne's - Nicky - has gone to Leeds University for 6 months on a study programme. So we had to say farewell, in the style traditional for her family: a barbecue.

Birds outside the window

2012-01-02T15:36:00.000-08:00

We had a flowering cherry growing just beside the deck. It was self-sown, and had been growing for a few a years now. In fact it had got to the stage it was a problem. It was so big it was causing shadowing on the deck and keeping the morning sun from the sun-room. This was NOT the plan! Needless to say it is no more! However, while it lasted it brought some delight. It brought a lovely

Looking in the newspaper...

2011-12-25T15:33:00.000-08:00

The other day I was browsing through a website called PapersPast which is run by the National Library and gives online access to a range of NZ newspapers from the period 1840 to 1945. So of course I searched for Mulligan in the Dunedin papers - the Otago Daily Times & the Otago Witness. And found a bunch of items - from reports of Lodge meetings to death notices, from the results of Sunday

You know you're getting old ...

2011-12-18T22:14:00.000-08:00

When your children start giving you a hard time over your diet! Case in point: last night, after our weekly family dinner (a highlight of our week, I have to say), Charlotte was tidying up and asked me about some lettuce which hadn't been eaten. She looked at me hard and asked "If I put this in the fridge, will you eat it?" So of course I said yes. After all, how could I say no to Charlotte?

Now the election is over ...

2011-12-17T20:04:00.000-08:00

The farcical moment: Keys and Banks holding a 'media event' to show the voters how they should vote, then trying to convince everyone that their conversation was 'private' and they hadn't noticed the unusual black bag on the table beside them! The Oh, dear! What a bugger! moment. The ACT Party's irrelevance is confirmed - down to just one MP, and he's unlikely to remain independent of

A career in public service

2011-12-06T22:31:00.000-08:00

One stumbles upon some odd things when doing family history research. Recently, I came across this letter in the military file of a great-uncle, one Arthur William Mulligan. Turns out he was a life-long public servant (42.5 years!), and for many years worked at the highest levels of our government. So maybe there is a family history of public service in our family histories.

It's nearing Christmas

2011-12-01T13:28:00.000-08:00

We have some clever folks here in Wellington, as this Advent Calendar proves.

Living in the material world

2011-11-28T22:59:00.000-08:00

The late great George Harrison, used to say to those in pain "We are not these bodies - just souls having a bodily experience".Yet one of his great albums was called "Living in the Material World".He died 10 years ago today - 29 November 2001.But - Here Comes The Sun is still one of my all-time favourites - as played at the Concert for Bangla Desh in 1972:

Tuis in Town

2011-11-26T15:17:00.000-08:00

You will already know that I delight in seeing, watching, and listening to Tuis. Usually, they are observed in our back yard. But I work in Wellington City, and while it is hardly the largest city in NZ, it's CBD is distinctly a 'city'. My route each day emerges from the Railway Station and proceeds to Stout Street. In doing so, it passes by an area of flax plants separating the footpath and a

It was 38 years ago today ...

2011-11-13T21:44:00.000-08:00

Is it any surpise I fell in love? Or that we got married?I don't think so!

It's all in the genes

2011-11-12T14:31:00.000-08:00

I have been tracing my family history (or histories, in fact) as well as those of Desiree, for many years now. So long, in fact, I cannot recall what it was that sparked my interest or got me started. One of the outcomes has been a cluster of websites (because I can). Another has been what my daughters call their "Another graveyard look". This expression is a mix of bored tolerance and

Our local candidate

2011-11-03T00:07:00.000-07:00

Holly WalkerGreens candidate for Hutt South.Check her profile. Ex-Hutt Valley High, and former pupil of Desiree. So she's got to be good! Deserves both votes.

Who goes there?

2011-11-02T23:40:00.000-07:00

One of the delights of my life is being able to sit on the deck and watch birds hopping around the lawn, hunting worms.The other evening, this thrush came a-calling. I suspect it is the same one who was hopping around after me when I was mowing the lawn at the weekend, coming within a couple of metres of me.

Halloween in the neighbourhood

2011-11-01T21:59:00.000-07:00

We don't really 'do' Halloween - never have, although the kids when they young used to dress up.Not like one of our neighbours, who really dress up their place!I especially like the spider above the gate - very nervy!

