I think it’s fair to say that almost 8 weeks after summer officially started that I can declare summer here. I know this because the cicadas are chirping, a sure fire sign that at last New Zealand has reached it’s summer weather pattern. It’s... The hardest thing about living in New Zealand is saying goodbye to visitors when they leave. My in-laws have been, stayed and now gone. The house is earily quiet. Just MT, I and the bassets at home. As always when family come it passes in a flash even though... It was a day for treats – birthday treats in honour of my mother-in-law. Weather wise is wasn’t great but that didn’t stop our celebrations. So where do you go for birthday treats round here? The wine region of course! Martinborough is the region... I’m still loving my Christmas presents. All of them but in particular my new camera. Especially now I have the new zoom lens and can get close up and personal on lots of stuff. My mother-in-law has gone camera shy and Fortnum is getting bored with it all.... It seems that progress on our neighbours house has slowed right down. There have been builders there since just after Christmas but somehow progress has seemed much slower. That’s one of the mysteries of the building trade. People on site but not much... 