And no, I am not personally responsible :)
Quite funny really - it is just nice as far as I am concerned but the number of sweating people in Edinburgh yesterday was quite phenomenal. Put it this way if we saw people sweating like that, at the same temperatures, in NZ we would be a-thinking that there was some sort of mass heart attack deluge happening....
Anyway after leaving here I caught the bus into town - well that was the intention but I quickly realised that I could go unlimited distance on my one way ticket so long as I did not get off the bus - so rode the bus to the far terminal and then back into the centre where I hopped off and trundled into the gallery. The bus went right through to 'the Jewel' which is further on from Leith and Portobello. By the number of Miner's benevolence society buildings in the area this must have been a mining centre in days of yore.
The gallery was quite amazing. I am not really that much into gazing at paintings but I did find it interesting. Some of the paintings (bad me I did not make a note of which ones) had a luminescence about them which is totally lost in any form of reproduction. This was in the Italian gallery. Also the size of some of the works is just amazing. So are the humongous gilt frames, come to that.
There is a recent new acquisition in this gallery - a Titian - the gallery (and other collective benefactors) has recently just paid £50million for it. It was evidently a 'bargain' which came on the market because of the credit crisis - someone needed lots of dosh fast. Since then it has now been revalued at £100mill, so the gallery has just 'made' a 100% profit. Philistine that I am I commented that I would be selling it on and using the money for something 'useful'. A comment that I could get away with because I am a visitor I suspect - but the sentiment was shared by the other people there, they are all just too wussy to speak up.
Anyway I found (or rather 'relocated') the wonderful CD shop on The Mound that relieved me of a lot of my $$s last visit. I will wait until Glenda hits Edinburgh and go back then. She will be blown away...
Also went into the museum of the Bank of Scotland - they have a million pounds on display so that people can see what it looks like. The notes are ones which were printed especially by de la Rue and have never been in circulation - and have 'cancelled' printed right across them. One million pounds in £20 notes weighs 9 stone. Information like that is the type of irrelevancy that will stay with me forever (sigh).
Met up with the Sargisons last night. Neil came and picked me up from cousin Drew's and took me back to their place in Pennicuick for tea. It was so nice weatherwise that we ate out on the lawn. Then Neil , Marion and I headed back into the village for the concert.
The concert was held in the North Kirk - turns out that this is the kirk across from where Uncle Roy and Aunty Grace live (Drew's parents). The kirk is also used for community stuff such as this concert as well churching; it has the most amazing acoustics which were basically being stuffed up by whichever dolt was interfering (under the guise of working) with the sound system. Ho Hum. Nothing I could do, but I was not the only one who was commenting. The second half Marion and I went up into the gallery where the sound was fine as we were getting the unadulterated acoustics without all the mids rebounding and muddying the sound.
However that little thing aside the quality of the playing made up for it. The main bill was a group called Fantoosh; the classic Scottish trio of piano, violin/fiddle and cello. Think Chris Duncan or Catherine 'Whatsername' (Spencer?) on 'Presence' and you will get the idea. The Beeslack String Orchestra (the local high school) were the sub bill. The musicians from Fantoosh work with the schools about the place so some of the pieces they played were ones which the kids and musos have been working on together. - like 'da Slockit Light'. The trad side of things was mostly Shetland and the rest of the bill was classical.
I have an autographed CD. I said that it would be the only copy in NZ but evidently the nephew of one of the partners in the trio's, parent's-in-law live at Waitomo - so I guess I can say mine will be the only copy in the South Island. It is really a very small world...
Drew and Vivien are taking me out for a drive to Galashiels this afternoon and tonight Drew will take me out to meet up with Unk and Aunt, me thereby escaping from the invitation to a 'Body Shop' Party at Drew and Vivien's daughter, Maureen's place. Can you imagine me at something like that??? Gah!!!!!!
Well better log off and head back up the road. There will be no report tomorrow (Sunday) because the library is closed. Doubt that there will be much of great import to relay anyway, but still don't despair; like the Terminator, I will return.
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Friday, May 29, 2009
Not much to report today
back in the Bonnyrigg library.
have done my emails and will shortly hop on the bus and head into Edinburgh. There is a free lecture on in the National Gallery which I want to catch. Other than that nothing much on the agenda for the day.
Neil and Marion Sargison are picking me up this evening to take me to a concert that Fiona is playing in. Will be good to catch up with them all.
