Hi all,
The
weather is still pretty settled - it is an amazingly dry autumn. The
non-natives are dropping their leaves (a very weird thing to do to eyes attuned
to evergreen bush. Exotic trees always look so diseased in autumn - then it
gets worse - they are dead in winter!). Jan loves this time of year, loves the
autumn show; I don't like it, as it looks like those bits of the city are
dying.
Jan
continues to be busy at work with the installation of the C Saw at Nelson Pine.
Most of the redundant workers have gone, and people are just getting on with
things.
We have
our working drawings, on which there are some errors. We will have to work
through those by the 20th of the month, when Leigh is back from holiday so we
can get them corrected. Then we just have to check our producer statements and
put it all into the council for approval. We also need to put together a list
of items for the solar power supplier & get that through to them for a
quote.
Noot, the
digger driver, managed to get himself entirely over-booked before Easter &
didn't get our job done (note to self about his reliability for the build once
we start). So he will have to realign the driveway, excavate the garage &
excavate for the water tanks once Leigh is back from holiday.
Jan's
cider was entirely drinkable - we took a bottle of it over to see Warren &
Tracy, who were house sitting for friends of theirs in the Waihopai Valley over
Easter. We drank a bottle at lunch, and it went down quite well. We suspect
that only a little fermentation took place, but is was enough to make it
drinkable. Warren sat down with us over the plans & came up with several
ideas, which were really good.
We caught
up with Jen Ladley when she was up in Nelson a couple of weekends ago - we went
out to Karanga & saw both her & her folks, which was great. Jen had
kindly brought me up a food parcel from Chch (Goan Cuisine Green Chilli Jam -
the most divine thing you can ever have with cheese in the universe...
obtainable from Cashmere Cuisine in Chch). And a tiny thank-you food parcel on
its way back to you in Chch via Warren & Trace, Jen!
Jen
Cooper was over again for my birthday celebration last week at Trailways,
another early morning breakfast, which was great. Dawn was there too, along
with Gisella, Mo and Amelia (though Amelia is a little young for grown-up style
breakfast yet, being in the twos!). Julie B and Julie T were both apologies -
too much work on for both of them.
Janet is
down from Auckland at the end of this month for a play - she is staying with
Julie T for a few days. It will be great to catch up with her.
We have
heard from Ana Silvia again; she is keeping busy with her schoolwork and sounds
like she is slotting back into her life in Brazil. My folks are currently away
in the North Island on a guided provincial tour - their itinerary sounds great
- Martinborough, New Plymouth, Napier...
I am up
in Wellington on 21 May as I am applying for provisional accreditation with the
Institute of Directors and have to have an interview - I am just flying up for
the day & then have to get back by 4 for a lecture at NMIT. Karen T is
going to take the day off and play taxi-driver for me (very nice!). Jan's &
my next trips away will be in July for the 20 year Canterbury Uni anniversary
in Hanmer and then Wllg at the end of September for Otto's birthday.
Right,
that's all for now. Take care & alles liebe!
Sam & Jan