Roll on summer

2011-10-30T14:00:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we had our first barbecue of the new 'season': It may not look very promising, but we had 2 flavours of chicken, sausages, salmon, kumara, and lamb chops. A fine repast! And then this weekend, I enjoyed mowing the lawns surrounded by some vibrant colours. The yellow of the last of the kowhai, the pink & white of the rhododendron, the last red of one of the camelias, the bright

Summer is nigh!

2011-10-25T15:10:00.000-07:00

We've just had a few days away, & I had the weekends either side of those days, so it felt like a holiday. Sunday was the Final of the Rugby World Cup. And Monday was a holiday. The kids came around for dinner, and although it was bit blustery, we decided to have the first Barbecue of the summer. Roll on the warm days!

One of the all-time greats

2011-10-23T15:19:00.000-07:00

While travelling back from Taranaki recently, we listened to two LPs by Dr Feelgood - Sneakin' Suspicion and Down By The Jetty. I tried to explain to Jayne why the guitarist, Wilko Johnson, was so good, and failed at doing so. So I figured the best solution was to show you one of the tracks which best captures his playing style - Roxette: The official website is HERE and Wilko's site is HERE.

Re-treading failed views of education

2011-10-03T19:59:00.000-07:00

You would think they would know better by now! I mean, how can someone claim to be "disappointed that @PPTAWeb are so afraid of backing up their assertions over School Choice that they refuse to debate @Steve_Whttngton" That is one of the spurious tricks used repeatedly by the Right in their puerile efforts to discredit those who disagree with them. This assertion is made with no evidence that

Snow effects

2011-09-02T18:07:00.000-07:00

One of the nice things about the snowfalls last month, apart from their novelty, was the effect the snow produced when it fell on individual flowers or corners. Like these:

R i P

2011-08-22T17:03:00.000-07:00

Goldie, we'll not see your like again. Read Goldie's profile and occasional exploits.

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow

2011-08-20T21:54:00.000-07:00

It's been a very odd week, weather-wise. While those who live in more continental climes, or places closer to the Poles, might scoff, we here in the Hutt Valley & Wellington aren't used to snow in the CBD. In the twenty years we have lived in central Lower Hutt I have never seen snow on our backyard. But this week we did. It started Sunday night, as predicted by the Forecasters, with snow/

Tracing the Ho Chi Minh Trail

2011-08-20T19:27:00.000-07:00

The culmination of 2 years fund-raising, planning, scheming and cajoling for Desiree was a two-week trip to Vietnam during the last school vacation. A guide accompanied Desiree, 3 colleagues and a small group of senior students on a tour of Vietnam, dedicated to visiting sites from the War and experiencing a small taste of Vietnamese life and culture (oh, and a bit of shopping to lighten the

It's been cold!

2011-07-27T02:16:00.000-07:00

We have been hit by a 'weather bomb' this week. Those who live in climes where more extreme weather is a frequent occurrence may scoff, but we are in a coastal temperate area, not affected by the swings of continental extremes.So this week's cold weather has been a 'bracing' experience. Having lived in this house since 1991, I can't recall snow like we saw this week on the nearby hilltops.And I

Charlotte & Gareth's wedding

2011-07-02T18:38:00.000-07:00

June 18 this year was The Big Day - Charlotte & Gareth got married. While we had official photographers and videographers, we know there are some who were were not able to be present but would love to have been able to join in the fun. So here is an "uncut" raw video of the ceremony, held at our home (please excuse the dodgy beginning - it does improve, I promise!): We thought you might like

A Rose by any other name

2011-06-29T02:28:00.000-07:00

It's been a busy few weeks. In early May, we held the annual Hutt Valley Rose of Tralee contest. This allows the Hutt Valley to select one from amongst those contestants who offer themselves as our Rose of Tralee. The winner of the Hutt Valley title, goes forward to represent us at the National Final in early June. And the winner of that event will, in turn, go forward to represent the entire

Happy Birthday

2011-06-28T23:08:00.000-07:00

Desiree is another year younger!

And it all went off with a hitch!

2011-06-18T22:45:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was Charlotte & Gareth's wedding. The ceremony was held at our place, so, of course, there were preparations to be made, largely orchestrated by Desiree & Jayne. The first tranche of photos are of the preparations, and are in a viewer HERE.

23 today!!

2011-06-15T19:38:00.000-07:00

Well, I never! Already?

