FSO: Layers

A walk on the beach with the water engineer is invariably a lesson in Stratum, a layer of rock or soil with internally consistent characteristics. Landslides occur when the layers are of different consistently.

Another engineering lesson, a retaining wall, I won't want to live just beside the beach no matter how strong the retaining wall is. Besides, in New Zealand, the beach belongs to the public. Any Tom, Dick and Harry can walk right up to your property to see how the other half lives, and perhaps plot a Burglary or robbery.
Or you may face landslides. Right now, we are having a lot of rain, and the town Of nelson is declared an emergency area.



My favourite topic, be green. My layer is a free range hen and lays eggs taht get to become chicks in the open.





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Cars

Cars are very expensive in Singapore, when we bought our brand new Hyundai Sonata, with the same money, my brother Joseph joked that we could buy a merc in Australia.
What was worst, we barely had it for less than 5 years when we left, and we scrapped it for a fraction of the price we paid for it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Driving_in_Singaporehttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif
The Land Transport Authority (LTA) in Singapore implemented an Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) scheme to deter traffic congestion during peak hours at various roads. The ERP scheme requires electronic gantries to be placed over the road at designated locations and that cars be equipped with an In-Vehicle Unit (IU), a rectangular device pasted on the inside bottom right of the front windscreen from the driver's view, which will deduct the toll price from a CashCard. The CashCard must be inserted into the device, and to fail to do so is in violation of law. There is no charge for entering the area during certain non-peak times.
[edit] Parking

The cost of parking in many upgraded car parks can be deducted from the CashCard inserted in the IU of the vehicle, thus eliminating the need for the car park to have an attendant.



This rental car reminds me of the message to drive less, use public transport. The trouble with Auckland and her history of quarter acre houses meant that the city is spread out very widely. Compounded with our public transport of buses and trains are not very efficient. The water engineer and I work in different directions and at different times, so it hardly makes sense to use the public transport.

We did our bit of driving less not because we were greenies, but because it made economical sense.

New car buyers are required to buy a Certificate of Entitlement. The term "bidding" is often used but, in practice, new car dealers assist in the process. The fee of each successfully obtained COE is added on the costs of a new car based on engine size (usually lower for cars with 1600cc engine or smaller, and higher vice versa). The COE is valid for 10 years. There are provisions for a rebate of the COE if the car is scrapped before 10 years.

The COE costs have increased in recent years. The October 2011 COE for Category B (1601 cc engine and larger) was S$63,600.[9]
[edit]
Back before S was born, we drove a "weekend" car. The car registration plate was red, and by paying less money to the Government, we could drive our car only from Saturday afternoon to Monday before dawn. For the rest of the days, you need a twenty dollar coupon to use the car. It worked out quite well when we car-pooled with our friends driving the two girls in two separate schools. We would drive two days and I did my shopping on those days. Then D went to another school where we could not car pool, and we paid a lot of money to have it converted back to a normal car.

Here in Auckland, we are stuck between a shopping centre and a shopping mall. If I do not need to buy a lot of things, I trust my worthy bus NO 11. (my two pair of legs.)



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Save the world: Trim your hedges

The flowers are just beginning to bloom here, soon the whole hedge will be white.

This house ownder trimmed his hedge well, but there were a few that escape his shears.


The tree privet and Chinese privet were introduced to New Zealand as a good hedge. Now it is regarded as a pest plant. In my family and among friends it is known as the time when I tried to murder my husband.

Last night, I was in bed half sleeping and half watching a TV show which must have been Ghost whisperer. A ghost had approached the ghost whisperer that his wife had killed him by subjected him to allergens which eventually killed him.

As I as driving by a hedge with full blooming privet flowers I remember about 30 years ago before we had children. There was a beautiful hedge with white flowers which reminded me of the rambutan flowers in Borneo by our bedroom window.

Feeling nostalgic of the land I left when I was 20, I picked some of these flowers and placed it on our dining table cum study table. The husband immediately felt sick with his nose running, and eyes watering, head spinning and difficulty in breathing. I thought he was coming down with a cold. He retired early to bed and continued to feel really sick.

The next morning, he said it was the pollen grains from my flowers. I quickly throw the flowers as far away as possible. We told our landlord and he was very understanding. He offered to have the hedge trimmed completely from the flowers. Since then, we found out that privet was one of the most obnoxious pest that is responsible for asthma.

