30th Nov day 47 - see how they grow

As it was the start of ERO for Simon he left early in order to get to school before the inspectors. After he left I cleaned out under the sink and sorted out the stuff that had just been dumped there when he was getting the house ready for sale a couple of months ago. It took quite a while to do that and 3 lots of washing. 

I then started a new morning Bible study based on Psalm 103 after yesterday's message. I thought I would just look at a  couple of verses each day but in the event I didn't get past verse1! That's because it ends with the words "worship His holy name" and I started thinking of some of those holy names we are given in the Bible. As I remembered different ones that prompted me to various songs which included those titles and I had a really peaceful time singing and praying. I had thought of 38 titles, which was a good start. 

Before I went shopping I took this picture of the annuals I planted less than 3 weeks ago, not long after I arrived, what a difference, it demonstrates how furtile the soil is here and the perfect growing conditions at this time of year. I am looking forward to them all flowering.

I had a lot of odd bits of shopping to do and as I hadn't been into K Mart yet this trip excise to shop there. I thought it was a bit like a Tesco Extra so pulled into the carpark. As I was walking across towards the shop I suddenly tripped over a ramp and fell heavily, thankfully putting out both hands to break my fall. I was carrying faulty polypockets I was returning for Simon and they flew off in all directions. People were very kind and went chasing after them as it was breezy, it was chaotic and funny. I was so glad I had put on my jeans or my knees would have been badly grazed, the only thing that really hurt was my left hand but I did feel a bit sick and shaky. I sat in the car for a few minutes before continuing my errands. All that can be seen now is a 3" bruise from my wrist up the palm of my left hand, I was very fortunate indeed but it reminded me I always need to look at the floor, not where I going. My damaged right foot (from 2 back ops) has no reflex so doesn't do the necessary adjustments when I trip, which makes me fall quite a bit.

After that incident it was a successful shopping trip getting everything I needed. I bought cakes in case Carol and Phil, Simon's neighbours at the back were able to come for a cuppa. I called to see them but Carol wasn't having a great day, she has an ongoing condition. They promised to come in a day or two, which will be great. I managed to get all the washing ironed and put away before Simon got home. He had had a challenging day and needed to find his appraisal from Central School last year.

When we couldn't find it at home we drove back to his work for us both to search, unfortunately to no avail. But on the way back I asked him to stop and take this photo. This is a typical hedge in Hawkes Bay, it's enormous isn't it and I have no idea how they are cut, presumably with a gigantic trimmer.

The reason they are so high is to protect the vines and orchards that are everywhere in this region. The wind blows off the Pacific very strongly and the salty air would damage the fruits.

I cooked dinner whilst Simon relaxed and then we watched yet another episode of 'Would I lie to you'. A good laugh was just what he needed before turning in.

29th Nov day 46 start of second half of my trip

It's seems ages since I left home, probably because I have seen and done so many wonderful things and spent quality time with family and friends, but in other ways the time is now flying and I have realised I am over half way through this fantastic trip. Thankfully I am not half way through my time with Simon and Nicholas yet. 

I keep meaning to put in this picture of the Alstromeira in the garden here, it's been magnificent since I arrived. It's my friend Molly's favourite flower so it reminds me of her each time I admire it.

Unfortunately Simon wasn't feeling great this morning, he'd hardly slept, so he put his feet up on his comfy sofa whilst I went to church and he managed to dose off again. 

Yay I knew one of the songs this morning it was 'Nothing can separate, even if I run away, Your love never fails'. Paul the Pastor spoke about what the Lord had shown him in the middle of the night earlier in the week. He was shown how there is a need to bless others and the words that were going through his head when he woke up were "you know Paul it is ok to bless God".

He felt prompted to read Psalm 103 which starts with "Bless the Lord oh my soul and all that is within me bless His holy name. Bless the Lord oh my soul and forget none of His benefits....." God reinforced to him 3 things concerning blessing, thanking and praising (it's easy to get them all mixed together so I found these explanations helpful)

1) Blessing affirms identity - we bless God and others to affirm their identity. That's the nature of God put into us when we were created

2) Thanking affirms appreciation for things done or words said - we thank God and others for what has been done for us, or said to us, by them

3) Praising affirms achievement or completion of a task done - often we will tell others of a person or job done well, but forget to tell or praise that person, or even God Himself.

