Sleepy Deepy.

Quite a change in the temperature today. It has risen to above freezing but feels colder because of the wind. Sadly, it was a day of avalanches, with the thaw, and two men were swept off Ben Nevis. We watched the helicopter come and go and they located the men's bodies in the afternoon.
The windscreen wiper on the Landrover has broken, so now it is a bit like my big black Kiwi coat - I can only wear the coat in dry weather (or I smell like an old sheep), and I can only drive the landrover in dry weather. Spook is going to Inverness tomorrow to buy the new bit and will take 4, 12yr old boys with him to go and watch Avatar. It is a 130mile round trip for the part, or for the cinema, so may as well make it all worth while.
I will languish in bed as long as possible, justified by an 18.30hrs to 2.30am shift at work to help folks celebrate the New Year. It's a lovely shift, but at present, I can't imagine staying awake that long.
Today, Mum and I went to town on the train with Drew - his 1st train trip. He was a pleasure to be with and charmed everyone within his immediate vicinity. Mum said it was an honour to have been on the trip with him.
Meg baked cakes with Amy and was in very upbeat form.......her decorations are making good fire starters.

HOpe your Christmas Lasts longer than ours.

Christmas is officially over. Meg came home from 2 days away and stripped all her lovely decorations down, denuded the tree and threw it out the patio door. Then the vacuum cleaner got fired up and the pine needles were sooked up with much aplomb. It was a dangerous place to be. My butt got vacuumed and so did Spooks feet. Now our house looks bigger. When we suggested she keep the decorations in her room, she said it had been fun making them but we could burn these ones and she'd make some more next year. Finn was completely unaware of the end of season as he was busy playing xbox games with his pal upstairs - he has been thrown out of the cupboard as his dad needs somewhere to store his things other than the middle of our bedroom floor. He will be disorientated when he finally comes downstairs.

The freezing conditions continue and Spook finds it a boon to be home in a mid winter that is not as dark as it should be. The snow has never melted into a slush and the moonlight keeps the light going into the night. A perfect winter but not if your pipes freeze. So far our caravaners seem to be coping, though they have moved into the living room to sleep as the bedroom is too cold. It is only -1 outside but I can here a North wind blowing, so the wind chill will make it feel a lot colder. Especially in what is effectively a tin can. We were going to have a wee dram outside when we saw how bright it was, but when Spook felt the wind, he decided we could sit up in bed, electric blankets on, curtains open, and we can still see Ben Nevis.

Opinion Pages Piling UP.

Scotland was looking pretty amazing today.

I worked yesterday, while Finn went snowboarding, Meg went to Kingcraig, near Aviemore with Auntie Al and Jamie, and Spook ran a hill race. Finn had a great day and I assume Meg did, as she still hasn't come home. Spook ran well, worked hard, and enjoyed his race. When I came home from work we had to spend most of the evening trying to defrost the caravan that I have let out for a week starting tomorrow and was frozen solid. We gave up when the distressing thought of paid up guests faced with a frozen toilet bowl became too much, and went to friends for a few drinks. I left Spook to solve it today while I drove down to meet Mum and give her a lift up to stay with us for a week. We had a fantastic drive back up through the Glen with hills thickly covered in snow. The wonderful Spook got the caravan defrosted, though a bit of a thaw obviously helped. We then spent THIS evening trying to get it all cleaned up. We gave up and will finish it tomorrow. It is a very drawn out affair, this caravan cleaning thing. Not sure where the professional cleaner has gone.

The main thing is that although the only papers that made it through the glen today (at the time I went looking for them) were the trashy ones, I was able to procure a Sunday Herald 90 miles further south. Well worth the journey! Now I just have to get last weeks rescued Opinion page read (as it would look pretty bad if I didn't) and then I can start on this weeks one.

Merry Christmas Northern Hemisphere Friends.

We had a lovely day here. Amazing weather and lot's of fun opening the presents with the children. They were as excited to watch each of us open presents one by one and the whole process took ages. There was a call from Amy and Grieg and our two went down to see them to catch up. I was having a beautifully harmonious day with my husband when Meg and Finn shot in the door, with her screaming 'DOGS' and in a total panic. She and her dad had a set to over her antics and our lovely day had a bit of set back. The neighbours dogs roam loose regularly and are very agressive towards cars and people who come by. We have a shared access and even when the children come up the field to avoid them, the dogs can get in the field and the children are scared. This includes their friends. Although no-one had been bitten (Meg does report one friend with a nipped ankle), the dogs behaviour and the neighbours disinterest in doing anything about it has been slowly winding me up - before we left, and since we returned. So with my daughter very upset, I became the lioness protecting her young and went straight to thier door to deliver a christmas message. I was met by their son who tried to placate me by reassuring me the dogs would not harm the chidren and that as a mother I should teach my children how to be more confident around them. One thing led to another and his mother came to the door. I told her that she was an irresponsible dog owner. She should walk the dogs on the lead and otherwise keep them inside, because they were aggressive. She said they were not aggressive as they had never bitten anyone. I pointed out that my behaviour towards her right at that moment was aggressive which she agreed with (our only agreement thus far). I also pointed out that I hadn't bitten her....................I hope she got my point.
I went back up to the house where Meg met me with a large glass of sherry. If things were a little strained with the neighbours before, they are not too good now. I will be consulting the community policewoman on protocol re loose dogs.
Been thinking about what to do with the blog. Spook thinks I should at least see it to the end of the year. Then I might do a Sunday blog. This will give me the rest of the week to read the Sunday Herald. It is good that we are learning to compromise so soon.

