Larking about

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We have had a week of early starts, or possibly more correctly, early awakenings. I think this is probably because of the sun rising earlier now, and my new work routine starting to have an impact on our sleeping pattern. Each day I have a morning sailing I need to be at the wharf for 8.30, so I aim to be up by 6.30a.m. However, I am finding that I am regularly awake by 6am and really fancying a pot of tea. 


I have done three sailings this week (Fri/Sat/Sun) and feel I am making progress with my steering. I have got to the stage where I am less likely to drive into the bank, but am still getting to grips with having the boat in the right place on the water (we drive on the right on the river). I am also still on the easiest stretch of the river. One of the more experienced deck hands has been away, so I have been more relied upon, which has been good.


We have generally been having good weather with a little rain. The really clear skies didn’t arrive until the weekend and the wind has been chilly. This has enabled us to spend some time in the garden. Along with hanging up laundry, Nicky has been dealing with the pioneering plants (weeds) that are getting too full of themselves. I have built bench number 4 (see below), and cleared the wood pile. I have had to order a new part for the strimmer (line trimmer) as it failed again on Monday. So while I was in Mitre 10, I bought some equipment for watering and irrigation in the back garden. We want to locate the “control centre” for this on the retaining wall where the wood pile was stacked, so it had to be sorted. Much of it is usable pegs and spikes. So I have de-nailed them, cleaned them up and put the in the shed. The wood I didn’t think we would re-use has gone to Frances up the road for her wood-burner. So, the area next to the shed is now looking less like a building site:



Nicky had Life Group and Vestry on Tuesday, and then on Wednesday evening attended an Aprés Alpha social. This required some baking to be accomplished and we got to enjoy some of the lemon tart that she made. On Thursday Nicky was at the Aramoho Community Library again and we had some rain. I made a venison cobbler for dinner.


Nicky has spent more time in the garden and doing laundry while I have been working. Yesterday she made a tuna and pasta dish which we thoroughly enjoyed last night. Frances and her niece’s daughter Ruby visited us yesterday afternoon which was good. We have been up to see Frances this afternoon to buy some more plants.


The first garden bed in the back garden that Nicky started planting about 10 months ago is now starting to mature. The renga-renga lilies have produced their first flowers:




Take care, Rick and Nicky.

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