WWQP Bulletin Board Chat

back again....

Back home, after an exhausting day picking and sorting olives with a neighbour. You might well wonder at such an activity in NZ's mid winter ! It sounds so Mediterranean doesn't it ? At least the sun was out today, even though the wind was cold coming off the snow covered alps ! Olives were planted around here as a means of subdividing the land (supposedly providing and "economic income" for people who wanted to live on ten acres in the country. ) Our friends have tried so hard to make it work. Spraying, irrigating, pruning and picking. A lot of work. The frosts always come in time to spoil any harvest. This year the trees are bigger and have provided some protection from the frosts.. Today we picked the last of them and then spent all afternoon sorting them through, to remove any frost damaged fruit ! Talk about "labour intensive "!!! Fortunately , we all enjoy each other's company and sitting in the sun, in the middle of a cold wet winter, can't be a bad way to spend the day !

Nice to hear from you Bee. I often wonder about you, up there in Auckland. The Volvo sailor is the son of my elder sister. He has just finished his fifth Volvo, I hope it will be his last. It isn't without risk and he now has a son of his own and another baby expected next month, it's time he settled down ! This time the race took them to India and China, a new route and interesting sailing but we were sorry that they didn't come down to NZ. I saw my nephew when I was in England. After 40days on the boat from China, he got straight on a plane when they landed in Sth America for a stopover. He hoped to see his aunt before she died but unfortunately didn't make it in time. The rest of us were very pleased to see him though , especially his two year old son.

I seem to have lost the ability to post photos on this page ! I had some nice ones of the DGC in the snow. I might try again tomorrow.

Enjoy your day.
Marion.

posted by Marion in NZ. @ 10:50 PM