Bear with me ... this is the 2nd time I have typed this blog and believe me - I do not know where the 1st one has disappeared to. Finger trouble, no doubt.
I know that many of you reading this will be sweltering in a heatwave in the UK but I feel no envy as I sit here in the middle of winter, freezing and watching the rain fall! Much! Our time will come .. (quckly, please!!) Actually, we have had some beautifully sunny days where, even if the thermometer was lurking in the single digits, it felt warm and the blue sky !!!!!! Just to prove a point there is a photo of my orange tree. Can't think why it is on its side here but it still shows the ripening fruit. Small, maybe but still perfectly formed and hopefully, juicy. Many of us are suffering with colds but have avoided flu - both ordinary and swine varieties. So far!
We have had a very busy month, starting with a weekend trip to Hanmer Springs. Not a lot of snow but fine. The house and attached flat was big enough for all of us with 7 bedrooms all told. A little chilly but we survived. The walk up Conical Hill nearly finished me off. I puffed a bit - no, be honest, I puffed a lot. Still, we had a picnic at the top and the trip back down was easy peasy by comparison! We finished the day with a trip "off road" - have to let the boys loose with their toys!The following weekend I flew up to Auckland with Sarah to see Simon and Garfunkel in concert. Absolutely fabulous!!! They sang all my favourites together plus a few of their own, individually. Two hours of great entertainment. I was so pleased to have gone. On the Sunday we went up the Skytower and caught an idiot jumping off the top on camera. I cannot think why he looks so happy - it gave me the collywobbles just to watch! We had lunch with another Sarah - Bob and Margaret's daughter. It was great to see her again. Thought for a while that we might not get back to Christchurch due to 'adverse weather conditions.' Fog. After checking with the pilot that he had enough fuel to get back to Auckland (No, anything but that - Wellington is closer), we sat back and kept fingers crossed. It worked!
A nice surprise last week to go to Tekapo with Sarah, Matt, Joe and Ben. Again no snow except on the mountains so we didn't get to use the sledges. We did, however, walk to get a good view of Aoraki, Mount Cook; snow covered and beautiful in the sunshine. Another walk UP to the glacier had me huffing and puffing again! Joe went up like a mountain goat and Ben was clambering over boulders bigger than him! I did manage it and was really pleased. Luckily I had my trekking poles to help me come down! We spent the last morning in the hot pools. Forgot the camera so had to take it empty once we were dressed and ready for lunch. For most of the time we had it to ourselves - sitting and looking at the snow on the mountains.
This weekend I watched 2 rugby games. The first was Joe's and his team won. A cold morning but dry. After the previous week of watching in the rain I have decided that I will have to be a fair weather supporter. Sorry, Joe. In the evening Joe, Matt and I went to watch the All Blacks play Italy. They won too. Matt had to explain the rules as we went along and actually I only went to see the Haka! I enjoyed it all.Yesterday we got together (except for Annie, Malc and Olive who have abandoned NZ to surf and swim in the sunshine in Australia) to celebrate the middle of winter - our Winterfest! We were joined by Anna, Chris, Amy and James. Roast dinner and a Secret Santa for the children. A lovely day, hosted by Katherine, Roy, Ash and India.
That is about it for our doings. I have been to the theatre and the cinema a few times since I last blogged and, at last, have got some curtains at the dining room windows. The blinds don't give that same feeling of shutting out the cold and dark. I have been enjoying helping out in Joe's class one morning a week and think I am useful. It is the last week of term on Friday and then 2 weeks off. The children all need the holiday. Terms here are 10 weeks long with no half term break. And four terms in the year. Matt starts a new job today so Good Luck to him and Happy Birthday to Malc and India. Annie, Malc and Olive are due home at the end of the week.
Well, I have got to the end again and don't think that I have missed out anything I typed in the first time! Take care all of you and enjoy the summer. All my love Carol xxx