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Just for fun: the random, useless announcements thread!
Well the ocean was cooler today (around 20c there was that nice refreshing chill factor to the plunge this morning ), but the temperature (weather wise) was a lot hotter 25/6c...I began to melt as I walked back up the track from the beach...I must had lost a few pounds along the way
@Bunks
Now to be called just Prince.
Fear not, I might be able to keep you better updated on his daily doings since he seems to looking for a house in my neighborhood. Just as soon as I run into him, I've got to tell him how much I liked his song, Purple rain. I just know that we are going to be great pals.
Are you a medium @how ?
The only way you're gonna speak with/bump into 'Purple rain' Prince is through a seance ...he passed away back in 2016....just saying
federicaSeeker of the clear blue sky...Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubtModerator
@Shoshin said:
Are you a medium @how ?
The only way you're gonna speak with/bump into 'Purple rain' Prince is through a seance ...he passed away back in 2016....just saying
How to completely miss a joke and have it thud at your feet like a dead trifle. Plop.
Yes.
'Prince' Harry and Meghan are moving to Canada. That's who @how was referring to. He jokingly hashed up the Princes in a case of mistaken identity... Allegedly, Megan's favourite colour is purple...
"Just as soon as I run into him, I've got to tell him how much I liked his song, Purple rain. (jokingly mistaking Prince the singer of the song Purple rain for Prince Harry who is moving to Canada with Meghan) I just know that we are going to be great pals."
I'm well aware that @how was joking hence why I gave the LOL....., I was just adding my bit of humour to the mix;;;
"Are you a medium@how ?
The only way you're gonna speak with/bump into 'Purple rain' Prince is through a seance " (communicating with the dead...)
Bearing in mind the singer Prince died back in 2016...
0
federicaSeeker of the clear blue sky...Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubtModerator
edited January 2020
Well how was I to know you understood....? Dash, the absence of emojis leaves me stranded, at times....😳🙄🤪🤐🤣
0
JeroenLuminous beings are we, not this crude matterNetherlandsVeteran
There’s a good collection of stuff at holybooks.com now... I came across this
Walking up the track from the beach this morning, I stopped in the shade for a rest (it's a bloody steep track and the heat makes it seem steeper) anyhow a young woman on her way down stopped to ask me a question ( well a few questions) she wanted to know if it was okay to take photos because the beach is a clothes optional one, no problems many people who go there take photos...
She also wanted to know where the best beaches on the island were, so I pointed out a few of the beaches on her map...plus some of the walking tracks around the island...
I asked her where she was from, she said Hong Kong...I mentioned that I was there in 2018, then I asked if the political unrest had settled down, she said for the most part yes, but now everyone is worried about the coronavirus spreading, then she asked me if people in NZ were worried about Asian people arriving in NZ who could be carrying the virus...
I said like in most countries people travelling from Mainland China are being tested for the virus at the airports, and some schools and universities here are testing and monitoring Chinese students who have just arrived in the country and those who are returning after visiting family back in China...
Then she asked if some Kiwis were scared of interacting with Asian people because they could be carrying the virus...I said I guess some Kiwis will be fearful of catching the virus from a person who appears Asian, and went on to say that like in many countries there are locals here who have phobias about foreigners...
Which got me thinking.....
Sadly NZ is no different from any other country, we have our fair share of xenophobes who will jump at the chance to condemn 'all' Asian people and accuse any Asian looking person of carrying and transmitting the virus...
Ignorance is bliss (be it at times a very dangerous form of bliss)
@Shoshin said:
Sadly NZ is no different from any other country, we have our fair share of xenophobes who will jump at the chance to condemn 'all' Asian people and accuse any Asian looking person of carrying and transmitting the virus...
It most certainly does!
It also (like Australia) has its fair share of people who don’t have much respect for the culture(s) that preceded them.
I have to put my hand up and see I was one of those people in my young days 😞
I think it's true to say that some of us were pack animals back in our younger more ignorant days...