Finding cousin's idea of what constitutes good food a bit of a challenge. The only fresh stuff in the fridge is the limited rane of veges I have bought. The entire fridge seems to be filled with biscuits, chocolate and other types of lolly. Takes all sorts I guess.
have done my emails and will shortly hop on the bus and head into Edinburgh. There is a free lecture on in the National Gallery which I want to catch. Other than that nothing much on the agenda for the day.
Neil and Marion Sargison are picking me up this evening to take me to a concert that Fiona is playing in. Will be good to catch up with them all.
Finding cousin's idea of what constitutes good food a bit of a challenge. The only fresh stuff in the fridge is the limited rane of veges I have bought. The entire fridge seems to be filled with biscuits, chocolate and other types of lolly. Takes all sorts I guess.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Grrrr
Had a post all typed up and it disappeared into cyberspace.
Synopsis:
at Bonnyrigg library - now a guest member for a month with free internet access - yeah.
Staying with cousin Drew and his wife Vivien
The keyboard set up is different and slows down my typing plus lots of typos.
Scottish farmland is looking neater than that from down south - probably because the Scottish farmers are giving DEFRA the hairy eyeball with regards to when they trim the hedges. Now hedegs are only allowed to be trimmed between certain dates. If the ground is to wet the farmers cannot get in to trim so the hedges are going rampant this year as the winter was so wet. There is no discretion permitted in such circumstances.
Has fun sussing out the locks on the canal next to Oliver's paddock. Videod two long boats coming through.
Catch you all later.
Synopsis:
at Bonnyrigg library - now a guest member for a month with free internet access - yeah.
Staying with cousin Drew and his wife Vivien
The keyboard set up is different and slows down my typing plus lots of typos.
Scottish farmland is looking neater than that from down south - probably because the Scottish farmers are giving DEFRA the hairy eyeball with regards to when they trim the hedges. Now hedegs are only allowed to be trimmed between certain dates. If the ground is to wet the farmers cannot get in to trim so the hedges are going rampant this year as the winter was so wet. There is no discretion permitted in such circumstances.
Has fun sussing out the locks on the canal next to Oliver's paddock. Videod two long boats coming through.
Catch you all later.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
And I just realised that the times were all wrong
So I have adjusted the settings to GMT.
Have no idea whether this will stuff up all the previous posts or not. However it is Tuesday, 6.30 pm and I just finished writing 'Catching Up' before changing the dateline.
Have no idea whether this will stuff up all the previous posts or not. However it is Tuesday, 6.30 pm and I just finished writing 'Catching Up' before changing the dateline.
Catching Up
On Saturday Sue had not planned anything as I had no idea whether I would be particularly compus mentis. As it happened I was up with the lark and sparking on most cylinders...
So on Sat afternoon we went over to visit (and drop off the show schedules for the Chiltern and Thames Valley Connemara Show) with Lynda and Elliot Carson who have the Tucker daughter, Braemar Bridie (Churchway Daybreak - Gatcombe Amy).
The Carsons live and work at West Wycombe Park which is now a National Trust administered estate owned by Lord and Lady Lucinda Dashwood. I was absolutuely stoked to be given a drive around part of the estate. The main house was the film set for the film "The Importance of Being Ernest" which starred Judy Dench. The whole estate is often used for film shoots but although Elliot was able to give me a whole list of films done there, that was the only one which meant anything to me (duh!).
The Carsons live in the converted stables for what would have been the riding and the carriage horses - the working horses would have been stabled up the farm somewhat and which is where the horses are now kept.
They have four spaniels, one of which is due to whelp in a couple of weeks.
Up the estate we went past a 'thing' which look like it should have been a folly but was/is in fact the water tanks for the big house (at least) and underneath there is an icehouse. The water is all gravity fed and the icehouse afforded refrigeration way back in the 19Cth.
From up on the hill by the water house and looking to the hill on the left (sorry I have NO idea as to orientation N/S) is a church with a very large gold ball on top of the spire which evidently is big enough for people to sit up in there and party, party.
For those of you with an historical bent, this gold ball above the church is one of the meeting places of the secret 'Hell Fire Club'. Next to the church and easier to see on the side of the hill is the Dashwood family mausoleum. Across the road from where we were standing on this part of the estate is the Hell Fire Caves - which of course one has to now pay to go and gawp at. Although realistically to go in there in times past one would have been paying - one way or another anyway....
