Happy Pancake Day

It's Shrove Tuesday and millions of people around the world are tucking in to pancakes (to use up all the naughties like eggs and butter before Lent).  Here it was free hotcakes and coffee for $1 for those of us who took alternative transport to work this morning.  I walked so here are some of my partners in crime and my reward!

Waitangi Day

Last Wednesday was our national day, Waitangi Day.  It's pretty relaxed, no really huge official things going on, except up north at Waitangi itself.  For the rest of us it's really just a chance for a bit of a party.  I went to the landing outside the museum with a couple of friends and enjoyed the free entertainment; traditional, modern and a local Samoan group as well.  Tino pai! (that's Really good!)

Something for everyone

Sunday was hot and humid, yesterday rain tipped down all day and today gales - enough to almost bend the wind wand in half.

BBQing

Yesterday was Australia Day so it seems only right that BBQing was high on the activity list for the day, even here across the ditch.  I didn't cook but I did set up and get a taste of the results.  Our latest exhibition has, for the first time, an outside component   On the foreshore there are four prefabricated houses set up, four baches as holiday homes are know here.  We are doing a series of lifestyley events there too and yesterday we hosted a cook v chef BBQ as our second event.  The first one (picture below) was a battle of the butchers where I got to be a last minute ring-in judge - we thought the pork were the best but the popular vote went to the chicken.

From my back deck

A night in the park

The festival of lights is on at the moment and apart from lights in Pukekura Park there are all sorts of other things going on, including music pretty much every night.  So, last Tuesday a friend and I went to hear a local group

 and then took a wander around to see this year's lights including the black light area

and these fabulous jellyfish floating above the lake.

Cauliflower

For some reason the blog software is playing up and I can't insert a photo today.  If I could it would be of six cauliflower that may, or may not produce something I can eat.  I suspect I'm going to have much more luck with the herbs and the rampant self-sown pumpkin.