1
personDon't believe everything you thinkThe liminal spaceVeteran
I found out about and got to ride this awesome carousel this past weekend. I rode the dragon shown at the beginning. https://www.larktoys.com/carousel/
On my walk this afternoon ( after work) I walked down a track I don't often use to the beach...I normally look down as it is quite steep careful not to lose my footing, anyhow I stopped part way down and looked up into the trees and saw this neat sleepout treehouse perched on the branches of some trees
It's well camouflage amongst the tree foliage ...
It's somewhere up in the middle of the tall trees overlooking the beach...Plus it's in a nice and cool place out of the sun...
@Shoshin said:
On my walk this afternoon ( after work) I walked down a track I don't often use to the beach...I normally look down as it is quite steep careful not to lose my footing, anyhow I stopped part way down and looked up into the trees and saw this neat sleepout treehouse perched on the branches of some trees
It's well camouflage amongst the tree foliage ...
It's somewhere up in the middle of the tall trees overlooking the beach...Plus it's in a nice and cool place out of the sun...
I want one...
As long as you have binoculars to get a look at all the nudies
No @Bunks this beach is not the clothes optional beach I normally swim at, the treehouse is at a beach close to where I live, just up the road...It's one of the busiest beaches on the island....
However I remember quite a few years back when the new owner of a property overlooking the clothes optional beach, contacted the local council to complain about having to see naked bodies when they looked down onto the beach ( the new owners would need binoculars to actually see the naked bodies,) anyhow nothing came of their complaint, the clothes optional option had been around a lot longer than any of the houses that overlooked the bay..Why buy a property overlooking a popular, well known nudist beach and then complain about naked bodies???? the mind boggles.....For the disgruntled property owner.... it was a case of tough titties ...pun intended ....
3
federicaSeeker of the clear blue sky...Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubtModerator
We shall be moving house on the 28th of next month; something we had not bargained for when originally moving into this place, given that the Landlords were supposedly seeking a reliable, trustworthy long-term tenant....
It now turns out that their intention was always to return to the UK after an absence of 20 years. The move to NZ had originally been to appease and accommodate MR Landlord, whose family is out there; MRS Landlord had stipulated that she would give it 20 years, then she wanted to return to the UK to be close to HER family...
That period was up 3 years ago, but due to highly undesirable tenants before our tenure, (non-payment of rent, they wrecked the place) it took time and money to restore the house to a rentable state, and recoup some money on the place, hence our 2-year stay here... Thanks for that...
The tale is long and really too tedious to elaborate on... Suffice to say we're crossing our fingers that this next rental lives up to scratch and we enjoy a longer, more durable tenancy!
Here on the island there are a number of property owners who rent out their investment homes over Autumn Winter and Spring, then kick the tenants out at Summer time...
At both the places I work at, we have clients coming in complaining about landlords...
The tenant is told by the landlord it will be long term, (normally at the end of Summer early Autumn when the tenant is looking for a place) but then just before Summer, they give the tenants notice..
How long is long term??? ....About as long as a piece of string
Unless the tenant can get a fixed term tenancy agreement, there's no guarantee how long they can occupy the property...many just have periodic tenancy agreements..
A tenant must give at least 21 days’ written notice to end the tenancy, unless the landlord agrees to a shorter time. This agreement should be in writing.
A landlord must give at least 90 days' written notice to end the tenancy. Landlords can give less time (at least 42 days’ notice) in some cases
What some landlords do is tell the tenant they ( the landlord) or a family member wants to move in, so they can give shorter notification ie 42 days.....just in time for the Summer
A landlord can give at least 42 days’ written notice to end the tenancy if one of the following apply:
the property has been sold and the new buyer doesn’t want tenants (ie the buyer wants ‘vacant possession’) the owner or a member of the owner’s family is going to live in the property the property is normally used as employee accommodation and its needed for this purpose. The fact that this might happen must be included in the tenancy agreement.
