New pots through a wet window

Too wet to go out so I tried the lensbaby through a wet (and dirty) ranch slider window.

These are the new pots I mentioned on Labour Day. They've replaced various old ugly pots that had outgrown their purpose. The new ones are much nicer to look out on and the Bay tree and succulents are already looking happier.

Ive been home this afternoon as an insurance appointed builder came to fix the pre-quake damage to my upstairs floor from the shower leak. All that's left to do now is relaying the carpet. Ironically it might come up again if the eventual assessment of my internal earthquake damage finds my upper floor is creaking and moving due to quake damage.

An assessor came this afternoon to look at the cracks in my front path. I pointed out one crack already existed but had extended because of the earthquakes. The others are all new. She said all would be covered and I get a complete new front path from my front door to the gate.

The is good news. I expect it will be a long time before the new path happens. Contractors to do work like this are still being finalised, the ground needs to stop shaking and stabilise and I only have a few cracks in the path. My land isn't subsiding, I haven't had liquefaction, I have no displacement and my path is usable. It's low priority.

New Zealand has a government run Earthquake and War Commission (EQC). If you have contents and house insurance your insurance company premium includes a separate EQC levy which is passed on. EQC covers damage up to NZ$100,000. Above that is covered by your private insurance.

But EQC doesn't cover paths, driveways or hard surfaces outside which aren't part of the essential structure of the dwelling. Private insurance covers that. So my path damage is a separate claim to my inside damage. The cracks outside didn't appear until several weeks of aftershocks.

I don't know when my home will be assessed for damage. That claim is lodged with the EQC. Despite their name, years of preparation and billions of $'s in the coffers, they seem to lack processes to deal with a large event. But it will all unfold. Many others have major damage or homes that are uninhabitable. I expect them to be EQC's first priority but many in this position are still waiting to hear from EQC.

It's a grotty old Friday night out, more like winter than late spring. A good night for some more Leonard Cohen ;-) and a little foray into NZ's top micro brewer - a wee sampling of Emerson's Pilsner.

Very nice :-)