Kitchen Shelf

Not too much happening on the blog lately. We have both been very busy. I am trying to get the project I am in charge of at work as finished as possible before we head off to the US for a much needed holiday. The project was meant to be finished by the end of June but the one before mine didn't finish on time so mine has been pushed back. I have been working Fridays to help get it done which means I haven't had much time to do other things. 

I have been working on a couple new projects lately. One is a shelf for the kitchen to put all the coffee and teas on and a spice rack that I have yet to construct.

The finished shelf

The shelf fits in the gap between the window and the stove

Another thing that has been bothering me is the back stairs. The gaps between the steps have lots of grass growing up between them. We have some of the new deck treads left, so I am using them to cover up the steps and hopefully stop the grass growing up through them. Today I did the first one to see how well it will work.

Longview Hut, Ruahines

Well it was a good idea, and the weather forecast was good.... however it didn't quite turn out that way. Firstly we couldn't make it to the start of the track as the road was too rough and steep and bumpy. A lovely couple gave us a lift the last 4 km. Then we got to the hut and there were 21 people for a 12 bunk hut. Fortunately everyone made room and a few hardy souls slept out. Finally we got gale force winds and the hut was shaking more of the night, but in the morning everyone who set out turned back as they could barely stand up. We soon realised that our original plans to continue along an exposed ridge to the next hut were not going to happen. So we braved it with a couple of the other trampers back down the ridge. This was no mean feat - it took 15 minutes of been blown over and buddy walking along the first part of the ridge, before we got some respite down the track.... then several other sections of the ridge also required buddy walking and holding on to the mounds of grass. A few water bottles and hats fell victim to the wind.... but we made it down and gave the two guys a lift back to their cars on the other side of the Ruahines - 2 and a half hours.... otherwise they would have been stuck.

Walking up the ridge, through the tussock, rather exposed in spots 

Sunset from the hut over the Hawkes Bay region

Sunrise at Longview hut - almost blown away.....

Made for an interesting weekend.... just not the one we had planned.