NEWS FROM THE ISLAND

THE TRANSITION TIME between Autumn and Winter seems to always be a most disorganised time. The winter projects like knitting for the twins (due any moment now) or the sorting and writing up to be done from all the notes I took over summer - while yet there are Autumn projects that need doing, like yesterday: of that damned garden path I started back in Spring, some trees which need a heavy pruning, bulbs and vegetables waiting to be planted, and then some projects I know will probably now have to hold over to Spring because the "must-do-things" had to take precedence.

Now waiting for the colour to come from the winter bulbs

Kitten has made it to Dunedin

One "must-do",  being the kittens had to go to their new homes. That was an interesting exercise in coming across an unexpected variety in human character. (A very different overall exercise from when I bred designer kittens back when I was in my early twenties).These kittens have travelled far and wide, including the last boy who did the really big adventure, including travelling by Pet Bus, even on the Inter Island Ferry, down to Dunedin, which is at the bottom of New Zealand's South Island.










Now freed of the kittens I have my study back to myself, the dog Brie, Mother cat Tara and the two over-active teenagers Charles and Meg.

Tara found the perfect sunny spot

While Charles and Meg have the chair

And Brie takes the mat

And also I have enough spare time now to take a bit longer time over the  walk, I try to do daily, around the Island tracks and visiting the gardens, now mainly free of tourists, at Mansion House. There are spots of colour to brighten the day.

Out walking

Storage shed in Mansion House Park

Close-up of Clivia from South Africa

Purple Japanese Privet berries

The cafe is closed for the winter

Last of the autumn leaves

Though here is an example of a garden that was so thoughtfully planted and well maintained over summer it is continuing to give a glorious display of colour into the winter. An example also of how to have both a garden and wallabies without ring fencing their property.