In Praise of the Cape Cod Chair

The most comfortable way to be is lying down. But if you must sit, then nothing is as well designed for comfort as a cape cod chair. But its charms don't stop there. The lovely wide arms can hold all your refreshment needs solidly and well, and there's still room for other necessities. Every garden should have at least one!

Steady Progress

Yesterday was indeed the satisfying day I had anticipated, in relation to fence progress. 

The painting begins.

Finished front panels with post caps in place.

I'm very happy with the results. Next weekend the driveway fence will get the same makeover. 

Home Improvements

Well, fence improvements really. It has bugged me for a year, but the improvements have begun. Having thoroughly investigated the options by studying every fence in Petone as I walk the suburb, I know what the fence is supposed to look like had the previous owners finished the job. The first task was getting fence post caps. These are ridiculously expensive at Mitre 10, but a trader on TradeMe supplied the nine I need at a much more attractive price. Today I am priming them (thanks for that Rob) ready for nailing on top of the posts. Then the re-painting of all the panels can proceed over the next week or two, in 'Perfect Taupe' to tone down the current dazzling brilliance of the white. I've never tried painting before, but I'm finding it very soothing and the cheapo brushes from The Warehouse seem to be up to the job so far. This weekend is going to be very satisfying.

Toffee Apples

In my young days toffee apples were a staple of the sweet stall at any gala. There they were, with the fudge and coconut ice, waiting to attract the attentions sweet-toothed kiddies such as myself. They consisted of an icecream stick rammed into an apple which was dunked in a highly-coloured, red toffee. They looked great, but were invariably disappointing - the toffee hard to eat and the apple usually old and floury. How things have changed. I hadn't seen them in a long time, but saw at the Martinborough Fair that they have suddenly made an up-market come-back. Some barely qualify as toffee apples at all - they are dipped in caramel and chocolate. But that is not all - coatings of nuts and other delights abound - the very trendiest appear to be coated in smashed jaffas. I wonder if my 10 cents pocket money from the '60, allowing for inflation into today's dollars, would come anywhere near meeting the $9 price tag. And of course, after all the dipping and dunking, are the apples still disappointingly old and floury?

Waitangi Day

What better way to mark this day than with a walk in the bush - so back to Birchville Dam.  

Swing bridge on the way in.

    

Duck on the dam.

 Long way back along the Hutt River, lots of blackberries to hunt and gather - and eat. Yum!

 And back to Harcourt Park on a somewhat sturdier bridge.

 The Hutt River looking suitably 'Hobbitish'.

An evening beach walk should finish off the day very nicely. How blessed we are to live in New Zealand.

Martinborough Fair

An early start this morning over the Rimutakas to Martinborough. Lots of interesting things to see and a few to purchase - including a fantail garden ornament and a hanger for apples and other fruit on the bird feeding station. But the most important stall is the scrummy potato rostis. It's the food stall with the biggest lines all day and always well worth the wait. It's also interesting to watch the slick operation as the frying pans advance along the stoves until they arrive ready to serve at the counter. Happy to admit I joined the line twice!

Nostalgia

I saw on one of my many channels that Sesame Street is still going strong, which in turn made me think of my two favourite songs. Two Little Dolls is so sweet - and probably set me up for my life long, unrealised yearning for a dolls house.


And this one is just such a catchy tune.


 I doubt either of these feature any more ...