This evening

Technology is a special thing when you can spend an evening with Skype during a stressful time, first with my mother in Dunedin, then with my daughter in Japan, and have several chat screens going on Facebook at the same time.

Boris performed beautifully entertaining my mother and daughter.  The sitting room looks like a bomb site.  The mess was worth the fun and helped to take my mind off events of the last day.

So now we wait for the results of the angiogram.  A loved one having a heart attack is never a good thing, but having it on the other side of the world during a business trip is a real nightmare.

Bed calls and perhaps Boris will be worn out and rest on my bed tonight, company would be nice.  Usually he ends up in the dressing room as his nighttime antics are very playful.

January 2nd

Another wild windy day at the beach.  Our visitors were keen to swim but while not cold the sea is being whipped up into a mass of white caps, not swimming weather.

I took the overseas visitors to Lindale Animal Park, which I thought had closed as the huge sign on the motorway advertising what is at Lindale makes no mention of the park.  Apparently it had closed for a time but has been operating the last two and a half years.

Many times in the past we had taken Japanese students to visit as they are always very keen to pet sheep, something your average Kiwi has no interest in beyond about age 10.  Our Japanese visitor was delighted with the experience.

Chris's chef son cooked dinner last night.  He made us a fabulous curry.

Which reminds me I need to learn about food photography!

Happy New Year

We have a full house and it is delightful to be able to entertain comfortably.  Plenty of space for all and a great kitchen that has allowed our guests to cook. (Chris's son and Canadian girlfriend, their Canadian and Japanese flatmates and his other son)

 Yuka cooked last night.

 Delicious ramen in miso with vegetables.

 Our walk today around the Waimanu Lagoons, trying to keep out of the ferocious wind.

 Reading the information about the birdlife, ah tui is a bird not only a brand of beer.

 It's the Monkees, with father Monkee exhibiting his more usual pose.

Shags, one of hundreds of bird phots I have taken since Chris purchased another new camera. I shall need to spend time with the manual to make the most of all the features.