To insanity and beyond ...: Never a dull moment ....

Lichen on the trees ... doesn't grow where there's pollution.

The only thing wrong with market days is that my hound can’t come with me ... especially when they’re indoors. I know she’d love the social aspect of the markets ... she enjoys a good chit-chat as much as I do! This morning’s market had the added excitement of the hall having been double-booked and of our Market Organiser having to evict one of the stall-holders .... so much fun and games!

Never a dull moment ... but I like it that way!

Sadly, on market mornings, the hound doesn’t get a ramble but I more than make up for it on Friday’s and Sunday’s with EXTRA-LONG rambles. Yesterday we went to Waiatarua for the second day in a row .... but this time with Julia and Indy. The contrast in weather couldn’t have been more marked.

Mist rising off the water

On Thursday it had been misty and icy ... on Friday the sun broke free and rewarded us with reflections in abundance made even more unusual when the hound created ripples in them!

Ripples and Reflections ... I like it!

Early morning frost

Indy exploring the reeds

There was still frost on the grass and mist rising off the water but it was a GORGEOUS morning with an abundance of hounds meeting and greeting .... LOTS of MUDDY hounds meeting and greeting! That’s the only snag with the icier weather and rain ... LOTS of wet, sticky MUD. Julia’s ok, she wears wellies ... but I don’t have any .... so my poor trainers take strain and get COVERED in mud!

The fencing I had to scramble around to reach the hound's stick

I nearly gave them an inopportune wash ... quite by accident, of course. The Dog Pond’s open to the hounds for swimming but Chocolat couldn’t see where her stick landed when I threw it. I walked around to the far side of the pond to retrieve it but had to scramble past the workmen’s fencing which juts out over the pond. Good job the fence poles were securely fastened to the ground because the rock I stood on in the water wasn’t stable. It nearly ditched me AND the camera AND the backpack into the pond.

She can't understand where it's gone .... such a comical expression

For some obscure reason, Julia found it funny ..... hmmmmm

Julia would have been no help whatsoever ... she was doubled over with laughter on the other side of the pond.

Nice friends I have!

We’re seeing an abundance of Pukeko at the reserve. They are the most ungainly looking birds but I love their colourful plumage .... and they have tremendous chutzpah! They’re incredibly amusing to watch with their long legs and toes, and their call range is so expressive. They’re not a problem in the reserves but outside of the wetlands, they plunder potato crops and other vegetables and eat a considerable amount of grass and clover. They’re clever birds though ... they know to carry out their marauding attacks at night-time when they’re least likely to be chased away!

Ripples and Reflections!

I so enjoy our rambles at Waiatarua ... it’s a unique area in that it combines a wonderful wetland with a tremendous off-leash area for the hounds ... something that’s in short supply in Auckland. We’re so fortunate to have it right here on our doorstep. The hounds are wet, tired and muddy when we’ve finished rambling .... pure unadulterated ‘hound-style’ contentment.