Paul suggested it would be beneficial if as indivuals we got into the habit of blessing God daily for who He is, rather than what He has done for us. As we do that thanks and praise will follow and then flow out to others. We will begin to see the world changing around us.

When I got back Simon had just woken up so we had a cuppa and light lunch in the garden. We did another crossword together, then read and relaxed until it was time to pop down and see Nicholas briefly. Bless him he was hanging tired after his full on weekend in the great outdoors, but was so pleased to see his Dad. We only stayed a few minutes just dropping off things he needed for the start of the week. Philippa agreed I could take him to see Transylvania 2 when I collect him from school on Tues, he was very excited at that prospect. 

This is the High School Simon is hoping Nicholas will attend when he's a bit older. It's on the training circuit we walked yesterday so it will be easy for him to walk their from 904. I don't know who Art Williams is but this is a good statement for when someone needs to push through a challenge. We walked the circuit the opposite way tonight and it took us 10 mins less!

It's been a lovely slow-paced weekend, just what Simon needed before his pressured week. During the evening we watched the second episode of Newsroom, I am finding it compelling viewing.

28th Nov day 45 lazy days of summer - woohoo

Simon and I had a lovely lie in, with Nicholas being away, and then an unhurried day ahead of us, bliss. The sun was shining but it was very breezy so we had our weekend breakfast inside. After breakfast we did my daily Bible study together which was based on Romans 3 vs 24 about faith being a free gift to us but which cost God the life of His Only Son. The notes were talking about how hard we as individuals find it to receive freely, we would much rather have to work for something because that gives us a sense of satisfaction. Coming to a place where we realise we need His love and forgiveness is humbling, but without it we can't have true faith. 

We chatted around this subject for a while and then prayed together. It's one of the precious things Simon and I share, an active faith in Jesus, and it's one of the things I miss most about him being the other side of the world. But for now I'm just enjoying every precious time together.

We then did the Sat paper crossword together by which time it was almost midday. We headed for Meeanee to McElvey's fresh fruit and veg shop which has the most enormous cabbages, caulies and broccoli I have ever seen. Simon had a few things to finish at school before Mon am, as the Inspectors arrive early. I did a some little jobs for him whilst he finished off the lessons to the last detail, for the three days of ERO (pronounced eroo and stands for Education Review Office).

Carol had asked us to get some salad items towards the buffet for her birthday party later this evening. Both Simon and I were able to do a couple of helpful things with the prep at hers before coming back to 904 for me to finish making our contribution towards the food, and get ready. 

We got to the party about 6.15 just in time to help put things on the table before the rest of the guests started arriving. They were mainly members of Fours Company choir and their partners/kids, also Lucy-Pat and her husband Dylan were there. They are the young couple who have kindly lent us the car. It was such a welcoming group to me as an outsider and they obviously all enjoy socialising together. It was a barbecue with Carol's sons cooking all the meats. 

She had done a fabulous starter dip with celery and carrot sticks, cutting out the inside of a crusty farmhouse loaf and filling it with a hot cheese, ham and onion dip. There were a varied assortment of salads for with the meat, but it was the sweet selection that had my mouth watering. There was chocolate and strawberry cheesecake, banoffee, Eton mess, caramel and walnut brownies all with a choice of cream, custard or ice cream. 

A karaoke machine had been hired as this group of friends likes nothing better than a good singalong. Unfortunately by the time the singing started the light had faded and my iPad doesn't have a flash so the photos are rubbish. I like this one of Wendy with her two girls.

And this one of Simon tucking into the first course. 

There were some amazingly gifted singers amongst them and certainly if you are having a karaoke party that's a real benefit. I was particularly impressed with how many teenagers and young people are part of Fours Company. The ages span from 16-87, so it's a great inter-generational choir. 

