Massive Flooding in the South Island , New Zealand.

    This photo is courtesy of the Internet,  supplied to TVNZ, and shows what lengths we Kiwis take to keep our animals safe in the  1 in 100 year flood.

Milo, the miniature horse warming up by the fire, near Little River, Christchurch

The widespread deluge, coming down from the hills  on the West towards  the eastern side of the South Island, has destroyed bridges, closed roads, people, pets and animals have either been evacuated or moved to higher ground.

All Photos courtesy of the Internet

Rain Radar map at 1.15 p.m. today

Photo below are  courtesy of Simon Werthmuller of Rakaia Helicopters, showing the deluge that has flooded  the land and the bridge , this is Double Hill Run Road, heading up  towards the Rakaia Gorge,  following the Western fork of the Rakaia River towards Lake Coleridge.

Redcliffs Bridge, photo courtesy of Simon Werthmuller, Rakaia Helicopters, showing some of the damage to Redcliffs Bridge and the surrounding area.

Back here, in the North Island, a good distance from all the above, we have a little rain, maybe more will follow, but our thoughts are with all those who have had to battle severe conditions to save stock, move animals,  pack belongings, and spend a night and maybe more in  a marae, or a friend's or family member's home. Civil Defence, the NZ Army, Volunteers, local council and more have all rallied to assist. Farmers with their huge tractors, men with jet boats, helicopters with lines to save a man clinging to a tree, I am hoping everyone will be safe and secure in a warm place tonight.

Quotation of the day,  author unknown,  

Your horse will always be one of your family.

Greetings from Jean

Words from my friend Jenn ' Home again, home again, jiggity jig"

 Hi Folks

 I arrived bright and early at the day theatre reception, was taken in, all things checked out, and the drop regime began.  2 sets of drops every 5 minutes,  then make sure my blood pressure was OK ( A bit higher than normal but stinging drops can cause that).

I was taken into the next area, found a lovely Lazy Boy Chair, given the red non slip socks, a button at the back gown and a white robe, then a warm blanket.

Then wait. Usually you do see the previous patients wheeled back, complete with a patch over the offending eye. 

Not one appeared. There were 5 more of us waiting. this did seem to be a very long time waiting, as usually each patient is taken down, and back in about 30 minutes. By this time at least  4 others should have been attended to.

FINALLY, a tall good looking man came to me, said he was one of Dr Eiseman's team, and the news was, there had been an equipment fault, and all the following cataract surgeries were cancelled, I almost laughed, one lady almost cried, one lovely lady did a little dance.

Then one lady returned, I am guessing she was in theatre for a very long time, and had her surgery the old fashioned way, maybe they had already began and had to continue. I am so thankful that I was not there at that time. 

I phoned Hugh to give him the news !!!!!!! was his reply. I was given a new date of 8th June. 

However Annette and I did manage to get in some shopping after the three of us had a lovely lunch.

No photos, my eye is  still so dilated anything is still a huge blur.

Thank you , every one for caring and sending love, messages and hopes.

Quotation of the day from Robert Burns, 

" The Best-laid schemes of mice and men Go oft awry"

Greetings from Jean

Tomorrow, and tomorrow, creeps in this petty pace from day to day!!!

 A quote from Macbeth!! This is going back to maybe 1955, when I was a High School.

However, my tomorrow, all going according to schedule, will  see me in the Day Theatre for cataract surgery. I am hoping that the Cyber Attack at Waikato Hospital will not cause any delays down here,  that hospital has had to cancel some surgeries, not  answer to the ransom ? Undisclosed? Supposedly this happened when an email attachment was opened.So all their computers and phones were not working.

Here the weather has turned to well and truly Autumn, gale winds, torrential rain, snow further south, and the fire is doing its job to keep us all cosy and warm .

So, after the initial post-op time has been spent, I am hoping for miracles with my eyesight, the other eye also has a cataract, and goodness knows when that will get done, I have waited at least 18 months for this  in our local Public Hospital, the cost to get the surgery done privately is well over NZ $ 6000 per eye, including consultations and follow ups. And even though our GP did tell me " Jean, you are in your twilight years, just go private and pay" , I was so reluctant to do that.

Here is Boris, our one and only cat now, in what was called " Self Isolation" last year.

Quotation of the day from an elderly relative, but she may have found this in her quotation book.

