Smoko

Wilmer street near to where I work is rapidly changing. Quake damaged and abandoned buildings are being demolished and I guess new buildings will follow.

A couple of the squat, brick Orion electricity switchboard buildings are in the vicinity. They have a tenacious character and most survived the quakes with many now marooned in a sea of nothingness, weeds and river gravel temporary car parks.

I've blipped them in the past and today it is the outer wall on this on that took my fancy. In the past the larger buildings on either side were joined to the small squat nondescript electricity buildings. They all tell a story. Last week I blipped the painted bricks of one close up.

The tv intrigued me and I asked a workman about it. The pre-quake building joined to this one went to the trouble of plastering over the bricks. It was the smoko room and some wag painted the telly on the wall.

His crew have the job of chipping off the plaster now. He said these buildings were all earthquake strengthened in the '90s. Orion doesn't have as many now as the size of switchboarnds descreases. The remaining ones are being strengthened again which is what this work is about.

It's a long way out but the weather maps for mid-next week show the potential for snow to near sea level. Maybe, maybe not. It will be cold and probably the closest period of winter thus far.

Today's gratitude: For the crew who are working on the sewer pipe project. I pass them most days somewhere between where I park my car and home. It can't be easy running a massive operation and managing traffic reduced to one lane with stop/go signs. They do it with a smile and wave, they've got to know the locals and that human touch makes a big difference.