The landlord’s notice must also state which of the above reasons applies. This reason must be genuine. If it isn't the tenant can challenge the notice through the Tenancy Tribunal.
Sadly on the island we also have slum landlords, who rent out dilapidated properties at exorbitant rents, knowing that desperate people will pay the price...
My friend just got back from Taiwan, she bought me this neat meditation cushion
It's small lightweight and very comfortable...cost around $20 NZ...
2
federicaSeeker of the clear blue sky...Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubtModerator
@Bunks said:
That’s a shame @federica , I hope the move works out well for you.
Every cloud has a silver lining.
Thanks, @Bunks. I'm very much of the "Who knows what is good, who knows what is bad" mindset. Doors closing and opening, kinda stuff.
The move actually brings some logistical advantages; whereas going anywhere involved a car journey, this move means we shall be closer to the town centre, and able to walk to local amenities instead of driving and paying for parking all the time.
It's still sufficiently off the beaten track to not be too congested or traffic heavy, however, and we now have an enclosed garden, which means privacy and planting are long-awaited bonuses!
Thanks @lobster. Feel free to hop on a train and come visit, any time. Tea available.
4
federicaSeeker of the clear blue sky...Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubtModerator
This house moving must be contagious ...
Yesterday my landlord gave me 90 days notice...he needs the flat/space for a family member...The 90 days will be up when I'm away in the States, however he did say that I could stay an extra couple of weeks if need be when I get back...However I think it's better I get cracking now and look for another place before I leave...
Change is inevitable Suffering is optional...
So a change is as good as a holiday...I look forward to downsizing again...
2
federicaSeeker of the clear blue sky...Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubtModerator
@Shoshin said:
This house moving must be contagious ...
Yesterday my landlord gave me 90 days notice...he needs the flat/space for a family member...The 90 days will be up when I'm away in the States, however he did say that I could stay an extra couple of weeks if need be when I get back...However I think it's better I get cracking now and look for another place before I leave...
Change is inevitable Suffering is optional...
So a change is as good as a holiday...I look forward to downsizing again...
It's hard to put down roots and call a house a home, when all a tenant is to a Landlord, is a commodity. There's very little sentimentality linked to renting... For them, it's an investment, a business venture to nurture and develop, something that keeps the wolf from the door - when it's working and they find the right commodity to accommodate...
I'm hoping to be proved somewhat incorrect with regard to our new landlords though; when meeting the other half (we had already met the 'wife') who was busily attempting to secure the tumbledown fence, after a storm, he couldn't stop apologising for the disruption. And when I asked him what precisely I was permitted to do with the garden, he smiled and said "Whatever... you... want. We just want you to be happy here." Which sounded sweet, after the feeling of betrayal we experienced at the behest of our still-current landlords, who we feel deliberately kept us in the dark re: their plans... Hey-ho. On the face of it, it sounds as if they've actually done us a favour...
In a sense it's the same here @federica the landlord has done me a favour....I live next door to a vineyard, and every time they spray I'm impacted by it...The spray season runs from September to March...
I've had the compliance investigator out from the council to investigate my complaint,( you should see what some of the material safety data sheets have to say about some of the agrichemicals used for spraying grapes..."May cause cancer" - "Suspected of causing cancer" )...
However it would seem that the spray contractor is (according to the council's rules & regulation governing agrichemical use) operating within the council's safe practice Rs & Rs...
My next step would be to take it to the Auckland Regional Public Health Authorities I don't have much faith in the ARPHA...
I was at my friend's house this afternoon having a cup of tea when I started to smell smoke then I heard the sound of fire engines...When I looked out the window a big black cloud of smoke was drifting towards my friend's house from across the valley...pieces of burnt paper was floating down around the house...
It took the fire fighters a while to put the fire out...