Merry Christmas Kiwi Friends!

I didn't blog last night. I suppose it was because I was on a sleepover at work, but partly it was because I was still in a state of shock at Spook burning my Sunday Herald. In fairness to him, there was no other paper to burn, and it was very nice to have someone else light the fire. But my Sunday Herald! It was Wednesday, but I have a very full life (as Granny always says) and it took me 3 weeks to read the Opinion page on the last Sunday Herald that I managed to buy. He said I shouldn't have left it lying around if it was so precious, and I said that I hadn't needed to worry about predators over the last 11 weeks. I imagine that oil rig workers who go away for 2 weeks every month, spend one week out of their 2 week break, re-establishing themselves in their home. I am only able to blog now as when I got home, Spook discovered that the Opinion page had not made it in to the fire. So we are harmonious again and spent a very pleasant evening preparing ahead for dinner tomorrow. Spook has also got the house in much better order. He and Meg worked well together. No thanks to Finn who didn't get off the school bus yesterday after school broke up and only just made it up through the field this afternoon before night fall, still wearing his school uniform and wanting to get in on some christmas eve action.

Meg went snowboarding. Whilst it was very very cold at our level, it seemed not so bad up there. Good conditions and no q's. Everyone must have been to busy getting ready for christmas.

Teething Problems.

We're past the darkest day so things should get easier now. However, there are still a few things to overcome. Spook always says it takes about 2 weeks per every 10 days he is away, to find his place back in our home. Someone else would have to calculate how many 10 days there are in 11 weeks and x by 14 to calculate when peace and harmony will befall our lives. This morning he threw out 3 tin cans I had rinsed and put aside for recycling. Not good. Then I had a bit of an emergency at work where it was my perception that I needed a suitcase in a hurry. I knew there was one in my living room with a bike in it and I thought it would be a good opportunity to get rid of it. I shot home and found the bike still in it, but the case in the shed and tipped the very expensive bike (which was in about 500 pieces) out on to the shed floor. It turned out that the suitcase wasn't required after all and a very annoyed Spook was heard to mutter "suitcase??? Headcase, more like!" in my general direction. Living together is not easy.

I encountered a new kind of rage today - 'non-slippy bit of pavement' rage. I was reversing onto the only non-slippy bit of pavement right at the entrance of a cafe so that my companion, who was very nervous of ice, could get in for a cup of tea, when a well known parish priest drove straight past my reversing vehicle and shot onto the exact spot I was about to get into. He dived out the car without a 2nd glance and into the cafe. I'm sure he wasn't taking advantage of his dog collar, but it did save him from a bit of a lecture.

Spook and I have 2 days left to get the christmas shopping done. Should be fine.

Tea first, coffee before 11am. Focus..........

I've got jet lag!! I can hardly keep my eyes open and have felt like this most of the day. I think I must have been more in tune with Spooks return journey than I realised.
I didn't have time for tea in bed, but Spook did get up to make it. Tea turned out to be coffee however, and I just couldn't pretend it was ok when my morning tea tongue was assaulted by a strong coffee flavour. Yes, I know, I should have pretended but if his jet lag can mistake coffee for tea, it can mistake the sink for my throat. (It was quite a good coffee though, just the wrong time of day.)
The children were granted the day off school to be with Dad, but had to go sledging without him because he was too cold. I suppose leaving mid summer Wanaka and arriving just in time for the shortest day was always going to be hard. He did find it very dark today and the house seems smaller. Megs christmas decorations have a bit of a visual impact, but so does his 2 bikes in the living room.
It is a busy time of year with visitors and well wishers so he is not likely to get a chance to get his head together before the new year. As long as he can get the morning tea sorted though, we'll be alright.

Spooky returns.