I left just before 11pm but the party was still in full swing, I so enjoyed seeing Simon with this new group of friends since my last time here and it had been a lot of fun.

27th Nov day 44 Cub Camp and the start of training

As Nicholas was leaving for camp at 11.30 he didn't go into school. As a result he and I came to slowly before going into town to do a few errands, including picking up his cub folder Philipa had left in her front porch, dropping off his entry money for his part in a team triathlon event on the 7th Dec, banking for Simon and best of all picking cakes for us to have a fun morning tea together before he left. I got lost on my way to Philippa's and Nicholas was able to give me good directions and get us back on track. It transpires because St Matthews doesn't have its own field they do cross-country running on a circuit around the town. I am sure it won't be long before he's walking/cycling to school and to his Mums by himself.

We had a fun game of Pokemon but I have to say I'm still hopeless at it. It was then time to walk down to the Scout Hall. Here is Nicholas with his kit, then he and Thomas helping the leader as he loaded the trailer.

We hung around for more than an hour waiting for all the kids to arrive. It turns out the leader's kids had gone into school for the morning, they are in the same one as Nicholas. I wasn't impressed that he had told me 11.30 when obviously it was going to be well after 12.30 before they left. I was concerned about how that looked to the school about Nicholas being missing, but for me personally I was delighted as we a really relaxed, happy morning together. 

When we were doing the marshalling last weekend a boy of only 11 came through the difficult leg of 10k by himself as part of a 3 person team, Simon and I were impressed. That got Simon thinking about what he and Nicholas could do together. He also remembered Cheryl and Marcus had done 7 challenging climbs together, when he was 11-12, to raise money for Ronald McDonald's Children's Charity. As a result this week Simon found a Country to Coast event that's taking place next May, with one of the 3 routes being just 8k. He decided they would start training after his inspection and had worked out a circuit around 904 that is 2.4k. Whilst Nicholas I were in town earlier I was chatting to him about them starting training and said I thought he would be better than Dad (he'd just told me about the cross-country). Immediately he said "oh that's a bit harsh Nan" but then thought for a moment and said "harsh but true"!

In the afternoon I did the outdoor ironing, cleaned more windows, a crossword, read my book and sunbathed. Simon was home later but we still had a garden cuppa and then decided, as it was a  warm evening with a balmy breeze, that we would do the 2.4k circuit - just walking. It's a picturesque route with so many trees and flowers, training for the two of them should be a treat.

As we approached home Carol pulled up, I just had this thought that Simon and I looked like the fitness family - well in my dreams!

I went to get an Indian takeaway and whilst waiting a guy of about 30 started chatting to me asking if I was from the UK. Turns out he lived in Grimsby a place I knew from when Simon lived in Scunthorpe, it's as bad as the name suggests. He's been in NZ for 7 years and just loves the lifestyle of sport, sunshine etc. He told me he now has his own building company - ping the light went on for me. I told him of Simon's plans to improve 904 so he gave me his card and we parted on great terms. Architects are booked to come out Wed and Thurs next week so if they can get the plans drawn up fairly quickly I am hoping to get estimates for the work before I come home. Seemed like a providential meeting.

After supper the 3 of us watched the first in a long running series called Newsroom. The first episode was based on the oil rig explosion in the Gulf of Mexico and was compelling viewing. Sadly Carol's hay fever was dreadful last night so she went home not long after I had left them to some feet up time.

26th Nov Carol's birthday and friend to dinner

It's Thanksgiving in the USA today but it's also Carol's birthday. She started work teaching a High School choir at 7.30am and then if that wasn't bad enough Simon and I rang and sung Happy Birthday to her - that must have been a shocker for someone who is musical! After the school run I had a good catchup with Cheryl and Seb. Unfortunately he had fallen in the playground earlier so his face was swollen and grazed. He was making Mark a Coke and lime as he had just in from work, so I did some FaceTime tuition on cutting and squeezing a lime, fun.