On the way to West Wycombe Sue took a detour to RAF Halton, which is where she works to take a spin past the Officer's Mess which is the Halton Manor house. This 'house' was built by the Rothschild family back in 18 oatcake. It is built on the top of the hill - on line of sight (and this line of sight would not have been obscured a lot of the vegetation and other stuff as it is now) in various other directions are other Rothschild mansions. Because they were all on line of sight they were able to communicate with each other although seperated by many miles. No idea whether they used semaphore or lamps or whatever.
As an aside where Sue's property is now there is a BIG shed. This big shed was built over the emplacement for a an even bunker and searchlight emplacement which was used during WWII to act as a decoy from RAF Halton.
SUNDAY - was an arranged day over to Henrietta Knight of the Lockinge Stud. Henrietta is a National Hunt Trainer (Steeplechasing to us). Their season is of course finished for the year so there were only a couple of horses to be seen, but during the season she has a stable of 60 odd. Lockinge is near Wantage in Oxfordshire
From there we went to Sarah Hodgkin's of Spinway Stud at Leafield in the Cotswolds. I don't think that there is likely to be any Morris Dancers reading this BUT went through Duckington and saw the signposts for Bampton and a few of the other 'familiar names'.
Saw Spinway Comet and Atlantic Ace, mares and foals and youngstock - and 'yes' I do have pics (lousy ones of course, but..) Sarah lives near a place called Minster Lovell. The place is unbelievable (or rather the lanes are). I was so gobsmacked that I videoed from the car, just to show people. There is NO room, one lane only, no where to go if it all turns to custard and people regularly ride down these places. Have to say though that on the whole the drivers are a lot more respectful than the NZ ones.
MONDAY we went off to the Surrey County Show. Now this is a 'little' county show - it is a qualifier for the likes of the HOYS and Olympia. It would have to be bigger than Canterbury Show as far as the number of the punters wandering about is concerned but the class sizes and the range of classes is much smaller than what would be standard at say a local NZ A&P show. This may have just been this show of course though.
Sue had never been to it before, so it was a new experience for her. We went on the ring road around the west of London and then on the A3 (I think) to Guildford which is where the show was held. It started out cool and cloudy and we had both taken jackets and a brolly because the forecast was for rain. In the end it was strip off time and the brolly made a sunshade.
The number of people was just 'whew' and I am sure that for every 10 people there was a dog.
The sheep section was virtually all heritage/rare breeds and apart from the Texels and a couple of Southdowns (which did not look much like what we now call Southdowns) there were not what I would call 'sheep'.... Oh there was a Leicester of some sort too but it seemed to have the most enormous ears - much to much roman nose to be a border, so no idea exactly what it was.
The reason why we went to this show specifically (as there was any number of horsey things happening closer to home because of being Bank Holiday) was because one of Tucker's daughters was being competed there. The filly (a two year old) ended up Reserve Champion Connemara.
One of the things I found really weird is that the riders and handlers clip the rosettes to their exhibitor number waist tie. And there they stay, even when they go back into the ring for further classes. Sort of throws the concept of the judging each separate and subsequent class being devoid of preconceptions.
ALSO the bahaviour that went on with some of the stallions was inppropriate, back in good ole' NZ they would have not been 'excused' from the ring - they would have been chucked out, in no uncertain terms.
Today Tuesday I have helped Sue to move ponies about the place. She has three separate blocks from the home block (this is 'quite normal'), Canal Farm, Cow Common and the Old Orchard. So I led Amy (Gatcombe Amy) from 'home' to the Old Orchard which is at the other side of Bucklands village, so I got the chance to walk through the village and have a good pokey nose. Then Sue and I led a yearling and Maisie from Cow Common to home, which meant we had to walk past Canal Farm which is where Oliver lives. Not that this is a problem going past Oliver just that it is in the opposite direction from Old Orchard.
And we also put up a feed break electric fence down at Cow Common for the two remaing two year old fillies to move onto tomorrow. The yearling is off to Cornwall on Thursday - Maisie is going as baby sitter. Sue will drive and meet the new owner somewhere outside Bristol where the gelding will move floats. Sue has a neat wee 2 horse truck, side loading. Be great to have but I have no doubt that there would be some laws agin it in NZ.....