Well I looked at a couple of places to rent today...The first one looks promising, quiet setting,around 20 metres from the sea shore, no vineyards nearby (tick) and from what I gather no chimneys nearby (double tick)....plus another bonus, its close to one of my jobs ( walking distance around the bay)...local store 5 minute's walk away, supermarket 20 minutes walk...( the Saturday morning flea market is also near the supermarket)
The other place is in a nice bush setting, plenty of bird life, spectacular views all around the island from the reserve nearby, plus there's an ecozip up the road, there's a large vineyard close to the ecozip however there's plenty of bush between the vineyard and the rental... but the rental's a bit remote plus you have to drive up a steep narrow windy road, there's not many places in walking distance... you definitely need a car if you live there...
Dilemmas dilemmas....I bumped into my landlord this afternoon and told him I was going to give two weeks notice tomorrow, he said he had been meaning to contact me to say that there's been a change of plans, the family member no longer needs the flat and if I want I can stay on....
The pros & cons of where I am now and where I could be....
So where I am
Pros=Beautiful peaceful bush settings, plenty of wildlife, spacious apartment (where I can hold some of the weekly Buddhist group meetings), short walk to beach and village and one of the places where I work..
Cons = Impacted by spray drift from pesticides sprayed on vineyard next door from September through to March every seven to ten days...(long pause in spraying when harvesting the grapes)
Where I could be
Pros = Beautiful peaceful beach side settings, some wildlife, short walk to my other work place, 5 minutes walk to local store, 15/20 minutes walk to the supermarket...No vineyards near by...
Cons = Much smaller apartment ( can't hold any kind of group meetings) new place, new landlord...still operating as an Airbnb, for another two weeks, however owner said they want to move away from Airbnb and make it a long term rental...a case of to give or not to give them the benefit of the doubt...
0
federicaSeeker of the clear blue sky...Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubtModerator
edited February 2020
Stay where you are, but Feng Shui your home and look at everything as if you were about to move. "Do I really want to pack this and take it with me?"
That way, if either you or your landlord have a change of mind, you damn well know for a fact that everything you own, you love and want, and you will be taking with you.
And if you do decide to move at some point, you will also have the opportunity to find a property, and you won't be in an 'either/or' situation.
I am currently performing daily trips to our Local Household Waste & Recycling Centre (AKA 'the Dump') to dispose of long-held useless, 'why am I keeping this shit?!' items, and have already planned a Garage Sale I will be holding, once moved, that I KNOW will span a whole weekend, I have THAT much stuff I can sell on.
Oh yeah, my local Charity shop is ALSO going to benefit.
ETA: Everything you own is 'stuff' and according to 'The Dude' "Nothing whatsoever should be clung to".
Hey, I didn't say it, take it up with him. (He never had to negotiate an entire "Just moving to a Palace in the next County" move, did he?!)
Thank @federica...However I already practice letting go AKA Renunciation ...out with the old and not always in with the new...:)
I don't own any furniture apart from a couple of small collapsible tables collapsible, moon chair , bookcase also collapsible...all the other furniture in the apartment belongs to the landlord...The rest are just small nick nacks that one tends to accumulate along the way...like teapots and Buddha statues
The spraying is from what I gather finished for the season and will start up again in September...breathing space so to speak...
So I will stay put....
I sent a message to the owner of the property on the waterfront last night to find out what her idea of 'long term' means...She hasn't got back to me yet.... So I'll send another message letting her know that I'm staying put...
Dilemma ??? What dilemma ???
Another plus for staying put, is that we are in a drought, most locals are on tank water (rain) but where I stay we have both tank water(rain) and a bore... so we never run out of water...which I guess is a big PLUS..
Well has I'm writing this, it's just started to rain, not sure for how long though or how heavy it will be...The plants are happy... that's a bonus....
It really was stolen, have contacted the police and supplier. I have also contacted Manjushri who is meant to be protecting the place with a flaming sword and Chenrezig who is armed with a flower.😳🌈💗
I am loath to invoke wrathful deities. So here is suitable bodhi prayer ...
