At last a day without rain!  Pity I’ve been holed up for most of it in Domestic Executive HQ. I’ve got some coaching workshops to deliver next week so I’m busy preparing programmes and materials for the client to approve.  It’s always a toing and froing process that takes longer than you hope.

But the bassets and I had time to dash out for an hour to walk in the Regional Park.  This is one of my favourite walks and the bassets are able to ramble around without to much malingering.  There are so many smells to be sniffed it’s pretty much a trot all the way around.  I look at it as a form of basset efficiency.  Something that doesn’t happen that often!

To cross the river we navigate a swing bridge.  Fortnum has taken to sniffing every inch.  Mason however runs like a lunatic making the bridge jump up and down making it impossible to take pictures in focus!

Fortnum takes his time – he’s like a minesweeper crossing from side to side.  It’s the hound in him you know!

After a successful river crossing it was time to scout around in the bush.  To be honest it was less than ideal for photography but I think you’ll get a sense of the rain forest in late afternoon.  Everywhere is soaked but the plants are loving it.  There is lots of fungi and lichen growing in particular right now.

The sun was shining outside though and cast a warm glow to the river.  One of the things I love most about this place is the unusual trees.  Here’s a Pseudopanax Crassifolius.  It’s only a baby but it’s managed to grow on the edge of the bush.  We planted a couple of these in our garden, I love the architectural shape.

I’ve no idea what this is but I love the way it stretches out to the light.  I photographed this last in February.  It hasn’t changed that much. But it looks much colder and the backdrop has less green.

The only colour around right now are the berries on the trees.  I fear for a hard winter.

If you look close you can see a couple of Tuis in this tree.  The birds are going crazy right now.  There are heaps around and they are singing just like it’s spring. I hope they are not confused!

More birds and fewer leaves.  Autumn is here.

Closer to the ground I helped Fortnum onto a bench to sniff.  I thought it might make a nice photo. But he moved.  Check these paws out though.  They are enormous and seem to be still growing.

After an hour wandering the forest we headed home to be greeted by a short shower – better than rain though!

I took advantage of the break in the weather to plant out some more spinach, cabbage and leeks seedlings in the potager.  I’m beginning to feel like a real cheat buying the plants from the garden centre.  Next year we’ll grow out own from seed.  I’m determined to.  I mean it.  I wonder if this means I’ll be a proper gardener then?