Chit Chat Board Showing 801-850 of 1,758

[P.D.R.]

Oooo! I'm being deleted off the SIA board!!! I keep posting suggestions with urls.

TUT! Mustn't do that.

Try to post the personal experience posts they want and they still get deleted! Do you think there's a hint here that I am not wanted?

A quick scan shows a lot of posts like the ones I posted which aren't deleted. Sigh!

What's that lovely Yorkshire expression, Lesley? 'There's naught as queer as folks'?

[Lesley]

P.D.R. wrote: "Oooo! I'm being deleted off the SIA board!!! I keep posting suggestions with urls.

TUT! Mustn't do that.

Try to post the personal experience posts they want and they still get deleted! Do you t..."

Aye, 'ey up them queer fowk. Nowt like 'em. :)

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂]

SI board? South Island Author's Board?

Thanks for your suggestions! The Len Lye Gallery was awesome & we did get to see twister & 2 flips!

Te Rewa Rewa Bridge was a beautiful frame for Mt Taranaki - which I saw not covered in cloud. A life long dream. The walk was beautiful.

WOMAD was amazing! Favourite act was La Mambanegro from Columbia, favourite & most surprising song was traditional Vietnamese trio the Hanoi Masters suddenly ripping into an instrumental of Purple Haze, best NZ (& he was a very close second to La Mambanegro) was Marlon Williams. Special mention to the music of my youth The Specials & the music of my Canadian Maritime heritage, The East Pointers.

My latest avatar is a henna tattoo I had done. The picture of it completed doesn't show up well here, so I'm using a pic taken about 20 minutes after it was completed. Should last around 2 weeks. :)

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂]

Oooh & if anyone is passing through Te Kuiti, the old railway station has been done up beautifully (as a cafe). The staff are really proud of it. & their coffee is Atomic actually served hot! I'm so sick of the tepid coffee I'm served for $4.50 in my town & Auckland!

Edit; sorry for the typos!

[P.D.R.]

SIA = Support Indie Authors, Carol.

I've actually had a few emails from other members inviting me to other boards and telling me of their nasty experiences!

I heard bits of Womad on the radio. It sounds to have been one of those glorious, mind blasting affairs. I like those. And isn't the Len Lye gallery outstanding? My kids used to watch his Lye bouncing one for hours in the old gallery. I liked the noises they made.

[Lesley]

I've only seen Mt Taranaki uncovered once in my life, even though I spent 4 days there on my honeymoon! I was just seven years old when I saw it naked, and still clearly remember how majestic it looked, and how awed I felt. Then we moved on toward Hamilton (I was on holiday with my grands), and when we stopped to view the three mountains in the middle of the Island, I recall feeling quite disappointed because they didn't seem as grand. I just love the photo you posted in GH, and totally agree what a magnificent frame Rewa Rewa Bridge makes.

Pleased you enjoyed the music festival, and that you got good weather too - bonus!

[P.D.R.]

When we lived there people used to say 'She's a shy lady' when tourists complained about the head in the clouds, where's the mountain? complaints.

[Darkpool]

I recall being told "If you can see the mountain it's going to rain. if you can't see it, it is raining." on my first visit down there 30-something years ago.

[Erica]

I've been to Womad in New Plymouth about 3 or 4 times...I've woken up to a gorgeous view of the mountain every visit :)

[P.D.R.]

Who's skiting then! Every day? Truly? :)

[Kirsten]

We've tried three times to climb Mt Taranaki. All three times our guide pulled the pin due to weather! We've given up now. I'm happy just walking the amazing coastal boardwalk. I'm also firmly of the opinion that Taranaki has the best children's playgrounds in the whole country (the Margaret Mahy playground excluded).

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂]

Kirsten wrote: "We've tried three times to climb Mt Taranaki. All three times our guide pulled the pin due to weather! We've given up now. I'm happy just walking the amazing coastal boardwalk. I'm also firmly of t..."

We were too tired & sore to even think of climbing Mt Taranaki - been a long time since I had danced for 2.5 days. But we did go to the viewing platform. We found some passports in a forgotten backpack. We caught up with the trio who had forgotten them. (luckily they were filling their water bottles at the information centre)They were half asleep & pretty blasé about the whole thing.

[Kirsten]

Carol ♔Type, Oh Queen!♕ wrote: "Kirsten wrote: "We've tried three times to climb Mt Taranaki. All three times our guide pulled the pin due to weather! We've given up now. I'm happy just walking the amazing coastal boardwalk. I'm ..."

Oh My Goodness, you basically saved their bacon! I would have been hugging you and singing your praises from the rooftops!

