Hotter by Degrees

We go on a morning trip to Roxburgh and stop for an almost world famous Jimmy's pie. The Teviot Valley is part of Central Otago's fruit bowl- apricots, nectarines, cherries, apples, pears and berries. Back home I do some apricot preserving- the overflow method. Lionel is helping but has trouble getting the stones out as the fruit is firm and his fingers are knarled with arthritis. When we're done we head off to Cromwell to visit Stephen, my cousin, and his family. They are part way through house building on a scenic site close to Lake Dunstan where they have a vineyard and grow olives. Last summer Kahu did some orchard work and stayed here, making an older boy bond with Max and Gus. For the past year, I've been selling 'Ollie's Olive Oil'. It's dark green with a peppery finish, totally moreish, and named after Olivia, Stephen's better half. Stephen also helps harvest Olivia's family's cherries down on Burnt Cottage Road. I pick up some seconds.
In the evening I'm on the phone to Kirk re verandah posts. Seems the ones which were delivered were too short and Nicky has some. They're too short too. Earthquake engineering means the posts have to sit on the ground instead of the old way of sitting on the verandah deck. This catches us all by surprise.

Selfie with Max