Introducing "Sugar"

Sugar and the backpack

I would like to introduce you to our lovely fat cat Sugar.
She is Salem's cat and is our youngest feline family member.
She is a Scottish Fold X without the folded ears but has the lovely thick double coat.
A very big heavy cat.
Twice the size of her mother, a full Scottish Fold.
Sugar loves to slip into the shoulder straps of Salem's backpack so she looks like she is about to leave home.

Salem and a very little Sugar

It's hard to believe she used to be so tiny.
We called her Sugar as she was small, white and sweet.
She is now big, gets very dirty rolling around in the garden with the chickens, and has very grumpy mood swings.

Sleepy heads

And we love her to bits!!!!!!!

A Ride on the Cable Car

The cable car coming up the hill

Our favourite way to get from Lambton Quay, in the city, up to the Kelburn entrance to the Wellington Botanic Gardens, is to take the Cable Car up there.

In the cable car  at the Lambton Quay Station

Salem still gets a great thrill and has to stand up and look out the windows at the fantastic view of Wellington City and the Harbour.
The Cable Cars have been going for 110 years now and long may they continue going up and down the hill.

The iconic Wellington Cable Car

At the top of the hill is the Cable Car Museum which is always worth having a look around.
There is also the Carter Observatory and Planetarium which we love visiting.
And of course the Wellington Botanic Gardens.

Time for a Yarn at the Paraparaumu Library

Salem knitting at the City and Sea Museum

On the 28th of October, Salem and I went along to the Time for a Yarn group at the Paraparaumu Library.
It was the first time we had been along to this group and it was their second get-together.

My efforts on the 2nd November 2012

They meet together on the last Wednesday of every month at the meeting room in the library at 10.15am.
So come along if you are a local for a cuppa, some bikkies and a good "yarn".
You are welcome to bring along your knitting, crochet, embroidery, hand sewing, tatting and basically anything that involves yarn or thread.

On the 15th November

Salem brought along his scarf he is knitting and I started on a fillet crochet curtain for my bathroom window.

I started it that morning while there, literally with doing the chain. 

You can see my progress to date.

Do you like my bees?

The next meeting is on the 28th November and we shall be there.

Everyone was very friendly and we hope to have some more chats.

Darling Ducklings Growing Up

A confident little duckling.

I'm trying to catch up on putting all my photos on posts as we have been very busy over the last few weeks but I am getting there.

The ducklings are charging around the pond.
A big difference compared to a couple of weeks before when
they wouldn't stray far from Mum.

We went back to the Peace Flame Garden at the Wellington Botanical gardens a few weeks ago and saw a big change in the ducklings.  They were bigger, more confident and very cheeky.

Ducking (excuse the pun) under the water for bits of food.

They were causing their parents a lot of grief.
The concerned parents had a hard time keeping an eye on their very energetic and curious off-spring.

Time for a quick grooming session before getting back to
the babysitting duties.

The little fluffy speed boats were a real joy to watch.
We must go back very soon to see how much they have grown now.

Paddling around at full speed.
It looks like so much fun.

The ducklings were keeping everyone amused.
It was a beautiful day so lots of people were at the Botanic Gardens that day.

Mum checking on her babies.
They were back in the water soon after this.

The ducklings would get out of the pond to have a bit of a groom in the sun and then go back into the water.
Mum just stayed up on the bank but always had her eye on them.

Here's Dad keeping them in his view.

The ducklings had no fear of all the people watching so put on a good show and came right up to the deck.

Standing guard over the duck families.

So one of the male ducks stood guard making sure that no one got too close.
It was all very sweet!!!!!

A Quick Visit to Martha's

A couple of weeks ago we made a quick visit into Martha's Pantry for something quick to eat.
We were off to the St James afterwards to get Salem fitted for this Giselle costume.

It was a beautiful sunny spring day and Martha's was bright and sunny.
Salem had to go outside and have a look at the garden.
The tea cups out side had made a reappearance as last time we were here, which was quite a while ago, the teacups had dissappeared.
They had been glued onto the wall but now they were screwed on.  A much better idea.
Salems's favourite Wattle trees have grown a lot and are looking lovely.

We shared a rose milkshake and had a club sandwich each and then shared a large ginger kiss which was a real treat.  It had bits of candied ginger in it, yummy!!!!
A very indulgent treat on a beautiful day.
Straight back to our rationing afterwards.