At the river

I've tackled a few things today including doing some exercises physio wants me to do. They take time and as I concentrate on them my time commenting on blip is squeezed to new lows :-/

I was unnerved while walking in the lower part of the Port Hills when this morning's sharp jolt rocked through. The noise of the shaking houses around me and ground growling and moving beneath put me on edge. This is the nature of New Zealand. I returned home to the fur child still on the bed but very wide eyed and in need of reassurance. No wonder he needs half a happy pill each day.

Dad emailed his kids a lovely piece about Mums, written I suspect to coincide with Mother's Day in the northern hemisphere. (New Zealand celebrates Mother's Day in May). It resonated and liked too his comment to "enjoy with without tears".

Later in the day we escaped Christchurch to a new spot on the Waimakariri River. It took 1/2 hour to get to the river access point and 10-15mins to slowly grind our way across a river bed track.

One minute I was fishing in late afternoon autumn light, the next minute low cloud zoomed in and the landscape went to somber flat grey. It was the perfect place to finish off today; the sound of running water, a light breeze, bird calls and space to think and be.

No fish were harmed but it wasn't without trying ;-) But as always it was the being there and checking out my foot on uneven ground (this weeks physio goal) that mattered most.

I fished a stretch of the river with spin gear and later in fading light stalked a cruising and feeding trout just off the main current in a bit of back water.

The fish might not be hooked but I am on fly fishing :-)

Before heading home (a slight challenge to find the track back out of the river bed) we sat on the back of the truck and enjoyed salad with freshly smoked Kahawhai I did earlier today in headlamp light and the company of moths.