An early Spring

2011-06-11T02:55:00.000-07:00

This year has been unseasonably warm. These Camelia and Spring bulb flowers were out before the end of May. We shouldn't have seen them before August!

It's a lovely day

2011-05-28T17:00:00.000-07:00

After a string of wet, dreary, days, the sun came out yesterday, and I was able to get the lawns mowed. That was followed by a clear, frosty, night, which left it's trace on cobwebs in the garden. But it was so nice we even gave the bird an airing outside.

Happy Birthday

2011-05-21T17:55:00.000-07:00

70 on 24 May 2011 (who'd have thought?!)

I forgot to mention ...

2011-05-21T17:41:00.000-07:00

...that on our way back from Collingwood to Takaka we detoured to look at the Pupu Springs, which claim to have the purest/cleanest & therefore clearest fresh water in the world. And it is startlingly clear! And ... there were a few other photos, of the Springs amongst other places, which got missed out of the other gallery, so they are in Nelson Gallery #2.

Nelson in the Sun

2011-05-14T18:55:00.000-07:00

In late April Desiree & I took a few days out and spent them in Nelson. By taking the four days after Easter as Leave, I had a 10-day break from work. Desiree was in the second week of the school holidays - it worked out well all round! So, the idea was to fly to Nelson and just potter about there for a couple of days, then make our leisurely way over the Takaka Hill and find somewhere to stay

It rained!

2011-05-14T17:05:00.000-07:00

Not for long, but heavily!Our backyard is testimony to that.

Our House

2011-05-05T01:35:00.000-07:00

May Day

2011-04-30T17:49:00.000-07:00

Today (don't be fooled by the date above; this server is behind NZ time!) is May 1. Traditionally, this has been celebrated in many parts of the world as a significant holiday or festival. Celtic societies called it Beltane (or Bealtaine). Beltane marked the beginning of the pastoral summer season when the herds of livestock were driven out to the summer pastures and mountain grazing lands.

Lest We Forget

2011-04-23T17:01:00.000-07:00

The Scots of Waipu

2011-04-16T16:50:00.000-07:00

On our way home from Paihia in January (Haven't I told you about that trip yet? I'll have to soon!), we took a short detour off Highway 1 to visit Waipu. Why Waipu? Well, it has an interesting story of migration of a group of Scots after the Highland Clearances to New Zealand by way of Nova Scotia. It is the site of one of the few organised settlements in New Zealand (Wellington, Nelson,

War in the Desert

2011-04-02T19:07:00.000-07:00

I have been following the war in Libya with considerable interest. It resonates on several levels. Firstly, the movement backwards and forwards along the coastal roads has echoes of the course of the battles during the Western Desert Campaign in World War Two. Desiree's father served in that campaign, and I remember him talking to us about it, and the hardships of fighting in the desert

What's our Charlotte up to now?

2011-03-26T18:10:00.002-07:00

She's been on a journey over the last couple of years. She went to London in August 2008. While based there, she managed to get about to Dublin and Amsterdam, amongst other places. She came home in December 2009. More recently, a friend she met in the UK, came to visit and stay with her, joining us for Christmas. And now, Charlotte and Gareth have decided to get married! The what, when and how is

Remembering Christchurch

2011-03-26T18:10:00.000-07:00

A memorial service was held in Christchurch recently, and featured a moving film of the devastation wrought by the February 22 earthquake. It is in 3 parts, with Part 1 below: Or, if you prefer,

Curious Creatures & Garden Gargoyles

2011-03-12T16:50:00.000-08:00

Our garden, in addition to being something of a wilderness, is also the home of various creatures animate, and inanimate. Some of the inanimate ones made their way here after Mother moved from her own home and then were joined by the last ones after Mother died. A few Mother gave us in earlier years. However they got here, they all appear to be enjoying themselves, and show no inclination to

Art for Desiree's sake

2011-03-12T14:10:00.000-08:00

You see, it's like this: Desiree is taking a school-group to Vietnam later this year. It has been in the planning stages for some time now, and those involved - the kids and their families - have been running fund-raising events to help offset at least some of the costs. The latest was an Art Auction. There was a good selection of work for sale - some donated, some on commission, some with

The cats are everywhere

2011-03-07T23:55:00.000-08:00

We've had some cold weather just recently, and the cats weren't well pleased. So, of course, they had to cuddle up closely on the bed. But then today, the weather improved, so Goldie found a spot from which she could survey the backyard. And then a visitor buzzed in to say hello and enjoy the warmth with her:

Our city of ruins

2011-03-01T23:26:00.000-08:00

Or, if you prefer,The best or most authoritative source for 'technical' information:Sarah Rose was able to see how Wellington reacted to the call for 2 minutes of silence to mark one week since the earth shook.The 'shake' took a lot of people outside of Christchurch by surprise.Images from New Zealand's largest Newspaper organisation, which even has a "Before and After" selection of photos.And TV

Shaken AND Stirred!

