Practical Prepping... Saving Seeds, Preparing for next Season.

“The consequences of today are determined by the actions of the past.

To change your future, alter your decisions today.”

 ~ Anonymous



Tansy



Some Practical Prepping
Given we are almost over Summer, the Garden needs some long-term prep for Winter and the new growing season at the end of it. Everywhere is getting some compost & horse manure, the shrubs and trees are getting a light trim, and Im ripping out things that are long gone and dead.

There are a few of my plants in the garden that have been seeding their little hearts out. Ive kept them aside instead of ripping them out by the roots, and theyre now setting seed. This year Ive collected quite a number of varieties, which helps hugely to keep the costs down for gardening next season.
Sunflowers are starting to die down, the seeds are still hard, but will come out in the next week or so. Three large heads are going to collect around 300 seed if all goes well :)

Sunflower seeding

Seeds of Mizuna, Mibuna, Rocket, Mustard greens etc, all from a Mesculun mix, are all set and collected easily once the heads are dry. They seed in their 1000s which is awesome if you like to resow your own mesculun. Yum! We collect the seeds and I store them in handmade paper envelopes with the name, date and amount if known, on the front. Cool and dry storage, in something like a shoe box works for us. Some people freeze seed, but at this stage, I have very limited freezer space.





Front Garden in Full Colour

 

Pyrethrum Flowers repel Flies

Happy Blue Borage flowers attract Bees



Anise Hyssop edge the drive with Balm of Gilead (pink)

 Tansy, Pyrethrum, Figwort, Balm of Gilead and Anise Hyssop are all giving of their seed at the moment. Pyrethrum is valuable for so many things, especially alleviating flies and other pests, a spray can be made from its leaves. Tansy is a great companion plant for Raspberry, and Anise Hyssop attracts bees.
Balm of Gilead is an unusual herb, very pleasant scent, and smells lovely when brushed against. These herbs once planted are a little like Borage, they are hardy and often spread easily (meaning root cuttings by divison are easy), they are often difficult to get rid of once theyre established, but theyre well worth it for their medicinal and herbal properties. Borage is such an attractive bee plant...
Then we have other attractants like Poppy or Hollyhock, Marigold and Calendula that seed like crazy. Have one poppy one year, the next year you have 1000s!

Hollyhock - Bumblebee haven, seeds easily

Tomato - If you have 1 tomato, you have seeds for many!

Not so easy to get seed from - Carrots

Easy Seeds - Giant Lemon Marigold

Fenugreek - Great for many medicinal uses

So thats what we are up to at the moment.
On the Emergency Kit prepping, we have just added some more bits and pieces - some solar powered garden lights, some rope, tarps, an emergency wind up radio, and torches. It doesnt have to be much at a time, just a little bit each time you see something you can afford. The rule with groceries here, is when you buy something, ie 4 rolls of toiletpaper, 1 goes into the kit. If I buy Shampoo or Cat Food, I decant a small amount off the top so I can keep it aside, JUST IN CASE :-) Collecting up small bottles and containers all the time... So there we go.

Off to check the Tomato bushes like a big over-bearing blackbird, in the chance that with this sun today, some of them have the will to colour up and need picking!

Will catch you up later,
Take care and Enjoy Life

E BUTTERFLY
XXXXXXXXX

Rain following the wind... January Snow...How does your Garden Grow?

Sunflowers over 6ft before wind

Rain Following the Wind...

Long time not a lot of  blogging going on, but news has been scarce around here. Its not that we havent done things, its been a lack of camera, and theres only so many stories you can write about without pics...

News to hand is... its raining.

Not just a little bit, but hard rain. Weve had a lot of rain in a short time. Yesterday was mucky and drizzly with some pelting thunder/lightening storms. Today its not mucking around, its serious rain, hard and heavy. The gardens needed rain, but the people who are in Red Zone houses with holes did not.

Nature at its best out there though, providing for its own (plants)

Echinacea

Last week was horrendously windy.

The garden suffered, and everything got trussed up, Ive had to cut back my echinaceas to my sorrow, both plants ended up losing hunks to the wind. Ive tried to salvage the bits that fell off, they both had roots. We shall see! Fingers xed! The blooms have been gorgeous, scented and my favourite - PINK!

