Middle NZ: I'll miss the hive of activity outside my window

Hawks hunt for prey up and down the stream. Photo / Supplied

Hallelujah — I'm back in the office.

After three weeks of working from home it's wonderful to see my work colleagues. It's nice to have face-to-face (at the appropriate distance) interaction rather than phone calls and messages.

There are some things I will miss about working from home though.

First and foremost, I will really miss looking out the window and watching all the birdlife.

Donald and Daisy (the paradise ducks) have been my constant companions. I'm pretty sure they are going to be parents soon because Donald has been standing guard on the bank or atop a fencepost next to the stream.

I can't see from my vantage point where Daisy is nesting. That's good because hopefully the hawks that fly up and down the stream almost daily hunting for prey, can't see where she is either.

Once or twice a day she will emerge and they both waddle off looking for food.
They don't leave the nest unattended for long though.

During lockdown there have been more people than usual walking or biking along the side of the stream. As soon as someone appears Donald lets out a huge warning screech (he'd make a good guard dog), then he takes to the air flying either in a circle or to the other side of the bank where he feels safe until "the danger" has gone.

Daisy doesn't move. She stays with her eggs. I really hope they hatch and I get a glimpse of them and that at least some of them survive.

Linda Hall is assistant editor, at Hawke's Bay Today.

Hawks, eels and feral cats are just a few of their enemies although I haven't seen any feral cats but they are good at hiding.

I will also be on the lookout for some quail chicks.

There are a couple of pairs running around and sometimes they sit on the fence outside the window.

So yes, there are things that I will miss about working from home.

I have warned one of my colleagues that she might see me wondering around the office today looking for my fridge.

I really need to get away from my fridge. I don't know how many times I have found myself doing exactly what my children used to do. Opening the fridge and staring mindlessly into it. But unlike them I try and talk myself out of reaching for that piece of cheese or chocolate.

Most of the time I don't listen to myself and find myself back at my workstation with food in my mouth.

I am, however, going to treat myself to a meatball sometime this week. As soon as I heard the announcement on Monday I started thinking about the delicious meatballs from Westerman's Cafe.

As we all know this level 2 is a little bit different than last time. Mask wearing at places such as supermarkets and retail stores is a must. Personally, I think this is a great decision.

It had to come really when you look at how other countries around the world have embraced the habit.

There are always going to be people who refuse to wear one and that's fine by me if they get someone else to do their shopping for them. They could go to the park and sit under a tree in the open air away from other people and enjoy their own company.

The new rules are going to be tough on some businesses. However, if there's one thing I have learned from these lockdowns is that we have an amazing community and just as we did when we came out of lockdown last year, we will support our people and buy local.

Let's hope that's the last time we hear the work "lockdown".

Bring on level 1.

Linda Hall is assistant editor at Hawke's Bay Today