Good morning and welcome to 2024! I was up at 2.30 am to shut my bedroom window against a blustery southerly that came up and woke me.
Not quite the start I'd hoped for but it did allow for a couple of cups of my favourite green tea: Himalayan Evergreen Spring. 2️⃣0️⃣2️⃣4️⃣
I cooked a variation of Spring vegetable broth with shredded chicken for dinner and it was delicious (and healthy).
I used cannellini beans, broccoli and bok choy because I couldn't get borlotti beans, asparagus or spring greens. I also varied quantities of everything. Yum.
Road to Copper Hollow (Mining For Justice Book 1) by Katie Trapp was heavier on relationships than on plot, but as the lead characters were lesbians I didn't mind too much.
Very quirky language — perhaps typical for the part of the US setting? I enjoyed it but may not read the next in series. 📚
I quickly abandoned The Complete Maxie Reddick Mysteries Books 1–3 box set by Helen Bridgett. 🐦
I really didn't like the lead character — she was just 'off' and I felt uncomfortable with her methods.
I quite enjoyed reading the 5 books in Charlotte Dean Mysteries eBook Bundle by Phillipa Nefri Clark. 🐦
You'd barely know the books are set in Australia, but the good characters are amenable, the bad characters rotten. Some things are a little too perfect, but the stories were a good easy read.
I unsubbed from something and really don't like the message on the confirmation page. Seems hostile to me …
I don't usually go in for yearly roundup posts but there were a lot of Special Moments in 2023.
Special Moments from 2023
I don't usually go in for yearly roundup posts but there were a lot of Special Moments
in 2023. I did a bunch of stuff on behalf of the community, spent a lot of time taking photos of and learning about birds, bought some new gear that has proved useful, did a bit of travel, some people stuff, a few firsts, and Sasha the 16.5 year old dog passed in March.
Community work
- Set up Waikawa News (hosted at Micro.Blog) — a development from previous sites with a different focus
- wrote 227 Waikawa News posts
- received a $100 grant from Horowhenua District Council towards Waikawa News costs
- helped plant spinifex on the beach
- communicated with Horowhenua District Council about local beach issues; gave a 5 minute presentation before a meeting where decisions about vehicle access were made
- did a lot of research on the topic of vehicles on beaches, especially Waikawa Beach and especially a petition from some in the community to run a vehicle track to the beach in an ecologically sensitive area near where we live
- did a lot of research and communicated with a small group of like-minded folks about troublesome motorbikes on the beach; met with a Horowhenua District Councillor about the problem
- gave feedback and suggestions to Horowhenua District Council about some of their Comms (the Meetings and Agendas web page) and was gratified to see changes implemented
- watched many Horowhenua District Council meetings and workshops online or in person
Bought (or sold)
- Artisan Stand Mixer
- Electrolux Ergorapido Hand Vacuum
- Deejo Astro tattooed pocketknife
- EV: MG4 Essence 64
- EVNex charger for EV
- Nikon Monarch 7 8x42 binoculars
- Fujifilm X-T5 camera
- sold Ōtaki rental property in May 2023
Pets and wildlife
- All year: Willow the dog visited frequently and even stayed overnight or I just took her for walks as her mums dealt with various severe health issues
- January: Saw an Australasian Bittern for myself
- February: 1 year since Oshi the dog died
- March: Glee the Japanese Quail died
- March: Sasha the dog had her last day
- June: saw Snow Leopards at Wellington Zoo
- November: saw an unusual visitor to Waikawa Beach: a Glossy Ibis
- November: spotted a new bird at Waikawa Beach: a black-fronted dotterel
- December: kept an eye on various baby birds on the beach: Pied Stilts and Variable Oystercatchers
Miscellaneous
- worked out a solstice based calendar because 01 January is such an arbitrary date for a new year — 21 June 2022 (at 2113) was Day 0
- worked through a really useful course course: Mastering the Fujifilm Autofocus System
- regular brunches with a good friend
- 15 February 2023: a 6.1 quake got me out of the house
- 17 April 2023: Start of 4 weeks plus really sick, not Covid, probably flu
