To insanity and beyond ...: STOP ..... and SMILE!

My favourite piece of real estate ... shrouded in mist yesterday morning.

Just STOP for a minute ...... and SMILE!!

Panaroma shot of Rangitoto through to Brown's Island ... only the tips visible.

I NEVER have a problem smiling ... so much happens in my day to make me smile! Whether it be rambling with the hound and friends in the waves .... stalking the birds at the reserve or socialising with customers in the shop and at the markets, there's never a reason not to smile.

The hound makes me smile too ..... a LOT! Waking up to a hound who’s itching to go rambling isn’t everyone’s idea of a good start to the day ... but it sure is a good start to MY day!

Her antics make most people smile and I especially love the effect she has on people going past us in their cars. They see this hound walking down to the beach with her rugby ball in her mouth ... and they SMILE! She brightened their day and I hope that THAT smile and the thought of what made them smile gave them a warm glow inside all day.

On our way to Waiatarua .... at last!

The hound’s friends always make me smile and yesterday was no exception. Carol picked me up at the Co-op and we put the hounds in the boot of Pete’s Jeep - there was petrol in it this time! Sam, on seeing our take-out coffee, clambered over the seats to get it .... not once .... BUT 3 times!

Sam LOVES coffee! I think we started him on a REALLY bad habit.

On each occasion we got him out of the car and firmly put him back in the boot. The third time he tried he came right through to the front of the car and landed up on my lap! The chap parked next to us couldn’t contain his mirth ... we made him smile A LOT that morning!

Sam, hitting the bottle already!

We DID eventually make it through to Waiatarua .... coffee intact and hounds in the boot!

Waiatarua was wreathed in mist .... THICK mist! It was eerily mystical with Pukekoe and Ducks appearing seemingly out of nowhere.

Not Gorillas in the mist .... Pukeko in the mist.

It had been the same on the beach when I’d walked earlier with Julia and Gareth. The mist had been thick and low, rolling over the waves with the top of Rangitoto and Browns Island visible above it ... it’s so MAGICAL!
Mornings like this are COFFEE and CUPCAKE mornings and it didn’t disappoint. Not only did I have coffee with Julia and Gareth ... and then Carol ... but Carol also walked down to the village later in the day and arrived at the shop with Coffee and Brioches for us both .... YUM!