Tequila Sunrise

This rose is called Tequila Sunrise. It is very beautiful, & to me, could well represent my Beloved departed Aunt. She had a heart of gold to me, & was never less than loving & caring. I hope, if there is an afterlife, she is resting in peace & love.



My sad journey to farewell her, began at 3am. I caught a train down to the Airport at 4am, & it was quite eerie travelling along in the dark outside, in the lit carriages, with snoring passengers who were obviously workers commuting on a trip they were used to. I watched as they woke to some mysterious clock of their own, to proceed to their job destinations.

I had quite a lot of time to fill in at the Airport, & was quite happy to sit & watch the passing parade. I must have looked friendly, as several people struck up conversations. It is always interesting to talk to diverse peoples.

At last I was above the clouds. Luxury of a window seat, alone. Three seats, all to myself. I love flying, & love flying alone, for some reason. Above the clouds the cares are just as present, though. No cessation of grief or worry.



The Waikato area of New Zealand's North Island, has suffered a severe drought this year. It is normally green & lush. They have had a little rain, which has superficially greened the rolling paddocks. I liked the image of this rainbow over the Waikato farmland. Those glowering skies did bring rain.

I was thrilled to hear & see, this tui singing his heart out, in my Aunt's Kowhai tree. This Aunt was unwell, & unable to attend the funeral, so we called to see her. It is sad to think I may not see her again, as she is 80, & has failing health.

The Tui is very indistinct, but I could not get a clearer photo, & the Kowhai is the biggest one I have ever seen, I think.

These are the Pine Forests of Tokoroa, which is in the region where my Aunt lived. The pollen lies thick upon the road, & all the surrounding areas. I cannot believe people don't suffer massive sinus problems, living amongst it all. As you can see, we had a good clear road, with no traffic to contend with. Pity we took a wrong turn! haha.

This is a new feature in the little town where I was born. My brother is on the left enquiring as to the whereabouts of toilets, which I was in dire need of! I stopped to take this pic, was very impressed with the carving, & would have liked the chance to ask questions about it all, but time was pressing- along with my bladder!

Here is my little Great Nephew, the first night I arrived in Auckland. He was so bright & at almost 6 weeks was on the verge of smiling at us.

Here he is asleep in my arms, the morning before we left for the funeral. He is just gorgeous. He is the apple of his Grandmother's eye- well both Grandmothers. As he should be. His lovely mother K brought him up for me to cuddle the morning we left to travel.

And here he is, a week later, after our return. He was smiling & so alert & happy. He is just beautiful of course, & is progressing really well, & sleeping almost through the night. It felt so lovely to cuddle his little vital body, & watch his smiles.

My return flight was crowded, so no luxury of the window seat. I was scrunched up in between 2 other women. My flights were with Emirates Ailines, & they certianly provide nice food, & also have inflight movies, with individual screens & headphones. I could not be bothered watching a movie, but gave my headphones to the girl on my right, & let the girl on my left watch her Hindi movie on my screen, as hers didn't work. The flight was just over 3 hours, so not long really.

I struggled with baggage at the train, on the return. I got lost & couldnt remember where to get my train home. After struggling with my heavy case, I must have been looking very stressed, as a kind gentleman offered to help me out. The train was very crowded, & I struggled to find a seat, under the baleful glare of a nasty fat man, who spread himself defensively over 2 seats, & tried to guard the other 3 seats facing him. I threw my case onto the seat in the corner, & glared right back. I felt very tempted to thank him loudly & sarcastically for his lack of manners or help, but really didn't have the strength or the breath left. What a time to get an asthma attack!

I noted he was wearing a shirt with a Westpac logo. His son joined him shortly after I had arrived, & I could see it must be their nightly ritual to meet in those seats. I was doubly disgusted when they left the train at a suburban station, so really, they could have caught any other train home, & left the Countrylink train for genuine Countrylink travellers.

As I alighted at my home station, I was huffing & puffing, waiting for the very crowded lift to the platform, when I felt a tap on my shoulder. There stood Gom! Imagine my surprise. It turned out he had caught the train to the Airport to meet me. He had not told me he was intending to do that. We missed each other, of course, & then he was panicking, as he knew I had no house key, & thought I may have got home ahead of him. We were both glad to see each other, even though I could have used his help earlier.

Next morning we had visitors arrive to stay, & they have just travelled on, yesterday. I still feel I need a day of sleep to catch up. I have still not had my cry. My brother & I tore about the countryside visiting rellies, & catching up with aging family members. I am still feeling all the swirling emotions from so many events.

My beloved Granddaughter had her 19th birthday on Monday, & we all went out for a slap-up Yum Cha lunch. I am still kicking myself for not taking photos!!! I hope my brain catches me up soon!

The beloved Cousin, who has just stayed with us, has her Birthday tomorrow. My 90 year old Uncle will turn 91 on 14th. My eldest son has a Birthday on 25th. This is a busy month for birthdays in our family.

Amerca, These Brown Eyes.