Riding, riding

#20 Learn 10 poems by heart
Recited "The Highwayman" in the dark by the campfire. Not perfect but I think it counts.

Last published

#7 Visit all Auckland Regional parks
Camping at Waharau on the weekend. Nice area to camp in with great flat areas, concrete fire pads, trees and a creek running around the edge. Amenities not that great (1-2 longdrop toilets by the campground; no showers.) Information on website, on map and at the park all different. We thought the Waharau ridge walk was 3 hours, 14km. (Well , that's what it says on the website.) Actually it's 3.5 hours, 12 km and includes 40mins uphill. (That's what they mean when they describe the track as "difficult".) Quite a nice trek in the end. Well established path in most places and interesting views out across the Firth. Also did the bush walk through pretty bush. Park established in 1979 and it shows (in a good way! Beautiful driveway between native trees on the way to the campsite. Good marker posts and well established trails.)

Drove past the entrance to Whakatiwai Regional Park about 3 times. It's hidden away off the side of a private driveway. (in the photo, the park is alongside the line of trees on the left.) Not much to see in the tiny bit we walked around. Contrary to the information on the website (18km, 180 mins) the sign on the park says it's a 6 hour tramp to Waharau. We shall see.

Popped into Mutukaroa/Hamlins Hill park on the way home. It's under development and is currently not much more tha dry, parched, yellow paddocks with pukeko and their offspring. I couldn't find the entrance either. Ended up in a neighbouring carpark and jumping the fence.

doo doo doodoo

#49 Read Montana fiction winners of the last 10 years
rather than wait for the next couple of years to read my "Last 10 years" titles, I'm going to go 10 years from now.

1999 The vintner's luck / Elizabeth Knox.
1998 Live bodies / Maurice Gee.

Oh, hang on...I've just noticed there's also a Book of the Year ...nah, I wanted to read the fiction ones.

Violent pandemonium

#97 'Run' from home to my home town
Completed! I'm amazed at how quickly the numbers started to add up once I'd started proper training. Yes, I'm a bit tired now. Please to tick another one off the list though.

And really that's it.

in the name of all that is sweet and buttery

7. Visit all Auckland Regional parks
Waitakere Ranges. The Oxfam team did the Montana Heritage trail on Saturday. Major hills up and some quite dodgy footing. Very interesting bush to look at, lots of mature kauri. We whipped through it so fast I didn't even have time to take any pictures.

Awhitu on Sunday. An older, more established park than some we've been to, it has lovely paths between the manuka and other plants. Lots of wetland planting which has even spilled over to the rest of the peninsula. A very hot day which made the dry dry dry paddocks look even drier. Very safe beach for swimming as it stays a fairly regular depth quite a way out. Advice - swim when the tide is in.

The ARCpark count is getting quite good. There are a few parks in development which I'm not sure that we can get to. Another one is a stadium and the only way to visit is to go to something that's on. That leaves about 6 to go. They are mostly south of Auckland and will mean a bit more travelling time for me. (Although hopefully not as much as when we visited Tapapakanga. Too much talking. Not enough navigating.)

#97 'Run' from home to my home town
With all the training for #60 Take part in an event for charity (Yay! we have a team! Sponsor us!) the numbers are steadily ticking up.

...more impressive if he didn't have snow on his nose...

Back with a *jingle* and a *pop!*

#11 Buy a house
OMG all the paperwork is signed. House rolls over on Jan 7. First mortgage payment Feb 8.

#20 Learn 10 poems by heart
Almost got the Highwayman down pat. Still have a bit of trouble with the bits that don't rhyme (must be the accent) and gabbling. Trying to slooooowww doooowwn.

#23 Spend a weekend with the sisters
Ahh. Christmas. Brilliant.

#34 Attend a music at the zoo concert
There's a choice of 6 musicians/bands. I even have some mates to go with! (Not many, it's true, and technically they are family so I guess they don't really count...) Haven't confirmed either so must get onto that.

#35 Cook through the Edmonds cookbook
Another three last night - a cheesey chicken thing, kumara salad and tomato salad. Kumara was nice. Made and eaten as part of #40 Share a meal with friends or family every two months

#52 Put an amount of $$ in the pig for celebratory spend up at the end of this
Continuing erratically. Need to take the change out and get it into notes.

#60 Take part in an event for charity
Doing this if we can sort out a team. Yes. I know I'm mad.

I found myself a little peckish

You : well, hi there. haven't seen you in a while. how's it going? really? fell off your bike and got a leg infection? now on bedrest? only supposed to get up for pee breaks? what are you doing here then?

Me: grumff, snurfle, arrgg!

Mo Bros

Having trouble with Blogger at the mo so will keep this quick and no pics...

#7 Visit all Auckland Regional parks
Went camping at Tapapakanga regional park. Lucked out with the weather. Great companions. Nice walk (even steep Fuck-off Mountain.) Wine and toasted marshies around the fire delicious. Sea not too cold. Shower much too cold and public. Felt a teensy bit guilty as companions experienced and well organised campers. Tried to make up for it with fetching and carring and food making/baking. However. Someone had to watch the fire while the others went looking for firewood right?
Also went to Botanic gardens for Sculpture walk. (#77 Walk around an outdoor sculpture park.) Arrived three minutes before a guided tour went around so were lucky to tag onto that. One of the artists was explaining his work and the motivation and intention of the other artists and how the piece was either very specific to the placement in the garden or not. Interesting to see how placement could affect whether or not the piece worked for me personally - I though some would be better in an urban environment. Loved loved loved several pieces.

Who should control the family plantation

#46 Assemble Civil Defence kit

If I'd know how easy this was going to be then I've have done it a long time ago. It took two shopping trips to buy all the stuff I wanted for the box and it's done. (I haven't quite stuck to the list I made but I think there's enough food to feed us for three days.)

#90 Get an emergency kit for the car

It turns out that the Van kit I referred to in this post is actually on the list although I expect it should also include things like fire extinguisher and orange cones or something. Haven't started this one but perhaps with the success of #46 under my belt...

#6 Write a novel

First day of Nanowrimo today and I've discovered that I should have done all the plotting and character development before today. Dash-it. Can character outlines count towards the 50,000?

It could have been a goblin

#35 Cook through the Edmonds cookbook
'pon my word I haven't posted for a while. That's because nothing has been happening! However today I made a couple of things that I hadn't made before - Chocolate brownie and Chocolate cake. The brownie is tres chocolaty. The cake is for my sister to take on tour with her. Hopefully it's cooked. :)

#49 Read Montana fiction winners of the last 10 years
2001 The book of fame / Lloyd Jones
I have read this before but figured I should read it again. I do like Mr Jones' stuff.

#59 Join a writing club

I have joined Kiwi Writers an online writing group. I know that it's not the same as meeting up with people who can ask you what you're up to but I do better when I don't have to talk to people. *nervous grin* I've also signed up for NanoWrimo. If I hit the word target (50,000)then I will consider #6 Write a novel complete. Here's hoping!

Perhaps nothing is happening because I've got all the easy stuff out of the way? It's the tough stuff like #73 that I'm going to find particularly challenging.

Oh, and it's six months since I've started. Let's look at some stats...
28/101 COMPLETE
17/101 in progress
56/101 not started