We loved The Sheep Detectives:
The film follows a flock of sheep who try to solve the murder of their shepherd.
It's funny, moving, clever and very warm-hearted. There were some lovely subtle touches, and some quiet messages, all the while being a light send-up of standard cozy murder mysteries.
A special treat for Kiwis is Rhys Darby as Wool-Eyes, a Lincoln Longwool sheep.
Afterwards I was interested to watch The Sheep Detectives - Behind the Scenes.
Before dawn I drove to the beach.
After 5 minutes walking I stopped at a car stuck in the sand and was joined by an old chap called Eric.
He said: I usually go to that post
.
OK
, I said.
We ended up walking together, chatting (95% him, 5% me). 😀
8 Km and almost 2 hours later I was back at the car!
I really enjoyed this series. The characters and settings were interesting, the plots challenging. The Cornish Cozy Mysteries, seven charming and addictive cozy crimes by Janie Bolitho 📚 :
When Rose Trevelyan takes on a photography commission in a quaint Cornish fishing village, she expects to capture houses, portraits and landscapes — not evidence. But the assignment places her at the centre of a shocking death.
Checked out the Op Shop next to the gym. This mannequin with half a head was very disconcerting. 😵💫
0654 through the window.
Today I visited Marsden Bay Reserve and enjoyed a very brief beach walk.
The Reserve stops at the entrance to the canal system where some people with $$$$ houses have their own jetty to park their boats.
A couple of weeks ago a friend we've known for ~35 years woke in the middle of the night to find water flowing through her Wellington bedroom. More than 1800 properties impacted by Wellington flooding | RNZ News.
A friend took her in and now she's rented an apartment. It'll be for at least 4 months…
Another entertaining read — Marsh Mysticsby Jana DeLeon 📚:
Yoga retreats are supposed to have bodies…just not dead ones. But when Eleanor, the owner of the retreat, turns up dead, Ronald and Gertie know just who to call. Eleanor’s sister, Mildred, is convinced Eleanor’s shady business partner had something to do with her death, but there’s no evidence to prove it.
0600 on a Tuesday must be a good time for the Internet round here in Ruakākā. My annual Speedtest check brought great results:
Download 500.56 Mbps, upload 107.12 Mbps
After an unsuccessful shopping trip recently, I ordered new bike pants online from the discount Outlet store. They arrived today and I'm very happy with them: Fox Ranger Women's Mountain Bike Pants.
As other reviewers said: they're very comfortable.
There are quite a few tracks to the beach nearby and I'm exploring them when I go for bike rides. I'll ride to the beach, walk for a bit then bike home, making a circuit of it.
Today I found the track entrance where Taranga Walk meets Tutuki Walk.
There's a splendid view as you cross the dunes.
0630 was a good time to go the gym on a Sunday morning. Only one other person there so I didn't have to wait for any of the machines.
Back to Waipū Cove today for lunch with other friends. I really enjoyed my fish of the day: snapper, with crushed potatoes and broccolini. Very delicious.
My first experiment with my new cast iron frypan was Rosa Parks' Heirloom Recipe "Featherlite Pancakes" | The Ironclad Co.. The recipe made about 6 American-style (thick) pancakes which tasted pretty good.
News from the Northern Advocate today:
Meridian Energy's first solar farm is underway in Ruakākā, with panels being installed on mounts. Project manager Robert Batters says about 27,000 metal piles for the mounting structures have been driven into the ground, with 60,000 to go. Weed removal in the wetland habitat restoration area is also in progress, preparing for native planting over winter. The solar farm is expected to start generating power later this year and be fully finished in 2027.
Lunch view today at Waipū Cove.
Our street has an older part, a newer part (where we are) and presumably more newer parts in years to come as planned subdivisions come into being.
One thing I love about the older part is these palms on the berm.
Now I have fancy cast iron pans here's a series I'll be watching more of — Cast Iron Technique:
Heat Control - Part 1 of 10. I am sharing my 50 years of cooking in Lodge Cast Iron. Many struggles early on:
- sticking food
- sticky pans
- burnt food in cast iron
A couple of days ago my breakfast frittata turned into a cooked-egg mess as I 'slid' it from the no longer non-stick (recommended) pan onto a plate.
I'm trying to move away from non-stick anyway and this was the final straw. A review I read included a recommendation for Ironclad from a restaurant where I've enjoyed the food:
Schnappa Rock Tutukaka chef Dean Thompson is also a cast-iron supporter. He recommends Ironclad.
And so it's come to pass that I now own 1 small and two tiny cast iron pans that will work on our induction cooktop. 🤞🏼
I arrived at the beach about 10 minutes before sunrise.
Half an hour later …