IT FEELS LIKE WINTER

Our mornings are decidedly chilly. We are supposed to be having sunny days but there's a weird thing happening. The high pressure area over New Zealand is bringing us cool cloudy weather. I love autumn but not this kind. It takes a long time for the sun to burn through ... then it's lovely.

We're getting ready to go over a to a friend's place to baby sit the cats and dog while they have a holiday. It's a view to die for and only 15 or so minutes from home.


Last night I had a chat with one of our South Island sons. D lives in the country S.E. of Christchurch. He drives for a local transport company and this last week was carting fertiliser from the Lyttleton Wharf to a depot. It's a job that has to be done as quickly as possible so the ship can be turned around. It's all trucks on the road, or as many as are available and D was called back to work on the last day of his holiday. I asked him about the roads because I'd been reading a news item. He said the road is very rough. They have to go over the Evans Pass Road which is quite steep. Not sure why they can't use the tunnel because it's open in spite of the damage. He also said that while the Ferrymead Bridge has been strengthened he has some reservations about the approaches. I have spent far too much time making a map and losing it and trying to source a photo of the Ferymead Bridge. I know there are some goo one's on line but where????








It's difficult to live in a city where 150 years of development is destroyed in a minute. Thank goodness it was only a portion of Christchurch but 0f the 2000km of road 1000 km is damaged. The earthquake on September 2010 caused about 1200 road defects. After February 22nd 3800 cracks, slumps, humps need repair, not to mention the cordoned off area in the centre of the city.



People are becoming angry and frustrated with the rate of progress but the reality it that it's going to take a very long time to rebuild or restore. You don't just pick up 150 years of growth and put it back in place. There is planning and organisation and money and manpower required. There is an order which is not always apparent those far off let alone those close up. My heart goes out to those who are badly affected but the truth is they have to find a way to pick themselves up and get going again even when they cannot access information, records and other stuff they want.

The building is the Carlton Hotel, an historic building. Everyone in Christchurch who drinks beer is likely to have been in this Pub.

I hope I don't get into trouble for pinching these photos from various places. I do look for copy write but it's not always obvious.






Time to hang the washing on the line and here's today's sky to brighten things up.

Not the prettiest sky so how about the cows over the road from us. We watch them from our kitchen.