Yesterday was Monday. And it was a lovely day. I've said that before because I like to feel that every day is a lovely day. But, with apologies to Orwell, some days are more lovely than others. And yesterday was one of the more lovely ones.
I started off the day with the intention of proposing a non-busy day. The sun was shining. The washing went in at the crack of dawn. A lazy breakfast on the deck. Then some emails and transfer photos from camera, blog, iron (and watch StrictlyCome Dancing for the 22nd November which arrived on Friday), try and finish my Christmas cards, hoover the house, and generally footle around.
Wendy was coming down for morning coffee. No croquet. No petanque. Yes, the day was to be an Easy Day. No deadlines. No pressures. I am a very lucky person. Sometimes I wish I believed that there was a God to thank!
How did the day turn out?
It started as planned. Then Wendy came down for coffee. We got engrossed in our currently favourite topics of Stephen Hawking's Brief History of Time and Richard Dawkins' various propositions. We eventually dragged ourselves into the realisation of the need to achieve rather than just enjoy our conversation. So Wendy cut the grass round the agapanthus and other plants getting swamped in front of The Cottage whilst I hoovered and we both listened to music at full volume. More conversation over a long lunch and then off to pick up the children and have ice cream.
Off to town and shopping. I returned to a lovely garden rose on the table and then a wonderful Thai curry up at The House with the family. By this time any thoughts of more work were abandoned. Wendy suddenly discovered a apricot tree. It's odd what you can find hidden a few metres from the house when you have 5 acres of mixed tree and pasture and garden around the house. So we collected apricots. Or rather Fraser scaled the tree and dropped the apricots to David whilst Wendy harvested the reachable ones.
Then, as the dusk fell, the children went grass sledging down a bank.
Late to bed and then Wendy and I settled down to more chat and some wine as a hard-working Martin returned from a day as a dentist. I should add that Wendy does work too! She was having a day off.
Days don't come much better than yesterday.
Through the Gorge runs the main State Highway 50 and the main, and only, railway line between the North and South of the North Island. The passenger train which uses the line is known as The Overlander. I managed to get a photo as we came through the Gorge on the way home.
The Overlander
I think this is the landslip which closed the Gorge for several days recently
Railway line and one of the tunnels
Looking East
Looking West
7 kilometres of double yellows
Looking into the Gorge from the East side of the Ranges
A tunnel was removed from here recently
Aren't lorries little?
The Bridge over the Manawatu River to The Café Beyond The Bridge (behind me)
Last year I posted the North and South Island maps to make it easier for readers to locate places about which I was talking and to get an idea of distances. I have repeated the North Island map above. If you click or double click on the image it will open at a readable scale.
Also designed by Paul Dibble and architect John Hardwick-Smith is The New Zealand Memorial in London's Hyde Park Corner which commemorates the enduring bonds between New Zealand and the United Kingdom, and our shared sacrifice during times of war. It is a symbol both of our common heritage and of New Zealand's distinct identity. The memorial consists of 16 cross-shaped vertical bronze 'standards' set out in formation on a grassy slope. Each standard is adorned with text, patterns and small sculptures. "Through the words and images, any New Zealander visiting the memorial will recognise home, and British people may learn something of the relationship between our two countries," explains Paul Dibble.
And Comet joined in
Then, as the dusk fell, the children went grass sledging down a bank.
In the Doubles I played with a lady from Fielding called Margaret Hewett whom I'd met at, and played against, at tournaments before but with whom I had never played. We won our section and then in the play-off between sections we were beaten into second place: a satisfying result. 
I played in the Championship Singles because my handicap is 4 and it has to be 6 or more to play in the Handicap event. I had expected to be drubbed because there were some top players in the event including Tony Stephens who is a world-class player with a handicap of 0. He beat me 7:2 and 7:4 unsurprisingly. However the next most senior player on 1 was Don Reyland (who with his partner had won the Doubles and with whom I am very well acquainted). On the last game of Saturday I played him on the lawn next to the clubhouse when almost everyone else had fiinished and therefore was watching our match. After a long and hard match I won on the 13th hoop with an angled shot to the hoop from the line - about 9 yards. That was a very satisfying shot and match. Overall I came third at the end of the Tournament which was a result beyond my wildest dreams.
Colleen and Tony Stephens - In the Shade of the Pepper Tree
Dora's alphabet:
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