New Zealand week 13-14
We continue our seasonal diaries in the times of lockdown. This time, an update from New Zealand
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Week 13-14, Coromandel, New Zealand:
April 8, 2020
The聽first聽autumn winds have arrived. After weeks of warm and beautiful weather (albeit very dry) with calm conditions, it has become windy and much cooler. Small branches and many leaves have been blown聽off,聽the wind is whistling through the gaps in the house.聽Old houses in New Zealand are a bit like living in a tent. One tends to be quite in tune with what is happening outside.聽
The New Normal:聽A聽Lockdown聽Lifestyle聽
With an expansive outdoor space in which to work, play and wander,聽it would be unreasonable to聽construe聽ourselves as聽being聽locked-down, locked-in or locked-out. But at the same time, there is a surrealness to our daily existence, where tuning in for the latest聽casualities聽from covid-19 has become as routine as the daily weather check.聽聽
April 10, 2020
Just when I thought that fine weather has been fare聽welled, we鈥檝e been blessed with a stunning Good Friday. Cool in the shade, yet perfect in the sun. The sun now feels balmy on the skin. Not like in summer when it feels too intense and it is unpleasant on both skin and for the eyes. The nights have cooled off considerably. We watched a family movie last night and I lit the fire for the first time in six months. It聽felt good. There is a chill in the air and using a second duvet at night is pleasant, not too hot. I even took a hot water bottle to bed with me聽because my feet were cold from not wearing socks. Where did I put my warm slippers?聽I must find them. The聽floor boards聽are unpleasantly cold in the morning.聽
We have been harvesting apples and figs, along with the last of the hazelnuts and a fresh crop of walnuts. The walnut harvest,聽derived聽from a single old tree, has lasted聽us聽the whole year, even after donating a portion to friends.聽Colleting the whole walnuts from the ground聽is聽consequently聽a聽labour聽intensive endeavor聽that we tackled聽in shifts with the kids聽over聽the course of聽a month last year. With the girls now permanently at home, this has been achieved聽in聽a fraction of the time.
April 11, 2020
Another stunning day, but already quite cool in the shade. Noticed forest聽funghi聽came up since the drizzle two days ago. Especially the fly agarics聽are noticeable, but also some brown ones which I do not know.
Also heard and saw Kaka聽(type of parrot)聽flying over this part of the peninsula.聽They make the most unusual croaking sound.聽Unsure where they are heading, but they do this every year聽at this time.聽They seem聽to be going in a north-easterly direction.
The pines here聽where we live聽must be聽some kind of resting聽way marker.聽It is unbelievably聽quiet聽due to the lock-down/covid-19 situation. Rode my bike into town together with my daughter. Noticed quite a few young dead trees along the road. It hasn鈥檛 rained in a long time and everything is desperately dry. All streams we came across were lower than I鈥檇 ever seen them.聽聽