So its the middle of the night. Its cold outside, and nice and cosy in here.

Mid Summer... believe it or not :)

I cant sleep, and after pulling muscles in my arms doing some major weeding jobs, (yes... that shows how tough the ground is here!!) sleep has been precious in the past two weeks.
We have a new piece of garden, and some new plants. In fact, they just keep coming.

We have a new Clementine tangelo/mandarin who is potted, two new blueberries - Tif Blue and Centurion.

They went into the new plot, and I was surprised when I picked them up to see that they had fruit on them. Good Lookin!! Cant wait to see how many last the distance.

Clementine

Our Satsuma *Miho* is looking good.

It had small tiny buttons for fruit on it when it arrived pre-Xmas. The tiny buttons are now $1 coin size.

The horsey poo water is fertilizing things nicely, Ive added supa-gro to some of the pots to help things grow on. Im hoping to mulch some hay or straw in in the next few weeks, should finances allow.

Our own compost pile is looking good, it will sit over winter, and I ll put black plastic over it... just like a real farmer and silage :)

January Snow? - Who'd have thought we would get snow in January. Not here, but nearby in Porters Pass area. Its crazy! It leaves us believing that the seasons are changing into a myriad of different things. Perhaps we are amidst this Climate Change thing we hear so much about, and afraid of. I think the whole *Intuitive* gardening helps get through this. Mulching to keep our plants happy, and turning over the soil regularly making sure it doesnt clog with water... Here we are near enough to the water table that it could mean raised beds are neccessary to alleviate any flooding. I think our problem will be if we dont get enough sunny days, nothing will ripen fast enough and you get fruit rotting before it ripens.
Ive thought about these issues, and by far I dont have answers, just want to trial different things to see if they work. One thing is using thermal mass around the garden. Walls of brick to keep things warm for instance. I have built up, bricked-in trenches or edges that Ive got tomatoes in, around the edge of my pathways which are cement. The sun reflects off the cement and the heat of the bricks keeps the soil warmer than the bigger beds. These tomatoes are always the first to fruit, first to ripen... ONLY ones to ripen so far this year. We are at least a month behind where we were last year, and two months behind the North Island from what I read on popular gardening forums. Id hate us to get even less growing season, but if that happens, I have to invest in some glass for a glass house or similar. I simply cant NOT grow things :-)

Because I rent, I cant bear the thought of putting things into the ground and not being able to take them with me. So I pot.

I have some rather large pots now, and I am really waiting for Superman to call in when I need to shift. Cos Im thinkin he will be the only one who can lift the pots!!
Ahh well, maybe Earth Changes will happen and I ll swap my trailer for a Chinese Junk and we can sail to Gardening Heaven?

Home grown Potatoes!

Thats possibly enough of my Mid-Night Ravings, and I should possibly go back to bed and sleep.

Ahh, if only.

Seeding Sunflower

Akane Apple - just the one this year!

Tif Blue Blueberry!

Potatoes with a purple flower, pretty!

Stunning Carrot flower (Nutri-Red)

Bloody Butcher Tomato Babies, Yum!

Black Zebra. Can see the stripes, no black yet.

Jaune du coeur de pigeon - Yellow pigeon egg sized tomatoes

So thats us.

How about this for a Happy Earthquake Song? Love it! SEE YOUTUBE HERE

Take care out there.
I hope youre all well, and happy.

The shaking (aftershocks) - dare I mention? They are easing. For now.

There are other parts of the country that have had shaking too, so life in NZ where ever you move is going to be tenuous.

School goes back soon, and Im not looking forward to being without my Littles.

So Im not thinking about that, and trying to make the best of the time we have left together.

Love to All

Happy Gardening :)

E BUTTERFLYXXXXXXXXX

PS - AFTERSHOCK. See, it never ever pays to mention Mother Nature :)
That gave me a good fright, it was centred around the road, about 3k away and sent the ball of fluff on my knee flying.

Washington, Old Girl

See What Happens... Earthquakes in the East - Christchurch does it again!



