6 October 2010

weekend update: October 2-3

The weather over the weekend was absolutely gorgeous and we enjoyed time outside together after so many months of concentrated thesis writing on the weekends.

On Friday night we had an impromptu BBQ with friends. Then on Saturday and Sunday night Adrian and I had BBQs just for ourselves. Adrian was in BBQ heaven!

On Saturday morning I went to UHARS again. The previous week, I did the rabbits all by myself which was kind of boring and lonely, so I hoped that wouldn't happen again. This time I worked with an animal health student, Kun (pronounced "Quinn", interestingly). She was really nice and we talked a lot while we worked. She moved here from China 8 years ago so we were talking about some of the fascinating differences between here and there. It was much better than working by myself :)

On Saturay afternoon Adrian and I took the bike out for a ride down the Wainui Coast Rd (not that exciting, just somewhere we hadn't been before). It was a nice ride, and we saw lots of lambs in the paddocks. On Saturday night we had the BBQ with too-cheap steaks, so it was average. Also the Pinot Gris tasted too much like Chardonnay for my liking... but the steaks were better on Sunday night so that was good.

On Sunday we took a ferry ride to Matiu/Somes Island from Days Bay for a walk around the island. It was the first time either of us had been there and was quite easy, but interesting to walk around. The DoC ranger lady showed us a blue penguin nest, there was a baby (though fully grown) sitting in there. So cute! Also, within ten minutes or so I saw two kakariki, which I've never seen before in the wild so that was super exciting. Later on we realised the island was rather abundant in kakariki, but that made it no less special.

I have been house-sitting for my Pet Angels job since last Wednesday, and my last night there will be this Thursday. There are two dogs at the house which I take for a walk each day. They are very cute :) It is a little harder than I thought it would be though. My usual routine has been: get up and have breakfast, feed dogs, go to gym, go home to shower, see Adrian and have coffee, go to work, walk dogs after work, go home for dinner, go back to client's house for sleep. Or some variation on that. I miss Adrian a bit more than I thought I would, so am looking forward to getting back in my own bed.

In other news, I was 'greeted' yesterday evening when I came home from work by a truckload of grey feathers lining the hallway, and bird poo splattered on the walls. I stalked around, looking for the dead and bloodied bird carcass before I started tidying up. However, what I found was a blackbird, alive, in our bedroom. The poor thing was mostly dead, but hopping around. I was quite distraught (as was it). It was very hot in our bedroom from the afternoon sun, and I had to shut the door so the cats wouldn't get in. So I was stalking around the bedroom trying to catch the poor critter. I eventually got it and there was no way it was going to live. I was very sad... and I know I maybe should have killed it somehow so it wasn't in pain and frightened anymore but there's no way I could have done that. So I put it outside and buried it with pulled-out grass in the hope it would not be found and re-traumatised by another cat. Poor thing. Then I cleaned up, vacuuming and wiping the walls. I also found two skink tails, and as a result Armi is confined to indoors - at least for today. Probably only until I forgive her and/or start feeling bad.

Love xxx

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