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Wandering spirit....

Saturday, 6 March 2021

2015 - 2021 - Where did these years ago?! How the world has changed. Part 1

 WOW! Yet again I fail on the most simplistic of things, in this case updating a blog.  My written journal is the same, no actually that isn't true - my written journal kind of goes up to 2020 give or take a few weeks or months.😒

So unlike my written journal where I make no attempt to catch up, I will at least try and summarise what has been going on - this is all from memory so excuse if I forget anything quite major, if I suddenly remember anything at a later date I can always discuss it in a separate blog entry.  How is that for forward planning, see you back here in 2025 then! 😂  I'm going to break this up into parts to catch up and gives me a break in between.

2015

Around June/July I returned to Europe to England for the first time since 2011, travelling with my hubby we visited Lagos in Portugal (southern Portugal in the Algarve) as my folks live there and then England to visit some old friends, visiting Birmingham, York and Shropshire.  However, the main reason for the journal was to collect all my items in storage (has been in storage since 2006) and have it shipped out to Auckland, New Zealand, it took all of 3 months door to door (Birmingham, England to Auckland, New Auckland).  In storage I held the usual household furniture - beds, bookcases, table and chairs, clothes, personal items and then, well boxes and boxes of books.  When I say boxes and boxes I mean of the 92 boxes shipped over 80 of them were books.  Yeah, this bookworm has a slight addiction.

As I bookworm, a lifelong one, I generally read about 95% non fiction but do enjoy fiction too.  I struggle to left books go unless they are really bad and there have only been a few and then I have binned them so there is one less copy in the world.  But the books I read love and hate are another blog entry completely.  Needless to say in the time I had been in NZ I had acquired some more books, so new bookshelves were definitely in order.

By August 2015, I had also paid a huge purchase, one that I always said I would make once I was settled somewhere and found a home.  I had also pre-warned hubby that this was a must once we were married.  Yes....you can sense it coming - a dog!  Hubby has never had a pet before let alone a dog, but he had a little experience from friends dogs.  I on the other hand grew up with pets, the usual guinea pigs (Doormat is the only one I remember), rabbits (Bambi and Thumper, parents of Candy & Floss), goldfish ($1 at fairground attentions to win a goldfish - always popular with the kids in the 70s/80s - never named), gerbils (another Candy & Floss and don't remember the other pair.  Candy & Floss one managed to eat the others head and then scratched itself to death before the ear, blood all up the tank!) but I had dogs too. Here is a brief history of my dogs....

Anika, yellow Labrador. 1985 to 1993, overweight, lazy, loved king sized prawns, Walkers crisps & tomatoes and would lick you to death.  Sadly, I don't have a photo of her on computer - she was pre digital cameras and internet. Died of a brain aneurysm. Born & died in England

Zoe

Zoe, Dalmatian. 1994 - 2005, overweight, over protective, highly strung, hated children and men with a deep voices.  Killed by three Dobermans (mother & sons) in Portugal.  Born in England, died in Portugal.  

Hok'ee (back) & Henry (front)


                      Pepper







Henry & Hok'ee (brothers - Hok'ee means abandoned in Navajo).  Born and died in Portugal, abandoned by their owner and found in a plastic bag next to a rubbish bin, 3 of them but the oldest died. Mongrels. Henry 2005 - 2018 and Hok'ee 2005 - 2021.  Henry died of stomach cancer and Hok'ee had to be put down due to ill health. 

And then August 2015, Pepper, black Labrador born in New
Zealand arrived on the scene.  Now admittedly she is the first dog I've owned on my own, the others have all been family dogs, even thoughI was one of only two people who cared for them in the family.   Is that not a face you could love?!

 

So that is about it for 2015, the doing up of the bach in the Coromandel was mentioned in the original 2014/2015 blog so I don't need to start up that again, although I will give an update in a future blog.







Friday, 9 January 2015

Je suis Charlie....

No country or its people should be forced to live under fear and terror.  Neither should any person, people, culture or country be forbidden from freedom of speech.

If you move to another country to work or live should be abide by that society's/country's law - regardless.  You are a guest and you have chosen to move to that country.....live by their laws.

Islamics (extremists) are fast giving all Islamics a bad name - they are bringing their unwanted ways, terror and violence to our peaceful way of life......as this continues, I can see the public in these countries started to request that Islamics are not allowed into their countries to live or work.....it will be sad times but unfortunately needed......again and again Islamics are being allowed into western Europe and England and are bringing with them these horrible ideals, many extremists are now homegrown in both France and England - we must put a stop to this and stand together.