Dear Buddhas of All Realms,
Please bless the blue flat cap ninja who removed my insecurity device
My humble apologies for tempting others with my techno-dana
May All benefit by Finding Nothing
Of value in what is not given freely
May the bad reveal good
The True find what they need
The thief dropped the camera when the motion detector light went on. It landed face down and ... discovered the camera this morning ... back in place. May move behind glass but it is an outdoor camera with a thermo sensor so I know what temperature it is outside ...
Comments
Well the ocean was cooler today (around 20c there was that nice refreshing chill factor to the plunge this morning ), but the temperature (weather wise) was a lot hotter 25/6c...I began to melt as I walked back up the track from the beach...I must had lost a few pounds along the way
@Bunks
Now to be called just Prince.
Fear not, I might be able to keep you better updated on his daily doings since he seems to looking for a house in my neighborhood. Just as soon as I run into him, I've got to tell him how much I liked his song, Purple rain. I just know that we are going to be great pals.
Are you a medium @how ?
...he passed away back in 2016....just saying 
The only way you're gonna speak with/bump into 'Purple rain' Prince is through a seance
It's that time of year again down under...
lol
You've got some nice moves @Bunks
@shoshin
Around here, movers like that have already abandoned the speedo for the thong.
Coming soon to a nightmare near you.
Happy Chinese New Year from Down Under 😄❤️👍
Haha thanks @Shoshin - I won’t ask what you typed in to the search function in YouTube to find that video 😊
Xin nian hao @Bunks
How to completely miss a joke and have it thud at your feet like a dead trifle. Plop.
Am I missing something?
Yes.
'Prince' Harry and Meghan are moving to Canada. That's who @how was referring to. He jokingly hashed up the Princes in a case of mistaken identity... Allegedly, Megan's favourite colour is purple...
"Just as soon as I run into him, I've got to tell him how much I liked his song, Purple rain. (jokingly mistaking Prince the singer of the song Purple rain for Prince Harry who is moving to Canada with Meghan) I just know that we are going to be great pals."
I'm well aware that @how was joking hence why I gave the LOL....., I was just adding my bit of humour to the mix;;;
"Are you a medium @how ?
The only way you're gonna speak with/bump into 'Purple rain' Prince is through a seance " (communicating with the dead...)
Bearing in mind the singer Prince died back in 2016...
Well how was I to know you understood....? Dash, the absence of emojis leaves me stranded, at times....😳🙄🤪🤐🤣
There’s a good collection of stuff at holybooks.com now... I came across this
https://www.holybooks.com/siddharta-hermann-hesse/
Walking up the track from the beach this morning, I stopped in the shade for a rest (it's a bloody steep track and the heat makes it seem steeper) anyhow a young woman on her way down stopped to ask me a question ( well a few questions) she wanted to know if it was okay to take photos because the beach is a clothes optional one, no problems many people who go there take photos...
She also wanted to know where the best beaches on the island were, so I pointed out a few of the beaches on her map...plus some of the walking tracks around the island...
I asked her where she was from, she said Hong Kong...I mentioned that I was there in 2018, then I asked if the political unrest had settled down, she said for the most part yes, but now everyone is worried about the coronavirus spreading, then she asked me if people in NZ were worried about Asian people arriving in NZ who could be carrying the virus...
I said like in most countries people travelling from Mainland China are being tested for the virus at the airports, and some schools and universities here are testing and monitoring Chinese students who have just arrived in the country and those who are returning after visiting family back in China...
Then she asked if some Kiwis were scared of interacting with Asian people because they could be carrying the virus...I said I guess some Kiwis will be fearful of catching the virus from a person who appears Asian, and went on to say that like in many countries there are locals here who have phobias about foreigners...
Which got me thinking.....
Sadly NZ is no different from any other country, we have our fair share of xenophobes who will jump at the chance to condemn 'all' Asian people and accuse any Asian looking person of carrying and transmitting the virus...
Ignorance is bliss (be it at times a very dangerous form of bliss)
It most certainly does!
It also (like Australia) has its fair share of people who don’t have much respect for the culture(s) that preceded them.