Loving Memory


See What Happens... 5.8, 6.0, 5.0 - Today weve had them all, and MORE. The children say its MY FAULT for tidying up!
So I got up today, early. It was my watering day, so I wanted to make the first watering as early as possible. It takes around an hour, and I had things to do...
So... Clean Up! Outside is looking much better, a huge pile to the dump, not once, but twice. The first load goes well. We are coming out and commenting as we get back into traffic that the skies are looking a bit jumbled, theres lots of different kinds of cloud, including those little odd skiffs... over there. Pointing, laughing. We start talking about how we havent had aftershocks. How the Refuse Station with its massive high concrete walls and roof would be horrible to be in ...
So the second load goes well.
Im out of the car, unloading... BANG and rocking. Its a big one. And the children are in their carseats in the car. Mr 11.5y gets on top of Miss 5. Its viscious.
I want to run, but cant, and get in trying to get them out. Nasty shock... We get in and collect ourselves.
Not nice. I just realise. I could so easily have lost them both. All of us. Gone. Nasty shock!
Not something I want to repeat, then as we gather ourselves, theres another one, and we just head on out of there... As we step off the weighbridge after paying the fee, and speed out... theres liquefaction. We look to Sumner, and there is a dust cloud.
Thank God Baz is driving, because I was still shaking. My heart was pounding for ages afterwards.
Theres a flurry of  moving traffic. Pools of liquefaction oozing, some traffic lights not working, some that do. Theres water, and people with phones. And the people with phones are EVERYWHERE. You notice these things. We hear constant sirens. All day Sirens.
Down our side street, and its bumping and cracking and oozing again.
The new strengthened, fixed infrastructure  is to be commended. It sustained.
Eighty minutes later, there is another one. (6.0)
We are standing in a friends drive, Im checking on her as I know her daughter is at work, so she is alone. We are talking, standing together.
It shakes violently as we are watching helicopters checking the bridge down on the corner that joins Avonside to Dallington. Violent shaking and we duck down, like we are in a prayer meeting, holding each other. It seems pointless, because we are powerless against that immense force, we get tossed around. We hold each other like we are in a Rugby Scrum.
We laugh nervously about the strength of the two of us, Strong Avonside Women. Gulp. Tested.
Weve had a number of strong shocks today. We roll with them, but its kind of like *Oh no, not again* ... A familiar stance is to clutch yourself and say Oh God, that was a good one.

Thank God we have power and water. We are blessed, life without power and water is so ... tiring.
Weve just been for a walk around the block. Burning off the adrenaline. My little ones are buzzing.
Today was one of *those* days - another landmark.
Tick.
Got through it.

For now, Im thinking about all those who are flooding, or who have *gone red* because of further damage to their homes or those, bless them, who really are at breaking point.
We may have got through it with homes in one piece, but honestly, who can evaluate the cracks on our stress levels, who can smooth the fear and make things ok?
It is telling on us all, and when I look at the little tired and serious faces in my bed tonight - Yeah, it tells on me too.

Be Strong Christchurch, and lets not live in fear, but in hope.
From this, we have to live stronger.
The choice is NOT to give in.

Merry Christmas
Happy Holidays
Blessings!

EARTH BUTTERFLYXXXXXXXXXXXX



Magnificent Monday and Other Stuff

A Magnificent, Moving Monday... Well, it started out just magnificent, but since I decided the magnificent part, its been a bit shaky too! A 4.3 to help us digest our breakfast with... Shake those cornies down...

So, where have we been lately? ... Not outside so much, a week inside at least because of three days of very heavy snow, though the snow did leave us on good terms with the beautiful weather post-snow.
Gorgeous blue skies, those billowy white clouds and some knock-out days in the garden!
Been cleaning and tidying mostly. Trying to organize the spare room into something other than Survival Central. Of course, now Im reconsidering :-) Maybe the Survival Stuff can go back where it was, and me and The Boarder - well, we can all just huddle in the lounge or curl up on The Sofa together and admire the view.  

Have had the kids down with *suspected measles* - they had some of  the symptoms, and Miss 4.11 came down with a  rash, but nothing seemed to *happen* other than temperature spikes and night and lethargy.
All over now,  ten days and we bounced back again very quickly, pleased to report... My children touch wood, dont tend to get ill apart from the occasional cold. Im very grateful for that I might add!

