Endings

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Autumn has started to arrive this week, with cooler temperatures, and on Saturday some significant rain - possibly the most we have had since Christmas Day. Daylight saving, Summer Time, call it what you will, has ended this weekend, so it is starting to feel that summer is over. The enjoyable sunshine we had today was accompanied by a cool southerly breeze.

Summer is not the only thing to come to en end this week - Jancis, our friend from Loughborough, departed these shores yesterday. Her cousin, who she has been staying with, was off to a vintage car event yesterday morning so Jancis came round to us for lunch before doing her final packing and leaving for the airport. Nicky made a wonderful veg & bacon soup and we had a good natter. As ever we have enjoyed her company and are sad to see her go. Nicky had spent Monday on one of Jancis’s listening courses, and she and a couple of other ladies came back to our place for a cup of tea afterwards.

I have had a moderate amount of work this week with some on everyday except for Monday. Not always long visits but productive ones. The sharing of laundry duties seems to be working OK so far, and we have had dinner every day which has been good! Nicky has continued with housework and gardening, but is also allowing herself time to read and relax. She had much of Wednesday at the library in Henderson, first for book chat and then doing some voluntary work on collating historical information about homes in Auckland. They have a bit of a backlog - 7 years I think, though it might be 17!

We have stared being a little more organised about looking for a new home for ourselves. We have not yet got our heads round the best way to do this, as we are very limited with our budget, but we know we have enough to buy something. It is just a question of where and suitability for our needs and wishes. Nothing new then really!

This morning I went out to Karekare while Nicky was at church but the cold wind was very strong and if it had not been for yesterday’s rain much more of the sand would have been exfoliating my legs. I didn’t stay long but I did enjoy my flask of coffee once I found a sheltered spot in the sun. We popped down to an auction after lunch for a house which used to be the BHB grocery store and ice cream kiosk back in Nicky's childhood. It didn't sell, which is a reflection of the current market in Auckland. The bubble is deflating. Nicky Scrabbled over at Stellas with Steve and Ros, and after crumpets for tea we spent the evening with the tellybox watching the last of the CB Strike series on a DVD that Ros loaned us.


Take care, Rick

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