The last day

I have had a lovely day today. Up in time for Mass - and funny enough it was the feast of the Holy Family and was all about FAMILY. Ha, just as I have managed to be alone with no family around for a few days and here they were espousing the joy of family. I could have felt guilty but I didn’t. I know this is not 'real' life and I'm sure I would get bored after a month or two. And yes, I do love you all, but it's so nice being able to do ANYTHING I want WHENEVER I want. No cooking, no meal times, no cleaning, no dishes, no talking, no noise, no mess, nada, nothing. I LOVE IT.

But it all ends tomorrow. I'm off to join up with Seán and his guys for a few days in sunny (it better be!) Timaru. Then Zoë arrives home from her time on a farm and it will be back to having to be someone other than 'just Jo' for another year...

Anyway, I did have a lovely day today and it's not yet finished...

Church (tick), walk (tick), coffee (tick), movie (tick), coffee (tick), karate (tick)...yet to come, ummmmmmmmm...dinner? naahh…whatever I like (tick).

My walk was a spectacular series of wrong turns. I was trying to walk up Signal Hill. I found the sign at the bottom of the hill and it was very explicit about 'Stay on the formed track' and had little yellow arrows, but the arrows pointed away from the formed track to a slightly less formed track, I dithered here and there and took about five different tracks all which petered out or didn't head the way I wanted. I finally found a 'formed track' that seemed to head in the right direction. Thirty minutes later though I was still on the wrong side of a stream and could hear dogs baying and I began imagining that they were chasing me. It was a very primeval place (see pix - click to enlarge). I finally started going up, but was sure it was the wrong up. And it proved to be. I ended up on the wrong hill. And the dogs were from the SPCA, safely in cages. I'll try again tomorrow.


I drove around a bit to find another walkway (after traipsing 30 minutes back through mud, to the car) and after a long vertical climb found the most spectacular view of the harbour I have seen for a while. I whipped out my camera but the thing was out of batteries. So I sat and looked at the view. I'll do it again with Seán and take a charged camera.

All this walking is in aid of a three-day tramp I'm doing in a couple of weeks. I'm wearing in my boots; and today I had the most delicious pair of socks on. Odd to go on about socks but they are truly divine and felt like slippers inside my boots - I want more! They originally cost $33 but I got them on special for $19. New Year sales, maybe?

I'm on a mission…for socks!