Maungawhau / Mt Eden (Devil's Day)

I am a tourist in my own city.

I walk around the crater rim, marvelling at shadows, hearing no English. The sun is going down, and I join the rest in taking photos.

At the bottom, was all black and gold schoolboys, joggers, recovering mothers pushing cross country prams. Tahaki reserve... I went here once to see a summer dub gig, picnic blankets on now sodden grass, 5 years ago.

The tree-shadow stretches to touch the city skyline.

As I walk from the reserve, a flying fox (boys screaming down it, coaxing each other to greater speed). If I turn right, down to the playground and the road... but left is a path... I bush-bash! Not sure if people live down here (in Melbourne, you would be certain of it), mostly flat, one person wide. Look through trees, parents pushing small child on a swing, do I take a picture? No, let them enjoy their moment... and I can't get a good frame.

At one point, foot in front of foot only - even scrambling to get up natural mud and rock steps. Then, over, and back to the car (past shops and people coming home from work, even a colleague - Alex "Hi, how are you enjoying your holiday?").

Drive to the summit. Feels like country roads, cattle stops and fences. Turn right to summit, here, and park.

Coaches. Tourists (real ones).

Walk towards the trig station, change my mind and walk around the outside of the platform. Two birds (what are they?), used to visitors, wait for me to pass the bin - see my shadow?

The rim walk is beautiful at this time of dusk, sun glistening off harbour and bridge.

Face Rangitoto, all shadows, but see the rush hour travelling home? As I watch - voyeur me, glad to be here and not in my car in that.

Still, all is tourists. Two sit, excited by an image, on the edge of an ancient pit. How would they know? The shadows frame them, they are beautiful - giggling, as young girls do.

(If they were kiwi girls, it might be over a cigarette, or a picture of Tana.)

Turn, look across the crater, coaches start to leave.

Furthest point of crater wall, over to lookout (number 2 on this walk) road winds down and so do coaches.

Steadfast tree (coprosma?) stays solid, holds on for dear...

Sit to write. A man passing by looks at my journal. I glare, made unfriendly at the invasion. Four (five?) men ask to take pictures. I think they want me to take theirs, but they take turns to have their photos taken with me. Flattering, and odd. "Pretty", "Thank you".

(Tourists, coaches go; now walkers, joggers, cyclists. Exercise where ancient ones fought, cooked, loved, lived.)

Back to the car park, up to the map and distance dial (copper and raised letters); over to the surveying obelisk (originally late 1800's, replaced in early 1900's) - one plaque is bent in. In the car and drive home.

("Good times for a change / see the love I've had / can make a good man turn bad").

Gardens

I've been doing some gardening. The only photos I have are of the work I did last year (November ish), well the only ones for now anyway.

The pic on the left is the view from the garage door.


The one on the right is looking down on the cleared area from the balcony.

The main focus from that effort was trying to clear the top area enough so you could walk into it - and get into the hammock. Basically, it meant seriously chopping back the camellia.

This view on the left is from the downstairs bedroom.

And finally... the pic on the right is the amount of rubbish that I removed from the garden!

Inside A Week

Sunday was quite good.

I wasn't sure whether I would enjoy the family reunion (it's not the loud side of the family), but I did. Even if it started at an unfeasibly early time in the morning. And we had to drive for two hours to get to Morrinsville.

I saw many of my cousins, and it's always good to be reminded how great the people that you are related to are.

Anyway, since then, not much has been going on. Work, sports, and more work. The sport was Ultimate Frisbee, and I'm honestly not very good at it - mostly because I'm chronically unfit. But it was good for me to have a bit of a run around. I'm feeling it a bit today, though.

I've been reading "Blackadder - the whole damn dynasty" at work during lunchtime (I know, I know - I should be getting outside to enjoy the sunshine, but it's a good way to control my spending). It's a great read, I can practically hear the voices of Lord Blackadder, Percy, Baldrick, Queenie, Flasheart and the rest.

Lovely.

Old Friends

Met up with some friends from a very long time ago last night (that was Friday, just in case you were wondering).

It was Blair's 30th birthday. Blair, who was part of the Collingwood crew from 8 years ago. Blair, who was one of the ones who went to the UK. And Blair, who seriously surprised me by having a birthday party at Galbraith's on Mt Eden Rd when I thought he was still over in London.

It's amazing how many people actually are still around, or who've come back (like me). I did get a couple of great reactions, from people that I haven't seen in 5 years or more. And straight after the reaction, it's into the same conversations - almost like no time has passed at all. It's like Marty said today - you know that they're good friends when you can not see someone for ages, and when you do it's like you saw them yesterday.

People are older. They have more stories. But they aren't really any different.

Today I went shopping (oh I do love getting paid). Found a couple of nice t-shirts at Real Groovy, after trying on way too many that looked awful on me - and of course I couldn't walk out without a music purchase as well. Also I went down to Aotea market, last time I was there I saw this stall with the cutest vest type things - so I got one of those. And lastly, I got a hose and some other garden stuff - which meant of course that I could spend the late afternoon playing in the dirt with plants and water. Hopefully things will grow and not die.

Thursdays and Cats

So, my cat Honey is missing.

She hasn't been gone long, only a day or so, and I'm not panicking. Honestly.

I'm a new home owner, and a new cat owner - I only got them just after Christmas, I guess about 3 weeks ago. And I already have some very cute photos (including one of Ollie stuck up a tree, which was almost a very good excuse to call the firemen over - an efficient way to meet men, or so I've heard. Maybe Ollie was just trying to help out: "Hey Mum, how about I get up here, and you call some hunky bloke over to get me down - and make sure you get his number!").

I'm a new cat-mum, and I'm probably just being a bit nervous. As Marcus would have said if he was in Auckland: Relax, girl.

I'm not sure I'm in favour of Thursdays, as a general rule. The TV is seriously bad, and how much fun I have really depends on how available and up for it the pals are. But tonight, I got Burgerfuel, and decided not to feel guilty about that. And starting this blog is giving me something to do.

So Thursday is looking up.