We're Snowed In Again

Yep - it's day 2 of being snowed in - we can't move the cars and nearly everything is shut around town, including Polythechnic :O(

So we are keeping warm and eating fun food like pancakes with honey and lemon, yum.

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Washing line and ariel.

The deck and some plant seedlings, also a big bowl that Stella likes drinking out of thats completely covered in snow!

Alexia's Car - a good 30 cms of fresh powder snow fell last night on top of 20 cms yesterday.

The roof at Sparks Road.

Flax bushes covered at the park.

The entrance way to the park, we took Stella for a walk here - she kept loosing her ball in the fresh powder snow and couldn't sniff to find it coz of the cold and so buried. 

Electrician

Here's a video made by one of our tutors at CPIT (Polytechnic) to give you a bit of an idea of the electrical industry in NZ and also our training facilities - OK it's a bit long, but it sorta shows what I'm doing for the next year or so!

Oma and Jackson

Here's a quick photo of wee Jackson and her grandma, who likes to be called Oma by the way. He's crawling now!

Playing in the Snow

Off to the local Park for a play in the snow. Definitely a lot colder than Guernsey at the moment I'm sure!!!

Snow Pancakes

Alexia decided that oaty pancakes were good food for really cold weather - yum. My fave flavour was honey butter and lemon :o)

Snow Time

OK - it's been ages I know - but I'm returning to blogging coz i feel like I'm losing touch with you guys again :O(

Here's some snow stuff - we had an antarctic blast from the South and it got reeeaaallly cold for a couple of days.

Stella loved her dog frisbee in the snow coz the ball wasn't bouncing!

Yes very cold, but Stella was loving the novelty of seeing snow for the first time - she was even eating it to have a drink, and rolling around in it too.

Yeah - she can catch the frisbee, she's really good at it now.

As always, click on the photo's to get bigger ones to look at.

Photo Slideshow

 

[click here, or image, for Slideshow]

I have collected a few images from the internet to share with you - they are the same as the ones that I put on Facebook - but I'm not a great fan of Facebook (sacrilege - 'you social introvert') ;O)

I've put them up here on the blog because, a bit like 'yesterdays news', they will evaporate all too quickly and be gone from our lives, as the city clears up and rebuilds itself. These photos will be my own personal reminder of 'New Zealand's blackest day', as the news hounds have termed this event.

I hope the images portray a little of what is going on here in Christchurch.

We are OK and we will contact you again by phone very soon.

Nigel's Advice

Nigel's Advice 

[click on the image]

Ok - Try this link - it may not work coz of International copyright laws - he's a good fun bloke aye

Earthquake Two

Hiya Family - we are OK this side of the world.  We have just gone through a large earthquake which has disrupted all services and networks.  The centre of town was hit the hardest and there has been a lot of damage this time, and unfortunately also loss of lives.

The telephones are now working properly again, although we are being advised not to use the landlines excessively so as to free up the lines for the emergency services - so I will call in the early morning and late evenings to Guernsey.  The electricity is now back on to some most of the city so we can use the Internet OK.

Our water has come on after 3 days, only a dribble out of the taps, but enough to get by. we have been collecting rain water from the guttering on the roof for emergency rations. No showers or baths for a while.  The sewerage system is down big time, so we have to dig a hole in the garden to put our poos in after doing them in a bucket in the garage.

Emotionally we are reasonably OK - but now the adrenalin and 'high alert' have worn off, were feeling a tad jaded about the immediate future.  We are holding back our reserves for the long haul into the future.  We will be staying in Christchurch at Sparks Road until we 'have' to move, which is unlikely.

The van is fueled up, with a bed in the back as an 'escape' plan should there be another catastrophic quake.  Or plan would be to head out to Autumn and Marks farm house and stay out there for a while, IF that were to happen, and we certainly hope not.

If you want up to date News we have found TVNZ to be the best source of information, their link is below

TVNZ - News

We'll keep in touch guys - and phoning this way is also OK, or texts, or e-mails

Crabby Jacks

[click on photo for a bigger view]


Thanks for the photo - it was such a nice one of the family I had to stick it up on the blog - I hope the West End play was 'Wicked'  ;O)

Happy Birthday Mum

Hiya Mum

I was guessing that it's your big 70th today - wow what an age - heard on the radio last week that the worlds oldest person/lady was 115 years of age - so only another 45 years to go - your just a nipper in her eyes... ;O)

We'll ring on your birthday evening - that's if paps hasn't wisked youy away somewhere!!!

