The Traveling Kiwi

I have needed the little pokes and prods to get myself out of my shell. A scary wee heart event got me moving slower and doing a lot less these past few months and it’s become too easy to do nothing at all. If I wasn’t losing my fitness fast I think I could become a very lazy little hermit. Surprisingly easy actually.

So it’s been a while…..mum had her 90th in January and we had all the siblings assembled. It was the first time for us all to be together in a long time. Everyone contributed memories for mum to read and keep. The stories were very emotional and heartfelt, celebrating mum and her sense of humour. It was also when I finally realised I am actually a midget.. and yes there is a small child behind me making my horns.

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It’s hard to sit down and write as I feel like I haven’t been doing anything interesting at all and my photos are just mushrooms and moths. We have finally had a few days of good weather and I have my fingers crossed we get enough for the tomato’s to actually ripen. It’s been wet as for way too long. My garden is full of spuds and carrots just in case it’s stays wet and the new potatoes have been with every meal for the last few weeks, it’s not going to take long to completely use all that I have planted so I am backfilling with more spuds as I dig them up so I won’t run out. Must be the Irish in me, completely addicted to home grown new potatoes.

I have been invaded by the neighbours small black cat. I am sure she plotted the whole takeover in her devious little brain for weeks before implementing it. The neighbour got two black cats at the same time but one just hasn’t grown and is still kitten sized. I noticed she would sleep under our hedge and sometime come out and rub around my ankles. Then she started racing out to greet me every time I got out of the car. Then it was climbing up me to have a cuddle, then she would sit in my arms and purr as she nibbled my ear ( what cat does that!) I let her inside as it was raining and now she sleeps on my bed all day and in my lap the rest of the time, in between scrapping with her big sister cat who also thinks she is welcome here. As I am vacuuming black cat hair off the bed cover I realise it’s too late, her takeover plan has worked and I am now officially a cat person. I call her Nibblet as she will also just sit on my lap and nibble my thumb like she is suckling -it’s pretty adorable. I don’t feed her as she is my neighbours cat 🐈‍⬛ but I am going to have to go over and confess she has catnapped me.

Zebo is terrorising me again and the last lot of drugs were worse than the problem and trigger a bit of a reaction so I am not happy and not really feeling the whole cooking drinking socialising thing, so it’s going to be a very quiet Christmas, there may be some mushroom hunting involved as the blues should just be starting to come up. Apart from that I will be heading back to Christchurch Jan 17th to spend a bit of time with mum who turns 90 on 20th and Yifei ( her great grandchild) who turns 8 on 25th

Wishing all my intertwingled friends who read this a very merry Christmas 🎄 and every happiness for 2024.

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I love Rhodies and Azaleas, they always mean spring and every year I used to take mum to the Ilam gardens to just enjoy the vibrant profusion of colour. This may not be a surprise to those who know me as at any time if you look at my phone you will find it absolutely chocka with flower photos ( even more than mushrooms) This year I missed the Christchurch display but there is a botanical garden in Taupo that has Rhodie and Azalea walks with trees that are at least as old as Ilam. I packed up two of my oldies and we ventured off. We were treated to an absolute riot of blooms of all sorts of shapes and sizes. I havent messed with any of these photos yet but over winter I suspect I will treat you to a whole lot more.

I am off to Christchurch later today and looking forward to getting at least one walk in the gardens. Mum is doing well with her new heat pump and in a much better place than when I started my 6 weekly trips down. Still lots to do but hopefully just a wee bit more time to spend with my niece and great niece. Children seem to live life at a whole different speed, I am thinking its been a slow year then I see Yifei has grown to past my shoulder and is rapidly becoming a young women, although just a comment or a laugh and thankfully she is back to being her wise little 7yr old self.

