Horsing About

I have been down south for work - been quite nice to sleep in a real bed instead of an airbed on the floor! Motels have a lot going for them some days...and it was a treat to slouch in bed watching TV at the end of the day (which was actually rather late since my work took me to a day and a night shift!)

So, anyway this trip I got as far as Timaru. It takes about 2 hours to get there usually, this time it took me an extra half hour owing to the road works going on in and around our city.

Timaru is a port town, and it has some lovely old buildings and houses - all of which made me a bit sad for what Christchurch has lost but also happy to be able to see this architecture such a short drive away from home!

Timaru is also the birthplace of Phar Lap, a great old race horse who met an mystery end (well, more of a mystery than ending up at the pet food factory anyway).

The town has created a rather spectacular sculpture of the horse, up close it is really impressive and I had such a fine sunny day for loitering with intent to take a photo or two!

I saw some other creatures of the equine kind on my way home....this one in the paddock next to the sculpture, looking rather disinterested I felt!

And then further on down the road, a paddock with this fellow in it, he kept coming up to the fence and I am sure he was of the "Look at me" ilk....if he could have shouted I am sure he would have been a little 'hoarse'...

We're ok

I took this photo last year but I have to say it is just as valid now as it was then albeit for different reasons!

We are currently in the early stages at last of rebuilding our buggered home, in fact today I have been looking through paint charts and daring to consider what will go where (thanks to Lady M I seem to have the energy for this now)

We have chosen the new kitchen sink and have been researching gas water heating options. Sometimes it seems too hard but last night I had dinner with one woman, and was at a party with another - both of these fabulously brave people have terminal cancer. At only 38 "J" will leave behind a lovely 9 year old daughter. At age 56 "S" will leave her husband and 2 children (19 and 21).....

In comparison, we're more than ok.

Says it all really....

On the move

Well, guess what! (Actually, don't bother I'll just tell you....)

This week we received draft plans for the rebuild...very exciting! We have a few changes that need to be made but it is a start in the right direction. We are holding fast to our rights not to have the place demolished until we have a rebuild start date...that way we can retain our existing use rights for 12 months until the house is rebuilt. It is quite weird to have a bit of progress after about a year of diddling about!!

Bad jokes

This is Kitty - Pixie's cat.

He is a great mouser....ok, ok, ok...by way of apology here is a great wee band from Lyttelton, Christchurch. This band did some fantastic 'sheering up the locals' work in the quake aftermath, they would play for free in your back yard if you wanted them too. Fantastic live at our local pub. This clip is from their Ozzie tour....