Also two lots of packers are coming tomorrow to measure up so that will be fun. We started advertising lots of stuff we are not taking home with us on the NZ equivalent to eBay last night so hope we manage to sell some items and get others put aside for a garage sale too.
However much I am looking forward to going home for all the obvious reasons, family, friends, familiarity, I have grown to love it here in this beautiful country with its' lovely people. All things being equal if all our family had moved here with us we wouldn't even be thinking of going anywhere. For those that have been here you have had a glance at what 'safe' living is all about in a land that has plenty of space to stretch out in and those of us who have had the privilege of spending years here that peace and serenity are going to be hard to give up. There is very little crime on the South Island and with its' lakes, mountains, forests and beaches it couldn't be more perfect - nearly five months of near perfect, sunny weather helps too - and even though we are going in to winter it doesn't rain much where we are so you get sunny, crisp cold days but once the wood burner is on, it is lovely.
I could wax lyrical all day and that is pointless as I would just get very sad. I should just be thankful for what I have had and experienced over the last four and a half years. Apart from the homesickness and heartache over the first year or so I have loved just about every cottonpickin' minute of it!!
And mentioning snow, did I mention snow in winter?, we have had one of those awful Antarctic blasts through the last few days. The surrounding towns of Queenstown, Alexandra and Wanaka were closed in for a while, flights cancelled, lots of ice etc. and they have lots of snow on the mountains but we didn't get a flake so sheltered by mountains on three sides that we are.
So glad that a lovely Spring has arrived for you all in England and in Canada - it's been a long, cold and wet winter for all of you. Time to look forward to being outside, flowers, walks and balmy evenings.
So as it was a little cold yesterday we moved the furniture slightly and re-arranged the lounges so they look like this now.
We will have to find a place that does 'shredding' or ask our friendly neighbours if they have a metal bin to burn stuff in, I'm sure one of them will have.
Derek has been sweeping up leaves from our sycamore tree in the front garden for the last few weeks and it's a wonder there are any left on the tree but there are along with all the pesky seeds. Pretty as they are to watch windmilling themselves through the garden I must pick out dozens of seedling trees in the Spring - not this year though eh?
I know it's a pain but I must finish our holiday photos too, volcanoes next then Rotorua and the mineral fields to go - they are just as much for me as you and one day Derek says he is going to print them all out and get them bound. Won't that be fun! Lol x
Anyway time for lunch.
Take care
Thanks for looking
TTFN