After a rest I planted the other 4 cabbage trees. Now I just hope they actually grow.
The other day I bought 7 cabbage tree plants at $3 each. Mostly they looked a bit sickly which is probably why they were so cheap. Today so far I’ve planted 3, continuing a line the previous owner started, but the day’s getting quite hot. Rest time now.
This 40 minute podcast episode is seriously interesting for anyone who uses written English: Why Does the Letter “A” Look That Way?:
English lettering was borrowed from the Romans, but where did they get it from? And where did the concept originate?
Go listen!
The mistakes we learn from: if a plant will get wide, plant it further from the border. A few years ago I planted flax bushes along the drive. I should have planted them further back so I don’t have to keep trimming them!
Aha, learned something: Overwintering Parks in New Zealand | The Butterfly Musketeers 🦋:
The overwintering stage in New Zealand starts in April or May. This is when swarms of Monarch butterflies form regularly to overwinter at places around the country.
Love this: Scientists Attached Tracking Devices to Magpies 🐦:
Within 10 minutes … we witnessed an adult female … trying to remove the harness off of a younger bird.
… By day 3, even the dominant male of the group had its tracker successfully dismantled.
// @jayeless
Finally refreshed the straw and shavings in the front part of the quail run. 🐦 Put the soiled straw round nearby vege garden. Trimmed back flax plant for easier access to quail run. The quail should love to scratch the straw around. It’s all in a hill at the moment.
This is a very informative article: The Wellington protest is testing police independence and public tolerance – are there lessons from Canada’s crackdown?:
The [NZ Police] act independently of the Crown and serve only the law.
As usual, our load of firewood had a few bits that would be unlikely to fit in our woodburner. In the past I’ve chopped them up with an axe where I could but my new Ozito 356mm 1800W Electric Chainsaw made short work of them! Those not already stacked are now a suitable size.
I very much enjoyed Murder in Montego Bay (Detectives Preddy & Harris Book 1) by Paula Lennon 📚. Set in Jamaica and featuring Jamaican dialect was a bonus.
Local ice-cream magnate Carter Chin Ellis is shot dead. Shortly after leaving Pelican Walk Police Station.
OK, that’s some heavy rain right there.
We live at Waikawa Beach. Travel to the two closest centres, Ōtaki and Levin, means using State Highway 1. There is no alternative.
That stretch of road is notorious: in 2021 the road was closed 5 times, 26 times there were delays, and 8 people died, from a total 37 crashes.
Folks have rights:
- get drunk
- drive vehicles
- smoke
- work in an office
- remain unvaxed
- work in proximity with other humans
and responsibilities to obey laws:
- don’t drive drunk
- don’t smoke in the office
- don’t work in people-focused jobs if unvaxed
After Oshi 🐶 died I spent heaps of time going through my Photo Library finding and labelling photos of him. Then I created an album of ‘possibles’ for a photo book from HappyMoose. Faced with whittling down 107 to 21 I realised I could make 2 books. I’m thrilled with the result.
No photo, but today for the first and maybe only time in my life I came across a Briard 🐶:
a French breed of large shepherd dog, traditionally used both for herding sheep and to defend them.
Very big dog, loads of hair, and looked amazingly strong. Gorgeous.
This little 4 minute silent video is so powerful and thought-provoking: When the Giant Cruise Ships Came to Town:
The [cruise ships] that pull into the harbor now are so tall and broad that they block out views entirely, fundamentally changing Stavanger’s atmosphere.
I enoyed Safe (Merrow & Clarke Book 1) by Jane Adams 📚, though the frequently mentioned Organised Crime Gang torture was a hard read.
Now 17 year old Lauren’s on the run knowing her father will murder her, just like he murdered her mother.
Yesterday + 2.25 hours work = today.
Big congrats today to Dylan and Jeremy: NZ duo involved in music for major Dr Strange in the Multiverse of Madness trailer:
New Zealanders Jeremy Glenn and Dylan Jones, a drum and bass duo who record under the name of The Upbeats…
I knew Dylan well some 30 years ago… 🎶🙌🏼
Weird that while Sasha was sick she didn’t snore. 🐶 Now she’s better she’s back, full throttle. Maybe she’s more relaxed now…