Hi all,
The
weather continues hot & dry - we were promised three days of rain, but we
only got a few scant drops last night, and that was it. Not even enough to turn
the windscreen wipers on for, and today is sunshiny and baking hot.
And with
all the warm here has come a spot of fire on February 3rd. It started on the
Malvern Hills at the head of Dodsons Valley in Atawhai, and spread south along
the ridge back towards Nelson; the hills behind our house. The fire probably
got to within 200m of us, and while 100 houses from the next block were
evacuated, the wind died down, there were seven helicopters with monsoon
buckets working and eighteen fire appliances, so we were not in danger.
However, that didn't prevent me pulling our 'irreplaceables' out and putting
them in the car early, just in case.
Having
seen the awful results of the fires in Victoria, I feel that getting prepared
to run early is pretty sensible! What a terrible tragedy, and a horrific waste
of lives. Jan and I had several discussions about what the appropriate course
of action was, and I was all for "run away, run away" and leave
everything behind except utter essentials. Jan was all for staying and putting
the hosepipe on the garden because you could save your house. I feel that
people are more important than things, but Jan wants to take action. I am not
sure that he feels the same way now, having seen what has happened in Victoria.
I got
asked yesterday what my 'irreplaceables' were. They were Jan, the dogs,
hardcopy & digital photos, birth/marriage certificates, qualifications, tax
numbers, passports, memberships, and important mementoes (certificates of
achievement, important invitations, newspaper clippings, personal moments of
fame). We keep all those things together anyway. All my digital stuff is on a
removable drive backup in my Post Office box, but I backed up my PC again onto
my other removable drive while waiting to see if we would be evacuated. To me,
these are the things to begin your life again, and everything else is secondary
(stuff is just stuff). For Jan his viola is included in the primary list, so
was packed in the car early too.
In 1981
in Nelson it was a very dry summer, and there was an arsonist at large lighting
fires all around Nelson & Tasman. The winds were strong, it was tinder dry,
there was very limited water, and all regional resources were stretched
fighting - at one point - six large bush fires. The largest of the fires in
Hira Forest in the Maitai Valley, immediately behind Nelson, which was blazing
out of control on February 5th. At its height, the fire was travelling at 70km
per hour along the tops of the trees, and the worrying prediction was that the
fire could burn right through forestry to Picton. The fire breaks the fire
& forest services were cutting were too narrow to impede spontaneous
ignition; they realised afterward that they needed to cut tracks a kilometre
wide to stop the fire on any front. The fire just leapt from tree top to tree
top, then burned down to the ground at its leisure. It was declared a national
emergency and the Army was called in, but it still took a fortnight to get it
under control; and that was with the assistance of the weather (the winds fell
and some light rain arrived). Nelson City was lucky; if the prevailing wind
hadn't been westerly, Nelson could have been gone too. We were incredibly
fortunate that there were very few people resident in the area, and the fire
burned away from most of those. There were a few houses that were burned, and
no lives lost (interestingly, since that fire cleaned out thousands of
hectares, the Pinus radiata replanting is now ready for harvesting).
No such
worries this time though - and no loss of personal property. We were very, very
lucky.
My Uncle
Lin in Brisbane has just undergone successful heart bypass surgery, and is now
recovering at home. His progress has been really great thus far & he is 5
minutes out of hospital and already writing hilarious emails telling us all
about the process. Thank goodness for a sense of humour & the ridiculous,
eh?!
It looks
as though my father is going to have to go through the same procedure this year
too. I was reflecting on how far we have come with medicine in the past hundred
years today; it is wonderful what we can do to extend lives in a meaningful
way, giving people back the quality of life.
My braces
came off today, which was wonderful. However, it stills feel I have braces on -
my lips think I have phantom braces! The most bizarre thing. Maybe I will feel
different tomorrow... but tonight, I am opening a bottle of bubbly to celebrate
:-)
We had a
wonderful time with the Adam Chamber Music Festival; we went to the Gala
Opening with the Prazak Quartet and the NZ String Quartet, Bridget Douglas,
Carolyn Mills; the Archduke (Piers Lane, Justine Cormack, Martin & Victoria
Jaenecke, Prazak & NZSQ); Taonga Puoro (NZSQ, Richard Nunns, David
Tanenbaum, Gareth Farr); Pro-Am Chamber Orchestra 'Emperor' Concert (which Jan
was in); and the Grand Finale (NZSQ, Prazak). Jan also went to Fandango (NZSQ).
What a fantastic Adam programme this year was. It just gets better and better
every time it is run, and you feel so lucky to be able to experience such wonderfully
talented professional musicians playing just there, in front of you; where you
can have a chat to them afterwards. It's just great.
The Adam
Chamber Summer School is also on this week, and the NZSQ and Deidre Irons are
here taking master classes each evening for the talented young musicians
attending the school. The master classes are open for spectators to attend, and
Jan & I went along on Sunday night to listen for a couple of hours, which
was fascinating. Unfortunately we were both busy last night, but we are
intending to go again tonight.
We have
also been to Sealord Opera in the Park which was just FANTASTIC again this
year. Great weather, great music, great company - and we got to talk to Helen
Medlyn afterwards (we were groupies!). What a wonderful night that was. Jan
& I went in on the motorbike so had no trouble getting a park, and we met
Kathleen Hofman there (who had cycled in from their place & had no trouble
getting a 'park' either). Sitting in a prime seat with a bottle of bubbly and
some nibbles listening to awesome live music on a still summer's evening; how
perfect is that.
We had
Doug & Morv come to stay with Callum & Katie on their way to the Golden
Bay. It was great to see them. Jan did the traditional waffle breakfast before
they headed away over the hill, just in case the Streets boasted that they had
got one while the Booths didn't!
Lectures
started again this week, and I am really enjoying leading the restructured
Applied Management course. So far it looks as though I have a great class of
keen students.
We are
still discussing when we will do a Germany trip, but it looks more like it will
be later in 2010, after we have finished building. We will keep everyone
updated as discussions continue :-)
Having
done the cleaning ourselves for a month (or not doing it, and arguing about
it!), the cleaners are now back, but once a fortnight, and I think everyone is
happy at that :-)
The talk
of get-togethers for the 20 year anniversary of Uni & a flock of 40th
birthdays; let us know what the plans are. I hear for Canterbury we are looking
now at a July get together; sounds good. Keep us posted!
Right,
that's it for now. Take care & alles liebe!
Sam & Jan
