Last day of the year

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 This is the first time I have written a blog post on the last day of the year. Even though December 31st fell on a Sunday in 2017, we had such a hectic day I didn’t post until January 1st. This year, it has been a little quieter.


Like you, our week started with Christmas Day. We were not expecting to have good weather, and the day started dull and warm with a couple of showers. This didn’t deter the wise men from beginning their journey around the house:



By the time we had our sumptuous breakfast of bacon and scrambled egg stuffed croissants, the weather was starting to improve.



The sky cleared and the sun came out, so after responding to texts, emails, phone calls and opening our presents, we made up our picnic lunch. On the way to the beach we did some Christmas gift deliveries, and discovered there was hardly anybody else there. This was possibly due to the very strong wind. 



We had a walk along the beach but I didn’t feel like being blown about while having lunch. Picnicking in our back garden at home was a much more pleasant affair, and included a pot of tea.


Being hot and covered in sun block we showered before getting ready for tea and our visitors, Eleanor and Jack from up the road. We had a selection of meats, cheeses and cake, and very enjoyable conversation. It was a good day.


Much of the week has been muggy and hot, and much of the week it has been a challenge to figure out what day it is. I have been working on the paddle steamer every day except for Wednesday and today. We watched the second Downton Abbey film on Tuesday evening. Wednesday was shopping for me, and Covid booster for Nicky. We prepared salad and lemon curd tarts for a pot luck tea with Frances, her family, and a range of friends that she had invited. It was a very enjoyable afternoon/evening.


Nicky was feeling the effects of the booster on Thursday. We visited the Windermere Berry Farm in Westmere for the first time to pick strawberries for Ohakune. They were very nice and easy to pick so we will be back. We had volunteered to provide dinner for the first night of the Ohakune gathering so Nicky was full on preparing the food. She also went to the hospital for a shoulder x-ray on Friday morning as the doctor isn’t convinced Nicky’s shoulder pain is polymyalgia so wants to do further investigations.


We drove up to the lodge in Ohakune on Friday afternoon and had an enjoyable time with the family and friends who had gathered. On my drive home I encountered some very heavy rain, and a couple of small land slips which had deposited some small rocks on the road. It was just 10pm when I arrived home, and still 23ºC!


After sailing on Saturday I did some tidying of laundry items and the kitchen. Nicky played games and had a walk into downtown Ohakune and did a little shopping. Sailing was cancelled for me today. I managed to cut the berm before the rain arrived, and since then have been pottering inside and have made the first batch of mince pies.


I suspect will sleep through the change of the year, again. We wish you all an excellent 2024.


Take care, Rick and Nicky.

E&OE 

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