Back on 26 March 2024 we took part in a two hour cruise on Milford Sound in Fiordland, Aotearoa. Ours was the smaller boat on the left.
In an area that has some 7 metres (23 feet) of rainfall per year, the waterfalls are significant. You may (just) spot the boats near the bases of the falls.
I went to bed horrendously early last night. That's why it's now 0230 and I'm catching up on the Micro.Blog timeline. 😁
Tonight I made @alexink's Chicken Cacciatore, with a couple of modifications. This dish was new to me, but I enjoyed it.
Modifications: no onion or garlic and I switched out the red wine for a 50/50 mix of fresh lemon juice and water. I also added a tablespoon of sugar as I found it a bit tart.
The Globe and Mail has Cryptic Crosswords. I'm so out of practice with them! It's taken me a day or two to get back into the swing. So nice to have a good challenge though!
Can't wait now for Book 5! — The Language of Power (Steerswoman Series Book 4) by Rosemary Kirstein was another excellent read, bringing our heroes closer to their goal. 📚
The Steerswoman teases out some important discoveries that help on her quest.
The latest in a series I enjoy — The Man Who Came Back (The Shee McQueen Mystery Thriller Series Book 7) by Amy Vansant was another enjoyable read 📚:
Mason’s fellow retired SEAL buddy, Arturo, invites him and Shee to his Florida lake house for the weekend. … Clues lead them to an underwater cavern … and a chemical smuggling ring
Soon after sunrise today this sand 'cliff' was lit by a shaft of sunlight and reflections from the water. The cliff is probably less than a metre high and was formed by the river carving out the sand.
Pretty much the last sight at Wai o Tapu is one of the most spectacular: an almost fluorescent green / yellow lake, Roto Kārikitea.
A favourite on my walk: this lone chestnut coloured fungus. It was the only fungus I noticed on the whole walk.
The 'green' walk was the furthest and hardest at Wai o Tapu, with so many stairs. My calves were sore for days!
At Wai o Tapu the Artist's Palette certainly had water and steam aplenty. I could see a red colour around the edges.
Hmmm. Guess the gender of the CHAT GPT personality — Introducing GPT-4o:
24:46: BARRETT ZOPH: The reason I'm in a good mood is we are doing a presentation showcasing how useful and amazing you are.
24:50: CHAT GPT: Oh stop it, you're making me blush.
The push towards stereotypes …
This morning's Gong Mei, 'Royal Tribute Eyebrow' white tea is perfect to start the day:
Flavour: soft & sweet, floral and citrus … made famous in the Qing dynasty in China, being served within the imperial court. It is made from the Cai Cha cultivar and is a two or three leaf and a bud pluck.
Good reminders in this 13 minute video: The #1 Most Important Exposure Rule You Should Follow, and How You Can Apply it in Your Photography by Dan Bailey.
Yesterday, after our few days away, I was absolutely wiped out — had zero energy, was so sleepy. I just went with it.
Today I've been a domestic powerhouse: washed and dried two loads of laundry, made a batch of muesli, made beef stew, washed dishes. I also went for a bike ride / beach walk. 🤠
A couple of days ago I visited Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland. It was a warm sunny day after a cold start, and the skies were mainly clear blue. I did all 3 walks — there were many steps on tracks 2 and 3.
We might have missed the aurora, but we were in Rotorua for the coldest morning in 50 years — Will the aurora lights be visible tonight?:
At about 6.30am [on Sunday 12 May 2024], Rotorua was recorded to have the second-coldest temperature of the month for 50 years at minus 3.3 degrees [Celsius]
Great news! Success for new giant wētā breeding programme:
The Kiwi House now have 120 young wētā, and a second group of adults are breeding and laying eggs.
It has aimed to breed 3000 Mahoenui giant wētā for release into a local predator free sanctuary.
View from Lime Cafe, this morning’s brunch spot.