We have Tomatoes! <--- technically, just the plants... of course... But our seedlings have sown nicely and are cheerfully growing so they can see out the lounge window... Weve been watching them grow morning by morning, and noting who grew first - Tomato Chocolate is the laziest, and our Bloody Butchers seem to be having issues with which way is UP!  The little yellow cherry tomatoes just grew and grew - they took three days to sprout, and they have their first set of *grown up tomato leaves* now.
So most of these varieties we chose are supposedly early, so I hope they remember to Grow Strong.
We have a bbq dinner riding on whose tomatoes fruit first --- we cant have Uncle N winning because he cooks superb bbq!!

All in all, we have some fenugreek seedlings looking fantastic, some awesome Basil Red Rubin - very pretty purply red shoots! and then theres assorted tomatoes... Its going to be fantastic if we can successfully grow them all, Im stocking up on the Tomato recipes in anticipation...
Have some companions going in too, some calendula, some parsley and some marigolds, also looking to snip some cuttings from my lavenders.

The Police are blitzing this part of town lately checking warrants, registrations and licences.
It seems ironic that because of our bottlenecks with traffic works, they use that to their best advantage.
The traffic is so slow at rush hour anyway because of the holes that open up so frequently, or the roadworks that is ongoing, but this morning they had the incoming traffic slowed to a halt almost as they checked the cars...
It isnt a worry for me at the moment, but sometimes it can be a few days in between getting things ship shape, and its a big stress for most people round this part of town.
In My opinion, the cost of living has risen, but wages and benefits do not reflect this rise. I do worry about where it will leave people, as their first and foremost concern is surely family care and comfort - power and food, warm clothing and footwear, over whether vehicles are legal?
Another stressor now of course, is having to have a *second supply* of things, in case of power cut or earthquake. It IS a stressor here.
It doesnt always equate to *bad planning* if you dont have everything you need, it may be that there is just not enough funds to spread between the things you need from day to day, and the things you *may possibly/probably* need in case of emergency.
ARE YOU PREPARED? Do you have things stored for your family?
It is something I am coming up against, but I tick along ok. It is a question that is often asked when you talk to people - Do you have a first aid kit? Do you have stored food or water?
For me - it is a must. Basics. As I said to Mr EB yesterday, God I hope we dont have to survive on my survival kit, as RICE is the main component! Im sure I love rice... sigh.

 Im committed to planting my garden with vegetables and companion plants rather than the usual perhaps showy plants/flowers that I would like...
It is simply, it makes sense.

Well, on that note, I must go and rethink my supply cupboard.
I have masks and gloves, water and matches, lantern and tarpaulins to find homes for.

Healing Thoughts to my friend Spencer,
We love you Spence.

Thinking Of You, and Your Garden
May all Your weeds, be edible :-)
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
EButterfly






       

The News Weve all been Waiting For ... Avonside/Dallington - Street Sinkhole, Photos

A big day for some of us in Christchurch. Homeowners finally have some idea about what is to happen with their homes, properties and their futures.
Weve been glued to the news. Its really important for us who live here to know what is happening to those who own their own homes, so we can support and understand their decisions... and be the Ear that they may need... Lots of turmoil, it must be heartbreaking - we watched Campbell Live last night, and it is truly heartbreaking to see the families and homeowners and hear their stories about their lives since September 2010...
Heres some News Links here...
Emotional day for Avonside and Dallington

How It Works - Pay Out Case Studies

Crown to buy 5100 quake-hit Christchurch homes

Cathedral Dome to be Removed  - Ever since I was a little girl visiting Christchurch, it was always a sign that we were near the central city when we could spot the Catholic Cathedral domes. Seeing the Angels sitting amongst the badly damaged Cathedral in the first few months, and then the devastation in the second earthquake when they started demolishing the buildings, it all makes me so sad that My Christchurch (like a lot of other peoples CHCH!) is changing. I loved that building, it was truly beautiful. Majestic beauty. Sob. Today theyre removing the crosses. Because of the bare land spots throughout the avenues, it makes Christchurch quite a changed city site already... Just miss the familiarity. Remembering today especially, all the lives that passed away, and the remaining lives that changed forever on those shaky days... Nostalgic grey kind of day today maybe...xx xx

Big Ups. We are moving into a new planning phase. Mr EB and I are actively seeking new things to do to support our (self sufficient) lifestyles. This will bring us closer together, and we will be better able to support ourselves and our family.

