Pukeko Polka

Porphyrio porphyrio A New Zealand native, though it lives in other countries too. Large

I love these comical birds. As a teenager I lived close to a swamp that was populated by several families of pukeko. They were very entertaining. Ungainly in flight, when they reach their destination they simply stop flapping their wings. It made me laugh to hear them crashing down through the willows. The chicks are delightful black pompoms on long legs.

A traditional recipe for pukeko stew- put prepared pukeko etc. into a large pot of water. Drop in a medium sized stone. Bring to the boil and simmer until the stone is tender.

I had to go to a hospital in Christchurch to have a lesion on my foot looked at. That's all the surgeon needed to do- look at it, and send me back to my GP for minor treatment. I was supposed to go Monday of last week, but they postponed the appointment to today. I would have been there at the time of the big earthquake. The hospital is next to wetlands. Judging by the state of the roads and the drifts of liquefaction silt I was lucky they changed my appointment.