I have to put my hand up and see I was one of those people in my young days 😞
I think it's true to say that some of us were pack animals back in our younger more ignorant days...
I found out about and got to ride this awesome carousel this past weekend. I rode the dragon shown at the beginning.
https://www.larktoys.com/carousel/
The toy store itself is pretty great too.
On my walk this afternoon ( after work) I walked down a track I don't often use to the beach...I normally look down as it is quite steep careful not to lose my footing, anyhow I stopped part way down and looked up into the trees and saw this neat sleepout treehouse perched on the branches of some trees
It's well camouflage amongst the tree foliage ...
It's somewhere up in the middle of the tall trees overlooking the beach...Plus it's in a nice and cool place out of the sun...
I want one...
As long as you have binoculars to get a look at all the nudies
No @Bunks this beach is not the clothes optional beach I normally swim at, the treehouse is at a beach close to where I live, just up the road...It's one of the busiest beaches on the island....
However I remember quite a few years back when the new owner of a property overlooking the clothes optional beach, contacted the local council to complain about having to see naked bodies when they looked down onto the beach ( the new owners would need binoculars to actually see the naked bodies,) anyhow nothing came of their complaint, the clothes optional option had been around a lot longer than any of the houses that overlooked the bay..Why buy a property overlooking a popular, well known nudist beach and then complain about naked bodies???? the mind boggles.....For the disgruntled property owner.... it was a case of tough titties ...pun intended
....
We shall be moving house on the 28th of next month; something we had not bargained for when originally moving into this place, given that the Landlords were supposedly seeking a reliable, trustworthy long-term tenant....
It now turns out that their intention was always to return to the UK after an absence of 20 years. The move to NZ had originally been to appease and accommodate MR Landlord, whose family is out there; MRS Landlord had stipulated that she would give it 20 years, then she wanted to return to the UK to be close to HER family...
That period was up 3 years ago, but due to highly undesirable tenants before our tenure, (non-payment of rent, they wrecked the place) it took time and money to restore the house to a rentable state, and recoup some money on the place, hence our 2-year stay here... Thanks for that...
The tale is long and really too tedious to elaborate on... Suffice to say we're crossing our fingers that this next rental lives up to scratch and we enjoy a longer, more durable tenancy!
That’s a shame @federica , I hope the move works out well for you.
Every cloud has a silver lining.
There seems to be a global housing crises...
Here on the island there are a number of property owners who rent out their investment homes over Autumn Winter and Spring, then kick the tenants out at Summer time...
At both the places I work at, we have clients coming in complaining about landlords...
The tenant is told by the landlord it will be long term, (normally at the end of Summer early Autumn when the tenant is looking for a place) but then just before Summer, they give the tenants notice..
How long is long term??? ....About as long as a piece of string
Unless the tenant can get a fixed term tenancy agreement, there's no guarantee how long they can occupy the property...many just have periodic tenancy agreements..
What some landlords do is tell the tenant they ( the landlord) or a family member wants to move in, so they can give shorter notification ie 42 days.....just in time for the Summer
Sadly on the island we also have slum landlords, who rent out dilapidated properties at exorbitant rents, knowing that desperate people will pay the price...
Good luck with your new place @federica
My friend just got back from Taiwan, she bought me this neat meditation cushion
It's small lightweight and very comfortable...cost around $20 NZ...
Thanks, @Bunks.
I'm very much of the "Who knows what is good, who knows what is bad" mindset. Doors closing and opening, kinda stuff.
The move actually brings some logistical advantages; whereas going anywhere involved a car journey, this move means we shall be closer to the town centre, and able to walk to local amenities instead of driving and paying for parking all the time.
It's still sufficiently off the beaten track to not be too congested or traffic heavy, however, and we now have an enclosed garden, which means privacy and planting are long-awaited bonuses!
Thanks @lobster. Feel free to hop on a train and come visit, any time. Tea available.
21 approvals in the last month. 1 entrant.