2011-02-26T15:15:00.000-08:00

This last week has been full of the horrors of the earthquake which devastated Christchurch, television has been near a continuous wall-to-wall coverage, while the newspapers have constant updates and galleries of searing images. It has been frightening, on several levels, not least that we live in the Wellington region which is itself astride a very active fault system. Needless to say it has

Where are the Christian churches when they're needed?

2011-02-12T17:41:00.000-08:00

I was struck recently by the response to a news item headlined "Muslims protest at blasphemy trial". Why was I struck by the response? Because there wasn't any. The story was this: In Indonesia a Catholic man was tried and convicted for distributing blasphemous material. The judgement sentenced him to 5 years imprisonment for 'spreading hatred of Islam'. As a result, about 1,500 militant

Another step towards unreality for the Catholic Church

2011-02-12T16:49:00.000-08:00

Already deep in denial over the abuse of children by undetermined numbers of it's clergy foot-soldiers, the Catholic Church continues it relentless march towards unreality. It is now apparently embracing the 'virtual world' and the 21st century by giving it's approval to a new iPhone app - "Confession: A Roman Catholic App". It is apparently "designed to help users understand their earthly

Peaches and a Parrot

2011-01-31T00:36:00.000-08:00

Peaches is our youngest cat - actually, she is Charlotte's cat, but has chosen to live at our place, at least until Charlotte is able to house her in the manner to which she has become accustomed.She really is quite an attractive cat, and I'm sure she knows it too! But she is not just a pretty face. She can also hunt.As fate would have it, we seem to have become home to a small colony of mice.

In Memoriam

2011-01-17T15:18:00.000-08:00

Patricia Mary Knox, known as Sister Dominica Mary, SMSM, 27 December 1925 to 8 January 2011. R.i.P.

A Nearly World Tour

2011-01-17T15:14:00.000-08:00

It started like this: a neice, Kirsten, who lived with us for sometime while attending University, was in Northern Ireland. She was living and working in a 'cross-cultural' community in Antrim. She had however, been able to see something of the country, and had been in touch about the family history, and had made contact with relatives in Connemara.And then she wrote to us that she was getting

Do we want to go in this direction?

2011-01-08T15:46:00.000-08:00

I was disturbed recently by a newspaper story headed "Anglers to fight 'exclusive' deals to fishing spots". It reported a claim by the president of the New Zealand Federation of Freshwater Anglers, Jim Hale.He says that parts of a number of rivers have been captured by "unscrupulous commercial interests". These interests apparently engage in "exclusive capture" arrangements with landowners, so

Dom est morte

2011-01-07T17:23:00.000-08:00

Desiree's cousin, Patricia Mary Knox, or Sister Dominica, died this morning, 8 January 2011.She was 85 years and 12 days old.R.I.P.

The Farmer's Wife and The Farmer

2010-12-28T17:24:00.000-08:00

At the end of September we took a few days off and headed to New Plymouth. Mainly because we could. It was also the school holidays.We entertained ourselves with visits to the museum, the statue, and the Len Lye exhibition.New Plymouth is blessed with a fine museum and Art Gallery, Puke Ariki. While we there, they were staging an exhibition from the Tauranga Art Gallery, called "The Farmer's

Vanessa gonerilla

2010-12-28T15:27:00.000-08:00

According to Wikipedia (so it must be correct, right?!) "Vanessa gonerilla" is the scientific name of the New Zealand Red Admiral butterfly.Apparently, the "adults can live for many months, including in winter, when they become dormant and fly only on warmer days".It wasn't winter, in fact it was mid-December, when one fluttered, presumably inadvertently, into our lounge. Before Desiree had

So this is Christmas ...

