Five Word Friday

It’s Friday here in New Zealand and the first Friday of the month.
So please join me. No lightheartedness today..
My five words? –
MOTHER NATURE’S SHAKING HER SKIRTS

Following the trials and tribulations of the recent devastating floods in the north of the North Island, we hear today that an earthquake occurred in the same area. We understand that this was a short, shallow quake at 4.8 on the Richter scale but this is enough to make even the strongest, most positive person feel they would like to throw up their hands and walk away.

Auckland is less than 400 kms from us, and here we sit in brilliant sunshine at 25 degrees.

This is very strange because it is an acknowledged fact by those of us who live here, the weather is always better in the north. But it hasn’t been this year and the results are obvious to all.

Added to the woes, this is a holiday weekend celebrating the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi. “The Treaty of Waitangi is New Zealand’s founding document. It takes its name from the place in the Bay of Islands where it was first signed by Gov Hobson, Queen Victoria’s representative and 9 Māori Chiefs, on 6 February 1840.”

Because the day is always “Mondayised”, many people take the opportunity to have an extra, short vacation. unfortunately, for many this will not happen this year because so many of the areas to which these vacationers would be heading are now uninhabitable. So not only are the holidaymakers missing out but so are the hotels. motels, and all other places set up for the tourist trade.

New Zealand is a small nation far removed from most of the rest of the world. There are only just 5 million of us and so most of us have friends and relatives all around our small country. Collectively, we feel for them.

Let’s hope Mother Nature soon decides that they have had enough and she gets back on her meds.