Fathers Day

Fathers day at Carey’s Bay Pub was lovely, we don’t go there often but always have a good time when we do. Note the shirts, Luca thought it was time for a new matching pair, the last one Luca has well grown out of 🙂

It is just as popular today as it was back then…

Another week and the school holidays will begin. Then it is one more term until Christmas, this year seems to have gone extra fast! Work for me is busy and getting busier, this is a good thing, I really enjoy my work and I feel very fortunate to have a job that fits so well around our life. I was made Nurse Manager earlier this year, I still work on the floor and never intend to give that up, but the role allows me to look at other things too ,which is great. We have 8 clinics over the lower South Island and I am trying to find more nurses to help keep up with demand, this is proving a big challenge. Here in NZ like worldwide, healthcare staff are in huge demand, there are just not enough of them. I regularly talk to nurses in their seventies who are still working, it is really difficult to retire when the need is so high.

Progress on the property is moving along, it has been a long, long road in getting all the necessary consents for the build, this property had variances on it that a normal build does not, and we ran into many roadblocks, it has been a test in patience for sure! Finally though we are there. I organized a port-a-loo for the workman yesterday, the actual build should take 2 months. This week we will confirm the start date, need to wait until the weather is more summer like as 3 of the 4 walls are going to have big holes in them for a while, it is going to be an interesting time living here during that period!

Rich has done wonders with the outdoor living area…

It is a long weekend here, Monday is a holiday to commemorate the Queen. All of us happy to have an extra day off. We are planning a big hike tomorrow, yesterday was spent in the garden, Ted and Luca hung out doing Ted and Luca stuff until late, they were outside with light sabers battling in the dark long after dinner last night 🙂 . Today it is drizzling, so will be a quiet one catching up on indoor things, though when the rain eases later will go for a short hike

Spring is always such a optimistic time of year as the plants wake up and burst into colour.

The vege garden is doing well

I am really trying more this year to plant for the bees and to companion plant for pest resistance

Here in NZ covid is still very much present but most restrictions have now been lifted and next month we will see the first cruise ships come back into the harbour. Healthcare providers are still expected to wear PPE and if you are sick a RAT is asked of you and if positive you need to stay home for a 7 days ,(your household contacts no longer have to unless they too are positive). Most of my patients have had covid at least once, (some are up to their 4th time!), some have got through without issue and others have not been so lucky. It has been very random who the virus has affected badly. As we head towards summer there is a general sigh of relief that restrictions have been lifted, but understandably my more vulnerable patients are very nervous. The last 3 years has been an interesting time in observing humanity during our response to a public health crisis. It certainly has given me new insight into people I thought I knew well.

I have followed Rubyanne for a while now, we are on the same page 🙂