Did a quick virtual visit to Kew - stupendous! I hope they have some Kauri trees growing there in the Arboretum - they aren't doing so well here.
I don't know about Kauri trees, but there was a lot of stuff about rescuing plants from extinction by firstly doing some Boy's Own Aventure stuff absailing down inaccessable cliff or struggling through dense forest to find the last remain specimen of something and secondly doing amazing things in the lab. They got one tree back from extinction when all they had was a few cells.
Huia, our young kauri is doing really well. A spectacularly odd decision of the first owners of the house, since most of its relatives are at the other end of the North Island. Likewise our very fine young totara. But on the other hand we're a long way from the disease area, so it might be quite positive.
Kew is one of my favourite places to hang out (along with Chelsea Physick Garden) in London. I was involved at one point with producing texts on the Global Plants Initiative -- Kew herbariums have more than 7-million specimens, and for anyone interested in rare plants from wild and lonely places, Kew is where to get a wider and deeper understanding of plant diversity. Plants have irresistible stories and new plants are being discovered every years in the Cameroons, Mozambique or Brazil.
The other day, I saw that a Kew botanist, an FB contact, had posted an image of a tiny aquatic plant named Isoetes eludens that survives in seasonal rock pools and is 'eludens' because it is so hard to track down. It is also known as the quillwort that began life in the Namib desert more than 150-million years ago. The hollow spiked leaves or quills produce spores and so it is one of our most ancient ferns.
I have coffee and a toasted sandwich in McDs downstairs while` apartment is open for inspection. I usually read something light and fluffy on Kindle while wait for 90 minutes. It can be noisy and distracting there. Today I forgot to check what was left that I had not read. Nothing, so I opened A Splash of Words by Mark Oakley. It had been recommended by a Shipmate but I cannot remember which one. Thank you, whoever you are. I am thoroughly enjoying it, both what he has to say and his manner of saying it.
A friend of mine has a kauri growing in Christchurch too. I guess one advantage of trees planted outside of their region is that there will be stocks for breeding if a disease decimates their native area. I think of kaka beak which I read are rare in their area, but more common in gardens around NZ. I saw a lovely one on the Kew website.
Happy read Loth! It's grey, rainy and miserable here so its perfect inside activity weather. I'm practising my piano skills, though skill is not a word I'd use yet. Thankfully I have a patient teacher.
Yes, and it's great that Zealandia, the Karori wildlife sanctuary mentioned in the Wiki article, along with Wellington Zoo have such a successful breeding programme going. Like other parrots their beaks are really strong and can rip into trees, which I have read makes then less that popular with some people.
Climacus your piano playing sounds like a brilliant inside activity. I need to get back to my needlework as I think being creative, even when it's a bit frustrating, is a brilliant antidote to the black slug.
Sure thing re needlework, Huiua. I am looking forward to meeting my knitting again. I was not careful when lots of things were packed and away it went into storage.
We have kaka in our garden at the moment - they're here, like all the birds, for the kohekohe blossom. Talk about dawn chorus, its more like dawn mega rock concert.
We're getting a fair bit of avian rock-concert too - especially from a baby grackle who's learning to feed and sits on the deck squawking "feed me"* until mummy and daddy grackle come and give him some of the seeds they've chucked around from our bird-feeder.
* well, I assume that's what he's saying - I'm not exactly fluent in grackle ...
We have bees as well as chooks when move happens. Possibly permanent. At least till well into spring. It is years since I had three hives on kitchen roof in Sydney suburbia. No equipment around now. Happy to have them if only as boarders.
Here is street view. It starts three house blocks down and moves up to driveway at right. Almost parklike and house can be just seen through trees
I don't feel so bad about my weather whinging. Apparently Christchurch has averaged less than one hour of sun per day so far in June. If it continues we will have an all time record (not the kind I want to have again).
I put some towels out to dry, but they came in almost as damp.
Horrible feeling, wet towels. I was lucky, picked the only fine day in days to do washing.wet again. I don’t complain about rain, but find working washing and getting it dry outside of inspections is hard. Would not worry me normall, but agent wants nothing hanging around. Even handsoap in bathroom has to be put away.
Well, having told Lothlorien (near Sydney), Mr Curly (ditto) and Rowen (far east end of Victoria) that I might turn up in their neighbourhoods, the Uniting Church in its wisdom has appointed me to Kirwan, Townsville, North Queensland, at the top (and hot) end of the continent. First service a week on Sunday, 1 July. Wanna come up? Lovely weather this time of year.
Which means our longest serving MP is now the acting PM for the next 6 weeks while Jacinda is on parental leave.
In other political news, David Seymour, Leader of the Act Party has gathered more votes on Dancing With the Stars than he did in the General Election. Maybe an alternative career option
Well, having told Lothlorien (near Sydney), Mr Curly (ditto) and Rowen (far east end of Victoria) that I might turn up in their neighbourhoods, the Uniting Church in its wisdom has appointed me to Kirwan, Townsville, North Queensland, at the top (and hot) end of the continent.
I'm reminded of a time in my young life: Having just completed a jungle warfare course, I was straightaway posted to the desert.
One criterion was spacious with room for each of us Space not a room.
All the best for the move. We spent 20 happy years in Blackheath but was also happy to move away for the my retirement years. Winmalle is not as cold as the upper mts but it is much warmer than the upper mts but ever so slightly cooler than the 'Riff"!!
