Murky life, clear water
December 18, 2005Ruby Bay, New Zealand,
7:21pm
Eight days since my last post, not including my tribute to Dora, the little slut. She ran off with Boots and last I heard she is shacking up with Joe from Blues Clues. My heart is still in her little backpack. Vamanos Dora. Vamanos.
So what have we been up to in the last week or so you must be saying to yourself? Well, lots of basic living, with the odd dashes of sunshine and heat in mid December. Both Steph and I are having difficulty getting into the spirit without the blanket of snow, or at least snowflakes lollygagging to the ground. We have since decorated the banister with some cheesy multicoloured tinsel and are playing grainy Christmas music from an Internet radio station in Cleveland. As the late great Dave Villineuve used to say, ho fucking ho.
Since my last post, our neighbours left, continuing their own journey to Blenheim, where they were moving into their new house. They invited us to come and visit either during our stay here in Ruby Bay, or on our way to Picton to take the ferry back to Wellington at the end of January. They were nice, even the little slow motion talker, and our last dinner there was more even, with Tana making a great pumpkin soup with pesto pasta. Pumpkins are squash here, is that crazy? Are you just shivering in your own cold sweat from the excitement that Kiwis actually have different names for fruits and vegetables then us Canadians? No? Me either.
I am having trouble actually thinking what we did this past week. A couple of raspberry and boysenberry picking escapades, where you could fill a Kg bucket in about 45 seconds the fruit was so abundant. Trips to Nelson and Richmond to finish off our shopping, lots of covert op stuff, one distracter, one purchaser, things we must do as we are always together. Always. Are. Together.
The highlight I guess was cutting our own tree and putting it up last night. It is a wild pine and not the most well rounded tree, which matches our family’s personality I guess. We bought some red balls and white lights, the rest we have filled with pinecones and shells and some of Hud’s toys. I did not like it at first, but it is growing on me. It was the first time I cut my own tree for Christmas, so it will have that statistic going for it.
Hud continues to be naughty and nice, and completely immersed in the fantasy of Santa Claus. It will be the best part of the holiday (that and my father being here) I am sure. Watching him open his gifts and be mesmerized on how Santa got in and out without him hearing it will be a joyful ruse to witness. He grows up at rocket speed. I am almost afraid to blink.
Today I can recap cause I can remember it. We ate lunch at Riwaka Resurgence, which may sound like a Maori political group, but actually it’s the origin\ of the Riwaka river which flows down the side of Tanaka hill through caves, underwater and then explodes to the surface, thus the resurgence moniker. Our luck was bad, as DOC (dept of conservation) were doing some repairs at the resurgence point and we were not allowed to climb the bank.
We did get to see and drink the water where it first appears, and it may be the cleanest water in the world. It flows down marble caves and pools at this one point called crystal something or other. It was at least twenty feet deep and you could see the fluttering of algae on the rocks at the bottom. It was so clear, and too cold to jump in, but excellent to drink. We actually saw a guy walking the path when we were leaving with two big water jugs to fill and take home. Not something you see in every country.
I had a bad day emotionally. The first day in a long time where I actually longed to be home. Not because I missed anyone (no offence), but I was getting an impatient feeling of getting our life back together again. Steph and I talked about it, and we reluctantly admitted we were getting a little bored. I want to work again, just not in the same type of job. I am still working on what I actually am good at doing. Good at doing that offers some sort of income.
I am sure it will all pass as people from home arrive and the season wraps around us. We have some nice boat adventure stuff scheduled, so that will be fun. As well as some good old fashioned debauchery with my little Italian.
I miss Dora.
Love to all,
J.
posted by Jason @ 11:18 PM
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