- 12 May 2023: first almost-frost of the season (the frosts kept coming till mid-November)
- gave a presentation about MarsEdit for Micro Camp on 21 May 2023
- 11 June 2023: went for a midwinter dip in the sea
- 16 June 2023: ran Starry Time, a 30 minute time on the beach with whoever turned up looking and talking about the night sky; other Starry Time events later in the year were cancelled for weather
- June 2023 made a 2300 Km car trip to Cape Reinga and return, visiting friends along the way
- June 2023: started regular massages with Natalie Waddell, a superb massage therapist
- 18 July 2023: saw the Starlink satellite train of maybe 30 or 50 satellites — an amazing sight, though I know the problems these and other satellites are creating for astronomy and humans in general
- July 2023: watched FIFA Women’s World Cup NZL (1) v Nor (0) on TV — a first for me to watch sport
- August 2023: a week long Samoa holiday with friends
- snorkeled at Palolo Deep Marine Reserve in Samoa
- called in at a wonderful cafe in Apia called Rivaiv — I had a fabulous teriyaki chicken bowl
- October 2023: visited New Plymouth overnight with Deb for our 30th anniversary
- 02 November 2023: arrived home from errands to find a HUGE controlled burn-off almost next door where the forestry block had been felled
- received a very generous Amazon gift voucher from a friend
- looked after Deb who had a medical emergency resulting in 7 days in hospital in Palmerston North. (She's fine now.)
- December: heard from my cousin in England after a few years of no replies to my emails — I'd thought he must have died
- tried cooking assorted new and some older recipes
- tried assorted delicious green, white and yellow teas
- wrote 914 posts on https://miraz.me
- all year: loved participating in the Micro.Blog community, reading about other people's lives, looking at numerous gorgeous photos, exchanging comments, building friendships with people who live far away
I wonder what 2024 will bring?
If you're a human being who does like dogs this will be the best 8.5 minutes of your year: We Rate Dogs: The Dogs of 2023 (Facebook). 🐶
The net worth of Ms Bettencourt Meyers … crossed $100bn on the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, making her the 12th richest person in the world.
I can't even begin to imagine that much money❗️ 12th richest? ‼️‼️
Hah! Apple Photos just gave me a new 2023 Year in Review Memory. More than 95% of the photos are birds! Fantastic. 🐦
This was useful: Export photos, videos, slideshows and memories in Photos on Mac - Apple Support (NZ).
Some random annoying music is the soundtrack. Mute the video ….
Well well well, for the first time since I bought my M1 MacBook Pro in January 2021 I was able to successfully use Apple Pay to make an online purchase. Hurrah!
Must figure out how to use Apple Pay out in the world too. I guess it could be quite handy.
Such a gorgeous summer morning with the dawn chorus, a hazy full moon setting in the west, Venus rising in the east behind pink-tinged cloud. 🐦
The Matuku-hūrepo | Australasian Bittern is an extremely rare and endangered bird, but one sometimes turns up in these parts.
Last night a large dark bird startled beside the road and flew off. In those few seconds I didn't see what it was, but believe it could have been that. Older photo below. 🐦
Thanks to my many Micro.Blog pals who sent good wishes for my partner Deb's gallbladder surgery. Five days after first rolling up at the Emergency Department she's finally had the gallbladder out and is now sleeping off the anaesthetic. All seems well. 🙌🏼
With luck, I'll take her home tomorrow.
Uh oh. Arrived at Deb's hospital room at 9 am and it seems she's been abducted by aliens. Awaiting the ransom demand!
After 5 days sitting beside a hospital bed (still no op for Deb) I'm missing the beach and the bird babies. This afternoon I came home early. This little Oystercatcher chick was sticking close to mum. 🐦
It's still dark so this photo is from a week ago. Fliss the Japanese quail turns 5 today. What a survivor. Her sister died a year ago. Fliss is still going strong! Occasionally she even lets me 'pat' her. 🐦
Oh, OK, Netflix — is there something I can watch? Oooh, Star Trek: Prodigy — at last!
Seeing a fair bit of this view these days as Deb waits for gallbladder removal surgery. Could be worse.
