Sunday

Well the builders did wake me at 7.00 but I went back to sleep and woke at 9.00!! If we do that next week we will miss our flight!!

Just as I was putting the light out last night a cicada came into the bedroom and was flying around. I knew I could not sleep with it so got up to get it out. It landed on the steps that lead to the bathroom so I carefully climbed them and managed to get the glass from the basin and thought I would catch it and then put it out of the window!!! I had no idea they could move so fast!! I finally managed to get it when it was on the laundry basket but unfortunately all I managed to do was amputate one of its legs!! It shot off under the bed and without waking Jon I tried to look under the bed but couldn't find it so had to leave it and hope it wouldn't crawl up onto the bed through the night ugh!

I tried to call Jane as she had sent an email about wedding plans and I needed to check a few things with her but she was out so I have now arranged to speak to her in the morning.

I didn't feel like having any breakfast this morning so just had a cuppa.

I had managed to secure a card table from Trademe for one of the ladies I go to keep fit with and she does not have a computer. I needed to call the people to arrange collection and payment. They live down near the beach so we arranged to collect it after we had been for a coffee.

We had our coffee sitting in the sun and then went to have a look for an Apple TV connection so that I can play things from my iPad. We bought one and I said we needed a cable to go with it and the 'young' man was trying to sell us something which I just felt was not the correct thing. I suggested, if he had Internet connection, that he check what we needed. He finally gave in and did as I asked and then realised I, 'the old lady' was right!!!

We then went to buy a new mat to put Totty's food and water bowls on as her other one is rubber and the dishes stick to it. In the pet shop they had the most adorable puppies, two Westies and two Labradoodles and the lady got them out and they were so sweet.

We then went down to the retirement village where the lady who was selling the card table lives. What a lovely place to live, really well planned out and lovely bungalows. Marjorie, originally from Somerset, invited us in and introduced us to her husband John who is Dutch. We had a lovely chat with them and in the 20 minutes or so we were there learnt all about their lives. I must say if you have to retire it is a lovely spot and so much to do there.

We managed to drag ourselves away and came home and Jon set up the Apple TV. Unfortunately it doesn't seem to do what I wanted. All I wanted was to plug my iPad into the TV and it would show whatever I had found on the TV so if I want to do a keep fit class I can see it on the big screen and hear it but so far Jon says it won't do that!!!!

We had lunch and took Totty out for a walk and managed to get her all the way down the street to where the new house is being built. I am amazed at how much they have done. I am not sure how much we will see of it from our garden, probably only the roof so I don't think we will be bothered by the finished house.

I took the card table over to Matua to Claire. She is an elderly lady, 80 or so, her husband has cancer and she has looked after him for a long time but he is now in care as she could not cope any longer. She was very happy with the table and gave me a bag of lovely tomatoes from her garden.

I got back and Jon was sitting down in the shady bit of the garden so I made a cuppa and joined him down there. It was a little cloudy and I decided I would do a bit of pruning as some of the plants are getting so big. Unfortunately, the sun came out and I got really hot and the plants I was pruning had some horrible little insects on them, like tiny butterflies, and they flew out all over us so we gave up after cutting some of it back. Hopefully, the gardener is due to come and she can finish it off and take the stuff we have cut down away at the same time. The rate things are growing here I think she needs to be here more than two hours every two weeks but that is down to her to tell the agent.

Our plant that encourages Monarch butterflies is doing well with one really fat caterpillar and lots of tiny ones. Apparently, they will eat the aphids that are on the plant so we don't need to get rid of them. I am sure the big fat one must be about ready to go to sleep and I am looking forward to the next stage and have some photos of it all.

I sat on the deck for a little while and read and then came in and made dinner, lamb medallions and vegetables followed by cheesecake. I have frozen the rest of the cheesecake as it is very rich.

Bertie is playing up tonight so Jon is still downstairs but I think it is time I went to bed.

We can hear some birds at night making a terrible noise down on the water. I am not sure what they are but they sound like geese!!


WEATHER
Some cloud but mainly sunny 24 degrees down to only 20 tonight!!!