2010-12-28T00:07:00.000-08:00

Christmas in the Mulligan household has a number of traditions, and can also go on for a while!It starts, of course, with the acquisition of a Christmas Tree, and then it's installation in a crock in a corner of the lounge. And then it has to be decorated. This year, most of that task fell to Jayne, as Charlotte now lives in Wellington. In the meantime, our native 'Christmas tree'

If you go down to the bedroom today ...

2010-12-27T15:40:00.000-08:00

A couple of months ago our aged waterbed gave up the ghost. So it was necessary to get a replacement bed. Which we did. A lovely 'sleigh'-style in rich warm rimu timber.But no sooner was it installed than these three locals took up residence. And they've been there ever since!

It Was Twenty Years Ago Today

2010-12-19T01:32:00.000-08:00

(well, almost!) Actually, it was Thirty Years ago, and although I remembered the anniversary, I missed blogging it! "I read the news today / Oh boy" John Lennon9/10/1940 - 8/12/1980 Imagine there's no HeavenIt's easy if you tryNo hell below usAbove us only skyImagine all the peopleLiving for todayImagine there's no countriesIt isn't hard to doNothing to

Wildlife in the Wilderness!

2010-12-10T21:00:00.000-08:00

I am often intrigued and fascinated by the animals to be observed in our backyard. We have 3 cats, and the neighbours have 2 (although 1 appears to have disappeared), there are various other cats in the area, and we have a resident hedgehog.It helps that we always have bread left over which we put out on the lawn. The birds therefore in our area are thriving. And that includes the fledglings

Happy Birthday to them!

2010-12-06T23:50:00.000-08:00

A Couple of weeks ago niece Kirsten and her husband Adrian celebrated their 40th birthdays. Needless to say, we went along, with the rest of the whanauAdrian and his mates Trevor and Kieran (aka Shindig) played during the evening.If you wondering about the background - go on, admit it! You were - it was a butterfly-patterned paper, put together by one of their friends. And, yes, you can see it

Here at last!

2010-12-04T15:39:00.000-08:00

Summer has arrived with a vengeance. We have had a very dry November, with promises of a hot dry summer.This has produced some odd outcomes in the Mulligan back-yard. Tiffany is an indoors cat. She is small, aging, timid and nervous, and often bullied by Peaches - actually, that's unfair; Peaches really wants to play, but Tiffany reacts as though she is being bullied - and consequently spends

How to eat Pigs Trotters

2010-11-27T20:06:00.000-08:00

we had some visitors to the Irish Society recently. So we turned on a Pot Luck Afternoon Tea, as you do!Someone brought along Pigs Trotters - I have no idea who. But they were greeted with a certain relish! And a good number decided to indulge themselves.Now I have never eaten Pigs Trotters, nor seen them eaten. So I was amused at the way they were attacked by the eaters.

Dastardly French or English Plonkers?

2010-11-26T15:24:00.000-08:00

During a discussion of nothing much at all during morning tea recently, someone asked about the monkey who was a French spy.Now, this curious conjunction of elements produced considerable scepticism and not a little amusement. It also produced some hurried research and resort to that fount of all knowledge and trivia, Wikipedia.Sure enough, and goddamn it, there is such a story, based in that

Mrs Tiggy-Winkle

2010-11-22T00:25:00.000-08:00

I was having a quiet beer in the family room while watching the news, and keeping half an eye on the 'estate' this evening, and there, bold as brass, and presumably dazzled by the sunshine was Mrs Tiggy-Winkle. Or at least a distant relative.We have always had hedgehogs in or around the property. But it is unusual to see one out fossicking about on the back lawn while the sun is still lying on

Farewell to a friend and colleague

2010-11-21T22:55:00.000-08:00

Today was one of those days when one formally farewells a colleague, and, in this case, one who is also a friend. Five years working closely builds a relationship, which today is being re-shaped by Steve's departure for Australia. Go well, and may we cross paths again.

A couple of cuties

2010-11-16T23:10:00.000-08:00

I was fossicking amongst some old photos the other day and came across this one, which I didn't recall seeing before, or digitizing. It is my father, Francis Forrester, and his younger sister, Moira Jean, known as Molly. Aren't they a cute looking couple of kids?

Favourite pastimes

2010-11-10T22:58:00.000-08:00

You've heard before how much I our backyard when the weather is right, and I can wander about, or just sit and observe. Because of what you can see. Like this: This lovely bird decided to look for food on the lawn and was arrogantly unafraid of cats who might be in the vicinity, and simply hopped about for nearly 10 minutes.And then a little later in the evening, as the sun was setting, we got

Not a Bucket-List!