BBC News - Paris Massacre update

JE SUIS CHARLIE

Thursday, 8 January 2015

Redbubble

Back in 2008 I joined the website Redbubble and opened a account to share and sell my photographs that I have taken from around the world.  Just like with my blog, I've forgotten to update it over the past 3 years, but am hoping to get back into my photography and updating not only the blog but also Redbubble, so I can get some fresh photos up.

Here is a link to my page on Redbubble, I hope you enjoy it and please feel free to leave any comments.

Thank you and happy new year!!

Sunday, 23 November 2014

Reviving the blog!!

I really didn't realize it has been two years since I put anything on this blog.  this would in part be because at times I had nothing to put up and other times I thought it would be too soppy and didn't do it....but times have a changed, and I really need to get back into my blogging and writing really.  I just to love writing and used to it all the time, but stop for one reason or another and now I don't have the mojo and smoothness in my written word as I used to, so I need to practice this and find it again.

Hopefully, it will be something I can get back into and learn to style my written word again.  so a brief run down on the last two years.

I was made permanent in my job.
I got my PR to remain in New Zealand
I unfortunately haven't been to Tutukaka and the research Trust since January 2013 partly because Ingrid hasn't been there and partly because they have changed the way they are working with volunteers, so I need to speak with them and get back into this.
I met a man, fell in love, moved in with him and next month we are getting married.  He is awesome and very much the man of my dreams. - Possibly I will do a page about this on the blog...!
I bought a car
I've started a veg patch and started tendering a garden
I'm refurbishing/redecorating a bach (belonging to Steve, my amazing fella)in the Coromandel - certainly worth a blog to itself
In 2013 I was helping him do his rental place too on the North Shore.
I have volunteered with Habitat for Humanity in South Auckland and in Fiji with helping them to build houses for family in need - certainly worth a page on this blog at a later date.

Ooohhh, I almost forget.  I always said if I met a man who can cook I would marry him and by gum I'm bring truth to my word!  so I have been doing a little action in the kitchen, see my other blog!

I'm actually thinking I should spilt the other blog and have the kitchen and veg garden on one blog and the garden itself in another blog...but that is a lot of work and a lot of blogs to be kept up to date.....but if needs must, and it is what I need to do to try and getting my writing skills back, then it is what I shall do.

Wednesday, 12 September 2012

Orca Research Center

I just spent an amazing weekend at the Orca Research Center (Orca Reseach Trust), based in Tutukaka, Northland on the North Island.  The center doubles as the home and work place for Dr Ingrid Visser, New Zealand's world renowned Orca expert.
Ingrid was born in New Zealand to Dutch parents and has been studying Orca (Killer Whales) since 1992, she finished her PhD in 2000 and four years ago built the Research Center on the top of a hill in Tutukaka, an hour north of Whangarei.

View from Center
The view from the Center is just perfect
and Orca come right into the Bay at various times of the year.  There are around 200 resident Orca around the New Zealand coast - covering both the North and South Islands and thanks to Ingrid Visser we know that these Orca are the only ones in the world that feed on Stingray.  The Center is run by Ingrid and a small number of volunteers and this is where I hope to become a member of the team.

Volunteering at the center covers all the usual jobs that volunteers undertake with pretty much any organisation, but I like these jobs - you always need to clean and tidy and have things ready and prepared for anything.  I spent most of the weekend cleaning wetsuits inside and out, letting them dry out and then hanging them up so they are ready for volunteers to wear when needed at whale strandings.

The Center has been set up so the back
Dr Ingrid Visser & an Orca
looks out over the Bays and for miles you are looking out over the open sea, it's perfectly situated so that you can see a pod of Orca as soon as they come round a corner and in to view.  Ingrid has a siren for this purpose and every volunteer has a dry pack ready for that siren.  If it sounds you grab your dry bag and jump into the 4x4 to head out with Ingrid and the boat.  She will then spend as long as she can out on the water with the Orca - studying and photographing them.  Considering the Center is run solely by Ingrid with help from such a small number of people, it really is an amazing achievement and I'm glad to be a new comer to it all.  I've loved Orca since I was around 5 years old and have never seen one in the wild but hope to while I'm in New Zealand.

The blue Orca 4x4 and the boat, there is also another Orca Research Trust 4x4.  Like any organisation of this kind the Research Trust is always after volunteers and financial support.  However, due to Ingrid's heavy travelling schedule, it can be very hard for her to find time to allow new volunteers in as she just doesn't have the time and opportunity to show them around and show them what needs to be done.  At present Ingrid is flying constantly between New Zealand and Spain in the fight to free a Orca named Morgan.