Plus went to poke about in the two local saddlery/feed outlets - just pokey nosing. The place up on the top of the Aston Hill (and this is the hill where the guy Martin who designed and made cars, used to use as his trial track back in the olden days - so guess it - Aston Martin!!!!!!) had a pony club camp going on, so we went and had a llok at that also. Bad, bad, PC mothers present, poor kids. They are the world over sadly it seems, the mothers I mean.
Also say a very interesting noseband (on one of the horses) which none of the people in the saddleries had any idea as to what it is. I was only being nosey as to wanting to find out..
Off to Bicester (pronounced Bisster) earlyish (because of the traffic congestion one does not leave things to chance) to catch a bus up to Edinburgh tomorrow.
And as you all know I am NOT a TV watcher, however the big thing at the moment is the semi finals for the Britain's Got Talent. They are on live all week with the final on Sat. The big soccer cup is on in Rome tonight too. Anyway have been watching the BGT. What you guys will not be aware of, is that some of the acts are, hmmmm, shall we say quite bizarre?
I will put the final results up for you, if you are interested and ask nicely :)
ciao for now
So on Sat afternoon we went over to visit (and drop off the show schedules for the Chiltern and Thames Valley Connemara Show) with Lynda and Elliot Carson who have the Tucker daughter, Braemar Bridie (Churchway Daybreak - Gatcombe Amy).
The Carsons live and work at West Wycombe Park which is now a National Trust administered estate owned by Lord and Lady Lucinda Dashwood. I was absolutuely stoked to be given a drive around part of the estate. The main house was the film set for the film "The Importance of Being Ernest" which starred Judy Dench. The whole estate is often used for film shoots but although Elliot was able to give me a whole list of films done there, that was the only one which meant anything to me (duh!).
The Carsons live in the converted stables for what would have been the riding and the carriage horses - the working horses would have been stabled up the farm somewhat and which is where the horses are now kept.
They have four spaniels, one of which is due to whelp in a couple of weeks.
Up the estate we went past a 'thing' which look like it should have been a folly but was/is in fact the water tanks for the big house (at least) and underneath there is an icehouse. The water is all gravity fed and the icehouse afforded refrigeration way back in the 19Cth.
From up on the hill by the water house and looking to the hill on the left (sorry I have NO idea as to orientation N/S) is a church with a very large gold ball on top of the spire which evidently is big enough for people to sit up in there and party, party.
For those of you with an historical bent, this gold ball above the church is one of the meeting places of the secret 'Hell Fire Club'. Next to the church and easier to see on the side of the hill is the Dashwood family mausoleum. Across the road from where we were standing on this part of the estate is the Hell Fire Caves - which of course one has to now pay to go and gawp at. Although realistically to go in there in times past one would have been paying - one way or another anyway....
On the way to West Wycombe Sue took a detour to RAF Halton, which is where she works to take a spin past the Officer's Mess which is the Halton Manor house. This 'house' was built by the Rothschild family back in 18 oatcake. It is built on the top of the hill - on line of sight (and this line of sight would not have been obscured a lot of the vegetation and other stuff as it is now) in various other directions are other Rothschild mansions. Because they were all on line of sight they were able to communicate with each other although seperated by many miles. No idea whether they used semaphore or lamps or whatever.
As an aside where Sue's property is now there is a BIG shed. This big shed was built over the emplacement for a an even bunker and searchlight emplacement which was used during WWII to act as a decoy from RAF Halton.
SUNDAY - was an arranged day over to Henrietta Knight of the Lockinge Stud. Henrietta is a National Hunt Trainer (Steeplechasing to us). Their season is of course finished for the year so there were only a couple of horses to be seen, but during the season she has a stable of 60 odd. Lockinge is near Wantage in Oxfordshire
From there we went to Sarah Hodgkin's of Spinway Stud at Leafield in the Cotswolds. I don't think that there is likely to be any Morris Dancers reading this BUT went through Duckington and saw the signposts for Bampton and a few of the other 'familiar names'.
Saw Spinway Comet and Atlantic Ace, mares and foals and youngstock - and 'yes' I do have pics (lousy ones of course, but..) Sarah lives near a place called Minster Lovell. The place is unbelievable (or rather the lanes are). I was so gobsmacked that I videoed from the car, just to show people. There is NO room, one lane only, no where to go if it all turns to custard and people regularly ride down these places. Have to say though that on the whole the drivers are a lot more respectful than the NZ ones.
