Jabberwocky ... a language NO-ONE understands.

 Looking for the light between the lamp-posts to answer whatsapp

messages on a cold and dark winter’s morning is fun!  

Such unusual colours in the sun-rise this morning ... first time I've seen so much purple!

The hound doesn’t understand the frequent pauses in our ramble.

Her reading of p-mails and replying is the USUAL cause of a pause.

Not so this morning.

The impatient stance of her body as I yet again paused under a lamp-post was palpable.

Capturing seagulls in flight is fun
I do feel a bit bad sending the hound into the waves to make them fly!

I’ve reached an age where my ability to read text on a tiny screen has drastically diminished.

Especially when the sun’s not yet up!

Glasses do help but those are securely tucked away in the backpack.

Besides, it’s much more fun to unintentionally invent new words

 and leave whatsapping friend to decipher them!

Indy waiting PATIENTLY for the coffee cup.

Even when I CAN see, auto-correct has the annoying habit of turning some of our conversations into real humdingers.

It translates everything into Jabberwocky ... a language NO-ONE understands.

A small price to pay for INSTANT communication with mates who DON’T live in the arse end of the world I guess.

It’s Friday again though, my all-time FAVOURITE day of the week!

The one day of the week when I get to ramble till the cows come home

 ... in a figurative sense that is ... 

inbetween trying to reply to whatsapp messages!

The "Traveller" and one one of the more unusual spots he choose to snooze on

Everything about a Friday is just perfect in it’s own IMPERFECT way.

Low tide was at 7.20 this morning and the sun was still trying to rise.

Even the feet-seeking missile DIDN’T disappoint.

He’s back from his holiday and, in usual feet-seeking missile style, 

flung himself at my feet for the obligatory tummy rub.

He makes ME feel SO loved.

Delighted to be back together again!

In true Labrador fashion he took an instant LIKING to the ROPE swing 

Julia found on the beach last week.

Who would have thought a rope could create so much fun!

Yes.  A thick ROPE hung from a TREE with a huge KNOT at the end of it.

Cheeky Sam using the hound for balance

Someone, name unknown, has hung it from a tree at the far end of the bay.  

The cliff end of the bay. 

From a tree who’s roots are exposed by the crumbling cliff face.

The Hounds LOVE it.

He's tall enough to get his paws round the knot, the hound isn't.

It’s TOO high for them to easily grasp and it MOVES when they try.

Sam, being taller than the hound, is able to get his front legs ROUND the knot.

He TIP-TOES ballerina style up and down the sand with 

loud and vocal encouragement from the hound.

It provides no END of entertainment.

Not just for the hounds but for US too.

Mornings like this are BEYOND magical.

A crispness in the air.  An iciness to the sky

MY world is just BEAUTIFUL.

"And suddenly you know: 

It's time to start something new and trust the magic of beginnings."

~ anon

Catching shells!

We're becoming accustomed to seeing bare bums and balls ....

6.30 in the morning and there's a cruise ship going into the harbour
... the white blob on the horizon.

Mornings don’t come more beautiful than this one!  I was out of the house at 6.30 and on the beach at Ladies Bay before sunrise .... it’s an awesome feeling beating the sun out of bed!!


I was there before Julia this morning so I climbed on the rocks between Ladies Bay and the Bay of the Tree to

watch the sun rise over the horizon.  It peeked through the branches of my tree and cast this magical glow all over the world.  It's amazing how quickly my world lights up as the sun ascends into the sky.  Rangitoto a few minutes before had been dark and eerie but was now glistening and glowing with life.

The early morning sun isn’t hidden by a cliff  on the Bay of the Tree ... but our access to the Bay of the Tree is determined by the tide and the tide was high this morning and our bay inaccessible .... the hounds, not that they mind, had to make do with Ladies Bay.

The tide is so high it's almost covering the rocks between Ladies Bay and the Bay of the Tree

An elderly nudist joined us in the Bay and asked Julia if we minded if he swam ..... we were a bit non-plussed, we’re not used to nudists asking if we mind if they swim! He went to the far end of the Bay to undress and swim so we stayed where we were trying not to have to look in that direction.  Julia has more of a problem with that than I do

 ... my hound stays in the waves and plays with her ball - I don’t have to look anywhere but the waves .... Indy, as is his wont, explores his domain from cliff face to waves ... from rocks at one end to rocks at the other ... Julia can’t help but have to look in every direction.  


We’re becoming accustomed to seeing bare bums and balls ...... rugby balls of course.

I really love these early morning walks .... yes, it’s darker when I leave home and photo opportunities are more scarce ... particularly on Ladies Bay ... but I love watching the world wake up - it’s almost as if a big hand in the sky has switched the world on ..... well ..... my part of the world that is! 

The early morning sun and absence of clouds has bought humans and hounds ... and humans WITHOUT hounds .... out in droves.  There were people EVERYWHERE as we headed back down to the village.  It was so noisy ... and it was only 7.30!!  A bus had pulled into the bus-stop and a stream of people were boarding it ... obviously on their way to school or work in the city.  A glass recycling truck was making it’s way down the road picking up and emptying glass bins ... what a racket ... the sound of the glass breaking as the bin was tipped upside down.  

Even the zebra crossing was busy .... cars turning in all directions .... I even paused to ensure the cars were stopping before I stepped of the kerb ... not something I normally do! Pedestrian crossings are treated with respect here in NZ ... one becomes accustomed to assuming the cars will stop.