Morgan is young Orca (now 6 yrs old) who was found off the coast of Holland in 2010, it was decided that she would be taken in by us humans with the idea that once recovered she woud b released back into the wild.  But after a court battle in Holland Morgan has now been passed to Spain and placed in a marine park to perform for the public - against everything that was promised when she was found.  She is a wild born Orca and should remain so, humans have abused the power they have and have now turned her into a captive Orca all in the name of money.  There is no reason why Morgan can not be released back into the wild and this is where Dr Visser and others are fighting for what is right for Morgan and not humans.  In her present situation, Morgan is being constantly attacked and biten by the other Orca she now resides with, the trainers ignore her and she spends most her time when she is not on show biting and headbutting the concrete around her pool. 
Since around the 1970s it has been illegal to capture Orca for captive, this means it is very hard for places like Sea World et al to get new DNA to help with breeding the captives Orca they do have, as most of them are already related.  Morgan is an excellent way to gain fresh DNA into the captive Orca breeding pool.  Many people's fear is that now Morgan is 6 years old the Spanish parks next move will be to get Morgan pregnant and then claim her unfit for being placed back into the wild therefore cermenting her lifetime sentence in captivity.  The court case in Spain is the last attempt to get Morgan freed and to show the courts that Morgan's family has been recognised and the expertises know exactly where to release her to enable her to re-join her family after all these years.

http://www.orcaresearch.org/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Killer_whale
http://www.freemorgan.com/






 


Saturday, 1 September 2012

Hauraki Gulf......NZ Common Dolphins

So other than art and photography, I love animals (and books and travelling) and something that is so amazing about New Zealand, other than the geographical aspect of it - and the fact it is the world's only natural playground with so many things to do in one place - it has some wonderful animals of all kind.

I thought I would share some pictures of (New Zealand) Common Dolphins taken in the Hauraki Gulf, Auckland , they are just beautiful, so playful and just elegant.  I've watched them feeding and playing around the boat.  I could watch them for hours.....just perfect......



 
About 3 weeks ago just off Takapuna and Browns Bay (North Shore, Auckland) a rare Southern Right Whale came into the Bay and gave birth. Here are a couple of pictures.  She was still spotted around the Hauraki Gulf a week later with the calf.
 

 
Also, on the 24th August along the Northland coast, Tutukaka Harbour, a pod of Orca were spotted having breakfast.

The Orca around New Zealand are the only ones in the world that eat Stingrays.  They are often seen around the Coromandel as well and especially in Stingray Bay - if you go there early in the mornings (6.30am) in a kayak you can see loads of stingray sunning themselves in the shallows and if you are lucky enough to be there at the right time, you can watch the Orca come in and take the stingray.  I'm hoping to be heading out that way again now the Spring is here, so I'll have my camera ready and my fingers crossed.  Just beautiful.
In October I'm all set to do a Marine Mammal Medic course, which once passed will enable me to put myself on to the National Database and be called up for any strandings that are discovered around the two islands.  PRICELESS.

Wednesday, 29 August 2012

WTF!!

I don't believe it, not only do I forget my password repeatedly but I've also managed to delete around 3 posts, goodness knows what I'm up to!!  I don't know.  I swear as well that everytime I log in they have changed the ways things work and I can't find anything, either that or everytime I log in I forgot what I'm doing.

I did have a little spurt with posts back in May when I was on holiday, maybe I can keep that up again come September as I'm on holiday again.....yeah!!

I have to admit that since being out here in New Zealand - this is the longest period of time ever when I have not done any sport or horse riding - shocking I now and I'm beginning to miss it big time.  Funnily enough I'm not missing the pond hoping to the US and Europe as much as I thought I would so that is cool - and well I think I realise that anytime I fancy making a trip like that it won't be a problem.

I need to purchase a wetsuit soon for my surfing, snorkelling and for the Marine Mammal Medic course I'm due to do in October - I'm looking for that.  Once I've passed the course I'll be put on to the New Zealand national database and will be called up for any whale strandings.

Art/photography - I've been really slow here, I've seen some absoluately fabulous window displays - proper art ones and not your crap fashion type....I took some photos, some I accidently deleted and others I hope to get up here at some point.  I've really been quite busy at work so I haven't had much time for doing anything or catching up with things.

Travelling links - I really should put some links up for places that I would highly recommend from Native American Reservations in the US, North Idaho and Montana to the farm/stables in Portugal.  Man I miss the horses, I don't think there is any smell I love more than horses!