Visit to the lavender farm

Had a lovely day at the lavender farm today - a bit too warm and sunny (funny since we've been complaining about the lack of sun!) Could have done with a bit of high cloud.

Made a nice change from earthquakes, didn't feel any out there - just the wind, the flowers, the glorious scent and of course the butterflies and the bees.

Had to be careful as I'm allergic to bee stings, and the owner told me the bees were "cranky" and he'd had three stings yesterday. I knew to wear long sleeves and long pants, and escaped unscathed, although I did have bees on me several times.

This lavender is a special one, just from the Banks Peninsula area. Apparently it is very low in allergens, and very high quality. Most of the lavender oil in NZ is from China or Bulgaria, and is less pure and more likely to cause allergies. it is distilled in Canterbury and sold in health shops.