The weather this week has been beautiful, I had thought I would go and swim/sunbathe at Ocean Spa. However I had a message that Carol would like me to join her and the family for lunch, how thoughtful. Her Mum Wendy picked me up and we went to a local garden centre that does tasty food. For the briefest moment I was going to have a salad but then my eyes fell on the custard slices, so no contest.

Carol made a big claim that these are the best slices in the world but what she didn't realise is that I am an authority on them. You see when I was little my Gramp used to have an allotment (they were started up by local governments to increase food production during the war and are still popular in some areas today). The men in the terraced streets around where I lived would spend hours on their 'plots' and so my Nan and the other wives decided they would meet there regularly as well.

There was a big hut where the women met and they used to drink tea and eat custard (vanilla) slices - it was known as the Vanilla Club. My sisters and I were therefore initiated into the art of eating these scummy slices at an early age. Right through my life I have eaten them whenever they are on the menu in a cafe. Now you understand why I was ready to challenge Carol's claim if necessary. In the event she was right, it was absolutely divine. 

Wendy kindly took me to another garden centre after lunch and I helped her pick plants for in the 9 pots she has beautifully decorated for her sewing class. We then went back to her stylish retirement bungalow for a cold drink whiere we happily chatted, getting to know a little bit about one another. It was then time to pick up Nicholas and Amos from school. 

The two of them get on brilliantly so were no trouble, they played on the trampoline, on the iPad and watched their favourite programmes til it was time for us to get pizza, their choice. We had it with homemade chips and salad. They were such good company at the meal table telling me all sorts of ridiculous things. We walked Amos home for 7.30pm and then Nicholas had a relaxing bath because he's off to Cub Camp tomorrow. 

Simon worked later as he has a school inspection starting on Mon. When he got in we had our usual garden cuppa before he showered and got ready for a date night, of a meal and the cinema, with Carol. It was wonderful for me to be a part of her celebrations today and facilitate their quality couple time.

25th Nov day 42 costume cleaning and T ball

It was the 150th anniversary of Meeannee School just before I arrived and each class had to do something to represent the decades. As a result Simon had borrowed costumes from the theatre company with which Carol and her family are involved.The boot was full when I got here and last week Simon asked if I would collect them and put them in a plastic bin liner. When I put them in i noticed they were smelling mouldy and were quite grubby and a couple of them had moth holes in them. So this morning was the one to sort them all. I got rid of the mound from the suits, pressed them and hung them on the line to air. Then I washed all the clothes and because it was such a hot day they were dry in a few hours, so I got on and ironed them. It gave me great satisfaction, especially as this week Marcus is playing Brewster, Miss Hanigan's boyfriend, in the school production of Annie and I am sad not to be there to support him.

Having pegged some of the clothes out I had a lovely catchup time with Vicky who was cuddling Reuben. He had been in bed and woken up distressed, however after a few mins of snuggling he perked up and was clearly now wide awake. Vianney put him on his favourite mat and here he is happily playing. Unfortunately during the rest of the night he developed a croopy cough, so clearly he's not well, poor little man.

When it was time to pick Nicholas up I had to ask two of the Mum's where Raureka School was, as Nicholas had a game of T ball there at 3.30pm. The one Mum confidently told me it was left, first right past the racecourse and then on the right down that road. I wrote it down happily thinking I wouldn't get lost. Thankfully for me the other Mum hung around to wait for me when I met Nicholas and told me those were incorrect directions. It was much more complicated but thanks to her we arrived by 3.25pm. Here is Nicholas with some of his class before the game began.

T ball, for those of you who like me had no clue, is very similar to rounders except there isn't a bowler, the ball is put on a large T just below waist height for the batsman to hit before they run. It was great to be there and fun to watch. St Matthews lost 19-6 but they played well against a team at least 2 years older than them. 

As you know most of my action shots have been rubbish so am proud of this one when 3 of them went chasing the ball towards the end of the match.

I dropped Nicholas at Philippa's for dinner then Simon and I went to do the weekly shop together. Even something as mundane as this was a joy, just picking what we'd eat, a couple of treats towards Christmas and us chatting and laughing as we shopped. When we got home Simon cooked the most scrumptious bolognese which we had just finished when Nicholas got home in time for his bath. 

