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Quiet week

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 On the whole our week has been dry and sunny. The wind has been cold at times towards the end of the week. Friday however was significantly different. We had some rain overnight but by the time the paddle steamer left the wharf we were in sunshine. An hour later, just as we turned after collecting some passengers from Upokongaro the rain arrived - heavily, and just as I started my time on the helm. The rain on my face felt like sharp little pin pricks. Fortunately I was wearing my sunnies so my eyes were protected, but the skipper had to close his. He was only able to take over the helm when Bob the Bosun brought him some sunnies from our merchandise selection. My uniform didn’t dry out until after breakfast on Saturday. Nicky had her hair cut on Monday morning after vestry cleaning. She was very pleased on returning home with the prospect of not having to go out again until Friday, with the exception of quizzing on Wednesday evening (we came 4th with 92 points). This also enabled her
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We are on the map

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 Internationally recognised at last. We, as in Whanganui, were the subject of a question on The Chase this week. The popularity of the programme here in Aotearoa has not gone unnoticed by its producers. More and more Kiwi orientated questions are been asked. This one was about the language from which the place name Whanganui is derived. Bradley might have made mince meat of the pronunciation, but the subject of the question was noticed by us, and locals alike. It was even a topic of discussion in the mess room at work! Brilliant. It has been quite a routine week for us, again with much enjoyable autumn weather. On Tuesday Nicky had lunch with Home Group at Devine, the café in the Summerset retirement village complex, which she enjoyed. She filled in for Rosemary on the hospital visiting roster on Wednesday morning, and then attended Peter Cameron’s funeral in the afternoon. He was a very popular and long-serving member of the Whanganui Anglicans congregations. We came fourth at the qui
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Lovely Light

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 Our first week without daylight saving has been notable for the weather. The clear sunny days became cloudier at the beginning of the week, but the northerly winds pushed the temperature up to 27º on Wednesday. A very windy Thursday was followed by a wet and windy Friday. Some of the west coast on the South Island had 700mm of rain in 24 hours. Auckland was also in the firing line, but Whanganui got off lightly. The many hours of rain have done the garden a power of good apparently. The changes have brought us some glorious sunrises and some lovely light. The hills glowed for a few minutes on Wednesday morning: On Thursday morning the shepherds were on high alert: Sailing was cancelled on Friday because of the weather, so we started a jigsaw. Nicky also stewed kilograms of home grown apples that we had been given by various people. In the earlier parts of the week before the rain came, I washed the car and the house windows. It think it’s the first time I’ve cleaned the windows this y
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Plunged into darkness

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 We have had a week of mainly lovely weather - mild and sunny with cool winds - especially this weekend. Thursday was the only fly in the ointment with some light rain showers until it cleared late afternoon. The dramatisation Mr Bates vs The Post Office was shown on TV over two nights, Sunday and Monday. It had us both riveted and appalled at the way Post Office had treated so many sub-postmasters, and that nobody from the Post Office, Fujitsu or the Government has been held accountable. Nicky listened to Nick Wallace’s audio-book about this scandal. There is a true story documentary on tonight which we are looking forward to watching. Our fly screens arrived last Saturday in a much smaller package that I was expecting. I unpacked them on Monday to find out what we needed to do to fit them. The technology used is velcro. One part of the velcro is already fitted to the screens, the other provided on rolls with adhesive   backing to attach to our window frames. We are not sure about thi
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Easter

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 Steve continued his convalescing with us at the beginning of the week, and continued to improve each day. He decided to start the journey home on Tuesday by driving to Te Kuiti. As Monday was going to be his last evening with us he provided another take-away dinner from the Spice Guru, which we enjoyed as much as the previous one. Steve and I were a little early collecting it, so while we were waiting I was having a look at the buildings at the bottom end of Victoria Avenue and spotted this: I think Whanganui rivals Napier for the quality of its Art Deco architecture. Before Steve left on Tuesday morning, he and Nicky went to the Splash Centre to have a wallow in the thermal pool. This had been recommended by Nicky’s physio when she had seen her on Monday. Nicky had a short swim too and they both enjoyed their time. We were very pleased that Steve felt sufficiently recovered to start his journey home, as it was not good seeing him in as much pain, as when he first arrived. It was good
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Deckhand of The Week

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Family health has dominated our week. Over in England Felicity is having to wait longer than expected for a place in Knellwood. Here, Nicky’s younger sister has been in hospital and is now convalescing with Clem and Pat. Her brother Steve had an accident while kayaking on Monday. He wasn’t injured when his kayak hit some rocks, but when recovering his equipment he tripped on a root on the riverbank the bank and badly hurt a hamstring and bruised his pelvis. He came to us on Wednesday to recuperate as it was closer than going home to Auckland. Nicky’s injured left wrist has also been playing its part this week. She had her first visit to the physio on Monday and got on very well, and had some assistance with the arthritis in her right hand too. None of us is getting any younger. Nicky continued to be tired after her volunteering for the NZ House and Garden open home last week. She cleaned at church as usual on Monday, and met up with a fellow volunteer (also still tired) on Tuesday befo
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Chocolate Duck

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 We started this week with an early morning chat with Felicity. We were very pleased to learn that she expects to move to Knellwood (round the corner and down the road a bit from Hilder Gardens) in the next few weeks. While Nicky was cleaning at church I did the trenching and cut the berm. We both went to the doctors for a consultation, primarily about her injured wrist. Referral to the physio who treated me was organised. When paying for the consultation we discovered that our application for Community Services cards had been successful, and that they were already in the Aramoho Medical Centre’s system. This brought the cost down from $48 to $20 - a very useful saving. Our actual Community Services cards arrived in the post on Tuesday. In addition to reduced doctors and prescription fees, we also get half price public transport. I’ll be able to get into town for $1! Unfortunately the benefits don’t extend to the petrol station or the cinema, but we did get a free cinema ticket due to
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