5 light links 07-Apr-2025
The world seems dark and grim. These 5 links are about bringing a little light. 💡
Turtle release in Northland stirs emotions - 'You can't ask for better' | RNZ News:
Five endangered [green] turtles have been returned to the wild at a Northland beach after being rescued near death and nursed back to health. …
According to DOC, another 15 were currently recovering at Kelly Tarlton's. Most had been rescued from Northland beaches during the past summer.
Horowhenua Star April 4 2025 (PDF):
It's a good day to be a lizard.
And an even better day to be part of the Horowhenua community. Native lizards are to get a purpose-built 4-hectare predator proof enclosure at the intersection of Arapaepae Road and Queen Street East. They’re getting the new pad as part of the Ō2NL expressway construction kicking off.
An Art Form That Makes Silent Voices Heard:
With gestures and mime rolled into one, this little-known art form, called Visual Vernacular (VV), is proudly used by the Deaf community for artistic expression. In VV, visual storytelling replaces formal signs, enabling people from both the Deaf and hearing communities to connect, understand each other and communicate without words.
Do watch the video — it's quite amazing. Daytime kiwi fight in Kerikeri garden surprises locals, reveals rare territorial clash:
In a remarkable scene captured in Northland, two kiwi birds engaged in a fight during daylight hours, offering a rare glimpse into the territorial behaviour of the elusive, nocturnal birds.
A population of rare native parrots in a Whangārei man's backyard continues to grow. Ethan Benney, who spent years predator-proofing some historic bush on his family's rural property at Glenbervie, first noticed an adult pair of kākāriki (green parrots) in the area early last year. About six months later, he discovered the duo were raising a clutch of chicks in a hollow tree.
Via: Northern Advocate, 07 April 2025 (PDF), Page 3.
Here’s the iPhone. Here’s the iPhone With Tariffs. - WSJ (via John Gruber):
This is what Apple pays for components inside its bestselling phone, and how [the] China tariffs could raise the bill
Heh, when I buy a new Apple product it ships direct from China. Presumably ditto for anyone else not in the US. I guess the tariffs will only affect Americans.
Our new house is coming along. The builder sent photos on a couple of days. 🏡
I had Apple Photos magically remove a worker. Look closely and you'll see where, but it's not a bad job.
This looks like so much fun. Excited! Season Three Trailer for Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.
Deb made delicious pikelets for lunch.
I really enjoy such timeline adjacencies. Puppets!
A nide of 5 pheasant chicks wandered around in the rain by my window this morning. Here are two of the well-grown chicks. 🐦
I very much enjoyed Coercive Power (The King & Midnight K-9 Mysteries Book 2) by D. L. Keur, an author whose other works I've liked too. 📚
Chief Deputy Mike Murphy is in trouble. The military is doing its best to press gang him back into uniform. He needs a lawyer, one really well-versed in military law. Meanwhile, somebody is trying to run a newcomer off their land in escalating incidents of violence.
Sigh. Things don't change. My emphasis:
A local woman’s phone call to Switzerland 20 years ago led to the Manawatū River Estuary becoming an internationally recognised wetland/bird sanctuary. …
“We printed leaflets and delivered them to households in Foxton Beach explaining what we were intending to do.”
This was followed by a public meeting where some young men heckled her, saying they wanted to continue running their 4-wheel drives through the dunes and the estuary.
The good news started sometime in the night — I heard rain in the gutter. 💦
The forecast suggests we'll get rain over the next few days too.
I enjoyed this start of a new series by an author I know from the Rina Martin mysteries: Two Little Blonde Girls (Naomi Blake Mysteries Book 1) by Jane Adams. 📚
It’s been a long time since ex-copper Naomi Blake has heard Helen’s name. Naomi was twelve years old when her best friend went missing on the way to school ….
Now, finally, after twenty-three years, there’s a confession in a sealed envelope. And it’s shockingly close to home.
Aargh! I'm at the point in my morning where I go to run the Keyboard Maestro macro I spent ages tuning up yesterday evening, with date and time calculations, and it's just not there!
Did I somehow delete it accidentally? It must be that, because KM is rock solid. Back to the drawing board …
5 light links 03-Apr-2025
The world seems dark and grim. These 5 links are about bringing a little light. 💡
Wellington philanthropist couple to fund new charity hospital | RNZ News:
A Wellington philanthropist couple have agreed to fund the build of a new charity hospital in the capital. …
to deliver surgical day services on a referral basis for people who don't meet the criteria for admission to the public system and who can't afford medical insurance and private treatment.
The hospital would support those who could not afford medical insurance and private treatment.
Wild horses help prevent wildfires in Spain | Al Jazeera:
A 2021 study … found that wild horse grazing was the most effective method for preventing wildfires, promoting plant biodiversity and capturing carbon. The study compared this method with other land uses, including planting long-term pine forests, short-term eucalyptus plantations and grazing by domesticated animals.
Geckos first found in Canterbury in the 1960s could be world's oldest | RNZ News:
The two Waitaha geckos were first discovered and marked in 1967 and 1969 … The geckos were [again] found during a recent visit to the island. … The oldest gecko was named 'Antoinette' …
The second gecko was estimated to be aged 60 and was named 'Brucie-Baby'
Kea population booms in Aoraki | RNZ News:
The number of Kea - New Zealand's nationally endangered mountain parrot - is growing in numbers in Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park.
The average flock size in the Malte Brun area in 2024 was twice that seen two years before.
Work in the area to get rid of possums, stoats and other pests over thousands of hectares has been done by Te Manahuna Aoraki Project - part of Zero Invasive Predators.
Via: odd@social.lol.
Our new house is being wrapped. 🏡
This photo by the builder shows the south (cold) side of the house — garage window and door, bedrooms and bathrooms.
I occasionally spot a hedgehog on our property, and with mixed feelings. They are quite cute, but:
Hedgehogs cannot coexist with our endangered species. Removing them from the environment is an essential step to saving what makes Aotearoa unique.
Via: Hedgehogs: Animal pests.
Apparently it's not a good sign for a hedgehog to be roaming around during the day. The one I spotted today seemed reasonably fit and well.
Thanks to Virginia DeBolt at Old Ain't Dead I've been watching The Residence on Netflix. I just watched Episode 06.
The series so far has been interesting, intriguing, enjoyable, but E06, The Third Man, was outright hilarious! 🤣
Cordelia Cupp, an eccentric detective, arrives on the premises [of The White House] in order to solve a murder that occurred during a state dinner.
I'm looking forward to the final episodes. It's hard not to just binge.
I quite enjoyed The Earth Concurrence (Colonial Explorer Corps Book 1) by Julia Huni. 📚
Not entirely sure I'll read more from this series though.
Surprising finds and dangerous conditions cause her father to overreact, keeping Siti on a tight leash. When unknown enemies rear their dangerous heads, Siti must take matters into her own hands.
Yesterday was a stunning blue sky day so Deb and I went to Waikanae for breakfast then tried out a trail new to us: Barry Hadfield Nikau Reserve:
11 hectares of regionally significant kohekohe and nikau forest remnant.
Views from the lookout were stunning and the forest is lovely.
The climb was a killer though. It took me 35 minutes to the lookout from the carpark. There were a lot of steps. I was utterly exhausted in the afternoon.
Blueberry icecream from Waikawa Blueberries. Yum.