Who am I writing to??? I went to pick Spook up from the airport, leaving early enough to hopefully overcome any difficulties on the road, and called in to see Mum and Dad and have a quick bit to eat. I checked that his flight had landed in London before leaving, so at least it seemed likely he was in the country. The road through Glencoe was quite hazardous and still busy with cars and people coming off the hills from the days walking! By Loch Lomond the roads had blackened again and there was no snow at my parents house. When I came out an hour later there was a blizzard and everything had turned white. I drove to the airport convinced that Spooks plane would not land in these conditions. I was John McLean (think Diehard), going to save my husband from a terrible fate, as his plane circled in the skies above Glasgow, dangerously close to running out of fuel, waiting for me to do something about it. I had a tub of salt in my back pack and I was ready to use it.

Actually, the plane had landed by the time I got there, but Spook said it had been a little unnerving to see a truck on fire near the runway and 6 fire appliances putting it out. Apparently a de-icer machine had caught fire. I wondered if they might need my salt, with the de-icer out of action but I was too taken up with the image of Spook in his shorts, casually wheeling his gear out into the depth of winter. A true Southern man - but no stubby shorts as you get arrested for exposure over here.

It was so good to see him, but we had argued over my mobile phone within 5 minutes,which annoyed him because he couldn't work out how to use it, and despite my valient efforts through blizzard conditions on Rannoch Moor on the way home (I was sure the snowgates would be shut and with one lorry being rescued by the snow plough in the Glen, they were possibly not far off being shut), there was quite a lot of suggestions about where I might want to position the car on the road (what road? I couldn't even see it.) 11 weeks without criticism. Hmm, this may take some getting used to.

But it was great to sit on the sofa with the children and just be together again. It felt right.

Good day for the start of the ski season

DEAR SPOOK, I have been waiting all night for you to land in Hong Kong and make contact. But really, I have no idea when you are due in. And no idea how long you have to wait in Hong Kong. I only know that the snow continues to fall outside and I hope it has no effect on your arrival - or my ability to pick you up. I have always enjoyed the excitement of driving through the Glen in extreme conditions, which I used to do when I came up to see you from Glasgow. I daresay I can make it back through the Glen in the other direction with equal determination, to get you home.

I have had a relaxing day. Drew and I went for a walk and called into the pub. He is very excited about you coming home. Meg went to town with Amy and Finn had his pals up at the house after rugby. Grieg and Kier are staying. At 10pm I invited them to come walk the dogs with me. (BJ's dogs are as charming and attentive as ever and a pleasure to look after, apart from the copious amount of black hairs everywhere. They really are lovely companions. Bit of a wind problem though). The boys and the dogs loved the walk in the snow. It's never dark and has that great silence. NOt cold, iether. Meg chose not to come home as there were too many boys for her liking.

We are all just waiting for you now. The snow and the dogs help to keep minds off where you might be now. Finn marvelled at the snow falling in such big flakes and said "I don't think I ever could survive New Zealand!" I think he means a New Zealand Christmas. It's not as if all our Christmas's look like this!!!! It's just such a shame that you are not only in the wrong part of the world, but the wrong side of The Glen.

xxx

Down but not out.

DEAR SPOOK, good old Kiwi airlines. I'm glad you feel you have been treated so well. To only have had to pay $80 excess baggage to be rerouted via Hong Kong when you have 4 bags, 2 of which are bikes, is getting off pretty lightly!! And having Kevins home and phone to make all the new arrangements must have been a real boon. All being well, you will be coming in to Glasgow from London at 1845pm Sunday night, but I think we have to keep it in mind that there is unaccustomed snow in London and a few other airport hassles besides. Fingers crossed, it's all looking a bit better than it did last night.

Safe journey.

xxx

How many pints did you and Hugh have at the airport????

DEAR SPOOK, you cant imagine how exciting it was this afternoon. Sun set at 3.30pm, Salvation Army playing christmas carols and the snow starting to fall in big flakes, lit up in the street lights. I ordered the turkey for christmas dinner and came home to find the children very excited with the snow. Between that and the anticipation of you coming home, it was a very happy household. So to read your email telling me that you had left your passport in Hugh's office in Queenstown airport where you had put it for safekeeping while you had a pint with him and only noticed it was missing when you went to check in for the flight to LA, and had since spent the night in Auckland airport waiting for Hugh to wake up so you could ask him to send it up on the next flight, and that all flights to LA are fully booked until Christmas and that you didn't now how you were going to get home........well, it did kind of put a dampner on our spirits. Having lost your bank cards the night before after your night out with your workmates may have seemed insignificant when you were leaving anyway. I suppose it wasn't so handy when you were faced with an indeterminate period of time in Auckland. Also, being without a mobile phone as it was a work one, will have been inconvenient. Thankgoodness you had written down the numbers of your friends, so that, once they all woke up, you could begin the process of clawing your way home. Hugh is sending the passport once the wind in QT drops and flights can take off, Kevin has picked you up at the airport and will see you safely to the front of the standby queue and hopefully see you onto the next flight to LA. There is only one flight a day, so if your not on that one, you will need to reroute and I suggest you investigate all possibitities including flights via Outer Mongolia if necessary. Christmas day is fast approaching and I do believe it will be a hot and sweaty one in Auckland. Have you thought of hitch-hiking?

