This was taken at "our" beach over the road this morning at 11am. C's friend Natalia stayed for a sleepover last night, and we had a long swim after a late breakfast. No one else was on the beach...and it was just so beautiful.I'm also pleased to report that C is still young enough that, "it will be much more fun if you come for a swim too, Mum." Yay, it is still cool to hang out with Mum:-)
No, it's not all swimming and relaxing, in fact far from it! By 7:30am I was up doing some gardening. It turns out Cook Islanders are obsessed with keeping their yards tidy, and in particular with the Raking of Leaves, which everyone seems to do at least twice a week despite the fact that a) there really aren't any leaves to speak of, I mean it's not like we have autumn here, people! and b) the leaves on the ground don't look messy to me. However, seeing as I live on the main road (so everyone can see my unkemptness), and as Aunty Rongo next to me is very particular about such things, and as she happens to be the landlord... I garden, I weed, I RAKE.
Back to the beach. We live in the village of Titikaveka, near a lovely stretch of beach called Papa'aroa, where a lot of the locals come to swim and picnic. It is a good place to swim because there is a large patch of lagoon with no coral in it, which makes it easier for swimming (as opposed to snorkelling). Means you don't have to wear reef shoes either.
Papa'aroa is also where the Queen's Representative to the Cook Islands lives (and he came into work to buy lettuces once!)... and just along from the Takitumu Conservation area, which we plan to explore at some stage. It is closed at the moment due to bird breeding.
Speaking of birds.... I knew something was up when I got home from work yesterday to be greeted by C and three other little girls, and the line, "Mum, lots has happened!"
It turned out she had found a baby chick - and had brought him (or her) home on the bus. As you do. Can't really blame her, seeing as rescuing animals -and birds in particular - appears to be genetic (Mum?!) Funnily enough I had been thinking about chickens yesterday - as they pop up in the most interesting of places here. Just this week I came across a hen in the supermarket, and a chick was sitting on someone's shoulder at home group on Wednesday evening. And a loud sqawking one leapt out at me at work yesterday and gave me a fright!
Anyway, so we are now four - and Peeper, as he (or she) has been named, is living in a travel bag hanging from the shower rail so as to be out of the way of the Jasper the kitten. Just call me Noah.
We are very much hoping Peeper turns out to be a she not a he, as we are fond of eggs and not of roosters. Although I am learning to sleep through the early morning cacophony much sooner than I thought.
Here's the newcomer:
Much of the day has thus been spent making sure the cat is out while the bird is in, so to speak.. and the bird spent some time sitting under a tree outside with us (it's definitely a case of "are you my mother?" and he has decided it is us).
Am also now pondering how to build a chicken coop. Not an easy task when one has no car with which to go scrounge/buy materials, no tools, and not much coop-building time, let alone expertise.
In the meantime living in a very small house with a predatory adolescent cat and a peeping chick will no doubt be interesting. Any advice on either building coops or toilet-training chickens much appreciated.
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