Christmas Eve

The school blackcurrant patch...I've harvested fruit for the past few years. No-one else seems to and I hate to see them go to waste. And blackcurrants are one of my favourite fruits. I see Phil, the caretaker on the way in, and tell him what I'm up to. He looks bemused. I understand why when I see the netting over the bushes. I'm guessing he's keeping the birds off so he can pick. But I'm on a mission and there's enough to share. At home Kahu is still in bed. Not for much longer. I need to get the garden under control before I go south and need another pair of hands. We weed the front lawn then I direct him to the back which has some established varieties I really don't want. They're deeply rooted and I have to argue the point but we get there. When he goes inside he picks up his book again.

On the way south to Oamaru for Christmas, Arun, who is affiliated to Sunshine Solar, stops in to show me how to check electricity generation for my panels. Down to 5 minute slots which is too much detail for me but when he leaves I'm logged in so if I get bored....It's overcast and cool, we've been having rain for the past few days which is life saver for the garden and the new grass but off putting for holidays. I'm one of a tiny handful at the beach, watched over by surf life savers. The water is slightly warmer than the wind chill. The sea birds and I are quite at home. When I leave for town and Christmas carols, I'm wearing my fur coat though. My body temperature has dropped, enough to feel the gentle southerly. I take the bus, first time in an eon. Walking from the Exchange I pass homeless sharing food with seagulls, and a dancing Christmas angel ambushes me and sends me off with the wish he hopes I'll find Jesus. Not in the pub where I'm headed methinks. He takes a pic of me with one of the penguins which has arrived in town, one of 50 large ones decorated by emerging artists and create a public art trail. Another 65 are decorated by schools as part of a Pop Up Penguins learning programme. The Tui penguin is sentimental to me, makes me think of Tui my mum. It's 5 years since she died. 

As we crowd together in Victoria Park, I realise how lucky we are to be congregating in Covid times. There's a new strain which has reached UK from South Africa which is 70 times more virulent. The world has stormy times ahead and the uncertainty which fear brings. Here at the bottom of the South Pacific life goes on as normal. We sing about the birth of Jesus with gusto, hoping our good fortune is going to last and making the most of the good fortune which is allowing us to enjoy Christmas together.