On reflection I don’t think it was just the glorious weather that bought more people out of the woodwork today, I think the village was busier as everyone heads back to work and to school.  Yesterday’s Public Holiday is the last one before Easter. Life returns to

The same view when I arrived back home at 10

some semblance of normality now and, with that normality, is the return of the traffic and early morning busy-ness.


Everyone’s getting back into routine ..... and that includes my humans with hounds .... I’m seeing the regulars more frequently now, despite walking earlier. I head back to the beach

after saying goodbye to Julia and Indy .... attach the hound to her long rope - just in case the Dog Warden decides to pay a call .... and throw ball after stick after ball after stick for the hound ... she’s never the one that tires of the game first ... I am. 

Carol and Sebastian joined us on the beach today AND I got to see Denise and Abi ... and get more of my petition forms signed. I find it odd when someone with a hound doesn’t want to sign a form .... and especially when they’re on the beach with their hound .... off-leash ... and it’s NOT swimming .... where is the Warden when I want him!! Despite explaining the reason for the petition to them, the woman still saw fit not to sign ... she was quite derogatory about it in fact .... her husband wanted to sign but felt obliged to follow her lead. 

Her lack of understanding of the Dog By-laws reinforced for me the need for clarity by the Council ... so many of the people I’ve approached about the petition are completely ignorant of the times they’re allowed on the beach ... and that during summer their

On Ladies Bay yesterday with Indy - Julia had been writing in the sand!

hounds have to be on lead, unless they're swimming. 


I value my right to walk my hound on the beach and for her to swim in the waves ... I want to do my utmost to ensure that right isn’t removed.  I guess I can’t convince everyone that standing up for our rights is necessary but I sure intend to try.

the waves + Carol = WET

My hound lay down at the view site whilst we were stretching and this is the picture she left behind ... a heart for me!

I don’t normally write a blog over the weekend but this morning’s ramble was magical and I took way too many photos and they’re so worth sharing!  Our rambles at the weekend are generally longer, more relaxed ..... less driven by time constraints ... more driven by the grumbles of Gav’s stomach.  

Treats whilst we wait for coffee!

We walk slightly later ... 8am instead of 7 ..... there are more humans with hounds in the waves .... the coffee shop’s open .... the sun’s higher in the sky - when you can see it, that is.  Gav often joins Julia and I on our weekend rambles .... his presence is useful when the hounds, mine in particular, are wanting large trees thrown into the waves ... there’s a limit to the size tree I’m able to throw.

When the tide’s out, we’re able to access our Bay of the Tree with ease ... we’re even able to access it when the tide’s NOT right out ... as we discovered today. We did get a tad wet but isn’t that what rambling in the waves is all about?  We get sand between our toes .... wet feet - and a wet bum ..... and have a huge amount of fun. I waded a bit far into the waves and wet the backpack - just the bottom of it .... fortunately my phone sits in a pouch at the top of the backpack and my petition forms are in a plastic bag!!

I see the hounds from a different perspective ... Indy was puzzled by me being IN the waves and him being on the beach ... he sat in the waves looking at me quizzically ... what is this mad girl up to now?  The photos of him are so divine that I’m loading another album on FB too ..... there are way too many to include in the blog and you need the

running commentary with them ... he’s just got such an expressive face!


They found Chocolat’s large tree from yesterday and had another tug-of-war ... Indy eventually giving up in disgust ... nobody, not even Indy, is going to get her tree away from her!  I’m not sure who’s more tired

... the hounds ... or Gav.  He’s thrown the tree umpteen times into the waves for her and she’s retrieved and dragged it along the beach umpteen times more.  


He’s had to chase Indy up and down the beach too ... Indy, in a manic moment, decided Gav’s 

trainer smelt really good and ran up and down the beach with it in his mouth.  Gav and Julia chased after him which only added to the fun he was having ..... I was trying hard to contain the laughter ... this hound had them both sussed and he knew it!!  We’d taken off our shoes and socks to keep them dry when we’d waded around

the rocks to access the beach ... it would have been hilarious if Indy had run into the waves with Gav’s shoe in his mouth and dropped it!!


In his exploration of the beach after having the trainer confiscated he found a discarded jandle (for my South African friends ... 

a flip-flop) and ran up and down the beach with that too. I don’t think he thought that was quite as much fun though .... he didn’t have Julia and Gav racing after him with the same intent as when he had the trainer.  He’s a clever hound ... he knows how to get their interest!

Even though the sun wasn’t shining, moments like this are magical ... we get to be kids again ... draw in the sand with sticks ... get our clothes wet in the waves.  I don’t think I’ve ever grown up .... walking in the waves and getting your clothes wet go hand in hand - that hasn’t 

changed with living here in NZ .... the waves + Carol = WET ... it always has.


Magical moments have to end though .... I can’t escape from reality 24/7 even though sometimes I’d like to.  I have to come back to the real world and continue with the day .... but the magic comes back with me

.. and I know Julia takes it back with her too.  Life isn’t always easy .... it isn’t always straight-forward .... there are many hills to climb and mountains to cross .... but as long as I always have that magic to hold onto I know I’ll be ok ... I know we’ll find a way forward.


Note to self: “Today you will SHINE!”...... oh yeah!!