UFO?

Nope, floating drilling rig.

It sustained some damage in all our serious weather and has been anchored just off the coast while it is repaired. At night it's lit up like a christmas tree..

and during the day it looks more like this.

Be very nice to mother nature

Last week I spent slightly longer in Nelson for a library managers meeting than originally planned. Mother nature wasn't very nice to 5 of us, an electrical storm putting paid to us making our connections out of Wellington. So an extra night in Nelson it was. It did however mean a very nice meal and a very nice beer in a Macs pub where this kind of art is part of the branding. You just have to imagine the 'h' and that the photos line up, but you get the drift.

And this one was taken in Christurch a couple of years ago now. Obviously the Macs view of life appeals.

Farewellings

My boss (now ex-boss) finished up last week. As is entirely appropriate there were many farewells the last being a staff do on Friday night. Six years ago he was piped into the building as befitted his Scottish heritage so we arranged for him to be piped out of the building to send him on his way.

We then took him down to Wellington and on Monday morning a group of about 70 of us handed him over, with full Maori protocol to be the new National Librarian.

Minor casualties

We have had two solid days of seriously high wind - 110kms +. Trees are down, roofs are off, trucks have been blown off the road, the town sounds haunted with all the whistling and howling and the airport has been closed. Luckily my casualties have been minor. My front gate, that wasn't in the best of condition is now hanging on by an thread...

and my rooster took a tumble.

It was supposed to ease off at lunch time, now they are saying this evening. I'll wait until things stop banging.

Climbing Paritutu

I didn't make the dawn service this morning but I did follow through on a promise to my trainer. What with one thing and another I can't get to the gym this week so I promised to climb Paritutu, one of the sugarloafs running out from the port. Here is the view from the bottom.

And here is the view from almost at the top. I didn't get all the way because it's rock climbing along a chain and I was doing it in between showers. Well worth it though and well worth doing again on a fine day.

Annual abundance

My poor little feijoa tree is at it again. Here is a shot of the sublime and the ridiculous with my phone for scale. And here is the crop to date - well technically, this is what I have retrieved so far. Last week they were all on the tree then suddenly they ripened and started dropping. Coming soon to a 'free to a good home' sign near you!

Never say never

When I finished my degree I said I would never do formal study again. Cake decorating and flower arranging, that was it. However, as you know I am doing Te Reo Maori and managed to pass all my assessments last year. That means that last Tuesday, along with about 60 of my classmates, I graduated. Gown, sash, certificate and academic record, the whole shebang.

And here is a shot of the after party. We all took great delight in being outside on a fabulous day having a quiet bevvy and a great time (the empty Guinness glass is mine btw).