Hi everyone,
Today’s BEAUTIFUL post will be brought to you by Anne, down in New Zealand, and tomorrow we’ll see some colorful pictures of Joy’s yard! I have been working on taking pictures of the flip flops and the shorts and a few other things…Maybe I’ll just call it my Summer Collection! :o)
Anne mentioned in her comments a few days about a trip she and her daughter were going to take for a quilt making class. This was that comment…
“Sam and I were supposed to be going to our Quilt class today but it has been changed to the 3rd Saturday which is next week. The trip to Charteris Bay was lovely, frustratingly if we had read our newsletter properly we would have been able to go today. I did try to take some photos from the car as we were travelling over (it takes about 45 mins from Christchurch going through the tunnel, but it was quicker coming home over Gebbies Pass}. I took some amazing photos of the view from her balconies and of her garden which is a hillside garden, and they have done it all, it was just tussock 2 1/2 years ago when she bought it. She has offered us a weekend holiday there whenever we want to go which was very kind (they do rent it out as a holiday let when they aren’t using it). There are two harbours on Banks Peninsular this was Lyttelton Harbour and the other is Akaroa. We will have to take a trip there before the winter because the views are stunning on the way there as well.”
Let’s see what Anne has to share with us today!
Hi Jeanne
These are photos I took from the car. The hills are the Port Hills, 573 meters at their highest point. This is the Lyttelton Harbour. There is an island in the harbour called Quail Island which used to be a leper quarantine facility. It was hard to get a photo of it because I didn’t want to stop since we were leaving so late and Helen was cooking lunch for us.
The next two photos are from their lounge balcony.
These are all pictures of her garden (her husband does the hard landscaping, and made the lighthouse but Helen is the gardener). Apart from four or five plants that were already there and one or two that they bought, all the rest have been grown from cuttings she acquired by fair means (or occasionally foul lol). Because they aren’t there all the time (Helen is a teacher, John is retired) everything had to be drought-resistant really.
(from Jeanne… I don’t know why this one picture turned out so small.)
We stopped at The Sign of the Kiwi on the way home but it was 5.30 pm by this time, On a clear day you get a good view of Christchurch but it was very hazy yesterday. The blur is the city, in the background you can just see a hazy outline of the Southern Alps, When we go again I might be able to get a clearer picture of the city.
We might be able to go to Akaroa one Saturday, that is an even more beautiful part of the Port Hills.
Lyttelton harbour is where the original settlers sailed to. If your family came on the First Four Ships then you have great bragging rights! They had to carry all their possessions over the hill to Christchurch using the Bridle Path. They had brought land site unseen in UK but when they reached the summit all they could see was swamp!
We should visit more often because it is a beautiful area of Christchurch which we take for granted.
Thank you Anne, for your beautiful pictures. It’s so wonderful to see places that most of us will never visit in our lifetime! I’m so glad you shared a little part of your world with us today!
See everyone tomorrow,
Blessings, Jeanne
Anne, it was so nice of you to share your photos with us! That is a part of the world I have never visited, and of course, it’s always fun to see pictures from areas you’ve never seen before. Your friends’ garden is just lovely!
Linda, if you go to Friday’s blog, you will see two replies to your query about adjust the sensitivity of the computer touchpad.
I also replied to Georgina (anniversary) and Barbara (camera).
Thanks, Jeanne, for providing a place for friends to meet and chat!!
My camera is red too. I didn’t remember what other color(s) were available but I seem to go to red whenever it is available. My VW Atlas is red as is David’s Honda Ridgeline. We have two red cars in our driveway and Dionne and Sean have two black cars. Somehow it’s become a family joke since we seem to tend toward those colors when we get a new vehicle.
I will be looking at Anne’s lovely photos again when we get back home from our regular trip to the Y and grocery store. My sons both got to go there years ago and loved it.
Jeanne, a summer collection sounds wonderful. It is what you are enjoying putting together now, and it fits in your springtime schedule. I know you have in the meantime, been inspired by a few other ideas and have them on the back burner!
Dear Anne. Oh my goodness. Excellent shots on your road trip. And I see houses in that beautiful scenery. One of my most repeated statements in my silly life is: “Look, people live here! This is where they live!” What a lovely patch of the planet! Wow. I am so happy you made this road trip! I hope you and Sam had an enjoyable time visiting.
IThank you for sharing these photos. We live on such a huge planet. These photos make me happy that you had a really beautiful drive!
Happy Monday everyone.
I sewed all week-end 😂 even though it was really pretty outside. I should have gotten out for some fresh air, but I was sewing!!! and also tidying. My daughter is driving up in a big van on Wednesday and staying the night. She is going to gather her things from the old house (really a lot of stuff) and well, progress is happening.
