Washington the cat... Walk on the Beach, Aloe, Aloe?

We have our own star, our own LOLCat. I dont know if youve ever seen the website, but my two Littles love flicking through it. So we took our own photo of our quaky cat - Washington.
Shes finding winter brisk this year, in her advancing years (you know what its like :-) )
So here she is, showing me the foundations of our house. She does the silent miaow at me, and talks constantly sometimes, which makes me think she might be my mother-in-law reincarnated...Yes, they need replacing Washington... she is not impressed.
I think shes part Persian, or maybe the wind changed?...

Have been for a jaunt to the beach, it was wet and sandy ... a bit chilly (hats etc), but the sun was fantastic! We saw birds, hills, sun... and noone got their feet wet for a change *grin*

Footprints

The Culprit...

Have been  checking the Aloe veras, planting the small pups into their own pots. Am using a different mix this year, to see if  I can get them to root deeper into the soil. Its a blend of indoor plant mix and orchid mix. So far, so good theyre starting to plump out into bigger plants. Have almost 40 plants now, have started to give some of the larger ones to new homes. Im running out of room!

Cant believe the holidays are nearly over yet again. In a city where people find work, Im very proud to say my Mr almost-16 has just found a part time job. Hes really pleased and cant wait til his first day! Well done You!

Well, Im off to a warmer place,
Hope you sleep well!
Keep Warm
Love,
EButterfly
XXXXXXX

Worming Our Way...

Theres nothing like a bit of physical stuff in the Garden.
I moved half a tonne (seemed like it) of compost today. Gooey, brown, luscious composted stuff.
After all that, Im not entirely pleased with the outcome. Ive got some work to do on the design of the new bin, but for now this will do until the bin is ready...
An unusual sky today, but the birds sat up in the trees and serenaded me, which usually is beautiful.
One in particular today was very loud. A thrush maybe, but its call sounded like it was berating me - Youre A Geek, Youre A Geek!.... Youre A Geek - Nincompoop.
Seriously - I asked Mr 11 what he thought, but he just looked at me strangely and asked me if Id been outside too long... The fresh air got to me, maybe?

WORK IN PROGRESS

By the time Ive jumped all this down, it cant be seen from the top...

In my quest to tidy up that corner, the straggly plum tree thing with the nasty thorny bits has gone.
My hands bear the scars, but thats ok. Im thinking I need a garden plan though so I can do things in stages.

WORMS!!

And, the best part of moving the compost was finding small pockets of compost full of big fat juicy worms!

A real surprise, and a delight to the little Miss 4 who is curious about everything that creeps --- she is keen on worms now that she knows they dont have teeth. However, we arent too keen if they do the wiggly thing when she picks them up. That meant a loud scream in Mommys ear.

Very brave though, she was. Oh that sounds like Yoda from Starwars...

And with that, and the piles of *Spaghetti roots* we dug out today (Convulvulus roots throughout the compost!)

Im out of here ...

Happy Gardening!!
Love,
EBUTTERFLY
XXXXXXXX

Was it really FOUR weeks ago TODAY? - One Month Anniversary -

Hard to believe that it was a month, four weeks ago today, that the Earthquake happened. Crazy how those first days were so long, everything so manual. Then there was a period of tiredness and lull, and then it sped up a little, clean up and getting sorted... Its just amazing.
How far weve come. Today, travelling through the city in search of food meant we went around the city centre. Today the cordon was opened so some people could retrieve their cars. It meant the traffic was crazy, and the sight of the broken buildings near the centre of town made us sober with disbelief. It is one thing to see the brick piles on TV, but when you see the devastation firsthand, it simply adds up. The Cost. Not only the Human cost, but the time it will take to bring us back to something. Not as it was, obviously. There is no way Christchurch will ever be the same again, but... it is exciting to ponder the possibilities of the new beginnings, the progressive changes... that will follow when the time is right.
We passed by the funeral procession of one of the ladies who was killed in the CTV building today. Many Cars followed the hearse, I feel for all the families of those who were killed. It really has been such a big event, without the loss of loved ones, and there are families who have lost friends and colleagues as well as family members, this has touched so many... I hope they have support when they need it. Sunny days when theyre ready for them, love and cuddles if required...
The sun made an appearance today.
Weve had quite determined rain for a couple of days, but it was nice to see some sunlight, heat and somehow things seem happier. Theres been a few little aftershocks, nothing much here, but I see on Geonet the wee stars are everywhere again, signalling other earthquakes in other parts of our beautiful country. Today, Tauranga was the lucky city...
We are put on notice, I think.
No more Mrs Mother-Earth Nice-Gal. Its about Change.
Now we live in a country that is going to shake. We have to learn to deal with it, to live with it, and endure through it. Things are just not going to be as easy as they were, but with our experiences and our knowledge at the forefront, we will do okay.

Thank God for Spongebob and The Simpsons.
The kids have really enjoyed watching the cartoons this week...
Hoping things are happiest where you are.
Love and Light,
Take care of You and Yours,


E BUTTERFLY
XXXXXXXX
PS Glad to see, the BIRDS are BACK in my yard, eating BREAD and chirping beautifully!