Our garden is always surprising us. SURPRISE! It must be ... Spring? Heck no. Yesterday was the shortest day or somesuch... but! WE HAVE FLOWERS :-)

Oh and Holes... Middle of the Street. Broad daylight (actually Wintry Gloom today, rain and such!) but there it is... a Sink hole!

And then there is our brave Geranium cuttings that seem to eat Liquefaction for breakfast, cos theyve grown WILD baby!
WAHOO! Pretty too...

Liquefaction in the front, under the lounge

Geranium Cuttings that grew like Topsy!

And then theres our poor old Chimney. Old being the best word to describe it... The top has been removed, and its capped off inside and on the roof level... but the outside is coming further away from the house with each shudder... EQC need to assess it, before the landlord will do anything further. Gulp. EQC are so over-worked... It isnt a good scenario.

This Ole House!

And thats it for now...
Another day in the life of a Earthquake Turtle.

Love Ya!EBUTTERFLY
xxxxxxxxxxxxx
XXXXXXXXX

The Longest Night.... 5.3 and Lots of others besides...

Have just driven Mr Intermediate to school.
After last nights episodes, it was a long night. Well, thats what theyre claiming. I dunno. I slept through the majority of the aftermath ... Whoops. Some survivalist I turned out to be *grin* My babies just rolled over and went back to sleep when I checked on them during the night... YAY!

LINK HERE 

- Its nice and settled out there at the moment. A bit grey and quite dusty. The silt on the roads has settled, but in others there are still clumps to watch out for. Impatient drivers everywhere, but thats *school hour* traffic for you I guess.

Have just started another listing marathon in my bid to de-clutter. I do so want to be a Minimalist eventually.



Beautiful Avon River

It may happen... one day :-)

The rain has stopped, and the shakes for now have subsided, but Im still two cats down. I cant find the black and white one, or the tortiseshell one... and they shouldve been fed by now. Im wondering if perhaps theyre holding out for better food *grin*
Roll On Wednesday. Oh and I mean that in a non-shaking, mediocre, let-me-gather-my-wits kinda way!

All the best,
Keep Smiling!
EBUTTERFLY
XXXXXXXX

NO Aftershocks since 12pm *plays eerie music*

Well. The Cabin Fever has hit.
The Monday That Was, was very long and rather mundane. Thanks to Rain, more Rain and the Indoor Activities... knitting, doing jigsaws, reading, play with the playdough, more reading, snoozing with the cat, walking in the rain... splashing in puddles... we LOVE puddles!
We have been out and about trying to find somewhere to be, but lots of places are still closed in this part of town. I simply dont have the petrol to go further, so we will wait. The Library and The Warehouse were the main attractions, both have big wide tape over their doors. I hope all is back to normal soon, those poor people who are employed by them who have to pick up and clean up AGAIN. Its got to be very mundane, rather taxing when you just get it done, then bang.. bompf. Gotta do it again. A bit like the householders and the cleaning up of liquefaction... its a constant thing.
Miss B from down the road, has flown the coop. Shes off for a holiday in Europe, lucky lady! I hope she has plenty of time for relaxing, she has family all over and has decided its time to go and visit. Escaping the A/shocks AND the Winter, clever lady!!! We miss her winning smile and her dry wit.

However, Im happy !!! to report, there has been NO Mother Earth Activity since 12pm today. Which is odd, because Id have thought we might have had a bit of a shake, but no... and Im not complaining...
This is good things.

I have plans, and I hear the weather will be better later in the week. Ive found some pea straw, and Im going to get some on Friday. Im looking forward to extending the garden a little, and finding something awesome to start growing in my pots on my windowsill so Arlais and I can watch them grow.
Maybe an Apidistra ... Ok Now Ive got to find the lyrics... Gracie Fields? Yeah I think it mightve been...

Here We Go!!! All together now... The Biggest Aspidistra In the World... Gracie Fields.