Simon took Carol's birthday cards and gifts round to her so she could open them first thing tomorrow. I happily watched a Location, Location whilst he was out, I have missed Phil and Kirsty!

24th Nov day 41 party time and Cubs

Simon dropped Nicholas at school so I got an early start on the much needed job of clearing out a base unit in the kitchen ready to take the new crockery. At the garage sale last Sat Carol came across an 8 piece dinner set with all the accompanying pieces, including 2 candle holders. Half of the crockery is black and half is white and she got the whole lot for an unbelievable $20. They can now begin entertaining at 904 which is what they would both like to do.

I was hoping Melva might come over this morning so I beetled on with my jobs in order to be ready for about 10.15am. I was obviously having a blonde start to the day, because I realised in the nick of time that I had my top on not only back to front but also inside out! The worrying thing for me was that I had sat opposite Simon at breakfast and he hadn't noticed (think he needs to get his eyes tested). 

Sadly in the evening I heard from Melva's niece that she is poorly and in hospital. Towards lunchtime I decided it was time for a cuppa and some of that delicious spicy fruitbread, but best off all I had it toasted with Maple syrup, a taste I had acquired in Canada. It was another beautiful sunny day so of course I enjoyed it whilst sitting in the garden and reading my book. 

At the moment Simon doesn't have sunloungers which means I have improvised and am sunbathing on the trampoline, lying on a towel, I can definitely recommend it as its very comfy. The birdsong in the garden is wonderful and it's such a great place to enjoy relaxing whilst basking in the sun. 

Once Nicholas got home he wanted to finish making the Star Wars Snowspeeder when he had had a drink and snack. Unlike Seb, Nicholas likes to build his Lego by himself so while he did that I cracked on with cleaning the windows in Simon's bedroom and the glass door. The house is well over 100 years old and a lot of the glass is original, so needs handling with care.

After dinner I took Nicholas down to Philippa's to collect his uniform then we walked down to Cubs together, it's a very easy walk. At his Mum's he has a treehouse, 2 swings and a rope swing, I enjoyed watching him playing for a few minutes before we had to get going if he wasn't to be late.

He is a patrol leader which means he now has some responsibilities for helping the other boys. This coming weekend they are away at camp so the session was spent teaching the boys how to put up tents etc.

This is not quite the back street Scout Hall that Simon went to for many years whilst growing up in Llantwit Major, South Wales!

Simon is Chair of the Board for Nicholas's school which carries quite a bit of responsibility. As a result he and Tim, the Head, have an informal meeting fortnightly at 904, while Nicholas was at Cubs I sat in the garden reading in the warm evening sun. I was joined by Mat, Tim's little dog who interestingly goes into school every day. He is such a friendly creature and he just wanders around the grounds letting the kids stroke him. You can't imagine that would ever be allowed in the UK but Tim was saying what a difference that little dog has made to some of the troubled or shy pupils. 

 

23rd Nov day 40 Gran's clock and a swimming lesson

Having dropped Nicholas at school I was on a mission to find 2 things. Firstly a bulb that didn't protrude over the shade on the uplighter I had bought for the dining room. I was assured when I bought it that the long life, low energy bulb was exactly the right size not to be seen - what rubbish it stuck out like a sore thumb! Secondly I needed something nice to have with morning 'tea' as I was hoping Melva (the elderly lady who has lived in the house across the road from 904 for 57 years), would come over.

I got the bulb and went to the supermarket, to my surprise and delight they had spicy fruit bread - yay. For those who know me well you will wonder how I have survived without teacakes for 6 weeks? I did find the ocean view cafe in Bondi that did fruit bread but I have only had that one helping since I left home, I've got withdrawal symptoms. I hardly go a day at home without having a teacake or a fruitbread slice. My close friends over the years know how vital these items are to me for when I have anyone visiting who is in distress - they are real comfort food. And I eat them almost daily just for pleasure. My friend Lynn laughs and says I have a ministry of teacakes!

