Cricket ODI in Auckland

We set off on the 30th of Jan to go to the cricket in Auckland against the Pakistani. But not without a little drama. Kylie, our replacement hen was looking very sick and she seemed to have a very infected bottom. She looked like she was in a lot of discomfort. I advised Duncan he should google 'Wringing a chook's neck' . DONT BELIEVE EVERYTHING YOU READ ON GOOGLE. So next it was back to the shed to get the axe. Fortunately Kylie was so sick that she was quite docile as the axe was very blunt and several blows were required. Soon she was buried and we got on our way.

This is Kath. When Duncan is mowing the lawns he lets the chooks out. Kath strides right up to the door and peccks. Oh boy, this really freaks me out!! 

 First stop was a catch up with Barry and Liz who are looking well. Then to Simon and Jackie's for the night.
The grandchildren were in fine form. Theo said "Do you know what the biggest number is?" No, I replied truthfully. "A Billion and one" he proudly proclaimed. "What about a billion and two?" His eyes were as wide as saucers as he contemplated this. (almost as wide as when Duncan related the story of the blunt axe in gory detail!) "A billion and 3!" he triumphantly added. I tried "A billion and a hundred!" but NO he would not believe this was sensible at all!

Claudia's new tricks are lots more babbling sounds and kicking those podgy little legs when she lies in her bouncinet.



We left very early next morning and dropped the car at the motel and got the train which takes you right to Eden Park, so we were there very early. It was great to see a live game. - to see them throw their bodies about, and watch the ball fly off the bat. (Although for Mc Cullum this wasn't quite so thrilling!)

Boult opens the bowling.

The fielders are keen.

Guptill takes guard.

Guptill and McCullum return to the crease after Guptill hits a four.

The food and drinks were very expensive (for retired folk)  and when the rain break of about an hour happened we were reluctant to buy stuff as we had planned to go to a favourite Tapas bar in Newmarket after it finished. In the end we decided to go early. Duncan thought it might be a long wait for the train - but it came in two minutes, and soon we were sitting in a window seat enjoying our tapas and a bottle of Rioja (we went to this district in Spain) wine.
The trip back next day was long but we called in for a few more minutes of fun with the grandchildren.

Those chubby legs kicking away

Grandad - I'm watching Pepa Pig on TV. Keep out of the way.

The Old and the New

Preserving season is upon us.
When I got married Mum informed me that her best peach halves for dessert were done in a 1 cup sugar 2 cups water.
Other fruit was done 1: 2.5 cups.
Later in my marriage I started to do 1:3.
This year I have done my preserving 1 cup sugar to 4 cups water.
Will I be brave enough to try 1:5 next??

Nectarines are nice and easy to do because you don't have to peel them. I did 8 jars in all. The jars with the gold bands are mums old jars. She gave me some when I got married as the new design had come in. So they must be 50 years old at least. I prefer them to the newer model as they have a lip which means they are easier to grip. I even have some of her jars fashioned out of recycled beer bottles which apparently they used at the end of WW2 when getting clear glass was expensive.

Two years ago we had John and Jill Thurston to stay and Jill bought us some bottled Black Doris Plums. Duncan really liked them for a change, so we went and bought a tree. Today I harvested them and boiled them up (1:4 syrup). We had them with gingernut icecream and a Wooing Tree sweet rose (wine). This was after a pizza done on the Weber, using the left over beef roast that we did on the Weber last night. Very yum and not at all greasy.