Snow effects

One of the nice things about the snowfalls last month, apart from their novelty, was the effect the snow produced when it fell on individual flowers or corners. Like these:

R i P

Goldie, we'll not see your like again.

 

 

Read Goldie's profile and occasional exploits.

 

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow

It's been a very odd week, weather-wise. While those who live in more continental climes, or places closer to the Poles, might scoff, we here in the Hutt Valley & Wellington aren't used to snow in the CBD. In the twenty years we have lived in central Lower Hutt I have never seen snow on our backyard.

But this week we did.

It started Sunday night, as predicted by the Forecasters, with snow/hail falling on our deck.

The next morning there was nothing on the deck or lawn, but when I left for work I noticed he surrounding hills had a dusting of snow.

And from work on The Terrace I could see the eastern hills behind Wainuiomata had a good coating as well.

As well, during the day, snow fell in the CBD, for the first time in my life. And from my office we had a fine view. There were several separate episodes of snowfall, with clear weather in between.

Watch the snowflakes drifting around our windows in Wellington (new window/tab).

So that meant we had good coverage on the hills.
Tuesday started still bitter and cold, with a lot of rain and occasional snow flurries in town. But the action shifted to the Hutt, where we had serious falls in the central Valley floor.
Jayne decided to stay home (she's not silly) and Desiree's school closed early. So they were at home while the snow accumulated. They took themselves off around the neighbourhood and to the nearby Rose Gardens.

The backyard was well covered.

By the time I got home, Jayne and Desiree were ready for a snowball fight. So they did.

See how much snow covered our backyard, and watch the snowball fight (new window/tab).

Tracing the Ho Chi Minh Trail

The culmination of 2 years fund-raising, planning, scheming and cajoling for Desiree was a two-week trip to Vietnam during the last school vacation.

A guide accompanied Desiree, 3 colleagues and a small group of senior students on a tour of Vietnam, dedicated to visiting sites from the War and experiencing a small taste of Vietnamese life and culture (oh, and a bit of shopping to lighten the mood!).

I haven't yet completed processing all of the photos (there were over 700 on her camera), but have made a start.

One of the things which surprised and delighted me was her ability to stay in touch with us and to keep us updated with their exploits.

She had taken her cell-phone, and bought a new SIM-card for it in Vietnam, and she bought a small 'point-and-click' camera. Consequently, we were sent almost daily, small photos and videos from her phone.

I tied these to the itinerary, and you can follow the trip in a new window/tab HERE.

The first batch of photos are organised into slideshows which are available in a new window/tab HERE.

It's been cold!

We have been hit by a 'weather bomb' this week. Those who live in climes where more extreme weather is a frequent occurrence may scoff, but we are in a coastal temperate area, not affected by the swings of continental extremes.

So this week's cold weather has been a 'bracing' experience. Having lived in this house since 1991, I can't recall snow like we saw this week on the nearby hilltops.

And I wasn't the only one taken by the changed landscape - it made news stories and a lot of photos were published.

So here are pictures Jayne took at our place:

As if that wasn't bad enough, there was a hail-storm late in the morning:

And, to cap it all off, Desiree is in Vietnam at the moment, sweltering in 30-40 degree temperatures!

Charlotte & Gareth's wedding

June 18 this year was The Big Day - Charlotte & Gareth got married. While we had official photographers and videographers, we know there are some who were were not able to be present but would love to have been able to join in the fun. So here is an "uncut" raw video of the ceremony, held at our home (please excuse the dodgy beginning - it does improve, I promise!):



We thought you might like the two readings from the ceremony. They are:

WILD DAISIES - Bub Bridger

If you love me
Bring me flowers
Wild daisies
Clutched in your fist
Like a torch
No orchids or roses
Or carnations
No florist's bow
Just daisies
Steal them
Risk your life for them
Up the sharp hills
In the teeth of the wind
If you love me
Bring me daisies
Wild daisies
That I will cram
In a bright vase
And marvel at.

Read by Charlotte's sister Jayne

An extract from Plato's Symposium

Humans have never understood the power of Love, for if they had they would surely have built noble temples and altars and offered solemn sacrifices; but this is not done, and most certainly ought to be done, since Love is our best friend, our helper, and the healer of the ills which prevent us from being happy.

To understand the power of Love, we must understand that our original human nature was not like it is now, but different. Human beings each had two sets of arms, two sets of legs, and two faces looking in opposite directions. There were three sexes then: one comprised of two men called the children of the Sun, one made of two women called the children of the Earth, and a third made of a man and a woman, called the children of the Moon. Due to the power and might of these original humans, the Gods began to fear that their reign might be threatened. They sought for a way to end the humans’ insolence without destroying them.

It was at this point that Zeus divided the humans in half. After the division the two parts of each desiring their other half, came together, and throwing their arms about one another, entwined in mutual embraces, longing to grow into one. So ancient is the desire of one another which is implanted in us, reuniting our original nature, making one of two, and healing the state of humankind.

Each of us when separated, having one side only, is but the indenture of a person, and we are always looking for our other half. Those whose original nature lies with the children of the Sun are men who are drawn to other men, those from the children of the Earth are women who love other women, and those from the children of the Moon are men and women drawn to one another. And when one of us meets our other half, we are lost in an amazement of love and friendship and intimacy, and would not be out of the other’s sight even for a moment. We pass our whole lives together, desiring that we should be melted into one, to spend our lives as one person instead of two, and so that after our death there will be one departed soul instead of two; this is the very expression of our ancient need. And the reason is that human nature was originally one and we were a whole, and the desire and pursuit of the whole is called Love.

Read by Gareth's sister Bethan

A Rose by any other name

It's been a busy few weeks.
In early May, we held the annual Hutt Valley Rose of Tralee contest. This allows the Hutt Valley to select one from amongst those contestants who offer themselves as our Rose of Tralee.
The winner of the Hutt Valley title, goes forward to represent us at the National Final in early June. And the winner of that event will, in turn, go forward to represent the entire New Zealand Irish community at the international Rose of Tralee context in Kerry in mid August.
So it is no small deal! And the Hutt Valley has a proud tradition of success in the contest. The Hutt Valley Rose has gone on to win the National contest in 2002 (Vivien Lynch), 2005 (Esther Budding), 2006 (Emma Coffey), and 2008 (Aislinn Ryan). I have run the Hutt Valley Rose contest since 2002, so the Roses selected in that period are my Roses!
Well, not really, but I claim they are my Roses, although I studiously avoid being a Judge and having to make a decision or choose between contestants!
BUT - I do front the local event, and when it is our turn to host the National Final, I front a Friday evening function and so interview the Roses and try to provide them an opportunity to 'shine' in public.
And that happened again this year, although, it wasn't supposed to be that way.
So in early June I was agian, required to host a Rose function at the Irish Club, and to help out by assisting with the National Final. Oh, the pressures of fame!! (Yeah, right!)
Anyway, a few pix:

The Hutt Valley contest was won by Ailbhe Ryan.

Which meant that Ailbhe and a group of other contestants gathered in Lower Hutt for the National Selection.

And if you're wondering about the photos - they were taken by our good friend David Duffy from Emotif Photography

All in all, a very tiring couple of days, but good fun, and bringing with it, the opportunity to do it all again next year! After all, we have another Hutt Valley Rose, who is now the New Zealand Rose!