I have to say, that your brother, my brother and BJ, who were all here for dinner tonight, were not as sympathetic as I might have hoped. One really needs ones girlfriends at a time like this. We did all make a toast to absent friends. But it made them laugh very loudly. Oh Spook, do you really want to hang out with these people?? I will be tuning in very closely to your plight and have fingers and toes crossed that some deserving person will be upgraded to 1st class so that you can get their seat and that will make someone elses christmas as well as ours.

Hang on in there honey.

xxx

Just pretend you don't know Bruce.

DEAR SPOOK, so you went to the pub on your last night in Wanaka. No surprises there. And after a last run up Mt Iron and a good scan of your hunting ground of the last 14 months, you will meet Hugh McPhee in Queenstown Airport for a last drink. And then Kevin is picking you up from Auckland Airport to go to his house for a bbq and meet up with Dylan. (3.5hrs is not a lot of time!) And Bruce Willis will meet you at the airport in LA. I'd watch that one as bad things happen when he turns up at airports.
Your children are not so fond of the social life as you are. They have both declined to go to their school disco. I think Finn was put off by all the orange skinned 12 year old girls that turned up at school today. He is bemused by the concept of the fake tan. Especially when it looks like that. Meg has never liked the disco so she and Amy got out a DVD and had a girls night in. Finn had a boys night in at Griegs house.
I attempted the christmas shopping but didn't get on too well. I did accumulate a couple of bags and as I ran up the street, 3 different people we knew smiled and said "just getting some last bits and pieces?". If only! The street was pretty quiet. I suppose everyone else has iether done their shoppng or is doing it in Inverness or Glasgow. So they missed the handsome Peruvian men playing the pan pipes and adding some exotic cheer to the day. I cant think that they would get a flight home from the proceeds of a busk in Fort William.
Now for goodness sake don't miss those flights. I will miss you when you are in the skies.
xxx

Bye bye United Group, and thanks.

DEAR SPOOK, you are on your last day at work. As much as you want to be home now, you will be finding that hard as you have built such strong relationships with your colleagues. I daresay the trials and tribulations of the plant have added to the strength as you have worked so hard for so long to get things up and running. I don't suppose Wanaka will ever know how hard you toiled on their behalf - especially last Christmas.
And one more night in New Zealand - for now. But hey ho, this is only really the start of the adventure.
Ah, and what adventures. Granny Maggie came looking for her grandchildren tonight and had to search. She traced Grieg to our house, and found Amy playing her trombone at the high school. In the process she decided that our children could not be left alone so she took them all out to the pub for dinner. This made for a good Wednesday night.
Your daughter is out of control. I bought a new mascara (as I said recently) because my old one had disappeared. My new one has now disappeared and my old one is back. She thinks batting her eyelids at me will get her off the hook. And she isn't even wearing the mascara - just storing it away for the future!
I managed to secure 5 donuts for 20p. We had one each for supper and are all feeling a bit stodgy now. Your body will be such a temple, you will not cope with our unhealthy ways.
I have an hour to get the christmas shopping done tomorrow. There are not a lot of shops left in Fort William, so the limited choice should simplify things - everyone will get a waterproof jacket.
What will you do on your last night in Wanaka??
xxx

Work, work, work.

DEAR SPOOK, I was working very hard today............ish. In fact, not at all. My 'boss' took me out for lunch in a beautiful lochside hotel where I had Stornoway Salad - lettuce, saute potatoes, mushrooms, Stornoway black pudding and crispy bacon - yum yum. Everything on the menu looked great. Delicious puddings too. The hotel is old and has been very tastefully redecorated. We were with another friend and had a great afternoon. Very reasonable prices too.
It is a change to not be loading you with guilt over my stressful life v's your life on the open waves, fuelled by bottles of beer (Finn said you were fine with the beer, and the one hand on the steering wheel because "look at all the open space, Mum!"). I had a lovely day.
There was a bit of running around tonight with maths lesson and rugby. Everytime I leave Meg in the house alone, she creates copious amounts of decorations to stick around the house. When I came home from a half hour trip to the rugby, there was a ceiling covered in paper chains. I am on a late shift tomorrow, so worry about our living space becoming restricted by the time I get home.
A box of your things arrived today and Finn was delighted to get his blanket back. I went to the Post Office to pick up another parcel and was chuffed to find it was my woolen coat from Wastebusters. I had left it at work for Mary to give to another tall colleague, but Mary and the rugby mother who had sold it to me (Naomi, Zac's mum) had decided it was meant to be on me, and on a Scottish rugby sideline, so had sent it at great cost. I put it on and it felt good. It's just that it is for cold, dry days, so I will need to count the number of days I wear it and then we will be able to retrospectively judge what kind of winter we have had.
You have 2 sleeps left, whilst we have 5 left without you. The fifth one is the one in Kingussie on Saturday, so it is 4 before you are home in Scotland. So that kind of implies 2 sleeps on a plane. Hmm, long flight, honey.
xxx

My poor darling - you must be so tired.

