Friday Feathered Friend
Words and picture by Louise Thomas.
"I used to avoid posting photos where I had accidentally captured a nictitating membrane - I thought they looked like weird sausage-skin sideways eyelids. Then I read that they are amazing built-in bird goggles, so the bird can blink and still see, or even shutter their eyes in extreme conditions to protect their eyes while flying or diving. Apparently we used to have them too - the pink blob in the inner corner of our eyes is a vestigial membrane. I suppose we evolved out of needing them - still they might have been handy the other day when I was trying to take photos on the beach during a gale. Pūkeko/purple swamphen (Porphyrio melanotus) at Waimanu Lagoon."
Today’s Mind-Bender is the Last of the Year! Can You Guess It Before Everyone Else? 🌟🎁🌲
I dance in the sky with green and gold, a spectacle few are lucky to behold; I’m best seen in the south, a celestial sight—what am I, lighting up the New Zealand night?
Do you think you know the answer? Simply 'Like' this post and we'll post the answer in the comments below at 2pm on the day!
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Driven On The Akatarawa Rd Lately?
If so, its good to know you are still alive and reading this.
We have a function to go to over Christmas up that way and having heard a few hairy stories about the road, I went up there on Thursday to check it out. The road's ok, narrow and winding, but not much worse than a Wellington hill suburb. What was pretty scary was the behavior of other drivers. Three vehicles heading the other way at speed would have crashed into me if I hadn't been pulled off the road. I had pulled in to check the address when a truck came flying past, taking up all of the narrow road at speed. There is no way the driver would have been able to stop had they come around the corner immediately in front of me. The other two drivers came hurtling past as I had turned in to turn around and come back down the hill. They were also driving at speed and taking up most of the road. Coming back down I passed another car coming up and estimate that the safe speed to pass another car was about 30-35 kms.p.h. So, now we're thinking, do we go to the function or not.? Feels a bit like we're taking our life in our hands going up there. Drivers appear to be overconfident, and they are courting serious injury.
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