For years we had an aspidistra in a flower pot

On the whatnot, near the 'atstand in the 'all

It didn't seem to grow 'til one day our brother Joe

Had a notion that he'd make it strong and tall

So he's crossed it with an acorn from an oak tree

And he's planted it against the garden wall

It shot up like a rocket, 'til it's nearly reached the sky

It's the biggest aspidistra in the world

We couldn't see the top of it, it got so bloomin' high

It's the biggest aspidistra in the world

When father's had a snoot full at his pub, 'The Bunch of Grapes'

He doesn't go all fighting mad and getting into scrapes

No, you'll find him in his bear-skin playing Tarzan of the apes

Off the biggest aspidistra in the world

We have to get it watered by the local fire brigade

So they put the water rates up half a crown

The roots stuff up the drains, grow along the country lanes

And they came up half a mile outside the town

Once we hired an auditorium for a hot house

But a jealous rival went and burnt it down

The tom cats and their sweethearts love to spend their evenings out

Up the biggest aspidistra in the world

They all begin meowing when the buds begin to sprout

From the biggest aspidistra in the world

The dogs all come around for miles, a lovely sight to see

They sniff around for hours and hours and wag their tails with glee

So I've had to put a notice up to say it's not a tree

It's the biggest aspidistra in the world

So there ya go... Something to remember me by ;)
Now Ive got that tune stuck in my head.

Talk to Ya Soon!
Love to all,
EBUTTERFLY
XXXXXXXX

Raindrops on Roses... and Liquefaction on Roads - Roll on Monday!



Arlais' Rainbow, hand painted :)


Raindrops.. Lots of Em! Its been raining for a while now, so long that this morning the first thing I could hear on the roads was the swish of the slop as the cars went past on their way to Whereever - liquefaction + rain = Sloppy Grey Sludge. And its so slippy - Mind that Cyclist! I went to get petrol and saw one guy almost lose it as he turned right. Not good. The weatherman (Tamati Coffey) says  up to 10 degrees today. Brrr. Take that Christchurch! Its not so bad, but after the lovely days of last week, we really are going to do it hard.
Its still dark, and its quarter to eight... Monday again! A week ago we were in a different place, and Im hoping the aura of that day is gone, to be forgotten.

The De-Clutter is still progressing. The Great Garage is starting to look emptier, which creates a good feeling... The Trademe & Freecycle accounts are heaving with new entrants. I hope the sales go well, have added pea-straw and some rather bright Summer fabric to the watchlist... oh and some rather special Tomato seeds to try!

Onward. Got to be brave. Last call. Into the Fray!
Tug on the rope if you cant find me, I ll be in the Garage!!
Love to Tony and Evita - If youre out there... keep in touch
Love to those, especially in beautiful New Plymouth, who have had continued experiences with Mother Nature - Thunderstorms, Typhoons, Tornadoes...which has caused extensive damage and flooding. Kia Kaha - Be Strong!

Hope youre doing well, Keeping Safe and Well,
Love to You
EBUTTERFLYXXXXXXXXXX

Hanging In There... Keeping Warm, Dealing in Realities...

Been a long week. The fine grey dust from the roads has done its best to cover everything in sight again. The house is covered, the grass, the garden, the cars. At the supermarket today, we joked, Mr EB and I, about which of the cars we passed were from Aranui. How? Cos they are all covered in liquid splotches of mud, silt. grey liquefaction. The cars from across town are not.
This is our reality now. We deal in the cracks, the shovels and wheelbarrows, the stresses, and the shortcomings. School goes back tomorrow for Mr 11. Im not sure he is ready to be honest. We still are a bit shaky about the aftershocks. And he isnt keen to leave Miss 4 and I. Im not keen to let him go back, and I think I would be better if he went back on Monday...
So. We have continued the de-cluttering this week. Our garage is looking tidier. Still a wee bit to go, but I had done a good mornings work on Monday, and then had to redo it yesterday. Lots of *stuff* that we had held on to is gone. Ahhh. It feels good to get rid of it. Makes me feel lighter :-)
Next is getting the landlord motivated, and I have to say... He has made the right noises. Ive seen him twice since this earthquake. It all sounds good, but we shall see. Im wary of the promises, been here with him before..weary...wary. He came tonight to measure us up for curtains and carpet. As I say. It sounds good. We shall see.

Ahh, the Garden... I am so looking forward to the new growing season.
I love Spring. Blossom, Buds, promises of new things to come... Im planning the new part, and now have the landlords approval for *anything* as far as he is concerned. He said to *go for it* ... We talked. He likes the sound of peastraw - I liked the sound... and look... of his new Ipad he showed me. Whoa. I would LOVE one of those... As far as gadgets go, that one looks awesome...