2010-10-13T00:40:00.000-07:00

I don't talk about work online.But, having said that, there are sometimes when you're taken aback at work. And today that happened to me.It happened like this: I have been re-assigned to a new position and placed into a newly-formed team. That means I am leaving the Comms team of which I have been a member for a number of years now. It also means I am shifting office - only one floor, but

Woohoo!

2010-10-08T22:04:00.001-07:00

I have been getting Uncut regularly now for some years. But recently, the kids bought me a postal subscription, and the first edition has just arrived.The interesting thing is that just a couple of days earlier I collected my copy of the September edition, while the posted edition is for November, already!Thanks kids!

A Tui in the Tree

2010-10-08T20:50:00.000-07:00

New Zealand is a land of birds - or at least it used to be!It has no large native mammals. Instead it was blessed with a rich and diverse bird-life. Maori depradations had an impact - with the extinction of Moa, and habitat changes in a few places - but no permanent damage.The arrival of European settlers, however, had a profound impact. Not only were new domesticated animals introduced (cows

Who are we listening to?

2010-10-01T16:24:00.000-07:00

Counting Crows - Hard Candy Fur Patrol - Pet Glasvegas - Glasvegas Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit - Seven Mile Island Levon Helm - Electric Dirt Roky Erickson with Okkervil River - True Love Cast Out All Evil The Broken Family Band - Hello Love The Dead Weather - Horehound Another outlet for the hyper-active Jack White, this time behind a drumkit! The Gaslight Anthem - American Slang The

Pretty, but at a cost

2010-09-30T16:58:00.000-07:00

I like Spring. I also like Autumn.Both seasons bring colour and variety to our garden. Both add interest and diversity to the appearance of the back yard.But both add a sense of clutter and untidiness as well. Yin to go with the yang:

While out walking

2010-09-30T15:10:00.000-07:00

I am supposed to walk for my health. And I do try to do so as regularly as possible - really, I do!And sometimes I even enjoy it. Especially when I encounter things which take my attention.Like, recently I was walking in High Street when I came across this window display:Now, what intrigued me about this display was that I recognised the contents, especially:When I checked I was right:Turns out

In the eye of the storm?

2010-09-22T00:55:00.000-07:00

New Zealand has been battered recently by wild weather, with typical Spring changability reaching to turbulence. We've had wind damage in Auckland, flooding in Manawatu and in the Hutt Valley, snowfalls in Southland crippling buildings, and killing spring lambs, and even a tornado in Taranaki. But we have escaped almost unscathed. Yes we've had plenty of rain, and we've had windy days. But the

Strike One!

2010-09-15T02:07:00.000-07:00

Secondary teachers around the country took industrial action today in support of their (stalled) pay talks.It is not the first time PPTA has engaged in such direct action, and it almost certainly won't be the last!Indeed, I remember being involved in such action during the 1980s. And attending today's rally at Parliament, I was surprised at the number of faces I remember from those events, still

Oooops!

2010-09-14T23:20:00.000-07:00

Jayne accidentally dropped her cell-phone the other day, into water.That meant a rescue operation was required:

Being accountable?

2010-09-11T19:24:00.000-07:00

One of the endearing characteristics of New Zealand is the accessibility of public figures. Not only is New Zealand a small country, and individual cities, in the main, still 'human-scale', but there is a long-established tradition that New Zealanders are open and accessible.Indeed, Austin Mitchell wrote in The Half Gallon Quarter Acre Pavlova Paradise that the best way for an immigrant (as he

Electing these people?

2010-09-11T18:22:00.000-07:00

It's Local Body Election season again. Which means campaigning is underway again. Which means hoardings beside major roads and on fences, and leaflets in the letterbox. But, it also means a period of amusement for me, as I examine the foibles and follies of those offering themselves to be my 'representative'. For example, David Bassett has impressive billboards with a picture of himself in a '

Some people are easily amused

2010-09-11T15:54:00.001-07:00

"I think I might have read something about a deal with Poland or Czechoslovakia - one of those places where they eat potatoes and dress badly - but I can't remember which." [Death and Judgment, Donna Leon, 1995]"Before and after my talk, I chatted with teachers from Dunedin, Lower Hutt, Marton, Nelson, Auckland and Twizel over sandwiches and pastries. They were very nice, and so were the

Earning my stripes

2010-09-11T02:44:00.000-07:00

One of the inevitabilities of spring is mowing the lawn while the ground is still very wet and soft. Consequently, the lawn begins to look like it is covered in stripes. But, at least, the grass does in fact get cut!

