Back and there again

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We have said goodbye to Jancis this week. She returned to the UK on Tuesday and arrived safely sometime after that. The place is quieter without her, and we look forward to her return next year. Just in passing, watching the Jancis Barlow Show this evening on the telly (aka Country Calendar), we realised we had met the lady farmer. The programme was about a couple who grow blueberries and produce hand made ice cream. We had stopped in Waharoa last February on the way to Mt Maunganui and Nicky really enjoyed the blueberry ice cream. It’s a small country.

The library has not been too busy again this week, but the general work situation for Nicky is still very stressful as the Fit for the Future process continues. Interviews and appointments have begun, starting at the top and working down. We are still living with the uncertainty of the unknown.

Work for me has been a little busier this week, though there was only one long (and ultimately frustrating) job. The rest has been made up of lots of smaller calls and remote support. I returned a machine to a customer in Whangaparaoa on Thursday while on my way to Deep & Meaningful at the Hibiscus Coast RSA, and it took me almost 2 hours to get there. The return journey in the evening only took me 40 minutes. The traffic in Auckland is defiantly getting heavier.

The weather at the beginning of the week was clear and sunny, giving us cool starts (8°C in the roof this morning) and warm afternoons (mid-20’s in the lounge). Thursday and Friday were wet but the weekend has been lovely. It won’t last, apparently.

I bookended our usual Saturday morning leisurely breakfast (poached eggs and tomatoes on toast) with a couple of loads of washing to take advantage of the weather. Stella came over for Scrabble and we had a good chat too. After a late lunch Nicky and I enjoyed a walk down to the beach in the sunshine, and Nicky cut the grass on our return.

Today while Nicky was at church I did the ironing. Nicky then went off for an afternoon prison visit with Grace and Pearl, and I had a walk down to Lynfield Cove. It’s not far away but I hadn’t been before, and I discovered there is a coastal path that runs for 10kms and goes all the way to the Onehunga shore-front. We might have to give that a go sometime, though there is a lot of up and down and steps. Though on the knees. I just did the first section to a lookout, and the views of BHB were great (the sun was out!).

It has been Mother’s Day here today (which has got nothing to do with the fact that we had crumpets for tea) and a father/daughter Baldrick-style cunning plan has resulted in a floral enhancement of our dinning table. Enjoy and take care, Rick


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