Another reality is the cold here in the South. Mr EB says theyve had snow out on the farm, brrr.
We have started to fall into Winter. It is seriously cold here from late afternoon until mid morning. Sometimes the sun is warm, but the wind blows it away... making for a chilly start. Since Monday, we have been very fortunate. And our Hot water bottles are fantastic for night time.
I do worry about people not having power, and from my standpoint, keeping my children warm at night and during the day is a constant concern. At night we discovered last eq that sleeping in your clothes is crappy. It didnt work. As part of the Be Prepared thing I have to note here --- Essentials at night with no power are your Mohair/Woollen/Polyprop underwear/leggings/beanies and a really kickass warm sleeping bag or blankets by the dozen. Really important to keep your head covered, and your blankets up round your neck as much as you can. Oh... and ALWAYS having socks and shoes on. Good habit to get into... My kids are sick of me harping on about shoes and socks. Woollen socks, good grippy shoes... Or boots.

Sleeping in the same room is good, but in the same bed is better, cos you generate body heat that keeps you all warm...  Thats fine if youre a mum with two kids. Probably not so appropriate in some circumstances I guess.
I gave my spare blankets and such to one of the local charities last week in a fit of getting de-cluttered. We were grateful to recieve a blanket from St Vincent DePaul. I have to say, they made an impression on us last time, with the most beautiful Sister (Nun) from France, Deborah coming to cuddle the kids... and again, ST Vincents were awesome. Arlais LOVES her new mink dinosaur blanket, and the ladies are just so friendly and caring... My girl has had a harrowing time of it this week, THANK YOU for your kindness to her!

Well I think thats enough for now... We are hanging in there. Its nice to talk amongst the neighbours, theyre all doing well on the outside for now. I hope they can hang in there too. Its not easy, but it is Real.

Dealing in Realities
Love to All
EBUTTERFLY
XXXXXXXXX

And then it Shook!! 25+ Eqs yesterday - 62 in the past 24hrs!

FOR THE KIDS - JO-JOS PLACE -
Information about Earthquakes and Stuff...

Interesting EQ Planet Alignment On YOUTUBE

CROWE QUAKE Website

ABOUT EARTHQUAKES HERE

and a NZ Site HERE

Avon Riverside

Well it happened! I had just sent Missy inside up the front, into the Lounge to watch TV while I made lunch.
Weve been outside, in the garage, tidying. (A job I will have to go and redo by all accounts, what a mess!)
I had just yesterday, taken in the boxes of china. I had thought I would unpack them. Get back to normal, make the Lounge look a little less sparse.

Our Lounge Wall has a myriad of large cracks in the plaster

BANG, THUD... shake. My missy was thrown down, and came crawling to Mummy. Hate that terrified cry. She just shook. SO I picked her up... took her outside, and went to check on my friend across the road, who met us halfway there.

We had just been talking about an hour earlier, about how it might happen, joking about *the next big one*.
Her first words to me were... See, you SHOULDNT JOKE about these things... She wasnt cross, just couldnt believe that we had again had *a big one*...

So, we parted ways... I went and got the eldest from school.  Not a gridlock of traffic this time, home in fifteen minutes, YAY! He was quite glad to see me, but not nearly as pleased as I was to see him... Got home and Mr EB rang. Did I want him to come... Was everyone ok? ...



Its Another Crack! From Floor To Ceiling!



ARGH... I did the girlie emotional thing and cried down the phone. He came in and we had just made coffee, when Mother Nature swung into action again.

Good God. My COFFEE!! All over me, freshly made and boiling hot!! This one was stronger and longer... and I slipped into the coffee and got thrust up against the wall and fell. Ouch. Bump

Poor Mr EB was thrown too, sore hips, knocking him around... The thing we dont realise, is the swinging is so hard on the bones. Its like the whiplash effect, and it hurts. You feel quite out of sorts afterward. The *Equilibrium* is altered.

Shops Down - Stanmore Corner

River Road - large cracks right alongside the River

Looks like snow? Nah, its Sand Bags on the banks of the River.

Gloucester Bridge. Approach With Caution! Large hill to climb up from the North side!!

