Deb and I are very much enjoying the light-hearted Frankie Drake Mysteries on Acorn:
In Roaring Twenties Toronto, crime has never had it better, and cases have never been more unconventional. This new era calls for a new kind of detective, and Frankie Drake fits the bill. She leads the first female detective agency with her partner, Trudy, as they take on investigations that the police can't and that other agencies won't.
This mystery Bea has to solve pretty much on her own, her usual helpers being otherwise occupied. She still comes up trumps though. A False Alarm (The Bea Abbot Agency Mysteries Book 7) by Veronica Heley 📚:
Someone set a tripwire across the top of the staircase in Sir Lucas’s apartment block causing him to fall head-long and break his arm. A malicious prank … or something much worse?
A slightly odd one in the series, but still enjoyable. Furtive Prey (The Jessica Anderson K-9 Mysteries) by D. L. Keur 📚:
a crisis of national security proportions pits Sheriff Landon Reid against the Department of Homeland Security … after a very advanced organoid intelligence … is stolen from the DARPA lab out of Idaho Falls, Idaho
Sometimes these winter days are perfect: glorious sun out of a clear blue sky. 20C, no wind. I can hear the birds. Just gorgeous.
Flaxes beside the garage trimmed back.
Now I can try to tidy (and weedeat) the area between the garage and the fence.
Got myself out in the garden earlier to do some needed weed eating. Hauled out the weedeater, only to find that when I put it away 3 weeks ago I hadn't noticed the spool and cover had fallen off where I stopped.
I ended up cutting back some overgrown flaxes, but no, the items weren't there. Sigh.
Cold enough this morning that we had a decent frost. The snow on the top of the mountain was no surprise.
There was even frost on the beach. A bird had made its way through one frosty patch of sand.
I didn't get to the beach today, as I was too busy with other things. Yesterday though there was a very cold and blowy southerly.
All up, power was only out for 20 or 30 minutes. Phew! No need to test out my new Portable Power Station.
I bought the 8 book set for less than $2, but was glad to reach the end of the first book. Some great turns of phrase but just not a terribly enjoyable story. The Miss Pink Mysteries Books 1–8 by Gwen Moffat. 📚
Well, just talking to Deb who's driving home and everything was plunged into darkness.
Three minutes later and a couple of lights came on, then everything went off again.
Oh well, at least the woodburner's keeping me warm.
Today, with a cold southerly wind, but in the sun, I took part in the New Zealand Garden Bird Survey, with poor results.
- blackbird : 2
- magpie : 2
- sparrow : 1
- spur-winged plover : 2
- starling : 2
- thrush : 1
- waxeye : 2
Pathetic!
Aargh! New Zealand standardised its recycling rules – why is it still so confusing?:
On average, each New Zealander is estimated to have generated 700kg of waste that ended up in landfills in 2021, meaning that New Zealand is one of the highest waste producers in the OECD.
Second gym session today and we did some stretches and also some work with 5 Kg or 2 Kg dumbbells. That included squats and lifts.
The trainer and I have differing opinions on whether I'll be able to walk tomorrow. 🤣
I really enjoyed the movie Wicked Little Letters 🎥:
Based on a true scandal, it follows an investigation into the anonymous author of numerous crudely insulting letters sent to the residents of seaside town Littlehampton.
So clever and funny, with excellent actors.
BTW: the language is truly explicit.
Interesting definition of 'meal', AirNZ. Not sure the knife and fork will be useful.
Today I took photos of Ngunguru. It's very pretty, warm and relaxing.
We visited Ngunguru (Apple Maps link) today — about 30 Km from Whangārei. Gorgeous place, but I didn't take photos …
Just off the Ngunguru coast are the Poor Knights Islands, a protected marine reserve. Ngunguru is a Māori-language word meaning "rumbling tides".
I started Murder at the Opera House (A Lady Marjorie Snellthorpe Mystery Book 1) by Dawn Brookes ages ago then stopped for long enough I'd forgotten how it started. 📚
Finished now, and it was OK but I probably won't bother with more in the series.
Mt Manaia from Ruakaka Beach.
