Things I Will Miss

I have been back in Scotland for 10 days.  So what am I missing and what will I miss for the next six months?

Wendy and Martin and the children, of course.  Although I’ll be seeing Wendy, Catriona and Fraser here is a few weeks.  I will be meeting them in Glasgow and bringing them to Lewis where Wendy, Martin and I first met.

Croquet and my croquet companions: the perfect way to spend a day (sometimes!):

 

 

 

 

 

 

TV’s One News.  Why?  Because it is an anchor point in the day.  Unlike the UK where the weekend TV News appears to be almost randomly timed, One News is on at 1800 every day of the week. There is a certain comfort in that.

The chap in the centre of the first photo is not the Prime Minister.  The one in the centre of the second photo is!

The Puzzles Page of the Dominion Post and especially the Two-Speed crossword which has clues in both simple and cryptic format for the same word.  An excellent way to learn to do cryptic crosswords (if that happens to be one of your aims in life).

Having the ranch sliders open and sitting in the sun even on an autumn day.

The song of the elusive Bellbird round the Cottage, the twittering, flitting, friendly Fantails and the bird and insect noises that are my countryside companions.

Food in a Minute.  This one will need explanation.  Watties (owned by Heinz) have an advert every day immediately before the Six O’clock One News with a ‘quick' recipe – hence, food in a minute. It’s an institution.  It’s not exactly Delia Smith and certainly not Nigella Lawson (despite Lana Garland apparently trying to look seductive) but it’s good everyday quick food.

Staying with TV (I really watch very little but this is all around The News which I do try to watch) there is the weather.  I shall miss the glorious Hawkes Bay weather.  You wouldn’t think so from some of the posts I’ve done this last summer but I couldn’t drive round in the Mazda with the roof off for most of the summer in Scotland. You’ll notice that Hawkes Bay has two sun signs over it where the rest of the country (almost) has cloud.  That’s Hawkes Bay for you.

Mind you the days are gone when weather presenters were serious ‘academic’ types on UK TV (with the exception of Michael Fish) and it was always very noticeable that they were dressed so as to ensure that they appeared flat chested.  That is definitely not the case today.

I shall definitely miss the simplicity of my life in New Zealand.  It may be hectic but it has a certain predictable simplicity which life in Scotland certainly does not have.  Having said that I’ll miss it that doesn’t mean that I don’t enjoy the more involved Scottish existence.  They are just different.

I give up.  I’m sure that I could go on.  There are many more thing’s I’ll miss but I shall call it a day.

Matakana Market Band

When Pauline, Twink and I went to the Matakana Farmers’ Market there was a band.  It was a most interesting band.  Apart from being very competent musicians playing appropriately good music, I found the characters themselves of considerable interest.  I just love faces of character:

Contemplation

A man at peace with himself

And suddenly alive (Oddly I found his electric guitar rather at odds with his apparent persona)

In full swing

And a smiling Twink looks on.

Thanks Twink for your hospitality and introducing me to the Garage Sale and the Matakana market scene!