Winmalee to Faulconbridge, perhaps Woodford has a climate mentioned on council website as best in world, neither too hot nor too cold. Of course that is a subjective judgment. I too would prefer to be higher but several requirements prevent that. One especially being able fort DIL on call to be at Westmead children’s hospital within an hour.
There has been a "knit for Jacinda and Clark's baby" campaign with the products being given to hospitals and such organisations to be given out to babies in need. I think it was a brilliant idea.
Our young(ish) preacher person started his sermon by asking us the "Most successful sports team of all time". It didn't take long for "The All Blacks" to be mentioned. There aren't many teams for which a) the sport and b) the country don't need to be named.
He then asked for the top five players, so I named Colin Meads, to be sure of at least one. Nope, not even in the top ten he had! What is going on I thought? OK, Dan Carter and Richie McCaw were very good but I thought New Zealanders grew up on stories of Pinetree and co. Heck, even Michael Jones didn't get a mention.
History is dead. That or I have an over romanticized view of applied violence. Oh, did I mention that our preacher person was from New Zealand?
Goodness, I am cold.
Worked in Bright a few days this week.
I can now competently drive in wheel chains and deep snow.
Back to my own warm bed last night.
Goodness, it’s cold!!!
When my brother moved to Christchurch he was silly enough to say in a pub that he didn't know who Robbie Deans was (a relation of Bob Deans mentioned above) he just about caused a riot, and it was only when he said that Mum had been born in Christchurch that he saved himself from being classed as a Jafa (Just another f Aucklander) and thus worthy of being abused.
Jacinda and Clark's baby has been named Neve Te Aroha Arden Gayford. Neve is an anglicised spelling of Niamh, Te Aroha means Love, but is also the name of the place Jacinda's family come from.
It's also Italian for "snow" which is nice for Matariki, Solstice, and winter in general (even if not that far north!). Though I don't think the Italians use it as a name
My friend with dementia managed to get to Church Parade for St John Ambulance today. Held at St Pauls Burwood as usual since Cathedral in Sydney turned them down many years ago. He is not a fan of anglicanism , goes to uniting church down here, Described St Pauls Burwood down here as stratospherically high. I saicd not really. He was quite uppity about it. There will be those on the boards who know what I mean. Certainly not a usual Sydney Anglican service.
Comments
I don't know about Kauri trees, but there was a lot of stuff about rescuing plants from extinction by firstly doing some Boy's Own Aventure stuff absailing down inaccessable cliff or struggling through dense forest to find the last remain specimen of something and secondly doing amazing things in the lab. They got one tree back from extinction when all they had was a few cells.
The other day, I saw that a Kew botanist, an FB contact, had posted an image of a tiny aquatic plant named Isoetes eludens that survives in seasonal rock pools and is 'eludens' because it is so hard to track down. It is also known as the quillwort that began life in the Namib desert more than 150-million years ago. The hollow spiked leaves or quills produce spores and so it is one of our most ancient ferns.
Happy read Loth! It's grey, rainy and miserable here so its perfect inside activity weather. I'm practising my piano skills, though skill is not a word I'd use yet. Thankfully I have a patient teacher.
Climacus your piano playing sounds like a brilliant inside activity. I need to get back to my needlework as I think being creative, even when it's a bit frustrating, is a brilliant antidote to the black slug.
Me too. My vision isn't what it used to be, but I have lots of projects that I need to get out of the closet and see about starting.
* well, I assume that's what he's saying - I'm not exactly fluent in grackle ...
Hullo Yay... how are you? Are you all senior professional now??
Here is street view. It starts three house blocks down and moves up to driveway at right. Almost parklike and house can be just seen through trees
https://www.instantstreetview.com/@-33.673129,150.608107,149.59h,-11.95p,1.59z
I put some towels out to dry, but they came in almost as damp.
I’m more senior than I was but still plugging through training.
One day....
Jacinda, PM and Clarke are at the hospital!!
Push, push, push....
In other political news, David Seymour, Leader of the Act Party has gathered more votes on Dancing With the Stars than he did in the General Election. Maybe an alternative career option
All the best for the move. We spent 20 happy years in Blackheath but was also happy to move away for the my retirement years. Winmalle is not as cold as the upper mts but it is much warmer than the upper mts but ever so slightly cooler than the 'Riff"!!
And on the Solstice too!
Congrats Aotearoa-New Zealand ...
As a knitter. I too noted that.
Frosty morning here, but the sun is out. YaY!
He then asked for the top five players, so I named Colin Meads, to be sure of at least one. Nope, not even in the top ten he had! What is going on I thought? OK, Dan Carter and Richie McCaw were very good but I thought New Zealanders grew up on stories of Pinetree and co. Heck, even Michael Jones didn't get a mention.
History is dead. That or I have an over romanticized view of applied violence. Oh, did I mention that our preacher person was from New Zealand?
Worked in Bright a few days this week.
I can now competently drive in wheel chains and deep snow.
Back to my own warm bed last night.
Goodness, it’s cold!!!
Best wishes FD!
Looks lovely Loth.
Congratulations Jacinda.
I know nought about NZ rugby; though I did wish Dan Carter for a husband at some stage.
Ask him if he believes that Bob Deans scored that try in 1905!