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I went to a memorial recently for a good friend 92, a wonderful character who came to New Zealand in the 50s and became one of the pioneers of rewilding. https://www.nzherald.co.nz/rotorua-daily-post/news/jaap-van-dorsser-obituary-rotorua-springtime-celebration-a-fitting-tribute-for-nature-lover/JKSESPSJRRG6LIS6ESNFZ72OQE/

Yarp had a philosophy – “say yes to everything” even when you think you would rather not. After his life celebration I was asked if I wanted to head out to a rewilding project about 8 kms out of town, a small wetland between some pine plantations. We would meet out there at 8pm at night and photograph native moths. My first thought was somewhere between no and hell no. Its been wet and showers come and go non-stop, it will be dark and muddy and how the heck do you get the moths to stay still, I struggle with my macro even when is a non-moving mushroom. Anyway thinking of Yaap I said yes.

It started out exactly how I thought, misty wet, midges and bugs attracted to the light and lots of mud. However it wasnt long till I found my first native leaf veined slug and noticed that the light from my headlamp caught the eyes of the moths, which glowed like little beacons. As we made or way around the wetland we reached the back, lights out and the whole place transformed into a magical fairyland with layers of lights all around, up the banks and leading back into the black pine trees. The most incredible glow worm display I have ever seen, we walked in silence just marveling at the magnificence. As we started to walk down the other side the rain stopped and clouds disappeared, the stars were so abundant with the southern cross shining bright. Breathtaking.

I learned that every native tree has its own looper moth and that they are all different patterns and colours, not well studied we saw some that have never been documented on inaturalist. So thank you Yaap, making me stop and say yes to a whole new experience. I have now been back a second time and part of a group that is going to document monthly the changes in the moth species of the area. The emerald dragonfly rests in the manuka at night and the stick with the drips on it is actually a glow worm.

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Almost 3 days of lovely sunshine after blustery winter weather and everything just seems that much brighter and happier. Of course the rain is setting in again this afternoon but at least we have had a glimpse of what may be yet to come. September really is a time of beginnings and new things, time to start planting at last( so long as the frosts are finally done), enjoy the blossom and new growth and see a riot of colours reappear. They are predicting a dry hot summer, I am hoping it will be not too dry or too hot.

The fungi season is just starting and really gets going in the next few months but they don’t like the dry. I have become addicted to forging new trails in the old growth bush and exploring along trap lines( possum and rat traps). Great exercise and it’s like a treasure hunt, you don’t notice how far you have walked or how many gully’s you have slid down, or ridges you have climbed. Never would have ever thought I would be so fascinated with fungi and now native orchids but it’s great to have the motivation to get out and explore.

Feeling better than I have for months, it must be the sunshine and warming up. Wishing I could share this amazing place with friends from afar.

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Spring is starting slowly here and looking at the fog this morning it’s definitely still got winters chill. My plans to be back in chch today have been delayed and now looks like I will be back Oct 8th, hoping for lots of sunshine and spring flowers from my favourite garden city.

Been visiting one of Barney’s old friends in hospital and managed to catch a COVID like bug that has had me down for the count and left me completely drained. I am starting to get a wee bit more energy and decided with prompting to look at maybe a wee ride around the block on my bike. Two completely flat tyres put paid to that pretty fast, trip to bike shop and all sorted, next morning completely flat again. Back to the bike shop and a new inner tube and a nice clean bike – bill $0 – apparently it’s all part of the service, completely unexpected these days. The weather has really effected their business, it has never been as quiet, I think they are just hanging in there hoping spring will bring the customers in. Two other bike shops have closed, my bike balms have slowed to no sales over winter.

Saw the big bright super moon last night and going to take it as a sign of change and everything starting to improve – I am pretty safe with this perspective as the only thing we can guaranty is that things will change and I get to decide if it’s positive or not.

A very dear friend has given me a wee push to get out and get moving which I appreciate as it really is too easy to become like the mushrooms I have been photographing. So look for more frequent posts although they may be of fungi.

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It’s been cold and wet and miserable and the heat pump is still broken. Lots of late mornings and early nights with extra hot water bottles and fingers crossed the heat pump will finally be replaced tomorrow. Just in time for me to head back to Christchurch on 18th and brave the cold couch and no insulation of mums place. At least Christchurch has a bit of winter sun and places to escape to.