DEAR SPOOK, all I can say to this set of photo's is that you had better speak very nicely to Henry and he might take you out in HIS boat. It doesn't need to end here.

The frost lifted and it was a bit dank today. The children are holding out for snow and they wont be the only ones, with the ski season opening on the 19th December and no snow. No-0ne is surprised of course, but it would be a major disaster in Wanaka, I think. It was amazing how they could make snow all night and have it groomed for the start of the day and keep that going all season if necessary. We are lower than Mt Roy here, so not a hope of that.

I bought hair dye and eyeliner in preparation for your homecoming. One feels one should make an effort - at least for the first weekend. I thought I had a blond hair kit, but I have gone dark so will have to get highlights tomorrow to make it look as if I've been hanging out on an Ozzy beach. I miss Sarsha for such attentions. She did my hair and put hightlights in it before our night out in Wanaka and I got handcuffed by those handsome policemen. I doubt that is going to happen with my DIY attempts. Someone is coming round next Monday to cut it, but there will be no wow factor for you on Saturday. Just a bedraggled, uncut mess and some badly applied eyeliner. But you will be bleary eyed yourself and will have worse to come with a wild night out with the boys.

There are 4 children staying tonight and tomorrow, but you wouldn't know it. Amy and Grieg blend in very well. Remember how they just sat with us in the house for the 2 nights before we left?

Get those bags packed honey. There is work to be done over here.

xxx

p.s. Beer is clearly an important part of boating out there. I don't mean to go all wifely on you, but should you not put that beer down and put 2 hands on the wheel?

They've gone off a waltzing matilda and left me alone.

DEAR SPOOK, as expected, the frost continues to dig deep and it is great to live in a cosy house.

Finn and I were up until 1am this morning. After his blog (if you can't beat 'em, join 'em), we went on to You tube and checked out his choice of National Anthem for Scotland. He has been discussing this in music and Mrs Anderson sang him a beautiful song that he wanted to check out. He figured it was the only one for him. Caledonia. First we looked at the Tenants Lager advert which made the song a hit many years ago, and brought a few people home, and then we looked at it's writer, Dougie Mclean, singing it. I have no idea how Finn missed me playing it in NZ, as my best friend bought me the CD before I left - to remind me where I came from and to make sure I came back. Any Kiwi who doesn't know it, could google you tube and search Caledonia. Dougie Mclean sings it the best. If you listen to the words, it would bring a tear to your eye as it reminds Finn of how he felt in NZ and the feelings that were brought to the surface when he was so far from home. All the more credit to Johanna Vermuelen who made him feel so genuinely happy in her class. He is constantly celebrating his return home in his thoughts with comments coming to the surface quite regularly. When we drive home at night past Christmas lights "Fort William is the BEST at Christmas" (a light, bright, sunny Christmas day just doesn't cut it), "why do people always go away for college?" (he is hearing about friends big brothers and sisters going away to cities, and as far as he can see, there is a perfectly good college in Fort William), and of course the request to be allowed to stay on in the family home until he is 36. It is lovely to have his regular outbursts of "I LOVE Fort William" as the High Street dries up before our eyes with only Outdoor Supply shops and Charity shops to choose from. Such enthusiasm is comforting.

Unfortunately, his enthusiasm took a battering, as he walked home in the dark from his friends to be here in time for a family viewing of Elf. Meg wanted home but didn't have a lift. I was working 30mins longer than I had realised and had promised to pick up something to eat on the way home. By the time we joined him, Elf was nearly finished and he had resorted to playing Caledonia. (he found my CD.) He is a very forgiving child. I was home at 7pm and by 8pm the cosy family night had become me and Dougie Mclean as Finn and Meg accepted an invite to the local 'posh' pool and legged it out the door. Serves me right, I suppose.

But, to balance things out last night, Finn had also checked out the New Zealand national anthem sung in Maori and we had both hummed along (I love it); images of The Haka; a few magic moments of All Black players, and Mount Aspiring College. He may show signs of never leaving Lochaber again, but New Zealand is not far from his thoughts. Taking us through to 1am was the Pogues singing the fairy tale christmas in New York, and then touchingly, we had a history lesson on Gallipoli (very close to the Kiwi's hearts) in the Pogues version of Waltzing Matilda.

