Tuesday 1 November 2016
After my day on the water yesterday, it still seems impossible to sleep like most people. Even when I feel tired, I wake up every couple of hours, rolling over to listen to the start of some heavier rain and then I drift back to sleep again. I’m sure I make too much noise in the morning, so evict myself from Cuzzie so that the support person can sleep in until a more respectable hour.
I return after a long walk on the harbour beach and to get out of another heavy rain shower. Nat lifts her head just on 8am to say “Good morning!” and we gather ourselves for breakfast and a day in Raglan. It tried to rain for a little while this morning but, by 10am, the sky was blue with fluffy clouds and some real warmth in the sun. Having waved goodbye to Mike and Jan, we set off in Nat’s little ute to do some sightseeing. We went by a few places that I had been but that Nat hadn’t yet seen, so along no exit roads and up over many farm hills we travelled and then the sunshine was calling us both.
We had promised ourselves some time on a beach, some sun and a swim. Well in the end, we found a sheltered grass area looking out onto a sunny Raglan Harbour, grabbed a book and our sarongs and lay in the sun! It was such lovely, warm sunshine today. It seems such a very long time since the sun actually felt like summer was really on the way. It‘s so nice that it’s getting warmer each day instead of colder but I have to say that it wasn’t quite so charming when the clouds arrived and the cool wind found us.
Lunch back at Cuzzie, then some boring cleaning stuff as we flung open Cuzzie’s dusty doors! This was all inspired by Nat and the fact that yesterday she located a jar of sticky Tahini that had leaked into a cupboard with all the back-road driving, and then she had located a carton of eggs with a “use by date" of 10/7/2016 that was tucked way at the back of a shelf in Cuzzie. Oh, dear! Can you just imagine them warming up in a hot, summer camper-van? With Cuzzie duly aired, we strolled into a very quiet and tranquil Raglan, just to have a look around, grab a coffee for Nat and then sit in a little side street café for a while. We even stopped and looked at knitting wool. Now that was a real Nat moment! Look out, everybody! More scarf-knitting!!
This has been nothing if not a very pleasant, smiling, sunny day; admiring a quiet, tranquil Raglan. Even the locals seemed to be enjoying it! In fact, the busiest place was the Lotto shop! Tickets were flying out the door for tomorrow's draw. For whatever reason, I don't even have a sense of why I can't paddle today. Even Nat has noticed it. Well, maybe I have actually changed. Maybe the South Island has taught me patience (uhmm, maybe!). Tonight we are having my famous roast chicken and potatoes. We both love this dinner. It’s been lovely seeing old friends, so lovely to have their continuing support. I never stop enjoying seeing someone at a boat ramp when I arrive and feel special when they are with me for a day or so, it makes my weather-waiting more bearable. Keep visiting, please!
My smiles today:
Sunshine and sarongs.
Nat and her ute.
Mike and Jan, I’m so blessed. Having you around means the world to me.
Chatting with Nat.
Roast chicken dinner, yum!
My thoughts today:
The seven wonders of this life:
To see.
To hear.
To touch.
To taste.
To feel.
To laugh.
To love.
Smiles from us both. Red and Nat.
Ma Te Wa.
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