Journal. Early Morning.
I woke early this morning about 3.40 a.m., lay awake and listened to the on the hour radio news. The more I lay the more wide-a-wake I was. I decided to get up, I knew from past experience I would not sleep again. I did go to bed early last night at 9.00 p.m., I couldn't keep my eyes open. I was very tired. Caitlin and I went around our lake for a walk late yesterday afternoon and the Pat picked us in the car part way round. My legs were like lumps of lead on the end of my legs. Cell phones are handy when you need them.
4.10 a.m., I made my usual cup of tea and a slice of toast and read the news on the computer from The UK Telegraph and then switched to the Sydney Morning Herald. I then read my usual on-line forums and checked my genealogical incoming list emails. Nothing of much interest there.
The dawn broke at 5.30 a.m. and I peered out to see what the day had in store for us... some morning cloud in an otherwise clear sky. The sun has not come over the horizon yet to warm things up. We were promised a warm sunny day with thickening cloud this evening with rain maybe tomorrow.
After doing some genealogical work I sit and ponder. I've must get back to my life story writings. I've been saying that for a while now but I have been putting it off so that I can finish off writing up my 2003 UK trip journal. But I'm not doing very much of that either!
I am now nearing the end of the journal writings so-o-o-o I must make a big effort to finish it.
It's 6.30 a.m. now and the sun is up over the horizon and soon it will burn off the water vapour carrying cloud which is hanging around.
Will Caitlin entice me to go walking again around the lake this evening? She probably will. She enjoys the walk and so do I, always something fresh to see, questions to ask and questions to answer. At 10 I enjoy her bright cheery company and enquiring mind.
Monday, September 27, 2004
Journal. The Month of September.
A quiet month and we do not seem to have done much over this period. Yesterday Caitlin, now 10 arrived to stay for the last week of the school holidays. Gillian brought her over and it was good to see her once more.
We have been busy with our Spring cleaning. The past year or two has just been a clean and tidy affair so we decided this year to give everything a thorough going-over. We started early, September so that we would be finished before Vicky and Ian's arrival on October 30th. Usually we don't start until mid October after the gas heaters are put away to bed for the Summer. Portable gas heaters tend to give off a slightly oily film which shows up on the windows and venetian blinds mostly and to a lesser extent on the paint work. I don't like cleaning the blinds very much and we do have a lot. I usually take each one outside, slosh plenty of water on them with the hose and then clean each slat with a proprietary cleaner. After drying they are sparkling once more. Later this morning I will do 2 more!
A quiet month and we do not seem to have done much over this period. Yesterday Caitlin, now 10 arrived to stay for the last week of the school holidays. Gillian brought her over and it was good to see her once more.
We have been busy with our Spring cleaning. The past year or two has just been a clean and tidy affair so we decided this year to give everything a thorough going-over. We started early, September so that we would be finished before Vicky and Ian's arrival on October 30th. Usually we don't start until mid October after the gas heaters are put away to bed for the Summer. Portable gas heaters tend to give off a slightly oily film which shows up on the windows and venetian blinds mostly and to a lesser extent on the paint work. I don't like cleaning the blinds very much and we do have a lot. I usually take each one outside, slosh plenty of water on them with the hose and then clean each slat with a proprietary cleaner. After drying they are sparkling once more. Later this morning I will do 2 more!
Wednesday, September 01, 2004
Journal. Ashlee and other things.
It was Ashlee's birthday yesterday, 15. Her school had a half day yesterday so we picked her up from Sacred Heart boarding house and took her and best friend Catherine out to lunch at the Hamilton Gardens Café. The day was brilliant and we sat outside in the warm sun. This evening she will be allowed to go to her Aunt Debbie's home in Hamilton for dinner. Much better than the boardinghouse food I would say.
