I have given up on the long held thought that I would catch up with blog entries and am going to try to start afresh from here.
The latest news is that my mobile phone has a crack right across the lens cover that is making the photos come out a bit odd and blurry at times. This is evidenced by the attached photo of Tamsin posing with our new boat of which we own half. Whether she gets in it at all I don't know but it is big enough for the whole family, and good for coaching.
We are settling in nicely. It took a while to get to grips with everything and I think that the landlord saw the knee length grass last week and got a bit worried. I got a very nice email about it tonight saying he knew someone who could mow it for us. Little did he know that I have mowed it twice in the intervening few days. I got tired of losing Harriet in it.
School is cool. It is on a rebuilding phase and there is a lot of angst around from what clearly were the bad old days. But the current staff seem strong and making the school move in the right direction. The kids are kids though a little immature compared to those in the UK. I am not sure this is a bad thing since the kids in the UK have forgotten how to be kids I suspect.
The girls are doing really well and are happily settled in school. I just wrote a note to get Elizabeth out of bible class. She finds it all rather dull and has stuck it out nobly for several weeks. She and I delight in discussing the questions she dare not ask and the things she dare not say for fear of offending the god fearing.
I have an erg in the garage now, and am looking forward to getting a regular schedule for rowing on it. How I have missed it. How hard it seems now! It is also getting a bashing from some kids at school who are interested in rowing.
South Island is absolutely stunning. I was driving back from Timaru with the boat this evening and came around a corner to be presented with the most stunning vista of Mackenzie Country. I had no camera other than the dodgy phone but will go back there some time and get a photo to post. For now though, here is the view from the living room. Sigh.
some spuds coming up so we have put them in to proper rows and Tamsin has stuck in some lettuce that was also poking its head up. We bought a chili at the Primary School garden opening day and also we have a friend who is in to horticulture who has passed on some tomato plants that can cope with the cold. So, we are up and running!
