After touching up the cove strip this morning, I walked up the hill and down into the next valley; and not just because the closest bottle shop is there and I was out of gin; although I did buy a bottle.  That was just the excuse.  I have wanted to take a walk.

        Along the way I passed familiar sites,

two dead possums and many of what New Zealanders call toe toe feathers.

Pronounced ‘towey- towey.’  A suburb of Auckland is called Papatoetoe because many once grew there.  The Internet says they are also known as ‘Prince of Wales feathers.’

        I haven’t climbed a hill for a while.  It is a steep hill.  My legs feel it.