Miraz Jordan

One of the ways to stop smaller ornaments falling off shelves in an earthquake is Museum Wax. It’s really just a soft wax. Put a small dob on the bottom of the object and then press down so it adheres to the shelf. You can easily lift the object if you need to. 〰️

We’ve been having aftershocks, most not noticeable. This 5.2 got me up though. Two tiny things fell off the shelf. 〰️

Xena 1995–2001: a formidable warrior, reformed baddie. Had an intense relationship with Gabrielle, a bard who grew into a warrior. Outrageous fight scenes. Grit. Determination. Humour. Filmed in New Zealand, set in “Ancient Greece”. Lucy Lawless, a Kiwi, played Xena. 📺

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I enjoy starting my day with a Tom Scott video, like this 5 minute explainer: Ə: The Most Common Vowel in English.

Watched Mulan which was fun. It’s based on the Chinese legend of Hua Mulan — a young woman who takes her father’s place in the Chinese Imperial Army. I really enjoyed it. 🍿

It was good to watch a light, inspiring and entertaining movie on a drab day with earthquakes.

Buffy 1997–2003 was glorious. It introduced creative language use and a young woman who literally fought demons — her own and those of others. Impressive much?

This week for the Micro Challenge I’m doing TV shows. 📺

She saved the world. A lot.

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I was doing a crossword on my MacBook Pro when with no warning at all the house started to really shake. This was a big earthquake: it felt big and things were moving around. Trivial items fell from shelves, something broke. I was worried the tall column heater would fall from the small table it sits on (so Oshi can't pee on it). 〰️

For the first time in my life I decided to leave the house. The computer was in my hand anyway, so I pulled the cord and took the two steps to the front door.

Luckily the much needed rain was taking a break.

Out on the deck I called the dogs. Oshi came out, but Sasha had gone to hide under a bed and took a few moments.

My heart was pounding. My hands were shaking as I fumbled with my phone to call my partner, Deb, at work in Wellington.

That's the first time in my life I've actually left the house in an earthquake. In the past we've had a few big ones that made me consider it (I don't bother for the many small quakes we get).

And as I write we're having an aftershock, but mild, fortunately — an M4.0. That was just a slight bang and a sort of mild wavy motion. I was ready though to pull the plug and head for the deck again.

Our house sits on what is essentially a small sandhill. When it was built the engineers required 6 metre long wooden piles to reach solid ground. The effect of that is that if the wind gusts hard, or the washing machine does a spin cycle, or if you walk too heavily the house will shake a bit. That also means that any earthquake is magnified. Our friends next door though, whose house is on solid flat ground, reported that their house shook violently too in this quake.

Aotearoa New Zealand has thousands of earthquakes each year, thanks to being on the Ring of Fire. Most are tiny and no-one notices them, but each year we can expect to feel a handful of small shakes.

The pheasants usually let us know when a quake's on its way. They feel vibrations in the earth before the shaking reaches and they squawk continuously. It's their special earthquake squawk, different from other alarm calls.

This quake though was so close — only about 33 Km away and only 37 Km deep — that I guess there was no time difference in the waves.

We also often hear something before shaking starts: a bang, or a rumble, or a vibration or something. This time was different: one moment I was sitting quietly pondering a crossword clue and the next I was jumping up and heading for the door.

The outcome though is that although I haven't yet inspected the outside of the house (the rain came back), there's no damage beyond some fallen trinkets, a broken tumbler and a broken candle holder. And my heart rate is still elevated.

That's a tribute to New Zealand building regulations.

And, oops, a tsunami risk (there is none) never even occurred to me!

Alert for aftershocks now. There have been a few minor shocks since then ~3.6 that we haven’t felt, though the pheasants have been squawking. 〰️

Thanks for all good wishes. Earthquake was sourced about 33Km away, 37Km deep, mag 5.8. Our house is on 6 metre deep poles so shakes even when the washing machine spins. One tumbler broke, a few minor items fell from shelves. I’m still shaking. I never leave the house, usually, for a quake. 〰️

SUCH a big earthquake I actually left the house. Minor things fell off shelves. All ok. More later. Shaking… 〰️

Next week’s Micro.Blog Challenge is about Artwork and drawings — our own or others. I don’t draw, and think instead I’ll do a post a day about TV Shows I enjoy — present or past. 📺

Actually just watched an ad (for Ecosa mattresses) all the way through, instead of skipping, because it was entertaining. Featured a woman who’s probably a famous actor.

My pal Rachel McAlpine, writer, podcaster and blogger, contributed this very interesting 17 minute video to the #M365May online conference: Old people and their computers in lockdown. Worth noting how personal blogs have helped lots of older people feel connected.

We thought we spotted 3 sheep in the next door paddock but one. Unusual for a cow farm, but not unheard of. But they didn’t look right. Binoculars were no help. I grabbed my camera, zoomed and cropped (a lot). We think they’re young alpacas. 🦙

We watched Captain America: The First Avenger over 2 nights and it wasn’t bad. Great to spot Agent Carter too. We’ve got the free trial of Disney+, so may watch the sequels over the next few nights.

Everyone comments on how many rubber gloves wash up on Waikawa Beach. There's a strong suspicion amongst locals that the gloves and frequent large swathes of dead shellfish are connected with the clam dredge that comes through quite often.

The dredge is harvesting surf clams that live up to 10 metres deep in the sea bed. It uses a technique that pumps water into the seabed and then takes the shellfish on board where they are sorted and saved in water for later processing.

Sometimes the dredge comes so close to shore that it seems you could almost reach out and touch it. The official word is that the fishing boats can get as close to shore as they like, so long as they haven't exceeded their quota.

The whole thing causes consternation for many who live here. The locals are fiercely protective of this special environment. Some have pointed out that in the week or two after each visit of the dredge the shore becomes home to barnacled logs and shells that have obviously rested in the water for a very long time.

There is a lot of discomfort about the seafloor being massively disturbed in this way.

Less disturbingly, recreational fishing has little impact on the environment, though empty bait packets often feature among the beach rubbish.

In the first decade of the 1900s Waikawa Beach was famous in the area for its toheroa, pipi, fishing and whitebaiting. Unfortunately, the toheroa have long gone. Occasionally you'll see someone wading through the shallows, bucket in hand, loading up with fresh shellfish.

These days people put out Kontikis, often equipped with GPS, and send them thousands of metres away from shore to catch fish. Others take flounder nets to the river mouth and often come back with at least a few. Some hardy folks take kayaks or surfboards out and catch fish that way, while others grab the tractor and haul their 2-person craft down to the beach for a day's fishing.

In-season whitebaiting is always popular in the river, though most folks you speak to talk wistfully of earlier times when they'd catch large amounts. These days some count themselves lucky to get a single good feed.

Originally published in Ōtaki Today, May 2020, page 19.