The Charity is not coming until MAY (for the furniture)! So I might seriously load up my car with boxes (free exercise=extra snacks) and deliver them to one of the closest shops in Leesburg, Virginia.
Okay, I hope all of you enjoyed a nice week-end. My front yard has tulips and looks reallly cute. That makes me happy. I am tempted to buy a bunch of new plants but I will not. … yet.
We are not getting much for “April showers” lately, I am happy for those of you who are though. So planting pretty things will just be another thing to do (watering).
Yesterday was an April deluge around here. I thought most of that was going to be in west Texas but we got a bunch. David managed to make it to his shop after church before the rains came. I despaired of seeing him again since every time it seemed to stop it started in earnest again. But considering we usually pray for rain in the summer I guess it’s good to get what we can now.
Oh Anne, how beautiful to see your lovely country scenery! That last picture looks so mystical, and just captures the beauty of that area!
What kind of plants shaped like balls, are those growing on the hillside by the lighthouse? They look so nice and tidy, no weeds in there at all! I wonder how easy or hard it is to get to them!
The lighthouse just adds to the scene! Doe it have a light at night? It certainly fits with the coastal feel of the area!
Thank you so much for sending these in to Jeanne, so that we might get to see that part of the world! Thank you Jeanne, for showing them on the blog!
I’m not sure which plants you mean but the pink leaves are New Zealand Flax or cordyline (there are lots of varieties of both). The green leafy plant with the pink flowers are proteas which are a S African native, in fact I think it is there national flower. Most of the rest are different varieties of hebes which are also native to NZ. I didn’t ask Helen about the light but it did have something that might have been one. It was daylight so it wasn’t on. There is one spot in the garden where Helen is thinking of getting someone to help with the weeding because she finds it too difficult and unsafe but otherwise she does it all when she goes over for weekends. It is school holidays at the moment so they were over for a bit longer than a weekend this time.
Looking forward to seeing The Summer Collection. I’m sure dollies everywhere are anxious for the release too. 🙂
Anne’s photos are stupendous. What amazing scenery and history thrown in as well. At least those quarantined on Quail Island enjoyed nice views. What an excellent example of hillside gardening. I can’t imagine all of the work it takes to keep it looking so tidy. And the plantings acquired are so well displayed. Is there a time of the year when things bloom? Your friend must be part mountain goat to do that gardening. What an amazing garden. And the view from the deck is stunning. I’d probably be out there with a telescope. I’m surprised that there aren’t more boats on the water. Is this a major port? I guess I need a map to become more knowledgeable. I so enjoyed the lovely photos. Thank you Anne and Jeanne for sharing.
Here, lots of rain all weekend, but today looks clear. Going to take awhile to dry out before I can get back to the ever present weeds. I spent my free time looking up information for a relative on the ancestors we share. Fun to work with someone who loves this too.
Did anyone order the latest Ruby Red Medea? I’m trying to decide. She can be ordered without decorations if desired. 🙂
JOY!! Please send us some of your rain! We are try as bones here! I need to get our side and water my plants but every time I get out there I get ticks! I don’t know what it is about me that they love so much!!
Yikes! The ticks here, mostly carried by deer can be awful as they can carry lyme disease. We have deer on our front lawn, but they can’t get into the back, fortunately and we’ve never had ticks from the yard fortunately. Be careful because lyme has to be treated right away.
Careful with the ticks, Sissy. Hubbs and i have to check each other now…. All those spots I can’t see!!
Ticks love me, mosquitoes adore me, ant spiders and all insects think I am a huge cake.
It is dry up here in Virginia as well!!
Joy, do you have any of the Meadow Tweens dolls? They are really lovely dolls. Just looking since I have Moppet Bailey on order.
Thanks for sharing the pictures, Jeanne and Anne! Such beautiful scenery! My daughter Lucia’s favorite bird is the New Zealand parrots. Sometimes we can see them at the zoo. They are really curious and interactive. Tomorrow L is having surgery to remove her adenoids. 🙁 🙏
Dear Karen, prayers for Lucia’s surgery to be successful. I’m sure she’ll get a special ice cream treat.
Thanks so much, Laura! I appreciate it.
Prayers for Lucia’s surgery. When I was growing up it seemed like everyone had their tonsils and adenoids removed but it doesn’t seem so anymore. Hope she has a quick recovery.
Thanks a lot, Barbara! Luckily her tonsils seem to be okay. The recovery for tonsils sounds worse than adenoids.