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂]

They did say thank you, but honestly very little reaction. We would have left them at the information centre if we hadn't caught up with them. We weren't going back into New Plymouth.

[P.D.R.]

I'm glad your guide pulled you back, Kirsten. It's a mountain and the altitude and micro climate make it treacherous.

One sunny summer day a group of us parents and kids, got as far as the Shark's Tooth. We sat to eat lunch, in shorts and sun hats. Within twenty mins the weather turned, the wind blew, it snowed and we scrambled into our warm gear and fled down to safety. It was the best safety lesson the kids could have had.

I wish all these blasted tourists who see our soft green hills and mountains with little or no snow and think they can just wander around without warm gear and safety gear were forbidden access unless they had a pack full of warm gear, wet gear, and an emergency packet.

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂]

Stay safe everyone! (Cyclone Cook) There were waterfalls on our approach road last night. Just about to join the crowds getting supplies.

[Kirsten]

Carol ♔Type, Oh Queen!♕ wrote: "Stay safe everyone! (Cyclone Cook) There were waterfalls on our approach road last night. Just about to join the crowds getting supplies."

We were meant to be driving to Pauanui tonight, at about 6.30pm...no travel plans for us now. Read that they've started evacuating people from the Coromandel Peninsula now...

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂]

I'm in Thames. The op shop I volunteer at is closed because all the Thurs staff live up the coast. All Thames shops are being shut at noon by Civil Defence. At the moment it is very warm with light rain.

PaknSav was busy but everyone courteous.

[Kirsten]

Carol ♔Type, Oh Queen!♕ wrote: "I'm in Thames. The op shop I volunteer at is closed because all the Thurs staff live up the coast. All Thames shops are being shut at noon by Civil Defence. At the moment it is very warm with light..."

Stay safe. I hope its nowhere near as bad as they are saying its going to be.

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂]

Kirsten wrote: "I hope its nowhere near as bad as they are saying its going to be.

Me too! Worryingly all the seagulls have disappeared.

[P.D.R.]

I am so glad everyone is safe. We just had horrendous rain but nothing excessive. Certainly kept the church congregation down in size though!

[Kirsten]

Completely missed us in Auckland. I packed everything away outside, and cancelled our travel plans. I'm pleased we escaped unscathed, but I'd rather be in Pauanui!

[P.D.R.]

Wouldn't you have been swimming in Pauanui?

[Kirsten]

P.D.R. wrote: "Wouldn't you have been swimming in Pauanui?"

I would have been swimming if we'd gone! But my husband was really ill from Friday through to today really, so we stayed in AKL.

[P.D.R.]

Saved by the 'flu!

Are you booked in for the Readers and Writers Festival? Just finished enjoying Dunedin's festival. Do get to Hannah Kent's talk. Her historicals are marvellous, literary prize winners and she's so inspiring. She's an Oz.
M.J. Carter is English and she's rather nice. Writes Hist mysts and also is gently humorous.

[Kirsten]

I've just participated in my first Facebook launch party, for two other Kiwi authors. Frantic pacing and typing trying to keep up with all the posts and trying to stay engaged. On the whole, I really enjoyed it! I'd be happy to be involved with another I think.
Who else has done one of these Facebook parties where you have different authors host half hour time slots?

[P.D.R.]

Won't do facebook but a couple of my pals do those writer things. Exhausting they agree.

[Carole]

So excited to share the news that my latest book The Nam Legacy is out in bookshops early!! Now waiting for the first reviews to come in!

[P.D.R.]

Just celebrating catching an Air New Zealand special to Canada. Wanted to visit my grandson and a return trip from Dunedin to Canada was $1200 so I am delighted Will be off in Sept..

[P.D.R.]

Is it me or do we have a lot of people popping up here without having joined in as readers and chatted away to us before they are trying to promote their books?

Do we all need a reminder that this is Goodreads about reading and readers and not trying to push books?

[Kirsten]

P.D.R. wrote: "Just celebrating catching an Air New Zealand special to Canada. Wanted to visit my grandson and a return trip from Dunedin to Canada was $1200 so I am delighted Will be off in Sept.."

$1200 is fabulous!! And Canada is just as fabulous!

[Kirsten]

P.D.R. wrote: "Is it me or do we have a lot of people popping up here without having joined in as readers and chatted away to us before they are trying to promote their books?

Do we all need a reminder that this..."

True, you have to actually make the effort to connect first!

[P.D.R.]