MONDAY we went off to the Surrey County Show. Now this is a 'little' county show - it is a qualifier for the likes of the HOYS and Olympia. It would have to be bigger than Canterbury Show as far as the number of the punters wandering about is concerned but the class sizes and the range of classes is much smaller than what would be standard at say a local NZ A&P show. This may have just been this show of course though.
Sue had never been to it before, so it was a new experience for her. We went on the ring road around the west of London and then on the A3 (I think) to Guildford which is where the show was held. It started out cool and cloudy and we had both taken jackets and a brolly because the forecast was for rain. In the end it was strip off time and the brolly made a sunshade.
The number of people was just 'whew' and I am sure that for every 10 people there was a dog.
The sheep section was virtually all heritage/rare breeds and apart from the Texels and a couple of Southdowns (which did not look much like what we now call Southdowns) there were not what I would call 'sheep'.... Oh there was a Leicester of some sort too but it seemed to have the most enormous ears - much to much roman nose to be a border, so no idea exactly what it was.
The reason why we went to this show specifically (as there was any number of horsey things happening closer to home because of being Bank Holiday) was because one of Tucker's daughters was being competed there. The filly (a two year old) ended up Reserve Champion Connemara.
One of the things I found really weird is that the riders and handlers clip the rosettes to their exhibitor number waist tie. And there they stay, even when they go back into the ring for further classes. Sort of throws the concept of the judging each separate and subsequent class being devoid of preconceptions.
ALSO the bahaviour that went on with some of the stallions was inppropriate, back in good ole' NZ they would have not been 'excused' from the ring - they would have been chucked out, in no uncertain terms.
Today Tuesday I have helped Sue to move ponies about the place. She has three separate blocks from the home block (this is 'quite normal'), Canal Farm, Cow Common and the Old Orchard. So I led Amy (Gatcombe Amy) from 'home' to the Old Orchard which is at the other side of Bucklands village, so I got the chance to walk through the village and have a good pokey nose. Then Sue and I led a yearling and Maisie from Cow Common to home, which meant we had to walk past Canal Farm which is where Oliver lives. Not that this is a problem going past Oliver just that it is in the opposite direction from Old Orchard.
And we also put up a feed break electric fence down at Cow Common for the two remaing two year old fillies to move onto tomorrow. The yearling is off to Cornwall on Thursday - Maisie is going as baby sitter. Sue will drive and meet the new owner somewhere outside Bristol where the gelding will move floats. Sue has a neat wee 2 horse truck, side loading. Be great to have but I have no doubt that there would be some laws agin it in NZ.....
Plus went to poke about in the two local saddlery/feed outlets - just pokey nosing. The place up on the top of the Aston Hill (and this is the hill where the guy Martin who designed and made cars, used to use as his trial track back in the olden days - so guess it - Aston Martin!!!!!!) had a pony club camp going on, so we went and had a llok at that also. Bad, bad, PC mothers present, poor kids. They are the world over sadly it seems, the mothers I mean.
Also say a very interesting noseband (on one of the horses) which none of the people in the saddleries had any idea as to what it is. I was only being nosey as to wanting to find out..
Off to Bicester (pronounced Bisster) earlyish (because of the traffic congestion one does not leave things to chance) to catch a bus up to Edinburgh tomorrow.
And as you all know I am NOT a TV watcher, however the big thing at the moment is the semi finals for the Britain's Got Talent. They are on live all week with the final on Sat. The big soccer cup is on in Rome tonight too. Anyway have been watching the BGT. What you guys will not be aware of, is that some of the acts are, hmmmm, shall we say quite bizarre?
I will put the final results up for you, if you are interested and ask nicely :)
ciao for now
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Safely Landed
Now at Sue Gillingham's and have met Oliver and his harem. Will get around to some pics, but it will not be today :)
Fine and warm, but the sky is really hazy compared to what we get in NZ. With all the trees with leaves on, it is not anywhere are grey and monochromatic as when I visited in 06.
Not far from Luton Airport here and as the crow flies not that far from Heathrow either. The skies are just contrail after contrail. There is a by pass cutting through just at the bottom of the property here and so there is the continuous rumble of the traffic - yet this is 'country living'.
Archetypal English village with two storied thatched cottages with roses around the doorway. Sue and Albie's house is a 'normal' New Zealand type place. The stables and farm sheds are, of course something else altogether. In the stables the bedding is a mixture of shavings and straw and comes in compressed plastic wrapped bales - and has lavender and eucalyptus oil impregnated in it.