Catherine comes from the Château up on the Mt. Ruapehu ski fields where her father is manager. Ashlee often goes down at weekends with Catherine to the Château and is learning snowboarding. Catherine's father presented Ashlee with a season ticket for the slopes worth $400.00 and free hire of equipment. Lucky girl!
Pat picked out a bracelet for Ashlee for her birthday inlaid with Paua shell, apparently all the rage with teenagers at the moment. She seemed pleased with it. It is hard for grandparents to pick the right things for grandchildren.
Ashlee now has her braces off her teeth, a fortnight ago. The dentist has done a good job. Now Ashlee wants a diamond set onto her front tooth, another "in" thing. No doubt she will work on her mother. Better than a tongue piercing I think.
Ian called on his mobile yesterday all the way from England. It was good to hear from him. Pat is always so pleased when he calls. He and Vicky will be here in NZ at the end of October for a holiday. We look forward to seeing them once more even though it will be only 15 moths since we last saw them on our 2003 visit to the UK.
Well the rain has now arrived as for-casted and should be clear by the weekend.
Bye the way August just gone was a "blue moon" month. August in the Southern hemisphere and July in the northern hemisphere.
It was Ashlee's birthday yesterday, 15. Her school had a half day yesterday so we picked her up from Sacred Heart boarding house and took her and best friend Catherine out to lunch at the Hamilton Gardens Café. The day was brilliant and we sat outside in the warm sun. This evening she will be allowed to go to her Aunt Debbie's home in Hamilton for dinner. Much better than the boardinghouse food I would say.
Catherine comes from the Château up on the Mt. Ruapehu ski fields where her father is manager. Ashlee often goes down at weekends with Catherine to the Château and is learning snowboarding. Catherine's father presented Ashlee with a season ticket for the slopes worth $400.00 and free hire of equipment. Lucky girl!
Pat picked out a bracelet for Ashlee for her birthday inlaid with Paua shell, apparently all the rage with teenagers at the moment. She seemed pleased with it. It is hard for grandparents to pick the right things for grandchildren.
Ashlee now has her braces off her teeth, a fortnight ago. The dentist has done a good job. Now Ashlee wants a diamond set onto her front tooth, another "in" thing. No doubt she will work on her mother. Better than a tongue piercing I think.
Ian called on his mobile yesterday all the way from England. It was good to hear from him. Pat is always so pleased when he calls. He and Vicky will be here in NZ at the end of October for a holiday. We look forward to seeing them once more even though it will be only 15 moths since we last saw them on our 2003 visit to the UK.
Well the rain has now arrived as for-casted and should be clear by the weekend.
Bye the way August just gone was a "blue moon" month. August in the Southern hemisphere and July in the northern hemisphere.
Journal. Officially Spring Today
Yes, Sept. 1st is the first day of Spring in NZ and our long spell of fine weather is about to break. Rain is due. We have had a lovely July and August, plenty of sunshine and the rain pells which we needed got it over with quickly. Some areas of NZ got more than their share and with the rain came flooding on low lying land.
We have had frost too these past few days but this was only air frosts in the pre-dawn period and were gone bt 9 a.m. Ther frosts were brought by cold air streams from the antarctic regions but we didn't mind this at all. For with the frosts came crystal clear days with bright sunshine and low humidity.
The trees and shrubs have been bursting into leaf these past 2 weeks; Spring was early this year.
Yes, Sept. 1st is the first day of Spring in NZ and our long spell of fine weather is about to break. Rain is due. We have had a lovely July and August, plenty of sunshine and the rain pells which we needed got it over with quickly. Some areas of NZ got more than their share and with the rain came flooding on low lying land.
We have had frost too these past few days but this was only air frosts in the pre-dawn period and were gone bt 9 a.m. Ther frosts were brought by cold air streams from the antarctic regions but we didn't mind this at all. For with the frosts came crystal clear days with bright sunshine and low humidity.
The trees and shrubs have been bursting into leaf these past 2 weeks; Spring was early this year.
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