Update

Hi again,

just some pics from the last little while


Desert - YUM strawberry season again!


Decided it was time to pull up the last of my winter Beetroot - MONSTERS


were now eating home grown spuds


started to rain so went out to check on the chickens and this is how we found them!


all getting grown up now, 2 1/2 months old.


4 weeks till Xmas now - can't wait!


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Location:Home

Spring is in the air

Lovely day here today so thought we would pop into our local shops and pick up a little something to celebrate the nice weather...




Introducing our new Baby Q :-)


Plus the additional bits of course..







I think we can also confirm that the Chickens have reached the "Ugly" stage. but you be the judge.






Fred's been working away on putting a sink into the van so we can get certified as self contained.


Gardens going great, Spinach and rocket doing their thing, and of the 6 tomato seedlings I planted, a whole 1 has survived (under the bottle)



This is the new garden on the other side. Currently home to some Broccoli, garlic and a row each of baby carrots, normal carrots and beetroot seedlings.


our first try at potatoes seems to be going alright, lots of growth in the last few weeks.



The pumpkin and watermelon are ready to hit the big garden


Second lot of seeds on the go, miniature cabbage and some replacement Tomatoes :-)



And third lot of seeds in last night. hopefully I will have some seedlings to give away from these last 2 lots


New gumboots


and just so she doesn't feel left out, I got Tahi a new bed :-)



Wow, no updates then two in a row!!


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Location:Home

Chickens!

Here they are, 10 days old now





Plus one very excited puppy dog too



Chirp chirp chirp



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Garden

Soo, its only been 5 months since our last update but thought we would go ahead and do another one anyway :-)

In the garden tonight - Fred said that 6 Chilli plants was too many and bossing the spinich around so in the interest of building the spinich's self esteeme we culled 2 of the chili plants.
AND GOT 1 KG of CHILLI's OFF THEM!




Crazy.



Almost tempted to agree with Fred that 6 plants was too many.
Now... what to do with them....

Some more pics of our Urban Produce Patch

Spinich on this end with the surviving chilli plants next door




Basil, Beetroot and chillis





Leeks with crazy tomatoes behind (and over, and through)




Broccoli and the resident population of white fly


Carrots - finally at a decent size to eat!





Corn - better late than never



Grapes



And our 1 baby watermelon



Feeling full of green fingers and fums here. Loads of fun.

Now must go deal with those chillies...

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Location:Home

Last day in Japan

7.47am fast train to Kyoto, again, seen off from the train station and then had Dalton waiting for me in Kyoto!

Went to their batch where they had a study meeting, then shared lunch with Dalton and Dan before heading back to the train and jumping on another one for Tokyo to get my flight!

Just 1 flight to go before home :-)

Had a great time here in Japan with its obsession with order, love of uniforms, unstable looking power lines, slow buses and fast trains, naked public bathing and interesting way of dressing.
Its a strange country - but I think I could spend a lot more time here.

Next stop. Aotearoa


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Location:Hiroshima, Kyoto, Tokyo

Hiroshima

Joyce came and saw me safely on the train and on my way to Hiroshima the next morning - Thanks :-)




so shincansen'ed my way down to Hiroshima where I was met at the train by Verdun! - defiantly the royal treatment :-)

We headed to Tadako San's place for the study meeting



They had a go at lifting my pack after the meeting - and one of them even tried it on, sounded like a pack of teenages giggling away :-)





I dropped the average age by a few years!
Stayed for lunch/dinner and then stayed for the next to nights! Japanese hospitality is hard to refuse!

After chatting until late (with the help of google translate!) Verdun met us the next morning to visit the Hiroshima Peace Park Museum. Prior to leaving Tadako San told me a little of her family's experience with the atomic bomb and that 30 members of her family died at that time.
Can be easy to think of it as just an event in time but it is still very real for lots of people here, including Tadako San.

The visit to the museum, and viewing some of the footage/images of that time was quite powerful with her right next to me.

8:15- the time the bomb detonated



Before




After




A young boy who was killed's trike and helmut




Tadako San pointing to where she was when the bomb went off.



Memorial - where the names of the victims are reccorded, including Tadako's Mother, Sister and Brother





Went out to lunch with another lady from the morning meeting




She makes Kimono as a job and invited us back to her work space to try one on!






Also got a quick lesson in origami







Then headed for a walk in town before having dinner together as well.
Main shopping street




I think it's hard to beat the hospitality of the people in Japan - had a great time in Hiroshima.


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Location:Hiroshima, Japan

Kyoto

Just incase you were wondering, the night bus isn't the most comfortable way to travel.

Off the bus and Dan, Dalton and I hunted around for somewhere that was open to grab a bite to eat. After consulting with my two helpful guides we headed to a local hotel (in the pouring rain!) to hop onto a bus tour for the day.

Visited most of the tourist spots, great way to see things when your short on time.

Stop 1 - Nijo-jo Castle



Stop 2 - Golden Temple




Stop 3 - Kyoto Imperial Palace





Stop 4 -




Stop 5 - Sunjusungen-do temple



Stop 6 - Pure Water Temple Kiyomizu-dera





Walk up to Pure Water Temple





Tea time Ekonomiake



After dinner with Dalton, Dan and Elizabeth (one of the local friends with a Kiwi connection) I jumped (or was put) on the train for Osaka to spend the night with Joyce there. Great to see her again after meeting in Tokyo.

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Location:Kyoto, Japan