You can hear them if you listen closely ...

Auckland Botanic Gardens and the SUN's shining!!

SUNSHINE and BLUE SKIES in abundance today! 

10am on a gorgeous Friday morning and the beaches are EMPTY!!

So many things that I love!

The Auckland Botanic Gardens were a feast of colour and fragrance. We’ve spent an awesome few hours there  taking in the sights, the sounds, the scents, the space .... the absolute serenity of it all. 

Look at all those reflections!

The roses are bursting off the bushes, so many colours and varieties. I was told off, very politely, for stepping onto the mulch to get a better picture of a rose ..... whoops! The same employee told Julia off for having exited the off-leash area with Indy off lead ..... bigger whoops! Indy was having a moment and WOULDN’T come back to Julia. I think HE planned on viewing the rest of the gardens on his lonesome.

Despite having spent a good few hours there today, and having visited it before, there are still some areas of the gardens that we haven’t yet explored. It’s begging us to visit it again ..... and we will .... and not just for the gardens. The food at the café is moresome too! 

Days like today mean summer’s coming! Those white cotton-wool clouds that are floating aimlessly across the blue skies are whispering to me. You can hear them if you listen closely ...... summer’s coming ...... shhhhhh ..... don’t tell anyone.

Also taken before we left for Botanic Gardens .... we're not allowed on the beaches with our hounds
and it's a gorgeous day and they're EMPTY!

Reflections, sunshine, cotton-wool clouds, blue sky .... and my hound ......  it’s my idea of heaven!

When the sun’s shining I’m invincible. Nothing can get me down. 

I think my hound loves me!

Our mate Sam is recuperating at home. He doesn’t DO the “lie down and rest” bit very well. He doesn’t seem to understand that he’s had his body tinkered with and isn’t allowed to run around OR swim. I’m not sure who’s going to go mental first ... Sam .... or Carol! 

He apparently got hold of the toilet roll today .... I’ve not seen a shredded toilet roll before but Carol assures me full rolls of toilet paper do NOT make ideal toys.

Shoes have taken on new meaning to Sam too. He brings them ALL out .... maybe he’s trying to find Carol’s walking shoes so she’ll take him to the beach!

Max, the 4 year old Black Labrador .... he was FULL of beans!

I just know the next TEN days are going to be awfully long for Sam and Carol!

Only one little duckling with it's Mom ... I reckon it's siblings got eaten.