This house moving must be contagious ...
Yesterday my landlord gave me 90 days notice...he needs the flat/space for a family member...The 90 days will be up when I'm away in the States, however he did say that I could stay an extra couple of weeks if need be when I get back...However I think it's better I get cracking now and look for another place before I leave...
Change is inevitable Suffering is optional...
So a change is as good as a holiday...I look forward to downsizing again...
It's hard to put down roots and call a house a home, when all a tenant is to a Landlord, is a commodity. There's very little sentimentality linked to renting... For them, it's an investment, a business venture to nurture and develop, something that keeps the wolf from the door - when it's working and they find the right commodity to accommodate...
I'm hoping to be proved somewhat incorrect with regard to our new landlords though; when meeting the other half (we had already met the 'wife') who was busily attempting to secure the tumbledown fence, after a storm, he couldn't stop apologising for the disruption. And when I asked him what precisely I was permitted to do with the garden, he smiled and said "Whatever... you... want. We just want you to be happy here." Which sounded sweet, after the feeling of betrayal we experienced at the behest of our still-current landlords, who we feel deliberately kept us in the dark re: their plans... Hey-ho. On the face of it, it sounds as if they've actually done us a favour...
In a sense it's the same here @federica the landlord has done me a favour....I live next door to a vineyard, and every time they spray I'm impacted by it...The spray season runs from September to March...
I've had the compliance investigator out from the council to investigate my complaint,( you should see what some of the material safety data sheets have to say about some of the agrichemicals used for spraying grapes..."May cause cancer" - "Suspected of causing cancer" )...
However it would seem that the spray contractor is (according to the council's rules & regulation governing agrichemical use) operating within the council's safe practice Rs & Rs...
My next step would be to take it to the Auckland Regional Public Health Authorities I don't have much faith in the ARPHA...
I was at my friend's house this afternoon having a cup of tea when I started to smell smoke then I heard the sound of fire engines...When I looked out the window a big black cloud of smoke was drifting towards my friend's house from across the valley...pieces of burnt paper was floating down around the house...
It took the fire fighters a while to put the fire out...
Where was it @Shoshin? A house?
Yes it was a house @Bunks on the island...
Well I looked at a couple of places to rent today...The first one looks promising, quiet setting,around 20 metres from the sea shore, no vineyards nearby (tick) and from what I gather no chimneys nearby (double tick)....plus another bonus, its close to one of my jobs ( walking distance around the bay)...local store 5 minute's walk away, supermarket 20 minutes walk...( the Saturday morning flea market is also near the supermarket)
The other place is in a nice bush setting, plenty of bird life, spectacular views all around the island from the reserve nearby, plus there's an ecozip up the road, there's a large vineyard close to the ecozip however there's plenty of bush between the vineyard and the rental... but the rental's a bit remote plus you have to drive up a steep narrow windy road, there's not many places in walking distance... you definitely need a car if you live there...
Hey @Shoshin , by chance, you don't know an eccentric Welsh guy on the island that goes by the name "Taffy" do you?
Ex-journo who lives in a shack by the beach near Orapiu.
No @Bunks ...The island is full of eccentrics from all over the place
Dilemmas dilemmas....I bumped into my landlord this afternoon and told him I was going to give two weeks notice tomorrow, he said he had been meaning to contact me to say that there's been a change of plans, the family member no longer needs the flat and if I want I can stay on....
The pros & cons of where I am now and where I could be....
So where I am
Pros=Beautiful peaceful bush settings, plenty of wildlife, spacious apartment (where I can hold some of the weekly Buddhist group meetings), short walk to beach and village and one of the places where I work..
Cons = Impacted by spray drift from pesticides sprayed on vineyard next door from September through to March every seven to ten days...(long pause in spraying when harvesting the grapes)
Where I could be
Pros = Beautiful peaceful beach side settings, some wildlife, short walk to my other work place, 5 minutes walk to local store, 15/20 minutes walk to the supermarket...No vineyards near by...
