Update 7

Hi family - Jacky and I are back in Taranaki after four days in Nelson. I
don't think we've been back there since we left in late 1995 - everything
pretty much as it was then - great beaches, excellent weather (sunny
Nelson), alternative lifestylers, vibrant arts and cafe culture, nice
people. The conference was pretty good - mainly Aussie academics and about
100 Secondary Principals. The keynotes were very interesting looking at
future education issues, the class of 2020 and current social trends.
Jacky spent her days looking around Nelson shops and cultural things and
we did stop off at the multiplex to watch 3.10 to Yuma - a remake of the
old western with Christian Bale and Russell Crowe. Excellent it was too -
I'm a sucker for those great moral tales and westerns in general. We also
had time to see the Sivaks. For overseas family - Stas and Annette Sivak
were our next door neighbours in Wakefield and Annette was my first ever
appointment when I was HOD English at Waimea College - a stellar
appointment it was too. They came out from Pitsburgh (Warren County
specifically) on holiday and decided to stay they loved it so much. They
and their three children have been great friends since although we'd
kinda lost touch (gosh there's a surprise you say). keegan, Adam and
Samantha remember all three but Jade was only 2 or 3 when we left
Wakefield.

(this next bit written a few days later)...This week is rapidly flying by.
The days ater Nelson were busy busy. This week we're off to Keegan's
graduation on Thursday in Hamilton, Jade is also coming and then off for a
three day tramp up Mt Taranaki with her PE class. Jade actually asked when
update 7 was coming out which gave me hope.

My currently grooving section this last two weeks has been made up of CDs
I bought in Nelson. There are two decent CD shops in Nelson that were
there when we lived there and there still - Chequers and Everyman. The
haul included three great Jazz compilations on the verve label - one
called Thriller Jazz includd a dynamite Jimmy Smith version of the Mission
Impossible theme - Wow - high rotate!! Dad used to have a few Jimmy Smith
albums in his collection that I used to play a bit - love that organ sound
he gets so I was thrilled (pardon the pun) to hear this vesion. Another
find was another CD by Dream Theater - I can't get their stuff in Taranaki
and I'm kicking myself I didn't discover them while in the UK cos FOPP had
heaps of their stuff. Nevermind - will have to wait until I can get back.

That's about all - apart from Nature Watch - daylight saving has ended in
NZ so the clocks went back and it's started to get darker earlier (yeh) -
but not yet before 6.30ish, shadows long, the liquid amber is about to
turn colour and leaves are clogging the waterway into our tank. A huge
downpour relieved 6 weeks of drought while we were in Nelson so it's green
to the very door and the growth in the grass has slowed down. Fascinating
stuff huh. More of this in update 8 - coming soon!!

Love y'all - W