We miss you Spook. xxx

Yo dudes

DEAR SPOOK, there is a really hard frost now. It didn't really warm up today despite being very beautiful, so the frost is deepening. (Finn is complaining about me blogging because I am not listening to him. I am complaining because he is trying to demonstrate to me how a dog was playfully biting his hand, and it is interfering with my typing. He tells me he is depressed because I pay more attention to the blog than I do him, and I have also refused his facebook pimping offer.) He says he would forgive me if I posted a link to his facebook services so that he can make some money. I wish you would come home and make him go to bed.
It was a long day today, but very pleasant. The children were both happy with their plans and Meg asked if she could stay on at her friends for another night. Finn spent the day and evening at Griegs but came home to have tea with me before I dived back out. He is enjoying the wee opportunities for one to one. So a work day tomorrow and then I plan to come home, light the fire and we can all snuggle in and watch Elf (again, but it's nice that they love it). The coalman delivered this week, so Granny can't have had her Dick Turpin mask on.
Finn's miniblog:


Yo bros

nidding ma old man back been totley a bandind by the old lady making me do all the manly stuff. like bring the coal in, clean out the fire, bring up and down the bins, clean the toilet, emtpy the suwij tank you can give me a few tips, reshingle the roof, drink all that bottles of wine that you keep under the counter YUUUUUUMMMM no more for you MOAWHAHAHA!!!
XXXX from me xxx from mum none from meg hehehe

Oh no he didn't.

DEAR SPOOK, frosty morning. I trust it was sunny for your bbq last night? You are back off my radar again.
The local panto was full of talented young folk, but it lacked more adults to pull it together. Some great dancers. Finn was very positive about it. He still loves the brightness and colour and it all happening for real in front of him.
Meg went off on a sleepover afterwards and Finn has come home with me to read my emails, advise on the blog and generally make a nuisance of himself. He just offered to 'pimp up' my face book for a £5 fee!
It is weird to have you say that you will see me NEXT weekend. My brother was on the phone saying how bizarre it seems too. All your friends are very excited about your return. Having earned myself a reputation as a very understanding wife by driving you straight from the airport to a boys weekend, I am now spoiling the effect by making it clear to them that this is the only concession and that by the time you get through my list, they will not be seeing you again until NEXT Christmas.
Get thee to thy next social engagement honey, your not done yet.
xxx

Oh yes he is!

DEAR SPOOK, I know we have seen lot's of photos of you lounging around Rabbit Island, but Robbi sent me this one today in case I was missing the sight of you. I tried elongating it to see how tall I could get you. She said that the group of Pacific Islanders in the background were watching the boys tossing the caber (pine trunk) which is not part of their culture, so they were being entertained.
I'm so glad you and Hugh made it off the boat. Sticking to beer was a wise move. Great that the rain cleared up and the weather was glorious. So now you are off to Dundedin to say goodbye to Pete and family, and David and family. It must be quite a sad week for you with so many goodbyes.
But cheer up. Unbeknown to you, you have sold a wee bit of the Common Grazing to build a new care home. This is of double benefit as you can now afford to buy that ring I know you have always wanted to get me, and there will be somewhere within wheelable distance for Meg and Finn to take us when they think the time is right.
They were looking for some reassurance the other night. Finn wanted to know if it would still be alright for him to stay here when he is 36. Meg just wanted to know that we wouldn't change her bedroom into a dressing room the minute she left it. I think she has been scarred by what happened to my brothers youngest son. We were all standing there when he came up from is new flat and discovered he was never getting back.
They continue to take my shifts in their stride and I wish I would stop all the nervous anticipation and take each day as it comes - the kind of laid back attitude I was determined to adopt from Kiwiland and lost within the first week. I have a short day shift tomorrow and then we are all going to the local pantomine. Both children have friends to go with, so I will no doubt be sitting alone. I don't miss you when it comes to the local amateur dramatics, as let's face it honey, you were not going to be there. Sad that your 6 major productions a year in Primary school made you allergic to such events. I'm looking forward to it.
xxx

Don't forget to wear a life jacket.

DEAR SPOOK, the photo's don't really do justice to how much we laughed when we saw the ramp that was to save us if our brakes failed. This is just before The Gates of Haast, isn't it. The road down is very steep, and the runaway ramp is also far steeper than it looks in this photo. We imagined that if we shot up this whilst out of control, we would fly through the air and into the gorge. It is amazing how green it becomes once you leave the top of Lake Wanaka at Makarora. And how the sandflies multiply with each km. You even tell me that the mosquitoes are only 5 minutes out of Wanaka, as you got bitten twice last night in Albert Town and we were never bitten in Wanaka. Maybe the thunder and lightning storm brought them out. It was raging while you were on the phone, and then Finn recieved 26 messages from his classmates and one from his teacher, which were written during the storm. He loved reading his mail and felt as if NZ was not so far away.