Lots of love from all here in NZ

Stew & Alexia

It's Even Hotter!!!!!!!

It's reached 37 degrees today in Hoon Hay - blonin' Nora it's hot hot hot.

I'm doing my last week at Bowrons Sheepskins and looking forward to teaching studies.

Hope you're getting your camera sorted Dana - can't wait to see some of the images you are going to produce from it - yey

It's Soooo Hot!!!

Oh oh - it's hard to cool down today - we're cooking under the sun, hot hot hot - must have ice cream!!

Ron Mueck Exhibition

Hiya Folks - we've just been to an amazing exhibition of Ron Mueck's work at the Art Gallery - he does ultra real sculptures at various scales - either bigger or smaller than life.  The attention to detail is staggering, all the hairs, veins, moles, stretch marks, beads of sweat etc. are in the sculptures - definitely quite spooky, but completely fascinating and powerful to behold... here's some piccys of his work we saw

Stellas Xmas

It's boxing day - or maybe the day after - don't you loose track of time during the holidays too.  We made a special visit to the pet shop to go and get Stella something for her Xmas pressie & birthday, which was forgotten - sound familiar those with birthdays near Xmas.

Well Stella is now 2 years old - her birthday is on the 5th of December

 Guess what she had for a pressie then - wot a ball, how could you tell, you must be psychic or something...

 Oooh yes - her old collar was getting a bit stinky - so we also got her a beautiful red fabric collar - most smart - and a name tag too - she was proud as punch with all the attention and new ball

 Even when she wanted a nap she just didn't want to be far away from her giant red rubber ball - check out the collar, it's even got glow in the dark stripes - oooooh wot a lucky pup...

We had to laugh - look at her gob - she played with her tough new rubber ball so much, biting and chewing it that the muscles in her jaw got over tired to the point where she couldn't close her mouth properly so her front teeth were sticking out - it made her look so comical, the more we laughed the more she stared at us like this - most funny - we call this her 'Scooby Doo' look.

Xmas Day at Autumns House

 The four generations - Great Gran, Marie - Nana, Alexia - Mum, Autumn - Baby, Jackson

Melanie has given Jackson a special bauble she made for the Xmas tree - here they are hanging it in the tree together - aaaahhhh

 

 Jackson's Santa sack - of course we couldn't resist sticking him in it - so cute

 All the Martins together - what a picture post card aye

 The pavlova with strawberries and kiwi fruit - yumm - of course we were all too full to even think about deserts until an hour or so after the main courses.  This year we had ham on the bone - Moroccan lamb and beef meat balls - and roast chicken with loads of salads and new potatoes

Oooh yes Alexia also made a delicious mango triffle  - here she is putting on the finishing touches of shaved chocolate - yum yum

One more Xmas Photo

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Ok one more Xmas photo from the Grotto... it was like a mini Las Vegas, or something you'd find in Disneyland, but with a Kiwi Country 'DIY' twist - it got us the Xmas mood ;O)

HAPPY CHRISTMAS 
AND HAVE A GREAT NEW YEAR

Love Stew & Alexia

Happy Xmas form Us

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Ok - very corny piccy but the grotto was a complete surprise out in the country near Autumn and Marks farm.  The displays were huge, and they had lots of people come and visit - thousands coming for days - of course it doesn't get dark til around 10pm which was the best time to come.

Santas Say Hello

Some Santas in the Xmas Grotto we went to on Xmas Eve - they had collected sooo many of 'em it was almost spooky - and most of them were moving too

Elf Yourself 2 - From NZ

Happy Christmas everyone...

We couldn't resist making an 'Elf Yourself' Xmas Disco extravaganza too

Alexia set to work straight after coming back from a conference in Auckland and we both created this wee beaut for you to smirk at.  Stella looks most suave, watch out for Alexia's 'booby shake' and check out my pelvic thrusts - almost obscene... Tashy, well she's just posing around as usual ;o)

[click on the image to get the video]