Somewhere over the rainbow.

Feeling a bit blue this week with no Bella to greet me when I come home. Everybody who knew her has been sorry to hear that she has gone. Here she is enjoying raceday from our Scotsman's grandstand. I've taken her tins of dogfood out to the SPCA and as we didn't have her cremated was able to give them a good donation. We had thought of having her cremated at $150 and sprinking her over the vineyard, but then I would have been unsettled when they start digging it up next year.
One thing that hasn't left us has been the rain, although it has lifted today so I hope I can get my roses pruned. That was a favourite spot for Bella to stash her bones and she loved going back to them weeks later and having a good old gnaw.

Went to the school play "A tale of Two Cities" this week. It was brilliant. The only problem is that because there is no back stage area to the hall, all the props must be carted in from a nearby classroom which makes the scene changes very long. We were asked to be there at 7.15pm and I didn't get home until 1/4 to 12.

Fortunately this was just the length of time that the English cricketers needed to beat the Aussies, so Duncan had a late night too.

Having people from The school's head office this week so I had better do some lesson plans. Duncan is having his annual frame sale, so they are very busy.

Oops, here comes the rain again.

Girls on the go

Millies new clothes courtesy of grandma.

While Duncan and Alex met at the goal mouth at the Oval, us girls went shopping. Millie is very obliging, and while I am trying on things she will strike poses infront of the mirror and check out fabrics on the rack. Jill left us while she went to a meeting and after lunch we waited outside the bank at the Gardens in North East Valley. Jill rang to say she was on her way to pick us up at 1.35pm and at 1.45pm the bank was robbed!!! We weren't so lucky when it came to the earthquake the following night. It went on and on, and so finally we got the kids out of bed and took them under the solid kitchen table. Alex barely woke up, but Millie was quite concerned, but at least she knew the drill - Act Like a Turtle. We had a fantastic night at Plato, one of Dunedin's acclaimed restaurants. Jill phoned ahead to see if we could get half portions, but when we arrived they offered fish (in tempura batter) and chips. Even though I am not very fond of fish this was gorgeous. OK OK so I was sitting next to Millie and just had to try this out.

Jill and Millie do "cats craddle"

We had a lovely card from the Vet in sympathy for Bella dying and this has settled me down. Even though I am in theory in favour of euthanasia I still had nagging doubts about putting Bella down. Of course, all futile as the vet was very sure that she couldn't be saved, only we could find out what had killed her, although the vet was very sure it was old age and catatrophic failure of organs. Will see if the vineyard sells, if not we will get another dog.

Shuffling on Ice

Ok I know Jill has posted BLOG with this name, but really, when grandparents are on the loose, they can shuffle on ice too.
Here is Duncan's lessons on ice. Alex was the teacher.





Step 1 Around the rim, holding on to the wall





Step 2 Using the sled.





Step 3 Freestyle - yah!





Step 4 At Pace!!!!





Step 5 On yer back - I didn't take a photo of this as I was horrified how Duncan's head hit the ice, yet couldn't stop laughing.

I think it was the huge relief as I had just worked up the courage to give it a go when Duncan fell and I decided to just stick to the photo taking.
Back home and coping with the lack of a welcoming committee - see last Blog of Byebye Bella

Bye Bye Bella

Today Bella collapsed. Her hind legs, infact all of her legs wouldn't work. She couldn't get up. I took her to the vet. The vet has just rung and said she is in serious trouble. We have two options, spend alot of money so that we know what kills her in the very near future or to have her euthanased this afternoon. Apparently her body temperature has fallen dangerously low, all her organs are being starved of blood which is why she looks a bit confused. I said we would call in on our way to the airport to fly to Dunedin to say goodbye, and then they can put her to sleep. The vet said she supported this action. It wasn't quite so heartwrenching with a cat.

Surely these are worth heaps more???

Last week we went down to Hawkes Bay to see Sileni. First the good news - we have a contract. Then the bad news - they will take only 80% of our usual tonnage and they will be paying about 80% of the usual price. Still we are better off than some - and lets hope the sale of the vineyard goes ahead!


Better go and pack up the winter woolies for Dunedin.

Great weather for Ducks

No, seriously, the ducks next door are thrilled to find the back lawn next door has turned into a pond. They are guarding it jealously and wont let the geese in - although I suspect that the geese might sit a bit low in the water. We have had huge amounts of rain, but fortunately it has been draining away well.

We managed to finish pruning - a great effort as we usually dont finish until August! A couple of the pruners had to have time off to go to court (DIC and some sort of disorderly behaviour), but our dutch girl bought in an apple cake to her mum's recipe on the last day, and very good it was too.

Holidays now - popping down to Sileni this week to see if we still have a grape contract, then Dunedin the following week.

It must have been all that water but I have lashed out on a new bathing suit - a miracle suit which will take off 10LB in 10secs. Not so sure about this claim but I love my new suit.

I had 5 new keys at typing this week so went back to 7wpm but 100% accuracy.

QWERTY

Who says you can't teach an old dog new tricks? This week I had a free period at school so started on the Mavis Beacon Touch typing course. In the space of half an hour I moved from 4words per minute with 76% accuracy to 8 words per minute and 97% accuracy. I wonder what I can manage this week.

Last Wednesday a group of us went out to Anna Shaw's for lunch, and managed to while away the afternoon just like retired folk. Olwyn, who has just had, and hopefully beaten cancer, wants us to do the Walk for Life next year. I have suggested "The O team - we'll run rings around cancer!"

The weather has been absolutely appaling, so it was good to have a Sunday lunch with friends - including Barry and Liz from Hamilton and we even showed our French Trip DVD, and no-one feel asleep.

Here's me eating a nutella crepe under the Eiffel Tower.

Problems and Poses

The problems in the wine industry have occupied our minds since I went to the winegrowers meeting on Wednesday. The industry is struggling with an over supply of grapes, which has built up by surpluses over the years 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009. When this happened in the 90's in Australia they flooded the market with cheap wine. We all enjoyed it, but now Australia has built a market niche for itself as providing cheap wine and now struggles to sell good wine at a price reflecting its cost to make. The result is that some blocks have stopped pruning, as they have been dumped by Montana and have no contract for their grapes. Fortunately we dont grow for Montana, but I have tried to contact Sileni, our wine company, but no answer yet on how we stand. We are over half way through pruning, so lets hope we are OK. The firm we normally buy our new grapevines from is hosting a seminar on growing avocados next week.

With all these woes, wouldn't it be nice to be back in France, playing with the street theatre on Montmatre? Rumours are flying as to whether the subdivision on our land will go ahead, so lots of unknowns in the months ahead.