Anyways, the two littles were outside playing, and I saw the Earthquake turtles as Mr 11 crouched over Miss 4. Thank God theyre so sensible. Miss 4 was screaming, and Mr 11 just told her they were ok, to keep down. So Proud we are!

And so, in the past 24 hours, 62 Aftershocks. Most in the 3-4 region, but several high fours which just ARE NOT FUNNY anymore...
This morning... Tuesday. I wake, to the tv on - (small people watching cartoons) we kept power. Yay for Orion! The first thing I notice when I open the windows, is the sun... Yay Mother Nature! And then I recognize the scraping of shovels and the swish of the wheelbarrow tyres again. Oh sweet Liquefaction, how you do defy us! Yesterday we saw the liquid from Liquefaction start to ooze. Quite a phenomenon. When stable, it is solid like silt. Once moving, and being bumped onto the road for collection, it starts to ooze. Which then creates another solid settlement in the gutter which later has to be scooped out too. So its a back-breaking prospect, and some of my neighbours have it *In Spades* ok, poor pun. Not funny.

As I say, the big difference this time, is POWER! It sure beats boiling water and cooking on the BBQ...  Lots of broken stuff this time. As I said to my neighbour, who has also lost china - I know its only stuff, but I dont have much *stuff* left... to which she agreed. Her daughter has house issues, and has a 3 week old baby - I wont complain. I have power and the kids are all ok. My Emergency supplies stand us in good stead. All except for the MILK POWDER.
A big tip here - DONT store your laundry powder next to ANY food. The strong perfumes permeate through the plastic bags and taint the food... How do I know this? I hear you ask... Ever had cornies with a touch of Lime and Jasmine? Not nice. eewww

Noticeable changes around the city today when we braved the roads to find Milk. Many people doing similar. It was the only thing we needed really, and it was nice to get out for a little break - it wasnt planned that way, but nothing is open til tomorrow (hopefully back in stride with the schooling!)

River Road, and around Dallington Terrace way is looking sad. Its beautiful big trees are being forced into the water on both sides. The Avon is high, the tides being high too, but seriously there is a lot of land that seems to have sunk back into the river, as if Mother Nature is reclaiming her own. The bend we used to walk around, and over the now severely twisted bridge is gone. There are cracks on the pathway which is now almost non existent. There are new flood banks and sand bags on either side of the river... there are sizeable cracks in the road. And further round towards Stanmore Road there are holes in the road where things have subsided. Some of the roads resemble muddy paddocks, but to their credit, the  council workers are hard out trying to repair and reseal. Awesome, cant fault them, out there right from the outset trying to get us back on track... again.


Theres this weird lady who grows ALOES in her WINDOW... Grow.. Aloe.. In Windoe... ;-)


THREE people hospitalized overnight with hypothermia. Makes you think. This is a NEW REALITY we are living. As Mark Quigley who is an Eq man said on the TV last night ... It will happen. He isnt into predictions, it is fact.
So I parrot to the children, the importance of keeping their extremities warm - Ok - so I nag them about socks and shoes... Hats and Gloves. Getting sick is NOT an option in this enviroment. We need to do all we can to keep the Winter Ills at arms length.
It is bitterly cold here in Christchurch by early evening. The mornings are horribly cold, icy and frosty -until mid morning or later usually, the heat of the sun is watery until the afternoon. Gloves, hats, scarves and a damned warm  jacket are a neccessity.
If youre coming to Canterbury for any reason - keep your feet warm & woollen socks are a must. Also, bring a hot water bottle. You wont regret it. I got two more last time I went shopping, and we have made good use of them. The warmest place to be sometimes when youve got no glass in your front windows or a gaping hole in the roof, is in bed. And there are a few houses like that here.
Our favourite pieces of clothing at the moment, are our GUMBOOTS. You just cant be without them. And they have grippy bits on the bottom, cos liquefaction makes you slippy (Grippy Cos its Slippy - ooh!)

Again, the people of this street, and in general, this City, have got together and roused help for one another. Good to see!
Even the plants continue to grow, just like Mother Nature will keep doing Her Thing. I will keep Doing My Thing... Planning the new seasons Garden!
Will be interesting to see how we do over the next few days, and nights.
Thinking of you!

Love,
EBUTTERFLY
XXXXXXXX


My Capsicums. Sigh. Arent They Pretty?