The mares come into the stables at night and out during the day. The stables have vid cams set up, rather than using actual foaling alarms. Neither of the two mares are due just yet.
I have been really surprised about the fly problem too - more like Aus as far as the flies are concerned - especially around the ponie's eyes. These are just 'normal' type flies, as opposed to the midges which cause sweet itch (which I have also met now).
Sue is having a few problems with my accent (hehe).
Fine and warm, but the sky is really hazy compared to what we get in NZ. With all the trees with leaves on, it is not anywhere are grey and monochromatic as when I visited in 06.
Not far from Luton Airport here and as the crow flies not that far from Heathrow either. The skies are just contrail after contrail. There is a by pass cutting through just at the bottom of the property here and so there is the continuous rumble of the traffic - yet this is 'country living'.
Archetypal English village with two storied thatched cottages with roses around the doorway. Sue and Albie's house is a 'normal' New Zealand type place. The stables and farm sheds are, of course something else altogether. In the stables the bedding is a mixture of shavings and straw and comes in compressed plastic wrapped bales - and has lavender and eucalyptus oil impregnated in it.
The mares come into the stables at night and out during the day. The stables have vid cams set up, rather than using actual foaling alarms. Neither of the two mares are due just yet.
I have been really surprised about the fly problem too - more like Aus as far as the flies are concerned - especially around the ponie's eyes. These are just 'normal' type flies, as opposed to the midges which cause sweet itch (which I have also met now).
Sue is having a few problems with my accent (hehe).
Friday, May 22, 2009
Transit in Hong Kong
Very hazy, 27Deg and muggy as all get out, and that is in the airconditioned terminal. Not my place of choice with temp and humidty like this....
Flight good, bit bumpy on the tail of that dreadful storm which hit Brisbane.
Using Glenda's lap top, so short and sweet :)
Flight good, bit bumpy on the tail of that dreadful storm which hit Brisbane.
Using Glenda's lap top, so short and sweet :)
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Flying high
At Auckland domestic and now off to AK International...
Road was 'interesting' driving to Mosgiel. Will be closed by now I suspect.
Signing off now untilI get to UK :)
The Sun is brilliantly shining on the snow - Day 0
Brilliant day here in the thriving metroplolis of Middlemarch. The road is open (if not clear) so all good there.
I am heading to Dunners (Dunedin) this afternoon in my bus which has to go in for a COF, then my boss will take me to the airport.
Bags all packed, if I have forgotten anything, too bad. Still have to get my little tube of toothpaste and load $$$s up onto my cellphone. Being Prepaid, I cannot put credit on it in the UK. In the unlikely event that it works out cheaper to by a UK Sim card I will post the 'new' number on here.
If 'anybody' wants 'anything' (within reason) brought back with me, put the $$s into my account or prepay with your own credit card and I will bring it home. Email me, because I will be rocking into internet cafes/libraries on a reasonably regular basis to get my fix. I have a 20kg one bag allowance going over but a 2 bag allowance coming back so will have the room and weight allowance to bring stuff back.
To get account details phone Sis.
ciao for now
Sheila
I am heading to Dunners (Dunedin) this afternoon in my bus which has to go in for a COF, then my boss will take me to the airport.
Bags all packed, if I have forgotten anything, too bad. Still have to get my little tube of toothpaste and load $$$s up onto my cellphone. Being Prepaid, I cannot put credit on it in the UK. In the unlikely event that it works out cheaper to by a UK Sim card I will post the 'new' number on here.
If 'anybody' wants 'anything' (within reason) brought back with me, put the $$s into my account or prepay with your own credit card and I will bring it home. Email me, because I will be rocking into internet cafes/libraries on a reasonably regular basis to get my fix. I have a 20kg one bag allowance going over but a 2 bag allowance coming back so will have the room and weight allowance to bring stuff back.
To get account details phone Sis.
ciao for now
Sheila
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Yup, it has Snowed. Day 0 + 1
Both SH 87 (Outram to Middlemarch) and SH 85 the 'Pigroot' are closed until further notice because of snow. The motorway north out of Dunedin is marginal.
No snow here on the valley floor though. Cannot take a pic of the Rock and Pillars at this stage because the cloud is right down the mountain......
Whoo Hoo, looks like I will be going out on the train tomorrow (minus my 'less than 100mls' tube of toothpaste!)