When the husband and I go for walks during the spring and summer season, he can smell the privet meters away. I do wish privet hedge owners would think of asthma sufferers and trim their hedge and stop the flowers from blooming.

http://en.wikipedia.org/whttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifiki/Privet

Privet is one of several plants that are poisonous to horses. In some parts of the world where they are not native, some privet species have become invasive weeds, spreading into wilderness areas and displacing native species. This is particularly a problem in North America, where no species of the genus occurs naturally.[4] Privet is a huge problem in New Zealand and the east coast of Australia. It is banned from sale or cultivation in New Zealand due to the effects of its pollen on asthma sufferers. Privet pollen is known to cause asthma and eczema in sufferers. Privet can be removed by contacting local government agencies to report ihttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifts presence.

http://www.arc.govt.nz/environment/biosecurity/search-for-plants/index.cfm?63E0F20E-14C2-3D2D-B905-50098EBBE4B9&plantcode=Ligluc
Problem: Tree Privet is listed on the National Pest Plant Accord. It is a fast growing tree which can easily out-compete native plants in the bush. The leaves and fruit are poisonous and it is believed to be linked to instances of hay-fever, asthma and allergies. Chinese privet has the same problems and is subject to Pest Management Strategies in many Regions in New Zealand even though it is not listed on the National Pest Plant Accord. They are both commonly seen in gardens as the ornamentals they were originally intended as, but unfortunately they have escaped and thrived in less controlled areas.

Thirty six percent of respondents to a survey of gardeners in the United Kingdom said that privet would put them off buying a property.[6]
[edit]

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Sunday Stills: Pets

I am devoting this post to one kind of pets, man's best friend. The dog. No I don't have any pets and I don't have any preference. But U see dogs every where. Looks like they are the prefered pet by many people here. I see dogs walk kids to school, and wait for them to come home. I see dogs in beaches and parks.

Oh I wish I was a dog.



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FSO: Wheels

Summer's here, and it's time for windsurfing.

Santa in New Zealand at Christmas at rocket Park organised by Mt Albert baptist Church came in a quad bike, bring his elves in a trailer. I enjoyed teaching my students Kiwiana Christmas. Getting them to compare a traditional Santa and a Kiwi santa.



School kids come to Pt Chevalier School in scooters and skate boards, and It was shocking that there was a ring from a neighbouring school that came and stole our children's scooters.

Scooteracks
This is a small company set up by two of our parents, Dave & Helen Morgan, to manufacture and sell racks to allow scooters to be stored upright.
Dave came up with the idea after hearing me moaning about scooters lying in doorways around the school. They have trialled their prototypes here and
donated them to us. After hearing of the thefts, Dave came in last night and installed about six new Scooteracks around the school at no cost. These
are the ones that allow the scooters to be locked in using a bike lock. You can see a photo on their website www.scooterack.co.nz under
'Scooter What?' in case you want to know how it's done. These models are also prototypes and we are very grateful for their generosity in providing
them to us so promptly. We hope to purchase a number of the final version from them next year.






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southern tip of Canada

This photo or the location had puzzled me very much. In 1975, when I first went to Canada, Windsor in particular, I went to this beach, at the lake. I was given to understand that this was the Southern most tip of Canada, and the name was something like Pt S_________. My friend Ning too, went and he couldn't remember.

Now when I google, and Canadian fellow Bloggers tell me that it is The most southerly part of Canada is Middle Island. It is located in Lake Erie, just 100 meters from the Canada-US Border, between Pelee Island, Canada, and Sandusky, USA.

is the southernmost inhabited part of Canada, and Point Pelee is the southernmost part of mainland Canada.

Read more: http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_southern_most_point_in_Canada#ixzz1fmW2tZoN

Before I tick off my bucket list, or before I kick the bucket, I really would like to know.

Do any one of you know and solve my puzzle?





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Sunday Stills -Backlit

Sunday Stills -Backlit (December 4th)
by Linda

This next weeks challenge is to back light something. A while ago I saw the most perfect aspen leaf on Flickr……the light was behind it and every minute detail showed up.


Hi Linda,

I am not sure about this week's challenge. Looks more bokeh to me.

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sure about this