The other day I chatted with a further away neighbour and patted her cute little attention-seeking dog Molly. That didn't stop Molly barking furiously as I passed today. 😒
When I neared the river I could see sheep on the other side.
Further along the river a spoonbill was fishing. 🐦
I've decided to stop reading this Project Gutenberg book I am a woman: 📚
"I Am a Woman" by Ann Bannon is a lesbian pulp fiction novel written in 1959. Laura Landon flees her harsh father and college failure to start fresh in New York City's Greenwich Village. Living with vivacious roommate Marcie, Laura discovers unexpected feelings and navigates the underground gay bar scene with new friends Jack and Beebo Brinker.
It was written nearly 70 years ago and I'm finding the old repressions and culture too uncomfortable.
The team eventually solve this thorny mystery, even though some of those interviewed aren't sharing all they know. A good read — Mystery in the New Forest (The DI Callum MacLean mysteries Book 4) by Carol Cole. 📚
Angus was a photographer, Sunday school teacher and chairman of the local gun club. A man everyone agrees had no enemy in the world.
Marsden Cove views from today's walk.
Today after a routine doctor's appointment at Marsden Cove I walked an almost 5 Km loop around the wealthy area, where boats are the order of the day and even private jetties.
This photo at Mariners Haven.
There are many excellent points in this article; here's one — 'Sky glow': Data centres could threaten Mackenzie's dark sky status:
It's not just vacant land waiting to be developed. It's open space, it's natural quiet, it's dark skies, it's mountain and lake views... Mackenzie feels different, because of what's not here.
It's a splendid and unique part of the country, and it should be left alone.
My walk by the river today was very enjoyable, and included a Monarch butterfly.
There were some very intriguing and moving elements in this book, with unusual goings-on. I enjoyed the read — Watch Them Fall (Detective Clare Mackay Book 10) by Marion Todd. 📚
A body is hauled out of St Andrews harbour. This was no accident – DI Clare Mackay and her team have a murder investigation on their hands.
Superintendent Penny Meakin is more focused on a break in at the salubrious home of local property developers.
We watched Tenzing and it was superb. Highly recommend:
based on Nepalese-Indian Sherpa Norgay's 1953 ascent of Mount Everest with New Zealand climber Hillary.
… Principal photography commenced in Nepal …, with filming on location in Kathmandu and the Everest region. Filming wrapped … in New Zealand.
The two hours didn't feel long at all as we accompanied the climbers on their gruelling climb, interspersed with flashbacks from Tenzing's life.
Today's mail brought a surprise.
I'm happy to do my citizen's duty but really hope the case doesn't centre on violence or abuse of humans or animals.
At least the last page tells me:
Some of what you hear in the trial might be stressful. There is help and support available.
Mind you, the only other time I was called for jury duty I didn't make it through to actually be part of the jury.
Those are weird looking gulls, I thought yesterday as I wandered by Ruakākā Estuary. Then I realised the flock of 15 or so birds fishing, was in fact tākapu | gannets. 🐦
The Pūkeko baby came back! 🐦
What a cutie.
A neighbour down the road has this flock of Cape Barren geese on his very large property. 🐦
A pleasing trip to Ruakākā Estuary today, included watching this spoonbill fishing. 🐦
I enjoyed reading the latest in this series. The victim was truly ghastly — Swamp Shoot by Jana DeLeon. 📚
When the crew of No Place Like Home arrives in Sinful to shoot an episode for the series, most of the locals are thrilled. After all, it’s a chance to showcase their town and maybe get some screen time. Fortune, Ida Belle, and Carter have their doubts that it’s going to be the wonderful event the others are predicting.
But no one expected the lead actor to be murdered.
The most frustrating message on my Kindle!
I bought the book, sent it to Kindle — or so I thought … But apparently no, I still need to download it before opening.
It's not like my Kindle hasn't been connected to WiFi at home for several days since I bought the book. Gets me every time!
The new Blog Audit took a while to run but it proved very interesting. // @manton
I'm very surprised by the many missing alt texts as I've been adding it on blogs for at least 20 years now. A handful will be where alt text isn't required or useful, but not that many!
0546 and I hear the siren. The ambulance station is northeast of us, the fire station southwest. I'm never sure which siren it is, though I usually think it's ambulance.
I just hope it's not on account of some serious accident nearby. 🚨
Whangārei Heads from a few metres down the road. When a new house is eventually built on the empty section here I guess this view will disappear.
My new, harder, weights routine
The machines I use at the gym allow me to push or pull to lift a weight which then falls back under gravity.
Until recently I would push and relax, push and relax.
For the last few weeks though I've reduced all my weights a bit and am doing something much harder:
- push (explosively, for power)
- hold for a few moments
- ease the weight back down slowly and under control
This hold and slow release is actually quite hard and tiring.
I'm more of a slow and steady 'tortoise' so the 'explosive' first movement is something I'm still working quite hard on.
Various YouTubers I follow have pointed out that learning to balance on one leg is all very well, but if you start to fall, for example, you need a quick movement to save yourself. I'm applying that notion to all the movements I do. It's a matter of developing power rather than just strength.
Side note: decades ago I was a school teacher. One 13 year old boy went to boxing classes I think. He would wait until I was looking elsewhere, but so he was still in my peripheral vision, then he'd flash his arm up into the air and down again so quickly that by the time I turned my head there was no hand up asking for attention. 🤣
Re 'power' — Effectiveness of power training compared to strength training in older adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis says:
Power training offers more potential for improving muscle power and performance on activity tests in older adults compared to strength training.
If something unexpected comes along I want to be able to move quickly to deal with it.
As for the 'hold' and slow release instead of allowing gravity just to return the weight: that's actually quite demanding too and I feel they're both building strength.
After a couple of years at the gym doing up / down weights I'm enjoying this new routine.