Mount Herbert and the Kaituna Spur

The 'Couch Club' blips are back today, and although this is a very similar view from our living room's picture window, this shot was taken from just outside the back door, (some 10m away from said couch).

The view is of a beautifully snow capped Mount Herbert (Ta Ahu Patiki) as it joins the Kaituna Spur at the top end of the valley. This vista is constantly changing - sometimes its clear, sometimes we can't see the hills due to either precipitation cloud or the spectacular banner clouds that spill over the summit in an easterly.

Today was a typically quiet affair, but after seeing my neighbour's new pride and joy at the weekend - a '62 Strat re-issue [drool] - I decided to strip down and clean my beloved baby blue 1982 Ibanez Blazer. It's a bit bashed and pre-loved, but I still love its tone. I've always had a thing for Ibanez guitars - I used to own a very nice (and which I now know is valuable) 1970s Ibanez Artist which I sold for a pittance to a former member of The Tornados 20 years ago. I still wish I had it... oh well.

Tomorrow sees me flying solo for a few days (with visiting carers of course) as Mrs Horomaka heads north to trek up Ruapehu with her work colleagues as part of a team building exercise. As you can imagine I'm as jealous as hell. After all, the blipportunities up the mountain would have been amazing. Damn you leg brace and dodgy knees! Oh well, maybe soon I'll be able to hit some of these nearby slopes pictured...

Feel the snow