" You don't miss the water until the well runs dry"

Greetings from Jean

Climbing the Mountain

 The treadmill test went ahead as scheduled, the one lady who attaches all the leads, does a test run while you lie VERY still, check the blood pressure, has been away ill for a few weeks, so I was very relieved to see her there this morning.

The picture on the wall is so similar to the photo I posted earlier of our Central Plateau Mountains.

So all wired up, I set off, A gentle stroll to start with. lots of encouragement, warnings to tell of any discomfort, pain, or being short of breath. I was told when the 3 minute arrived, could I carry on, Yes!! Then I was told only 46 seconds to go and it might get a little harder as they speeded it up. They did, again, many assurances that I was doing so well, was I OK? Can you keep going, Yes!! I kept on until 6 minutes had elapsed, and then it slowed down until I was stationary, stood there for a final ECG, not walking, recovered, and then met the Doctor in the adjacent room. I was thinking this would be so similar to the test last June,  a struggle to last even the 4 minutes, trying to stand tall, keep the paces longer, and to even breathe without gasping for air. Not so, today was so much easier, a huge relief to find that Everest had reduced its height for me today.

The ECG showed no changes, I did not get to fly to Wellington, could he see my HUGE smile? An increase in one tablet, call the ambulance if you do get any angina and the sub-lingual spray does not relieve the pain.To use a friend's quote " Home again, home again ,jiggity jig" 

This was on my birthday in July, some years ago,  on the way up to  Turoa, on the southern slopes of Mt  Ruapehu .

Hugh's Mum, who was always ready for an exciting trip or  scary adventure. This was up the slopes of Mt Tarawera,

Another view of Mt Ngauruhoe, from the Desert Road.

And this is the beautiful  Brunsvigia Josephinae, at our previous home, Here,  the buds are still unfolding. A South African genus, of 11 species of bulbs allied to the Belladonnas, It likes a hot, dry, summer,. full sun, and does not like being shifted. The candelabra can have up to 40 trumpets, one  year one of my bulbs had 30.

Thank you all so much for your loving and caring words and thoughts, they mean so much, and if any one of you is in a similar situation, you will then know the way that these support, bolster and give you the strength and will power to continue.

Quotation of the day,  from Oscar Wilde

"  Be yourself; everyone else is already taken"

Greetings from Jean

Some Bocks from the US tour

 I have joined in the " Round the Block, US tour" and each Sunday evening a new block from a new state in USA arrives by email. 

With each new block from a new designer, lots of information about the state, so a Geography lesson at the same time. The other photos eluded me when I tried to insert them.

Just in case you think we have not had snow at our home, here is our previous home in August 1997, the one and only snowfall I have seen, at any time and anywhere I have lived. It was magical.

A   fond memory from years ago, my Dad, myself and Tip the farm dog, as we sat on the foundation of the new hay barn at TeHihi, which was a 100acre farm , sold, and then cut into lifestyle blocks, expensive beyond what my Dad would never have thought possible This might have been about 1950 or so.

Here is the view of the Central Plateau, as I flew from Palmerston North to Auckland for a funeral.This was some years ago, and the view was stunning.

Mt Ngauruhoe, 2291 metres,  an active volcano, and Mt Tongariro,  1978 metres, we had passed Mt Ruapehu , 2797 metres, slightly to the south of these two,  where most of the North Island skiing is done. 

This  is the wall hanging I made for my dearest friend  Walter, when he was ill in Auckland Hospital. He was in HMS in WW2, and the staff hid the parcel until the morning of his birthday, then hung it in his room. After he died, his daughter sent it to the Felixstowe  Museum, where it is hung on the wall . The WW2 coastal Forces base was at Felixstowe , and this was where Walter was based,I consider that the highest honour of all in my lifetime.And naturally, the title for my blog was inspired by  the memory of Walter and how much the compass played  such an important part of every day as he patrolled the seas off the coastline of Europe and back to England.

The latest news at home, tomorrow, at long last, I have the treadmill test, and again, highly probable I will go to Wellington again, after another ambulance trip to ED. The scary angina continues to occur at random times, and the staff are getting used to me, one lady Doctor, said " I remember you from a few weeks ago" Pity I don't get any frequent Flyer points.

How do you tidy the quilting fabric, the scraps, bits of sewing started, and projects waiting, in 3 days? 

I hope there might be some time at home before the next flight.

Quotation of the day, author unknown

" Memories are timeless treasures of the Heart"

Greetings from Jean