Wellington is a known earthquake hot spot - we are located in a "collision zone" between two of the Earth's great tectonic plates. The Wellington Fault is a major fault line going right through the city, and there are many smaller fault lines too. Earthquakes are a regular occurrence but I usually don't feel them. Not so this weekend. On Friday things got started with a 5.7 earthquake, and we were surprised by an even bigger one - 6.5 - just after 5 pm today, Sunday. There have been lots and lots of significant aftershocks keeping us rattled, not letting us forget that the Earth is ever-changing and that the apparently solid ground is subject to strain and movement.
Another forget me not that I have experienced in recent days I find much more agreeable - a little white flower quietly shining in a dry scree garden of alpine plants at Otari.
There are a number of little low growing white flowered native forget me nots (Myosotis) of similar appearance with their delicate flowers and bright green leaves. These ones, nestled amidst other low growing alpine plants and in the shelter of grasses, Carex species, glow in the late afternoon light.
Such subtle beauty - a most acceptable contrast to the rumbles and shakes that currently distract me.
There are reports of some damage to buildings, but no injuries to people. We are lucky. We will just have to get used to shudders and shakes for a while - no forgetting about earthquakes yet.