Sunny Days and Chilly Evenings

 Sunny days and chilly mornings and evenings, that's what the weather was like at Napier over our four night stay.  Just as well we had a hard working diesel heater keeping us cozy and warm when needed.  There was a busy morning in camp when a big truck and trailer arrived, plus earth moving equipment.  A few holes in the gravel driveway were filled, and soil added to top up depressions in the grass areas.

We were here again so quickly since our last trip at Easter, to attend the memorial service for my brother-in-law Dennis.  My sister Kathleen passed away three years ago during Covid lockdown, and her husband Dennis died last week.  It was a nice service, sad at times of course, but plenty of happy memories.  Dennis enjoyed writing stories and poetry, painted and did carving, he was  very talented indeed.  This is one of his short poems which those of us who are getting older could certainly relate to.

Hideout Henry

I'm playing hide and seek with Henry, and I'd better find him quick

I'm wobbly today and kind of dizzy, and Henry's my walking stick.

Driving around one day we passed a paddock filled with small round red fruit, not strawberries surely at this time of year.  So we stopped for a good look, and discovered they were low growing tomatoes, they looked like acid free tomatoes to me.  That was unexpected, seems quite late in the season for tomatoes to be grown outside.

Tomatoes growing in May

We were on our way to one of my favourite cafes for morning tea.  Silky Oak Chocolates sell all sorts of chocolately goodies.  We chose an iced chocolate for him and a hot chocolate for her, so delicious.

Silky Oak Chocolate Cafe

Robin was wondering how long our gas bottle would last.  Of course, it emptied in the early hours of the morning, and we woke to find the fridge flashing.  No wonder I couldn't get the gas lit to boil the kettle for our early morning cuppa.   So out he went in the chilly morning to swap the fitting to the other gas bottle, and he got it refilled later in the morning.  Prices for a gas refill obviously vary throughout the country, this fill was quite a bit cheaper than what we pay at home.

Filling the gas bottle

Starting the journey home on Monday morning we fueled up then stopped at the West Shore dump station.  While Robin was taking care of business I walked up to take a photo of the bird sculpture.  Stopping here often, this  was the first time I had taken a close look at it.

Public art installation

Lunch stop was at Woodville and we popped over to check out the Woodville Camp site.  Quite small with about 8 power sites, and $20.00 per person per night.

 Woodville motor camp

Taking a different route home, we drove over the long Ballance  Bridge, along a narrow country road, eventually arriving at the Pahiatua Track, arriving home mid afternoon.

Ballance Bridge