Now you are heading off to Queenstown and Hugh McPhee's boat. You are well and truly off the radar. Even if there was an internet cafe in the middle of Lake Wakatipu, I imagine you, Hugh, the whisky and anyone else on the boat, will be off the radar. Hugh must be so chuffed to have got the chance to socialise with a fellow Lochaber man. It adds to the 2 degrees of seperation theory in NZ. When he was having lunch in Jan's cafe in Bannockburn and she recognized the Scottish accent, she asked him where he was from and he said Spean Bridge. She told him that a man from Roybridge (3 miles distant) was living in Wanaka. And Hugh said, 'yes, I had dinner with him last night'. In fact it sort of puts the 2 degrees of seperation further afield than NZ. Jan is from Australia, but knew you really well when you were a lad in Roybridge, and Hugh and you know each other EXTREMELY well from life in The Braes. And all of you were within 50km of each other on the other side of the world. So maybe when Finn felt quite close to NZ last night, he was right to.

It was lovely to be here for the children coming off the bus on a very wet and dark afternoon. They were very excited to see the christmas tree and we all had hot chocolate and coffee while they decorated it. Very christmassy. No carol's, thankgoodness. After tea, we had to continue the festive spirit with a quiz and charades. We may be burnt out by Christmas Day.

xxx

Why does everyone look so relaxed?

DEAR SPOOK, it seemed like such good advice to just put the homework on a gizmo thingy and it would all be resolved. Mairi said she would do it no bother and Dorothy said we could borrow her stick as long as we were very, very, very careful not to lose her information on it as it was very, very, very important. Mairi is great with computers. she got the homework onto the stick but it still wouldn't print. So she got it on to her own stick which she found in her bag. But it still wouldn't print. They thought it might be because Finn and I had used Microsoft Works, so Dorothy tried to get that on the work computer, but something went a wee bitty wrong and it still wouldn't print...........and now Dorothy can't find anything on her stick. Not so good afterall. Dorothy is still speaking to me, even though I brought my domestic issues into the workplace and blew away all her domestic issues from her gizmo.

I took the computer to Redcat and asked if she could save Finn from getting the belt tomorrow. As she footered about with sticks, Microsoft Works issues, colleagues, I was nervously watching the clock as a sign said that it was £15 per 15 minutes. Christine Dykes husband came in and told me all about his computer problems, which he had plenty of time to do while the homework was being extracted from the laptop. I was thinking that we didn't really need a decent meal this week as the shopping money was being spent on two sheets of a very small school project, when she presented me with two copies of said homework, and no fee. Phew.

Finn went to rugby tonight in a state of semi-nakedness and no dinner (not my fault). He came home semi-hypothermic and very hungry. He was in a state of shock, cowering under the shower, and it was the first time he has been less than enthusiastic about the rugby.

It is good to see Corrine and Robert looking so well and funny to see them with you, when I only saw them here a couple of weeks ago.

Note that the cupboard is a good place to keep 12 year old boys. I have quite a stash of them.

xxx

Hurry up.

DEAR SPOOK, no pictures today because I am on the wrong computer and photo's are on the other one. Right. I've changed my mind. I don't care that you only have 12 days left. They are 12 too many. Get your butt back over here NOW!
I did business in town and then came home. Went to print out Finn's homework for him to work on tonight. It wouldn't print and I figured it was out of ink. Took printer back to town to make sure got the right ink. Back home to print and it wouldn't print. Printer not working. Took laptop to No Fuss office. Plugged into printer. Printer out of ink. Took laptop to work. Printer wouldn't install. Will take laptop back to work tomorrow and try another printer. I will not come home until I have got the job done. (and yes, I will find some kind person who will put it on a little stick and print it for me and it will all be calm and unhysterical, and thanks for that advice that you were just about to give me). Meanwhile, found a very sad boy at home because he needs a parent at home to help with homework. Found very industrious daughter who had cleaned and tidied the kitchen to a highly polished finish. The fridge had been tidied and tupperwared to the max. Cupboards tidied and a severe warning that they should stay that way. I also found two christmas wish lists and between the sad boy and the industrious girl (Finn heated the beans while she worked), they feel pretty confident they deserve a granting of their wishes. I will be out the door 5 minutes after they get up tomorrow and have said NO to working tomorrow night as well. They will be abandoned on Thursday night, semi-abandoned on Friday night, abandoned on Saturday night and all day Sunday. This is not a good week for family life or homework, but an excellent week for blackmail/guilt trip.
Meg has far more enthusiasm for school and is being offered a lot more support. I missed a message from last week to meet with learning support because of the late shifts and Meg trying to remember too many things. Also missed AGM for Dyslexia support group and Parent Council. YOu need come home so that I can be out even more!!!! How easy life was when I went out to my tennis lesson once a week.
xxx

There were a couple of extra big fairies hanging around in the forest this morning.

