A superb 8 minute doco: Wahine Warrior about a woman who learned to hunt to feed herself and kids and now is teaching other women.

Reinventing herself to help other wahine escape the same life of welfare and abuse, she enriches them with hunting skills to live off the land.

Still from the video showing a woman learning to use a hunting rifle.

When Olive 🐈 was about 3 years old her owners, our next door neighbours, moved overseas and she came to live with us. Here she is in December 2003. I learned the value of persistence from Olive. She was relentless in pursuing her goals. It would drive me bonkers!

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Brown cat with yellow eyes looks at the camera.

A special visitor today: a Barbary dove, symbol of hope.

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Dove on a flax spear with grey sky behind. Dove on a flax spear, with its head turned behind it.

In early October 2011 we spent a weekend in Melbourne, Australia. It's a lovely city, as cities go. I loved this art work: Three Businessmen Who Brought Their Own Lunch: Batman, Swanston And Hoddle.

(Been looking for my Melbourne photos for days…)

Life size statues of 3 skinny men.
Life size statues of 3 skinny men. Another angle.

Good news on Oshi’s eye 🐶: the ulcer is down to about 20% of the surface. Previous photo from a couple of weeks ago it was about 75%. The vet also commented that Oshi seems more with it than last time. We continue with eye drops. so glad he’s coming right.

It doesn’t snow in Wellington, Aotearoa New Zealand, but it did on 15 August 2011. Pretty frosty. Pretty pretty too. ❄️

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These photos from our old house on Mt Victoria. Front deck, and back yard.

Snow settling on a deck and bushes. Snow in the back yard.

I enjoy the Timber Creek K-9 Mysteries by Margaret Mizushima. 📚 Burning Ridge really held my attention and was a great read.

On a rugged Colorado mountain ridge, Mattie Cobb and her police dog partner Robo make a grisly discovery—and become the targets of a ruthless killer.

Burning Ridge book cover.

Sorry I didn’t respond sooner @PaulGit re your question about Shangai topiary. The photo info is below. We were only in Shanghai for a day or two. I have absolutely no idea where I was! Hope this helps.

Screenshot showing map location for the photo.

Graceful: this humpback whale cutting through the water beside our boat on a whale watching trip in Tonga.

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The back of a humpback whale as it starts to dive.

Today I was one of a dozen volunteers who planted out 3,000 spinifex and 500 pingao plants at Waikawa Beach. They help retain the dunes and build the coast. One chap with a powered auger dug holes. We took plants from the root trainers, dropped them in the holes and covered them.

Seven people planting in the dunes. Rows of holes awaiting plants.A tray of about 40 plants.

Wait… that’s a funny looking chook! 🐓

Three large black and white hens and a small ring-necked dove eating grain on the ground.

My friend’s chooks, who I’m feeding for the weekend, enjoy a little art critique in their home. 🐓

Three large hens in a coop whose walls are plastered with posters.

Well, today is less than 4 months since a friend of the last 2 or 3 decades was diagnosed with cancer. Today she passed away — the first of our larger ‘Brunch Group’. She was a few days short of her 71st birthday. We’re all of that kind of age I guess. Sad news. Haere rā Helen.

Without a doubt Walkers Shortbread is the best shortbread. Excellent flavour and the perfect amount of crunch. So glad to be able to buy these again. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

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Shortbread packet with one biscuit on top.

This (free) Wu Fei track put me so much in mind of Bear McCreary’s work on Battlestar Galactica Gulibita:

I knew this song as Why Is The Rose So Red (花儿为什么这样红) from childhood. As far as I can find out, the melody is adapted from a Tajik folk song.

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Screenshot of the track playing.

Yay, it is properly raining. We haven’t had much rain for a while, and there’s about 40 mm forecast over the next few days. 🤞🏼 40 mm would give us about 2,600 litres in the rainwater tank.

I really enjoyed chatting with @martinfeld, who managed to draw thoughts from me I didn't even realise I had. Listen in to save the planet. Heh.

For episode 40 of Lounge Ruminator, @miraz joined me to discuss the value of simplicity, whether in using plain language, finding ways to be kinder to the planet or even being willing to leave a TV show halfway through a season. You can find it on Apple Podcasts and Overcast. 🎙

You may need to change direction to get to the next interesting point in your journey.

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Tracks in the sand, made by two small dogs, veer 90 degrees to the left by one piece of driftwood. The dogs are now at another piece.

I bought the Mysterious Women story bundle. I really enjoyed Paper Bullets by Annie Reed. Well written, easy to read, held my attention.

One simple favor for her ex plunges private investigator Abby Maxon into a deadly game of cat and mouse.

I’ll read more of hers. 📚

Book cover, Paper Bullets by Annie Reed.

In August 2015 we spent a couple of days in Shanghai. They had amazing topiary. I’d give this a gold ribbon.

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Topiary of dolphins and other sea life.
Topiary of dolphins and other sea life.