Highlights during the Rahui for us…

Dawn of a new day, now Level Two, Wednesday 13 May 2020

Being in lockdown has had lots of positives for us…in our privileged situation.

We’ve both enjoyed our separate daily walks around our neighbourhoods, noticing all the little things..

• …paintings, messages, and soft toys in house windows to please passing children (and adults!) 
• …lots of warm vibes and greetings from passers-by who streamed out into the streets on feet or bikes.  The Bike Auckland research project showed that during lockdown walkers and cyclists made up 60% of road movements, but that this has now, unfortunately, gone back to 30% with the increase in car traffic.…
• 

  under the plane trees…

  …an exceptionally beautiful autumn, with avenues of plane trees in technicolour splendour , piles of their discarded leaves burying the wheels of parked cars, liquidambar dropping their elegant crimson leaves in dainty patterns on footpaths , the green and gold of liriodendron still clinging to branches… 

• … flower and herb gardens on grass verges…pineapple sage with scented scarlet flowers..small crab apple trees laden with cherry-sized crimson fruit (hard as rocks, still)…and lots of residents tending their abundant back-yard vegetable gardens too
• …families and friends spilling out of houses and onto footpaths and verges for drinks and catchups, still keeping  safe distances on widely spaced chairs, or standing

Tanya has also been for many longer bike rides, exploring different suburbs nearby. As well as taking photos, she has made some lovely collages to catch impressions of her journeys and feelings….   Charmaine’s  managed a lot of reading,  some baking and preserving, and has at last realised she doesn’t have to write more of our earthtalk book just yet…

We know how lucky we are to have each other, a comfortable, safe home, enough money to live well and share with others, and we’re especially grateful to those who have delivered delicious food to our doorstep on request like wonderful boxes of autumn vegetables from Kelmarna Gardens and Papatūānuku Marae Gardens, and fresh fish from the day’s catch by SanfordandSons Fisheries.  And the chicken, leek and bacon pies from Westmere Butcher are wonderful too!

fresh vegies from Papatūānuku Marae…

Thanks to the new level 2 changes we have been able to drive across the Harbour  Bridge for a family celebration: two birthdays, Tanya’s great-niece Ellie now 8, and grandfather Garth (Tanya’s brother) 78.  Hari huritau ki a korua!!

sitting, from left: Barney, Ellie, Garth, Viv, and at back Tanya and Jo