It was nice to have a free day today - I am getting to be busy!

Totty and I had a lovely walk around the park this morning it was so quiet, there are very few people who walk anywhere, they all go in their cars.

When I got back I left her in the house and popped round to Margaret's house - she is on holiday at her son's in Nelson. She had asked me to pick any veg that were ready and I picked three different sorts of tomatoes and some lettuce, a cucumber and ONE strawberry! I did notice, for the future, she has some rosemary, parsley and thyme!

I had phoned the kennels and left a message first thing this morning to book Totty in for Monday and they called me back. She said they would need to see her vaccination certificate (it is in the post as the shipping agent thought it might get lost if sent with her) and she would also need kennel cough given nasally as we only had three days before she was to go into kennels. Why is life never simple! I then had to phone the vet and "beg" an appointment for today as tomorrow is bank holiday - they kindly said they would fit us in at 5.40. I then had to video call home on MSN and ask Jane to find out where she could fax the copy of the certificate to the kennels from. Fortunately she is very clever and was able to scan it and email it to me. I then forwarded it to Jon at work and he printed it off and faxed it to the kennels and brought a copy home for the vet. Isn't technology wonderful - and daughters!

The kennels called me and said that was all OK and if she had her kennel cough they would take her at $18 (£7) a day - very cheap. What a morning!

Jon came home for lunch and we finished off the roast chicken we had had for dinner the night before and it was just as good!

I did some cleaning in the afternoon and found Neighbours on the TV. They are ahead of UK but it was good to watch and I enjoyed it.

Jon came home early and we took Totty to the vet. They are very nice there and weighed her and took all her particulars and she was beside herself sniffing all the packets of food, bones, chews and toys on sale there! When we went in to see the vet she was very nice and told us she had worked in Saxmundham and had an aunt in Bury St Edmunds who was 95 and called Ivy Harvey and did we know her!!!!!! Totty got a better medical than we paid for to come out here. She did not enjoy the kennel cough vaccine being shot up her nose but soon recovered. Total cost $53 (£20) very reasonable.

The vet's surgery is over in Welcome Bay, five minutes drive away and there is a park over there called Waipuna Park and Johnson Reserve that I had been told about so we thought we would give it a try. It was beautiful. It is a valley full of ferns, trees and plants and has lovely steps and wooden walkways down to the bottom of the valley and so many birds and is just so peaceful we had a lovely walk. We didn't let Totty off the lead as we could easily lose her in the ferns. We only met one lady with her dog!

We got home and finalised our trip by booking our final night hotel in Palmerston North so we are all set for Monday. I can't think about Totty and kennels too much as it makes me sad and I am sure she will be fine the owner sounded very caring.

We had dinner with salad and more of the tray of avocados that Jon's boss gave him - I must find some recipes with avocado!