A waiting time

Tuesday was one of those surreal days when the usual routines are put on hold and breathing needs to be remembered. A family member required some surgery on a limb after a sports injury.

Tight time keeping was the focus of the day’s beginnings to ensure all instructions were followed and check-in was completed.

Time then ballooned out into waiting, waiting, waiting. The clock was watched and minds wondered about the call to the operating theatre and when that would come.

That point of hugs, whispered words and a long ride away down a long corridor came. For the support crew time again slowed as calculations were made and fears were encouraged to quieten.

A walk in the hospital grounds had some appeal to help reduce the feeling of simply hanging around,

to search out some light and colour,

and to try sitting patiently in nature.

Shadows threatened to seep in again

but here were reminders of just how many hands were reaching out to help

and fingers skilled at repairing and healing were working for the best.

Relief flooded us all with the patient’s return and with a positive report.
Perspectives cleared with focus returning to a more outward view.

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Southern Hemisphere Christmas tree decorations

A fellow blogger at Seasonal Inspiration has been asked by a small child to make a flax Christmas tree this year.

It got me thinking about what might be in my garden and natural environment that could be incorporated on a flax Christmas tree. Flaxes are currently flowering and the yellow or red toning flowers that contain nectar to feed the native birds resemble small candles that I have seen in pictures of traditional Northern Hemisphere Christmas trees.

I would love to include the Christmassy looking Feijoa flowers and any Pohutukawa flowers that had begun to bloom ( Pohutukawa are known as New Zealand’s native/traditional Christmas tree, although they often flower around my area after Christmas Day)

Today I spotted the green seed pods of the Kowhai tree and I figure they currently resemble the strings of pretty coloured beads that often adorn Christmas trees.

I will keep looking….

Flowering cherry tree, kowhai tree and birds

I took my camera outside this morning to capture some spring photos.

The flowering cherry tree is in our garden.

Just over the fence in the neighbouring reserve is the kowhai tree that is being visited constantly by Tuis at the moment…..can you spot one feeding on the nectar?

And this afternoon, way off in the distance, amid road noise, other bird song, and the voices of children I heard the Shining Cuckoo. My guess is the Cuckoo is up at the end of our street in a larger, more secluded, wooded reserve. It has been a few weeks since I heard the first Shining Cuckoo of the season but the one today near my home is right on schedule!!!

Feeding the birds

A bird does not sing because it has an answer.
It sings because it has a song.

Chinese Proverb

Today winter has really struck with gale force, bitterly cold south easterlies and driving rain showers. Over the past few weeks I have been tying apples to a kowhai tree to provide some winter food for the small Silvereyes or Waxeyes that live in and around the garden.

They are amazing to watch as they hang on to the apple or string and cleverly peck the soft flesh from the gap made by my apple corer. At times they virtually disappear within the apple once they have removed a good portion of the fruit.

So here are a couple of photos. Firstly of the new red delicious apple waiting to be enjoyed.

Then the hollowed out remains of the apples.

And finally for those of you who are not familiar with NZ Silvereyes here it is.