Cons = Much smaller apartment ( can't hold any kind of group meetings) new place, new landlord...still operating as an Airbnb, for another two weeks, however owner said they want to move away from Airbnb and make it a long term rental...a case of to give or not to give them the benefit of the doubt...
Stay where you are, but Feng Shui your home and look at everything as if you were about to move. "Do I really want to pack this and take it with me?"
That way, if either you or your landlord have a change of mind, you damn well know for a fact that everything you own, you love and want, and you will be taking with you.
And if you do decide to move at some point, you will also have the opportunity to find a property, and you won't be in an 'either/or' situation.
I am currently performing daily trips to our Local Household Waste & Recycling Centre (AKA 'the Dump') to dispose of long-held useless, 'why am I keeping this shit?!' items, and have already planned a Garage Sale I will be holding, once moved, that I KNOW will span a whole weekend, I have THAT much stuff I can sell on.
Oh yeah, my local Charity shop is ALSO going to benefit.
ETA: Everything you own is 'stuff' and according to 'The Dude' "Nothing whatsoever should be clung to".
Hey, I didn't say it, take it up with him. (He never had to negotiate an entire "Just moving to a Palace in the next County" move, did he?!)
Thank @federica...However I already practice letting go AKA Renunciation ...out with the old and not always in with the new...:)
I don't own any furniture apart from a couple of small collapsible tables collapsible, moon chair , bookcase also collapsible...all the other furniture in the apartment belongs to the landlord...The rest are just small nick nacks that one tends to accumulate along the way...like teapots and Buddha statues
The spraying is from what I gather finished for the season and will start up again in September...breathing space so to speak...
So I will stay put....
I sent a message to the owner of the property on the waterfront last night to find out what her idea of 'long term' means...She hasn't got back to me yet.... So I'll send another message letting her know that I'm staying put...
Dilemma ??? What dilemma ???
Another plus for staying put, is that we are in a drought, most locals are on tank water (rain) but where I stay we have both tank water(rain) and a bore... so we never run out of water...which I guess is a big PLUS..
Well has I'm writing this, it's just started to rain, not sure for how long though or how heavy it will be...The plants are happy... that's a bonus....
Did I just say drought ???
Well the heavens have opened up...
Got a security camera ... today it was stolen. Do you recognise this ninja? 🤦🏼♀️
The Sun rose this morning. It was bright.
That’s outrageous, when your security cameras can’t even keep the security cameras from being stolen.
I never know when to take @lobster seriously...
It really was stolen, have contacted the police and supplier. I have also contacted Manjushri who is meant to be protecting the place with a flaming sword and Chenrezig who is armed with a flower.😳🌈💗
I am loath to invoke wrathful deities. So here is suitable bodhi prayer ...
Dear Buddhas of All Realms,
Please bless the blue flat cap ninja who removed my insecurity device
My humble apologies for tempting others with my techno-dana
May All benefit by Finding Nothing
Of value in what is not given freely
May the bad reveal good
The True find what they need
Gate gate paragate parasamgate, bodhi svaha 🙏🏽💗🕊
Sincerely,
Lobster
PS. Please don't kick them in the groin🤗 👼🏽🤐
Sorry to hear @lobster - hopefully it can be found. Will insurance cover it?
Thanks @Bunks
Have just submitted my police report to 'Ai' (which I think stands for Artificial Imbecile) from the camera supplier, tech cheapo-support.
Claws crossed, they say if a police report is filed the camera is replaced. I think I might have to design my own system anyway ...
The ridiculous thing is the camera is useless being tethered to a bespoke wifi router (gizmo box that stores the images on the cloud) ...
Maybe next time position the camera behind a window? Just a suggestion...
The thief dropped the camera when the motion detector light went on. It landed face down and ... discovered the camera this morning ... back in place. May move behind glass but it is an outdoor camera with a thermo sensor so I know what temperature it is outside ...
Anyway all is well 🙏🏽