Be thinking of Lucia. I had my tonsils/adenoids out when I was three. Wasn’t fun as I remember. Hope Lucia’s goes well as I’m sure the surgery is much different now. 🙂
Thank you, Joy! Poor you as a kid!
Oh gosh, prayers for bravery and courage for dear Lucia. I am sure she will have good care at the hospital too 🥰
Thanks so much, Rosemary!
Prayers for a speedy recovery for Lucia. I remember having my tonsils out when I was 5–back then, it was almost routine, to have your tonsils out. I vaguely remember my mom staying in the hospital with me and lying on the bed with me.
My brother had both tonsils and adenoids out, I think, and he was only 4 but they were so bad, it had to be done. I remember he was very cranky!! (smile)
Thank you, Charlotte!
Anne, I know my sons would love your photos, too! They would bring memories of their trip to Zealand. I remember a lot they told me about it, and I wished I could have gone there. The water is so beautiful and the wonderful garden, so different and beautiful!
Thank you and Jeanne for sharing it.
What gorgeous scenery, Anne. I know that Narnia and Lord of the Rings was filmed there and the landscape was just beautiful. Seeing them in the theater made it even better. I don’t know if any of those locations used are close to where you or your friend lives.
The views from her home are fantastic and I love the lighthouse.
I didn’t get to weigh in on being organized the other day. I am naturally an extremely organized person. I can keep multiple kitty medicines or different foods in my head without looking at a chart and If I put something away I know exactly where it is, even things I have stored and don’t use each year or for years (childhood mementos)
My bedroom was always neat as a pin as a child and teen. The messiest it got was schoolbooks spread across my desk along with a couple of record albums and a handful of 45s in the carpet in from of my stereo or a few outfits on my bed while deciding what to wear for a special occasion. I always laid out my clothes and jewelry the night before. Even now everything has its place as I hate to waste time having to search for something.
It is nice to be so organized and pin straight. Well done, Laura.
I will admit, I do try very hard. …. some areas more than others.
Thank you Anne for sending all the beautiful pictures. The lake pictures are gorgeous! Love to have a boat on it just for cruising slowly and viewing the scenes.
The garden is amazing, especially since it’s on a slope.
Thank you Jeanne and Anne for sharing.
Anne, what wonderful pictures. I will be looking at them again and again. I have a Hydrow rowing machine and while they pick daily rowing routines for you they can be bypassed and you can go to their library and pick another row. I often bypass the one they chose and go to the ones in NZ. They never get tiresome. Your friends are so blessed to be able to live in such a lovely place with a great view whenever she wants it. And the gardening is exquisite!
Dear Jeanne, thanks for posting Anne’s lovely photos. I think we are all ready to take a road trip. Well, I guess it would have to be a plane trip (smile). Wouldn’t that be fun?
Yes, that would be fun!
I found a video on YouTube here:
https://youtu.be/6KLrxje1C54
This was a road trip to Akaroa (the other harbour in Banks Peninsula). It is 2hours+ long so I didn’t watch it, but it would show just how beautiful the Peninsula is. I believe it (the road trip) ends at the Summit Road.
I believe the Lord of the Rings films were filmed in mainly the Southern Alps and of course near Wellington where you can visit Hobbiton. I have never been, it is very expensive. I understand Peter Jackson takes 50% of all the money from Hobbiton so too expensive for anyone but wealthy tourists. I have only seen the first film. I didn’t like the books and didn’t think I would like the film but was prepared to give it a go. I was right! so I didn’t go to the other two.
I am glad you all enjoyed the photos, when we go over again I will take some more, of different views. Like I said, it is on our doorstep and we never go over unless we have an invitation.
I will have to go It is coffee morning today and I have a phone appointment at 9.30 before we go.
Have a good day everyone
Thank you for the video. It will be nice to see that on Youtube
I do not think I would want to go to Hobbiton. I do not really enjoy amusement parks mostly because they are too expensive. We pay a lot and half of the stuff is not that interesting. – usually 😛
I’m for the “Summer Collection.” Great idea. You might add more girl clothes if there’s time.
Super pictures, Anne. We have mountains, but are short of oceans here. We were just given a reminder to be careful about trash. The bears are waking up — they’re hungry and it’s been so dry that they may be in town checking out trash bins. Also the rabbits that make our neighborhood a perpetual Easter.
When we start watering, we’ll get deer, eating the grass and flowers.
I’ve been a LotR fan since college. Everyone was reading the books. I started with The Hobbit, got 3 pages in, and said, “Hm.” I turned to the back and read backwards until I got to the part where Bilbo never got his silver spoons back. My 2nd grade teacher, Mrs. Van Loon, had read it to us.