Its an ill wind....

There was a break in the weather so I went for my first run since our return. As I turned the first corner at the bottom of the hill I stopped and checked out the big change that has happened in our suburb. Ever since we shifted in there had been a ramshackle group of buildings with large diggers inside, plus an assortment of derelict cars and junk. For a while a colony of feral cats were present as well.
 In our absence the lot has gone! Evidently the iron roofing had come loose and was in danger of flying off in the last gale. Council had decreed it was a hazard that had to be fixed. The owners decided to cut their losses and hire someone to pull down the sheds, remove them as well as all the junky cars and rubbish.
The place looks reformed and our suburb no longer encompasses a rubbish dump. The storm has managed to achieve what many residents had prayed for for years. I continued my run much cheered by the improvement.
Once down in the bush I could see more storm damage. A tree was down across the path, and there was a washout making it difficult to pass at one point. It was here I stopped to talk to one of the people who had formed the trust to create the walking paths and clear out the weeds and exotics along the Kaiwharawhara Stream about fifteen years ago. Their work has created a great space, popular with runners and walkers alike, especially those with dogs as they are able to run free in this area. To prove the point, as we talked about ten happy dogs shot by followed by their owners in leisurely pursuit.

A tree blown down by the storm across the path

As the Council is overloaded with storm work volunteers from the Trellessick  Park Working Group have been tidying up storm damage on the track.

I did a couple of circuits staying in the bush as I have missed it and its unique freshness and smell while I was away.
In the dampness I saw a few of my favourite fungi, the basket fungus with its white lattice work standing out against the lush green. It is endemic to New Zealand and the Maori give it a far more evocative string of names: Tutae-whatitiri, (the droppings of thunder), tutae kehua (ghost dung), tutae whetu (star dung) and tutae whaitiri (lightning dung) due to the fact it appears suddenly in stormy weather.

I

a basket fungus or tutae kehua (the dung of ghosts)

A couple of basket fungi

Refreshed I headed home once more, pushed along by a light rain shower heralding the fact that another stormy day was brewing. As I passed the railway station I was amused to see four kereru or wood pigeons sitting on the overhead wires. Due to the recent storm the trains were not running so that repairs could be done to the lines. The kereru were enjoying an undisturbed though rather exposed perch for the day.

Kereru on the electric train wires - there were four of them spread about