Eating, running, shearing & meeting the Milkmaid.

I’m not going to pretend I’ve forgotten what the food’s like here
and I won’t lie & say the Tanners hold your arms behind your back whilst
pinching your nose & making ready with the gastrointestinal tube, but it’s
damn close.

This is what I ate on Saturday…

Weetabix
Toast
A full cooked breakfast
Numerous cups of tea, always with accompanying flapjack
Home-made pizzas
2 glasses of growed-up Ribena
2 ‘alps’ of Toblerone (if you’ve seen Billy, you’ll know what I mean)

It was whilst chewing on the 2nd bit of Toblerone that I recalled I had told myself
I would carry on my pledge to run on alternate days.

Bugger.

Having waited an hour for my food to clear the oesophagus I headed out the door.
As I left I heard Michelle telling Alice to go get the strawberries & cream, otherwise ‘the strawberries will go off’ Bleurgh.

I set off at a very slow pace undecided whether I needed to cry, vomit or stop the most. I would like to say it got easier after 10 minutes, but in fact it got harder until I turned around & headed for home. Somewhere near 35 minutes it felt good, but that’s because I could see Cedar Lodge again. Having run all the way up the drive (that will only mean anything to Bridget, Bloo & Stan) I fully expected a ticker-tape parade & a Red Devils fly-past.

Alice poked her head from under her blind & cheerfully informed me that everyone
‘had gone to bid’ It was 2050.

Shearing

The Tanner’s flock had missed being shorn earlier on in the year & were looking
distinctly uncomfortable humping around twice their bodyweight in fleece.
Richard, the local shearer, turned up to do them at 1330 yesterday & Alice & I
helped whilst Harri finished a school project.

It was lovely to be back in a woolshed again & I find shearing just as mesmerising now as I did earlier in the year.



And lo, a miracle came to pass and Eric COULD squat



Are you sure you're rounding up sheep Briggsy ?



High tea - Kiwi style



As we were just finishing Alice shouted ‘Bridget !’ & I got my first glimpse of the legendary Milkmaid. She sped past in her truck, leaving us a little confused until she subsequently explained, ‘I saw you all there, but I just HAD to go’ Ok then.

We got to know each other over the Wales-NZ game (surprisingly close score) and I was thoroughly charmed by her. You know how you have ideas about someone long before you meet from reading their Blog. Sometimes you’re pleasantly surprised & sometimes it’s a disappointment. This was definitely a good surprise. She is funny, clever, charming & says things like ‘Come on Alice, let’s see how tidy your room is’ What a great girl !

We have arranged to go to the Prince Albert this evening for an uninterrupted non-Harri conversation, although having thought about it Bridget, you’ll be driving & I’ll be driving ? Hmmm. Any suggestions ?

Today I reacquainted myself with Matamata, which is looking utterly charming.
A shopping trip for a USB lead for my camera also turned up a great-fitting pair of Levi’s boot-cut jeans. Nothing unusual there you might think. The price ? £20. Gotta love this country.

Stan was directly responsible for the new jeans, having made pointed comments about
‘disappearing ar5es’ in my other pair. It’s true, running does for your buttocks what a Wonderbra does for your breasts.

This afternoon when Eric got home from work, we dangled our feet in the pool whilst drinking tea & putting the world to rights. I kept meaning to put a bikini & suncream on but never got around to it, so now have red hands & knees.

As I type, the girls are doing their homework quietly. I’ll just type that again ‘quietly’.Eric has gone to ‘Pippins’ the fruit & veg shop to pick up some pig food. He gets it free for taking it off their hands. He left threatening acts of doom & destruction if the kids didn’t behave with the shouted codacil ‘No homework, no pool !’

Milky, your text just arrived, saying you are just leaving work at 0248 & that the weather is poo. Oh how I miss England J

Michelle is teaching today & has a long day in Hamilton, I think she said so I’m doing supper, something very difficult, creative & challenging – oh alright a Mexican.

That’s it for now, off to get a cold drink & ‘supervise’ the kids in the pool.
Now – where’s that book ?

Cx