Month: February 2010

I have to admit, begrudgingly, that Auckland, showed us some fabulous weather, hot and sunny, except for Thursday morning, when it poured with rain.

However, the rain subsided, and presented another sunny day, in which to comb the outlet stores.

From Barkers to BDM Grange, where the likes of Clarins, Prada and ROC,  were presented with ludicrous prices, it was an absolute feast for a woman on a mission.

From Albany to Birkenhead to Ponsonby where Karen Walker, Zambesi and World, to name a few, dominate the landscape of shops, to Dominion Road, to Green Lane, which was my last port of call, it was a day of total enjoyment, something I thought I would never admit, being a tried and true Wellingtonian.

Navigating my way around was not as bad as I had anticipated, and when I was unsure, there was always a friendly local, willing to point me in the right direction.

I failed to re visit the store that stocked the water beds for pets, that will have to await my next visit.

Now, I am sure someone thought I was going to say I had a canine escape? No, my escape, for two and a half days, to another part of the country, to visit friends and relatives. Should be fun.

Life, however, is not that simple, it is not just a case of walking out and saying goodbye.

My relief staff have to be informed of what is happening during the next few days, and then there are my animals to organise. All in all, still a lot of work, and I do ask myself, is it worth the hassle. Once I am away, I know I have made the right decision.

Belinda works three Fridays and one Saturday afternoon a month, and is now proficient in the workings of the kennel. She is also a trained veterinary nurse, so that assists in relaxing my mind when I have vacated the premises.

Hopefully, the sun will still be shining, for me, and also for her, nothing worse than picking up in the rain.

Bryson, my cocker spaniel, decided to make himself at home on her lap, he knows a soft touch when he sees one

Another beautiful day today, Sunday, and as promised, the neighbour was out and about early to beat the wind, and resume the tree cutting exercise.

As I was frantically trying to clear the back yard, to make way for the patio, that was lurking beneath the undergrowth, the chain saw was making its own cacophany beside the kennels, and disturbing some of the pups.

After a couple of hours I ventured out to the front, to find two men standing outside the gate, one with a cell phone, pressed tightly to his ear.

The news was not what I had been hoping for, or had even contemplated for a minute.

The chainsaw was stuck in the tree, and the tree was leaning precariously inward, toward the kennel buildings. The full meaning of this, was, that, with another gust of wind, it would fall over the fence and demolish the little dogs and some of the large dog kennels.

To be brutally honest, I was not amused. However, I did what I could, to try and procure a larger chainsaw, but that was of little value, so it was back to three heads are better than two.

After much use of axes, splitters and man power, the tree was down, with no damage to anything or anyone, other than perhaps, a bruised ego over a near failure.

And so it proceeds, the abolition of the trees. Not good for the green house gases, but hey, good for the dogs in the bigger scheme of things.