No snow here on the valley floor though. Cannot take a pic of the Rock and Pillars at this stage because the cloud is right down the mountain......
Whoo Hoo, looks like I will be going out on the train tomorrow (minus my 'less than 100mls' tube of toothpaste!)
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Day 0 + 2
And it is persisting down..... Had a pick up from Pukerangi to do this afternoon. The people are heading off on the Rail Trail tomorrow; hmmmmmmm - hope that they have lots of suitable clothing. One of the things that I am doing is taking a 'Wedding Ring' quilt, that Irene has made especially, over to Edinburgh as a gift to the extended family. They can fight over who actually gets to keep it :) This quilt (and another I have in my bag which I am supposed to try and sell over there) are made from Kiwiana Theme fabrics. Sadly the pics do not show that detail but I thought you might be interested to see what my big sis gets up to. So this is the wedding ring quilt - so called as the whole thing is sewn with the intersecting 'wedding rings'. The rings are kowhaiwhai. The centre right panel is a mob of merino sheep with a heading dog sitting on their backs.
The second quilt has Keas as the central panel with possums on one side and hedgehogs on the other.
Any quilt orders can be sent to Big Sis....
Paula reports that Bridgie and Isla are now happily poking about in the 'Creek Paddock' with Valentine. For the pony people 'out there' Bridgie and Valentine are actually half sibs (out of Canningvale Bonnie Sue) but have only met today for the first time.
Weather down on the Taieri Plain today is as bad as it is up here, by all accounts. The big difference being that although when wet here usually mud is not a problem, unlike the flood plain of the Taieri, the converse of course is that drought is often a problem in Middlemarch.
No snow yet. If it does really snow I will put a pic up. I hope that it doesn't because it could make getting out of here 'eventful'.
Monday, May 18, 2009
Day 0 +3
Ponies are now down at Paula's. Beryl phoned and said that the weather forecast for tomorrow was not good. Snow level is forecast to be way down and would likely close the road out, if not from the snow, then from ice. So the decision was made to head off asap.
So Bridgie is now 'grumping' in the loose box (with plenty hay of course) and Isla is in with Valentine (aka Rose Moon), as Paula wasn't home.
Isla took some persuading to cross the creek but she finally plucked up the courage and splashed across. There has been heaps and heaps of rain the last couple of days so the creek is a little higher than 'normal'. I don't think Isla has ever had to cross a creek before in her life so she was a pretty 'brave' pony about it all. Very sensible, just needed time to 'think'.
Last seen, Isla and Valentine together were fooling about very happily, while the people next door's horse (looks like a dizzy TB) was going right off. Being Connemaras, I & V really were not impressed with the shenanigans going on next door.....
So Bridgie is now 'grumping' in the loose box (with plenty hay of course) and Isla is in with Valentine (aka Rose Moon), as Paula wasn't home.
Isla took some persuading to cross the creek but she finally plucked up the courage and splashed across. There has been heaps and heaps of rain the last couple of days so the creek is a little higher than 'normal'. I don't think Isla has ever had to cross a creek before in her life so she was a pretty 'brave' pony about it all. Very sensible, just needed time to 'think'.
Last seen, Isla and Valentine together were fooling about very happily, while the people next door's horse (looks like a dizzy TB) was going right off. Being Connemaras, I & V really were not impressed with the shenanigans going on next door.....
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Day 0 + 4
Have all my documentation, my little bit of money and my bag has made it inside from the workshop.
Ponies off to Paula's on Tuesday.
Batteries for various electronic toys all charged and ready to rock.
Now just keep fingers crossed that they weather doesn't turn to crap and close the road out of here....
Ponies off to Paula's on Tuesday.
Batteries for various electronic toys all charged and ready to rock.
Now just keep fingers crossed that they weather doesn't turn to crap and close the road out of here....
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Day 0 + 7
Hard to believe this time next week I will actually be having to pack my bags ready for the 'off'.
Spent today doing necessary tasks such as getting a WOF for the car (was due to run out while I am away) and buying some decent clothes. My usual slack bumming around gear was just so not going to 'cut it'.
Nothing else to report. Will log back in when there is something interesting happening.
Spent today doing necessary tasks such as getting a WOF for the car (was due to run out while I am away) and buying some decent clothes. My usual slack bumming around gear was just so not going to 'cut it'.
Nothing else to report. Will log back in when there is something interesting happening.
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