matildanz

Sadly I doubt it will end with 65 dead. Still waiting to hear that friends are safe but I'm sure they'll be in touch as soon as they can.

I'm a wreck and that's being 2 hours away. We're feeling the shakes but no damage. Work today seems so pointless while this is all unfolding, being an ex ambulance officer, I'm feeling so bloody helpless down here. Stay safe Cantabrians

Have the news streaming at work, two buses crushed. Fatalities in multiple areas. Such a tragedy, hope you all in Christchurch are safe and my thoughts are with everyone with family and friends in Christchurch that are out of touch.

6.3 by all accounts. 10k southeast of Christchurch, 5k deep. Felt it strongly in Timaru. My photocopier moved and it weighs a tonne. Have heard Chch has lost power and water mains have broken. Hope you are all doing ok.

Stunning!

Good to know that my fish are about as normal as everything else in this house then!

I think he's probably head honcho. He doesn't chase other fish away from food but I dare say he's the one who'll clear up all the leftovers!! I guess there's no reason why fish aren't the same as people - you get 2m tall people and then you get me!! :lol:

yep, all the same size. Four little tiddlers!

I have four Zebra loaches in my community tank. Three were bought together from our LFS and one about a week or so later just over 2 months ago. Now that they've gotten used to their new tank and coming out in bulk, I've realised there's a whopping size difference in them. Sorry about the pics :roll: The other two are fractionally larger than the tiddler but nothing like the monster leviathan! Thankfully he seems to be quite placid although he'll see off any intruder that encroaches into his space under the log! Is this extreme growth in just over 2 months??

YUM! I'm coming to your place for tea if that's on the menu!!

No he was gone the next morning. He had a bit of a limp and I was worried that a cat would get him or skittled on the road - couldn't catch him either to put him in the sectioned off part of the chook house. BUT did find out on Saturday morning that a pheasant has taken up residence at a house round the corner. They're feeding him and he's happy to live in their garden. This one has a limp as well so unless a flock of limpy pheasants has all of a sudden emerged from the park, I'm assuming it's the same one!!

At the moment it seems more like the bridge in Speed!

This in one teen that needs a job! She's a shopping fanatic! It's the main reason she's still there and not kicking up a stink about the hours. She has her name down at all the supermarkets but no jobs coming up yet. Also she wants to go into the cookery field when she leaves school and Macca's is paying for her to do food related courses through them that would otherwise cost her a small fortune to do them when she leaves school. Apparently there was a list on the wall for people to sign if they were willing to work, but if not enough volunteered then they were going to roster anyone on. I just hope that it's really busy so the day goes faster for her. If they put her in booth (drive in, taking orders) she will go totally nuts!

Funnily enough Josh, the last 20 years of Christmas Days has been spent doing what the extended family wanted not what we did. This year was to be the first year I stood my ground and said 'sorry, this year we are going to do what the kids want and be at home but feel free to call in and have a drink or two!' This was the first Christmas I've not been stressed to the hilt with trying to find the perfect gift for people who are picky or have everything already! Unanimously decided by the majority that we all have enough dust collectors around the house that presents between the adults were banned!!! So to have this clanger dropped has just thrown me into a bit of a spin!

Our daughters one wish for this Christmas Day was to spend the entire day, preferably in her jammies, doing as little as humanly possible. Usually our Christmas Days are spend travelling around the countryside, trying to cram all the step families into one day and eating about 5 different meals. This year was to be different - everyone has their own plans and we were to all be at home with my MIL and her husband, having a nice quiet relaxing day. But no..... Vic (our 15 year old daughter) is rostered on to work Christmas Day - at McDonalds from 8am until 4pm! The one day out of the entire year that they could shut the doors and let the workers have the day off. Who in their right mind has any intentions of going to blimmin McDonalds on Christmas Day??!! Add to that, she's working this Sunday - her 16th birthday!! I am so angry that I'm physically shaking! Oh and just to add insult to injury, Vic just tells me she's also working Christmas Eve AND Boxing Day! I hope it rains constantly for the whole 3 days so she doesn't feel like her entire Christmas has been ruined.

Mmmmmm.... roast pheasant! However I think it'd need a bit of fattening up first!!

I think there is someone breeding quail and pheasant on the far side of the scenic reserve, maybe he came from there. Looks like he has a limp, hope he can fend off the neighbourhood cats.

I have no idea where this guy turned up from as we live in the middle of town but he's quite happy tucked up under a rhody watching the chickens ripping up the grass!

No doubt all his siblings were! The only reason he's escaped their fate is that he stowed away on the weed!!

And no it's not some dodgy fish and chip shop!! Had all the good intentions of emptying out my unused tank that's currently growing a good crop of snails last weekend but never got around to it. While at home for lunch our daughter noticed a sole fry swimming around! No idea what it is, may be more but so far I've only seen the one. Turned the heater back on - not sure what to do about the filter - don't want to suck the little beggar up! I guess it came with the ambulia from the big tank. :bounce: He's definitely free swimming, swims faster than I can focus the camera! Measures at a guess around 7-8mm. From the look of his stomach, he's obviously finding things to scoff, so I'm not too worried about feeding him at the moment, although advice on what to feed when he gets a bit bigger would be much appreciated! So without further ado..... here's the little chap/ess Sorry about the crud pics. Any ideas on what he/she might be? Current fish are Rainbows, Black neons and standard blue neons - I've discounted the clowns, zebra loaches, GBA's and Kuhli's Although from what I've gleaned off the internet, the neons don't have sticky eggs................?? Rainbow maybe? All very exciting although I'll probably kill it with kindness now I know it's there! :roll:

Kshatriya

wrinkly

Yep... something like that :lol: !! I knew there was a reason the 3 footer hadn't yet made it out to garage

:bounce:

No worries! With my boss, I've learnt the subtle art of patience!!! More often than not it's like a slow boat from China around here.