When I got home it was a week since I had worked out how to wind Gran's (my Mum's) clock without activating the strike. I wanted to see how many winds it could take in order for it to keep good time for a week. The clock was bought by my Dad, for my Mum, on their 30th wedding anniversary and she loved it.

Their marriage was challenging for all the years I was at home, largely due to my Dad's mental health issues, but am sure having 3 teenage girls would have added to their tensions. However the year Ken and I got married was their 25th anniversary, as well as coinciding with Dad completing his 25 years in the Police. With Kathryn going off to College that year it meant that they were freer than at any time previously. They had their best holiday ever in Anglesey, with Dad buying Mum a really pretty opal and diamond ring to celebrate this important milestone, and so began the happiest period in their lives. It lasted beyond their 30th anniversary as they became grandparents to Simon, Cheryl and Emily, my niece, all of whom they adored. Unfortunately a few years later Dad had another serious breakdown, ending up once again in a secure mental health unit, sadly their golden years were over.

But the clock always reminds me of those lovely years when life for my parents was a joy. When Mum died Simon wanted her beloved clock as it was such a part of his quality time with them both, it ended up being shipped to NZ.

Melva wasn't available so I did some jobs and then sunbathed for a couple of hours before picking up Nicholas from school. Simon met us there when he had finished and we went together to the pool at Flaxmere, where Nicholas has lessons. I am a rubbish photographer as I managed to miss all his fantastic arm movements doing, crawl, butterfly and dolphin dives. These are the best but I really must do better when I go again in 2 weeks. 

We are all enjoying our new tradition of a cuppa out in the garden when we get home on a sunny evening. Here is a picture of the inhouse entertainment.

I cooked so Simon could carry on with his report writing. It was just a feet up evening, viewing and reading. Oh this is such a relaxing holiday, thank You Lord.

22nd Nov day 39 stunningly sunny Sunday

Simon made his weekend treat of a breakfast for us and we ate it in the garden, having missed it yesterday with the early start. He dropped Nicholas to church, as he goes with Philippa, and then Simon and I went to Elim. 

Another lovely worship time, but still I didn't know any of the songs, I wonder how long it will be until I do? Andrew preached on 'Altar ego, my need for control' - EGO can stand for Edging God Out. He talked about the two main kinds of ego, controlling people or circumstances. It can spring from deep feelings of inadequacies, but we need to remember God sees it all even if we don't acknowledge Him in all our situations.

There are all sorts of ways we try and control - manipulation, bribery, rewards, threats etc but the reality is we can never change the way people think, nor can we alter the future by trying to force an issue. 

He told the story of Abram and Sarai (later they became Abraham and Sarah). God had promised them a son but as the years went on they were getting older and when she still wasn't pregnant, they decided to take matters into their own hands. Sarai offered her maid Hagar to Abram and she conceived, giving birth to a son Ishmael. But right from the outset it was a disaster, hardly surprising! There was resentment and jealousy in Abram's household and finally Hagar and her son Ishmael are sent away (you can read the full account in Genesis 16-21). Thankfully God takes care of them and promises from them will come a great nation.

It's a powerful reminder of the need for us to wait for the Lord to fulfill His promises to us, and His plans for our lives. You see all the Arab nations are descended from Ishmael and as a result are Islamic. As we all know the Jews are Abraham's descendants from Sarah, through their son Isaac. So the very real conflicts that exist today can be traced right back to that serious mistake Abram and Sarai made all those many generations ago. But in fairness to them all of us have made significant errors that have had consequences which have affected our lives, and those of the people we love.

I am so glad God had a rescue plan right for the start of humanity, when He chose to give us free will and He brought it about through Abraham's great grandson Joseph (of technicolor dreamcoat fame). Jesus, the Son of God, came from the line of Judah who was one of Joseph's twelve sons. 

