Monday, May 29, 2017

Local Sports Coaches


When some local people took to coaching sports in our area, they had mixed results. I have given a rundown of how these enthusiastic amateurs fared as they tried to make their teams winners.

First up, an electrician seemed up with current coaching techniques, but somehow the team had no spark.

A retired politician tried his hand at it and while he promised much, unfortunately he delivered little.

The local land developer thought he had what it took to get the most of his charges, but despite proclaiming he had a cunning plot, he failed to build on it.

This was in contrast to our florist, whose team budded, them bloomed as the season progressed.

Our dentist too had success as he got his teeth into it. It came down to the side being well drilled.

Picture source: Youth Sport Trust.

Tuesday, May 23, 2017

Scrabble

Electronic devises take so much of people's attention today. When I was a nipper, we had tangible things in front of us, like real cards and board games that came out of boxes. Of course, if the weather was good we were outside playing sport or exploring the open land behind where we lived. However, poor weather brought us inside and we played those games.

My better half and I are increasingly turning to such for entertainment. There is something nice about playing with people you know and care about. We enjoy Scrabble, something that a few friends we know are avid players of. We do it for fun, brain exercise and bonding together. Have you got a board game or a pack of cards? Give it a go and remember, win or lose it's just a game. Who you play with is more important than the outcome.

If you want a Scrabble online dictionary, we use Collins Scrabble. The game we played here used all the counters but I have just noticed one of my wife's words has been put down wrongly. Note to self, 'Better surveillance required in future'.

All the words you see there are acceptable (except one, lol) and we have fun playing it. If looked after, games can last indefinitely. This particular set is so old it has wooden pieces and racks to hold the words.

Saturday, May 20, 2017

Monarch Butterflies Now Away - 2017


We had nineteen caterpillars that we brought inside. One caterpillar dies, one chrysalis came to nothing and one butterfly came out but was unable to fly. Three are still to go, one nearly ready. So as of now thirteen Monarch Butterflies released. Sometimes we see one flying around the garden, possibly one we nurtured but you cannot be certain. Apparently they do have an attachment to the place they originated from.

To see a tiny caterpillar grow without any help, knowing instinctively to eat, move around with dexterity, to know how to attach its rear to a stork or leaf, curl up and then become encased in a chrysalis shell is mind blowing.

Then it gets even more amazing. It breaks out and dries its wigs out before suddenly flying away, without any training on how how to or why it needs to. Then it knows how to find food, mate and find the right bush to lay its eggs on. Truly the embedding of all that knowledge into a pinhead sized brain is a miracle. It speaks of an amazing designer, operating at a level that should make us humble and in awe of the One putting this wisdom and beauty into reality.

Monday, May 15, 2017

Hedgehog Visit


It is an introduced animal to New Zealand and some feel as they are not indigenous, then they shouldn't be here. They are claimed to affect native species adversely. Are species proven to be at risk due to hedgehogs? The same people claim the Himalayan tahr decimates Mt Cook Lilies when it actually seems to spread them. The same outfit doesn't seem to mind killing native species with extremely toxic 1080 aerial poisoning drops. The organisation is called DOC and the mentality they exhibit makes me doubt anything they say.

So unlike the trapping method suggested by DOC, I welcome them into my garden. Here's one that happened to find some fat we put out for the birds. Rather shyly, it curled up when we came out. They are welcome anytime.