Zavanna est mort!

2010-08-28T19:02:00.000-07:00

One of our two canaries died this morning, 29 August 2010Zavanna joined us in time to have a starring role in the Hutt Valley High School stage production of Daughters of Heaven. She starred alongside Sarah Rose.The average life span of a female canary is 5 - 6 years and for a male canary, up to 10 years. Zavanna was born in 2001, and lived with us for almost all of her 9 years.She is survived

Are those chickens coming home to roost?

2010-08-27T17:17:00.000-07:00

I don't normally pay a lot of attention to court case reports in the media, but this news item deserves it: "90-day trial warning for employers.It seems that the Stokes Valley Pharmacy has been ticked off by the Employment Court because it "had not complied with contractual requirements of the Employment Relations Act relating to the trial period". In other words, it had manufactured an excuse

Colour in the Garden

2010-08-20T23:35:00.000-07:00

It was a quiet Saturday today - the weather is improving, and even though it is still August, Spring is in the air.It is Jayne's birthday tomorrow, and she had a few friends coming over for the evening, so of course, there was the obligatory cupcake baking function to be attended to:Meanwhile, outside, the increase in average temperatures has started the spring-time burst of colour in the garden:

I'm not paranoid - I just don't like biased news reportage

2010-08-20T17:59:00.000-07:00

The Australian media conglomerate that dominates print news reportage in our part of the world is doing it's bit to either bury or distort reportage of the deteriorating industrial relations scene in New Zealand.Over at the NZ Herald there is a different picture, with, for example, a lengthy story called "Unions battle to regain lost ground".And why is that a concern?Because New Zealand is now

About time too!

2010-08-19T01:34:00.000-07:00

According to the DomPost, "Parliament has started digitising journals dating back to the 1860s, with the information to be made available online."And about time, too, I say!For those who are baffled by this enormous break-through, be it noted that the Journals referred to are the proceedings of New Zealand's House of Representatives.For any self-respecting historian, these volumes are bread and

It's all a matter of perspective

2010-08-17T01:21:00.000-07:00

Heather Roy (MP?) has claimed the headlines twice in the one week. First was this sortie into the realms of the Dadaist absurd: "Mt Ruapehu – our highest peak?" Wherein she breathlessly reported that a group of year 10 maths students had calculated that the summit of Mt Ruapehu is in fact further from the centre of the earth's core than that of Aorangi/Mt Cook.She faithfully reports that the

Spot on Mr Scott!!

2010-08-14T16:07:00.000-07:00

Originally published in the DominionPost.

The passion of a wife

2010-08-13T22:55:00.000-07:00

Desiree and I both enjoy reading Donna Leon's Inspector Brunetti detective stories.They are set in Venice, and have extensive descriptions of that lovely city. There is even a website dedicated to places mentioned in the books.The main characters are Commissario Guido Brunetti, and his partner Vianello. Brunetti is married to a university lecturer in English literature, Paolo.In the latest

Visiting Cinderella

2010-07-31T01:53:00.000-07:00

Jayne volunteered her services to help with the hair and makeup for the younger sister of a good friend. Katie is the second daughter of Kevin and Kay, long-time friends through the Irish Society. She had two friends, and an escort, who were all going in to the Ball together. So I said I would take photos for them. There weren't as many good ones as I would like, but there were a few.

One Song at a Time: Shindig

2010-07-17T19:13:00.000-07:00

Three of our friends perform as Shindig - an acoustic group with a base of Irish songs and modern American popular standards. Last November they held a concert for family and friends. I set up the video camera and left it running for most of their performance. The list below is of links to the songs I have uploaded to YouTube. Each link will open a separate page in a new window/tab, so you

Shindig: Gypsy Rover

2010-07-17T18:56:00.001-07:00

Shindig: Freeborn Man of the USA

2010-07-17T18:55:00.001-07:00

Shindig: Little Old Wine-drinker You

2010-07-17T18:54:00.002-07:00

Shindig: Streams of Whiskey

2010-07-17T18:54:00.000-07:00