One of the titles given in the Bible for Jesus is Prince of Peace and how our world needs the forgiveness and peace that He brings to one individual at a time, I believe never more so than in our troubled generation. I learnt, whilst in Canada for the first time, why most Jews reject Jesus as their long promised Messiah, it's because they are not living in peace. They think the Messiah will be a Mighty Warrior King, who will enforce peace on all their neighbours. It makes me so sad that they have missed the vital point the God loves everyone in our world equally and He is looking for changed hearts of equality and love, rather than superiority or domination.

Once Nicholas got home we had a light lunch, again in the garden, wonderful, then set off for Ocean Spa - today it was sensational there with not a cloud in the sky.

I got to see just what an accomplished swimmer Nicholas has become, as we swam lengths up and down together. Then we went into this much hotter pool where we played games, including him pulling Simon and then me around on our backs.

Finally we played hide and seek before getting out, changing and going for ice cream. Here is the Pacfic through the glass screen at the Spa.

 

Ice creams courtesy of a gift from the Mitis - thanks guys. 

We went from here to collect a car that one of Carol's friends has very kindly lent to Simon, in order for me to use his for the duration of my stay, that's amazing generosity. Simon and Nicholas went home and I met up with Philippa for coffee and a shared piece of cheesecake - delicious. It was good to spend time together and have a proper catchup after all this time. 

Nicholas was shattered and after dinner he had an early night, Simon then went on a date night with Carol whilst I babysat, it's great to be of use. 

21st Nov day 38 Cap Kidnappers Challenge

We were out of the house before 6.30am and were equipped for everything from Sahara to Arctic conditions! I am not exaggerating it was ridiculous how much stuff we had including food, drinks, sun cream, gloves, books iPads etc etc. Now to be fair the weather this week has been from boiling hot to really cold and everything in between. There was no danger we were going to be bored or caught out in any eventuality. We even had ridiculous head coverings as we were advised at the briefing on Wed that it really lifts flagging runners if they suddenly come across ridiculous marshalls!

The base was buzzing when we arrived and I was impressed by the organisation, particularly by Tim Anderson, Nicholas's Headmaster who had organised all the volunteers, radios, chip machines, first aid kits, vests etc. This is an extremely tricky challenge with runners/walkers being required to wade through the river in the last stage, sometimes up to chest height so good communication is vital for the wellbeing of everyone taking part.

Above Tim, calm as a cucumber, having sorted out all but one of the Marshall stations. We had been assigned to Transition 2 which is at the end of the most difficult leg of the challenge, two thirds of the way through the course. Here is Simon setting up the 2 chip machines which ensure every partisant's timing has been accurately recorded. 

Transition 2 turned out to be a brilliant place to marshall as the Salvation Army were there with their portable water tank, which they have for emergency situations. Did you know that the Salvation Army respond to every natural disaster, major incident or terrorist attack in the countries in which they operate. So for example right after 9/11 or the London bombings in 2005 the Salvation Army emergency facilities could be seen on the news. When there are no emergencies they loan their equipment and volunteers to good causes like this challenge. 

But even better than that St Johns Ambulance were there yippee. Simon and I had a conversation on the way up to Transition 2 (pictured below) about which of us was were going to do first aid in case of emergency, as both of us are qualified, but neither of us are confidant. But we weren't needed thankfully.

I absolutely loved marshalling as giving encouragement is a joy to me, I started clapping and cheering as the runners rounded the corner at the top of the incline before they got down to us. Simon also was as enthusiastic and Nicholas joined in - well at least when not playing Minecraft on my iPad. We had such lovely comments as the various contestants got to us about how our welcome made them feel. This is the winner as he dashed past us.

We had been told the event wouldn't finish til about 4pm butTail End Charlie came through at 12.55pm saying everyone had finished as far as us, so we could clear up and go. We were home by 1.30pm but it took quite a while to unload and put away our days survival kit! We were all tired from the early start and fresh air, I took myself off to bed to read and promptly fell asleep for a couple of hours.

When I awoke it was time for the Billionaire championship, in fairness I have never played before but I didn't make any money and am now left with a $120,000 debt for our next game, not a great result.

After a tasty pizza and salad takeaway Carol came around and we had loads of fun playing Pictionary until it was time for Nicholas to go to bed and for me to do my blog.