Autumnal

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 The sailing season for the Paddle Steamer Waimarie is drawing to a close, so I have had two days off this week. Next week I get four! 

On my first day off (Monday), I spent the morning doing MacOnSite work setting up a new laptop with a customer. Nicky had her usual Monday morning cleaning the church vestry. We both felt in need for an afternoon snooze before preparing dinner for Mike (a fellow deckhand on the boat) and Frances (who lives up the road in Papaiti). Both of them live alone, so a meal that involved gravy and custard was required. I produced roast beef and Yorkshire pudding and Nicky made an apple and blueberry crumble. It all went down very well and we had a good evening together.


On my second day off (Thursday) I did the strimming (lovely sunny day), cleaned the oven, had my lunch on the north patio (got very warm) and made smoked tuna pie for dinner. Nicky only had one borrower at the Aramoho Library who left in anger and disgust, because the computer system was down all over Whanganui Libraries. However a technician arrived in the afternoon to get all working again.


Anzac Day (Tuesday) started cool clear and sunny. Nicky watched the poignant ANZAC Dawn Service on TV and went to her Home Group in East Whanganui in the afternoon. I had an afternoon sailing which departed 2 hours later than our usual time. By the time we were on the river the wind was getting stronger which made managing the boat more challenging.


Along with finishing the jigsaw on Wednesday, Nicky has been doing her usual activities.  We enjoyed quizzing and came first again. The youngest member of the team (Tiana) only comes every other week - the weeks so far, that we have won!


Nicky saw the dentist on Friday as a bit of a tooth came off on Sunday evening. With the advice of the dentist, she has decided to have four teeth crowned. The end of the week and the weekend have been lovely autumn weather, with sunshine and crisp air, though the afternoons have been quite warm at times and Whanganui has recorded some of the country’s top temperatures. The angle of the sun is providing us with different illumination through the stained glass windows and across the garden:




Yesterday afternoon Ros took Nicky to the Andrew London musical matinee It’s All About Me, at the Royal Whanganui Opera House. Ros returned with Nicky and had dinner with us. Ros returned to the Opera House in the evening to see it again, for the sixth time.


Today’s sailing was much easier on the river than yesterday. Nicky helped at the church sausage sizzle before a lunchtime service followed by the Whanganui Anglicans AGM. Nice bread and cheese with dried fruit pasty and custard will be followed by telly this evening.


Take care, Rick and Nicky.

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