Janet Ryan of Dye-It Fabrics

We enjoyed morning tea at the home-based business of Janet Ryan, who specializes in hand-dyed fabrics, some of which are stamped with Kiwi-ana birds and symbols.

Looking for the silvereye

While Janet and her friends graciously hosted tea and snacks, the tour participants got their first taste of my other passion — birds. I heard a little Silvereye singing in Janet’s garden. Many rushed out to see what I was looking at.

Aloe Vera plant

One of our North American house plants, the Aloe Vera, grows to gigantic size in subtropical Devonport, and even blooms. I was only able to capture a bud, however.

Mike

Mike, a.k.a. Not Robert, quickly became our photographer extraordinaire with his Canon 7D. He also hails from New Mexico. He managed to capture another New Zealand bird in Janet’s garden, a Tui. We were then off to High Tea at the home of Hugh and Helen Bedford, with its spectacular gardens nestled right in the midst of urban Auckland.