August - more rain!

 Although it hasnt rained every day and there are no disastrous floods here as there are in other parts of the country, the weather has been boringly grey most days and cold and wet far too often for my liking. My spring flowers are starting to come out so there is light at the end of the rain tunnel. Roll on spring!

August has been an interesting month. with several very busy weeks. Starting with the visit from Bathurst of my very grown up grandsons, Sean and Josh ( 22 and 20)   Good looking young men, real country lads - didnt seem to feel the cold. Josh wore shorts and t shirts the whole time he was here! 

I had 5 of my 6 grandchildren all round for dinner and it was great that the lads made an effort to interact with their cousins. They took the girls bowling and after dinner we played Rummikub like they used to with Grandad. I was most appreciative of the fact that they spent 4 nights of their week in NZ with me while still fitting in their adrenalin kicks in Rotorua and then black water rafting at Waitomo.Caves. I hope I get the chance to catch up with their sister Samantha - maybe in January?

The weekend  before the boys arrived I drove up to Morrinsville for he 80th birthday of one of our oldest friends from our canoeing days, peter Sommerhalder. It was like a  canoe Club reunion and a pleasure to catch up with some people I had shared great times with in the past. 

Treffery had been one of my women science role models and it was intersting to note that as a marine biologist she is now working with one of the environmental engineering companies.  She and her husband Peter arestill heavily involved in canoeing through their business  Canoe  and Kayak.  

My longtime canoeing friend Peter Sommerhalder.

Rona, John Maynard, me and Pat Shaw - lots of laughs and memories of good times shared.

After a busy week of Sketching group, Sewing group, Book club, Classic Movie group and Gardening Club and U3A Science group  I took the campervan round to Jonathan's place where it will be parked while he is over in Geneva at the United Nations Committee meeting reporting on Human rights for People with disabilities. Each signatory to the Human Rights Treaty has to report every 4 years on way their country is providing equality of access and treatment of people with disabilities. It was 8 years since NZ was last "audited" and Jonathan was part of the NZ delegation as the chair of the Independent Monitoring Mechanism which is formed by all the Disabled persons organisations  who critique the government's performance in this area. He had put in hours of work in this role and got to speak at the UN meeting. Notably he was not entirely positive and was actually quite forthright about continuing inequities in the access, choices and support available for disabled persons.

We were able to replay his contribution which is put out on UN live TV coverage, I know he felt pleased with his efforts and I think he spoke extremely well. Meantime I have been supporting Amy by staying round there when the kids are at Linton St.  Amy is doing all the stuff at the farm everyday and I am able to be there for the kids which is handy as they are not wanting to go out to the farm all the time especially when it is raining.  Force is missing his dad, and we have taken him for a few walks as well as Amy taking him to the farm every day for exercise, although he apparently is enjoying the ponds formed by the rain, well, labradors are water dogs aren't they!

Force giving the big teddy a little love 

Callum trying out the inflatable canoe I have been lent on the  local lagoon. The rain stopped briefly so we tookthe opportunity to get out and about.  
Cordelia insisted on having a go but we needed to ensure she wasnt in a windy spot, she might have been blown away. 

Then Annabelle decided that she had to have a try as well in the "green banana". Nana had a try as well and although it was no substittue for a "real" kayak it was fun and I can fit it into the campervan when it is folded up, so come summer I hope to find a few suitable places to get my canoeing fix. Only problem is my 76 year old knees make it difficult to get out easily - I look an idiot struggling to get out in shallow water.  It is becoming increasingly obvious I need to face up to the realities of an older body and stop dreaming of doing what I happily used to do 30 years ago. 

Force keeps bringing out his pink cuddle rug.  It is his comfort blanket.  Callum is good for cuddles and he also has the attention of Tui and little Topsy ( Amy's dog).

I have had a couple of good sewing days with my local sewing group and this weekend coming Robyn and a couple of her friends are staying with me while they take part in a couple of local dog shows. Tui's nose will be out of joint probably as several little dogs will also be staying. Tui mostly ignores visiting dogs, thank goodness she doesnt get possessive. 

I am enjoying having so many visitors here in Palmerston North and glad I bought a house big enough   ( 2 spare bedrooms) to easily accommodate visitors. 

Oops - we are now into September and Joanthan is back. weather having another cold windy spell after a few days of some sunshine.  I did appreciate comign back to my own house although i slept well in my campervan at joanthan's house. It was like being in a cuddly warm cave as i had extra eiderdown on the bed.  Kids were mostly pretty good although they would rather stay on their devices that do any thing else which is very frutrating. how to break the cycle??  I did get them out for a walk on sunday along the riverpath and they played quite energetically on the exercise equipment on the riverpath.  

My exciting news is that I have booked to go on an Outback Spirit tour next year ( July 30th) to the Kimberleys and the Top End... only hiccup is that I need to be sure I can do at least most of the walks on the tour. Most are 1 or 2 km although two walks are about 4km and classified as 'difficult", involving rock clambering and steps.   Good incentive though to get out and get walking and exercising.