Reporter’s diary

Press, 28 December 1989, Page 2

Reporter’s diary

Pop-top poocb THE family dog was missing. No great problem, thought* its owners. The pooch had been known to do a runner before, even staying away several days before eventually strolling home. However, this was Christmas, so the family made several journeys around town in the hope of sighting the mutt. No luck. They recalled that the dog had vanished when they were helping friends pack their pop-top caravan for the annual holiday. This meant little until the friends prepared to set off for the Temuka camping ground. The children claimed they could hear muffled cries from somewhere. The depar-

ture was delayed while the garage, house and surrounding areas were searched. No luck. The youngest son claimed the noises were coming from inside the pop-top caravan, which was packed and stacked full with camping paraphernalia. Dad was most reluctant to unpack the caravan but when it was put to the vote, he lost. The caravan was unpacked. There, tucked up among the camping goods, was the missing dog. The family went on holiday, the dog stayed in Christchurch. Rubbished IT was anything but a peaceful return to work yesterday for the Christ-

church City Council telephonists, who found their day consumed by hundreds of calls of complaint from residents who missed their rubbish collection pick-up because of the statutory holidays. In some areas the rubbish normally collected on a Monday and Tuesday was collected last Saturday. All of this was detailed in a public notice published in last Friday’s edition of “The Press.” If it helps, the City Council will this Saturday collect the rubbish bags normally due for collection on Monday, January 1 or Tuesday, January 2.

Now boarding THE Christchurch Inter-

national Airport company is quite happy about the city now receiving twiceweekly direct flights from Japan ... except that the flights are causing considerable traffic congestion outside the international arrivals building. One morning recently more than 20 buses and 20 limousines were counted outside the arrivals hall. The airport company is now studying options to reduce the congestion, while still encouraging the visitors. We/1 sown ONE North Canterbury farmer received for Christmas a novel present. A pair of socks. Not just any pair of socks, but an Australian-made pair

especially designed to resist clinging seed heads. Their packet says they are of a special knit that seed heads will not stick to. The farmer’s wife, who spends more than a little time plucking seeds heads from about-to-be-washed socks, is reserving judgment until the socks have been worn. We’ll keep you posted. Fisby tale A Bryndwr man was happy to find that his Christmas present included three baby Black Moor fish for the garden pond. These little fellows, of the boggled eyes and bizarre appearance, are known in their baby form as nymphs. The 16-year-old lad of the house decided to have some fun with his 11-year-oid sister. So he told her the full name of these fish was nymphomaniac. As happens with such pranks, the girl decided to innocently pass on this information before an assembled group of family and friends. Loudly she told them: “Dad got three nymphomaniacs for Christmas!” Her older brother decided this was an appropriate moment to vanish. '

Dave Wilson