Guacamole ... in the making.

Avocados in my back yard.

I've been busy today doing a range of tasks and chores, not least of which has been preparing some guacamole.  Well, not really.  I just noticed the fruits on the tree and as you can see by the colour, I may need to wait a wee while before I harvest them all.  One fruit looks ok and will make a nice spread, but the guacamole will have to wait until I get a few more fruits.

Known to the Aztec's as the fertility fruit, although I'm not sure why.  I had heard that Marks and Spencer introduced avocados into the UK under the name "Avocado Pears" back in the 1960s.  M&S customers purchased the "pears" and served them with custard as was the trend with other types of pears at the time.  Needless to say these customers complained to M&S saying the fruit was inedible.  M&S then dropped the pear off the name.  Can't say I'd fancy avocado and custard, would you?

Amazingly the avocado is poisonous to some birds (our blackbirds, silver-eyes and thrushes seem ok on the fruit by the way), as well as cats dogs and horses.  Even so, the avocado is under research for possible uses against cancer.  Amazing what grows in one's garden isn't it ;-)

Avocados ... and steam engines!

Pretty cool eh?  The council has an avocado orchard and you're allowed to pop along and pick the fruit for free.  Just don't be greedy or silly.  Take five, and don't take them if they're not going to be useful.  Amazing!  In this user pays world in which we live, finding something like this is really rather special.  Are there any avocados?  Of course!

There's heaps of avocados, but they're all rather green and the notice does say they won't ripen if they're picked.  I'm not sure about this.  Reasonable sized avocados put amongst other fruits like bananas and oranges seem to go ripe rather well.  Any comments or hints on ripening avocados you'd like to share?

After visiting the avocado orchard we headed into Auckland City.  We'd decided to have a walk around Parnell ... quite a quaint part of the city with lovely old buildings and a pleasant atmosphere.  Anyway, whilst in Parnell we heard the unmistakable sound of a steam engine.  Mainline Steam were playing trains ... except these were big full size mainline steam locomotives ... not model trains.  We had a great time looking around the facility.

Mainline Steam's 4-8-4 J1211 "Gloria" outside their Parnell sheds.

"Gloria" at Mainline Steam in Parnell.  Built 1939 in Glasgow. 

Mainline Steam's Ja1267 in their  Parnell sheds.

Mainline Steam, Parnell, Auckland, New Zealand

Current Auckland locomotive and rolling stock climbing out of Auckland towards Newmarket through Parnell.

Somewhat futuristic interior or Auckland's Britomart railway station.

Mowing the grass ...

I've been out in the garden again today ... we've had a bit of rain and the temperatures are lovely and warm which means the grass and the other green stuff in the lawns are growing with enthusiasm.  Anyway, whilst opening gates and moving around the property I came across this cicada shell.  Amazing don't you think?  It fascinates me that there's so little damage is caused to the shell as the creature extricates itself.  There also seem to be little hairs on the shell too.  Quite amazing.

The second photo is of an avocado   on my avocado tree.  Great for guacamole, but they don't half hurt when they bang you on the head as you trundle around with the mower!  Probably seems a bit odd to the folks in the northern hemisphere to think that whilst they're stuck in the snow we're mowing the grass and picking fruit off the trees.