Yes, I love Canada in the autumn, glorious colours of the leaves and my lot have a lake or two on their farm so I will get to hear the geese/ducks/migrating birds flying in and off south.

It's also a good aurora year and I hope to get a good photo or two!

[P.D.R.]

September is rushing up. I've got the Australian HNS conference the first week!

[P.D.R.]

Yes, I know. Isn't it exciting? I can only manage because my son's lot are over there in Oz. Just needed an airfare and there are some really cheap ones. I paid less than it costs to get to Auckland and back.

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂]

Hi everyone. Been a bit busy as we are getting our spare room busy for Air BNB. Nearly there now, just have to replace the door & then the fun part - choosing the bedding!

[P.D.R.]

Ah, Carol where are you Airbnb-ing it? In Auckland by some lucky chance?

Currently sitting at my computer in Saskatchewan, enjoy a night chorus of coyotes, an elk bugling for a mate and some disturbed geese over on the lake. No northern lights yet but I will check again before bed!

Australian conference a good time and lots of contacts. Now I have to settle down and get the new novel going.

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂]

P.D.R. wrote: "Ah, Carol where are you Airbnb-ing it? In Auckland by some lucky chance?

Currently sitting at my computer in Saskatchewan, enjoy a night chorus of coyotes, an elk bugling for a mate and some distu..."

No my home town.

I was at the shop but we lost internet & landline for most of the day. Vodafone tried to get Marty to get a $5 Vodafone sim card to they could contact us (our cell phones are with another provider) huh???? It wasn't just us - our neighbours lost coverage as well.

[Zellian]

Sounds the same as Spark recently with the new fiber that was going. Pretty disappointed with them recently

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂]

We are looking at Stuff. Vodafone offered all sorts of special deals to keep us a couple of years ago & I had to chase after every one.

[Lesley]

Carol ♔Type, Oh Queen!♕ wrote: "We are looking at Stuff. Vodafone offered all sorts of special deals to keep us a couple of years ago & I had to chase after every one."

If it is any consolation I know of a couple of businesses in my hometown who have vodafone, whose internet is in an out like a fiddler's elbow!

[P.D.R.]

Hello back! Yes, the new novel putters along slowly and steadily. I've been using all that time I've gained by being fed and looked after on boosting author pages, learning more about keywords and categories and marketing and getting ready for this week's Sales push via those online e-newsletters I've advertised in.

The novel is slow because I have to keep checking my indian facts, I have photos and lists of the flowers and trees but I do not know them like I know NZ and European flora.

[Kirsten]

P.D.R. wrote: "Hello back! Yes, the new novel putters along slowly and steadily. I've been using all that time I've gained by being fed and looked after on boosting author pages, learning more about keywords and ..."

Hey PDR, I'm off to India next week. If there's something you need from there, or want me to look out for, give me a yell. I can take photos etc if that would be helpful????

[P.D.R.]

That's kind of you, Kirsten. You are a sweetie! I think I'm going to be fine.

I have all the Ganges trip photos - 2,000 plus and then Sandy's as well. It's just I'm much slower at finding and remembering the flowers and insects by name, not like writing about flowers you grew up with!

Being me, of course, I want to get everything perfect! hah!

Have a marvellous trip, I'm saving up for a return river trip on the Brahma Putra river which passes through the National parks! Loved India. Could cheerfully live there.

[P.D.R.]

Home at last! Saw faint northern lights on my last night in Canada. It's hard settling down without my family again.

Of course the car is in the garage now because of some mysterious steering fault which will either be a simple re-calibration or an incredibly expensive new part which I am gently told it costs more than the car!

Sigh!

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂]

Had 3 very young trick or treaters (around 8yo) turn up on our door step without a parent in sight.

We didn't have anything for them as the last Hallowe'en visitors we had was when my son & his friends did it - 12 years ago.

Not a custom I'm keen on to be honest.

[P.D.R.]

I must be the witch of the street because no one bothers me for Halloween. Actually I think the schools/kindies/playcentres all do safe parties with parents.

[P.D.R.]

Has anyone else got annoy ads popping up on their Goodreads pages and supposedly geared to me as they are for the Warehouse etc places I never visit and don't buy from on principal.

I must invest in an ad blocker.

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂]

P.D.R. wrote: "Has anyone else got annoy ads popping up on their Goodreads pages and supposedly geared to me as they are for the Warehouse etc places I never visit and don't buy from on principal.

I must invest..."

With adblock I don't see any off that stuff. I still see ads on my phone but for me they aren't obtrusive.

The basic adblock was free but I paid a donation.

[P.D.R.]

Ah ha! Will try and find it.