I have pretty much been hibernating and have got little done. Walks in the bush have been curtailed with the wet wet wet. Garden is languishing due to lack of interest on my part and way too wet to even think of attending to it. Leeks I planted back in January are still the size of my thumb. I think I need a major soil overhaul before starting any new planting so instead I just look at it and sigh and figure October is a good month to start again. Then a hot water bottle and a book gets all my attention.

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It’s funny how everything is almost overwhelming when you are in the middle of it and you know you just need to stay focussed and deal with each crisis as it comes up and somehow you will make it. Then every now and again you have to stop and take a different view.

I arrived back to Mums after going out for groceries and it was the first day she was due to get meals on wheels. Mum told me she hadn’t eaten and was hungry and I checked around but no evidence of the delivery. After waiting an hour and nothing turned up I called to find out what had happened. The whole point of my staying on was to make sure everything we had arranged was working as planned. They assured me the meal had been delivered. I checked again, for probably the twentieth time, fridge freezer and rubbish bins. Nothing and by now mum was telling me she was really hungry. I made her a late lunch, although I had already made her breakfast and a late breakfast before I had left. I called again to tell them that nothing had come and they assured me they had met Carole and she had told them to put the meal on the bench. I then did a deep dive into the rubbish bin. Squirrelled away under another layer of rubbish was the empty packaging of a full meal with dessert. So she had scoffed the lot, promptly forgot and wanted more. After eating like a bird for the previous week suddenly she has the appetite of a an emu not a sparrow. I called my sister and as I was telling her I just started laughing 😂 and in a heartbeat everything went from serious to hilarious.

I told mum what she had done when I could finally get it out without giggling and she straight faced told me she had not eaten a thing and by the way was there any chocolate. Needless to say her appetite has improved and with it her energy and outlook.

I have headed back to Rotorua to the cold and rain and will be back in Chch early July.

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I was booked to head back in Saturday but on Friday we finally managed to meet with the local elderly rehab team and get all the cares in place for mum to manage without me. They wanted me to monitor everything fir a few days before I left. So flight is now Wednesday but what a difference already. Their focus is positive and on giving skills to be comfortable and safe in your own home. Physio has already been and things so far are working well. I feel much more confident now about leaving which is great. I snuck out on Saturday morning and visited the market and my friend Michelle and her delicious smoked garlic salt. Just amazed that there were daffodils and blossom and spring flowers out already and it’s still autumn.

They were still setting up when I got there but it wasn’t long till it was humming with people and delightful aromas. I couldn’t resist the bacon butte from bacon bros. I miss this market with its real foodies and local flavours. Almost tempting to come back to Christchurch just for this.

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I haven’t posted for a while and I would like to say its because I have been too busy taking fungi photos. But its actually because I am in Christchurch taking care of my mum who managed to tear her rotor cuff and has been unable to be by herself. She is failing fast and this has just accelerated things. Diagnosed now with dementia and Alzheimer’s its funny as she will constantly say “well at least I haven’t lost my marbles” A sewing/knitting/doll making/art project pack rat, I have been swimming in boxes and boxes and boxes of stuff and trying to help her let go of them of she can have some space on the table and in the house. I would say to date I have been about 10% successful which, although small is better than any of us have been able to achieve at any other time. It’s so hard for her to lose her memory and she is aware that she is and its frightening her. It’s full on but we are finally getting some support and I am hoping this will allow me to have a wee break while I am here and leave maybe by the end of the week.

Fortunately for me I have been feeling better and seeing the sun down here has helped. I am pretty sure Rotorua is trying to be the new Atlantis with the non-stop rain and weather bombs.

When I do get back I will of course be back to my fungi photo obsession. The green mushies will be just coming out if the rain hasn’t completely destroyed them and then there is always the treasure hunt for the blues. Something about being out in the wild natural bush that is very calming and at the same time quite exciting, scrambling up banks and skidding down gullies and seeing how the whole forest can change with just a little sunlight from a tree fall or a change in the moisture level. After the emotional intensity here I think even the rain won’t keep me out of the forest.

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