DEAR SPOOK, we went for a walk down to Fairy Glen. I wasn't sure if the children would want to come, but they were up and out with great enthusiasm. They thought it might have been cut down as there had been talk of it before we left, but it seemed pretty much intact. I'm sure there is still controversy over a pile of junk scattered around the forest, but it has a lot of charm. You could easily walk right past without noticing it if you didn't know it was there.

Your children have quite a lot of charm just now too. They are very in tune with each other. Perhaps being alone together for a few evenings while I am working has helped as there is no-one to referee if they fall out. Being excited about you and Christmas is possibly helping. I hope they can keep it up for the next two weeks.

I am sad that you only have 12 days left. But I am excited too.

xxx

You got the warm welcome and we got the dark glen.

DEAR SPOOK, I am getting all these reports from friends who tell me you are pine-ing for us, home-sick, love-sick...........I'm just not getting that feeling from these pictures. If you could stop grinning for a moment, I might be more convinced. Maybe that smile is painted on your face.

There is a wee look of Morar beach about the place. I think it has something to do with Roddy clutching his cup of tea for warmth, while you wade into the sea. I know that as a Munro, you will attempt a dip in any temperatures, and I notice that you are the only one partaking of the salt water. Roddy has been gone from the glens for too long for that caper. I also note from the interesting photo of the very large dude in the circle of sand, that you must be very, very far from the camera as you look very, very small. And the incredible hulk in the surf shorts must be very, very near the camera. I'm guessing you and he are probably about the same size.

Marion, however, is just petite. I assume that was before your run.

The children were spared any hauling of coal sacks today. Granny phoned this morning to say the coalman was at her house and did I want him sent in my direction. I said not to worry as I had ordered coal earlier in the week and he would be down to deliver in the afternoon. She hadn't ordered coal as they had plenty, but he persuaded her to purchase 10 bags and somehow got your sister to buy 7. Everytime I nipped out, I told Finn to keep an eye out for him and make sure it was 10 bags that were delivered and no less (I'd left cash out for that amount). By nightfall, there was still cash and no coal. I phoned him as he was heading back to his side of the country and he informed me that by the time he had got to me, he had no coal left!! He will be back next Saturday. Now I'm not saying Granny and your sister stole my coal....................no, no Granny, only kidding. Please do not bring a bag down. I'll be squeezing an extra bag out of him next week, or I'll be squeezing his neck.

Mum and I went past the view point up in Glenroy at dusk. It is the first time I have driven past that point since The Sinclairs left the glen almost 6 years ago. I forgot how winding and narrow it is and how far! As we looked away to where the road disappeared and realised there was still a fair distance to go to the lodge house, we could see rain creeping up the glen. It looked dark and forboding and a long way from the flat lands of Mildura in Australia. But how lovely it always was to reach the end of the road, and the warm welcome that could be relied upon. By 4.15pm, the darkness engulfed us and we headed back to the village.

xxx

Swapsies.

DEAR SPOOK, it was a silvery morning after the hoare frost. The pink sky was a day or so ago. A great day to drive through Glencoe as Scotland was looking very beautiful.

We in Lochaber are becoming much healthier. 2 weeks ago there were 200 pupils a day off the High School, last week it was 120 and this week it is only 80.

Nana is staying for the weekend and has already regaled Meg with the story of a ton of coal being delivered to the farm. It was her job as a young girl, to shovel it, with a very small hand shovel, into the shed. This took a long time and was very hard work. Meg had been quite proud today that she had taken the bin down to the bottom of the road without an argument, and Finn had managed to get a half scuttle-full of coal last night. I'm hoping to have made some inroads into their dodgy approach to chores by the end of the weekend. You may reap the rewards yet.

Rugby training tomorrow and another tournament cancelled. Not sure why this time. Usually it is the rain and danger of twisted knees and ankles. This time I think it is just the build up to Christmas. The training shuts down for the whole of January, so it is a little frustrating for Finn. He does get to train Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, and a wee game is usually included, but not the same.

We have a little shopping to do tomorrow, a coal delivery (Meg and Finn are looking a little nervous), a sale of Janes lovely art/craft work, and maybe a trip up Glenroy with Nana. Don't know if I should mention that while you are with past occupants of the Glen. They get to have you and we get to have a wee shot of their glen. It's only fair.

I haven't heard from you, so am assuming you put on more pounds at the bbq and lost some on your run with Marion and cycle with Josh.

xxx