Three Years On

 
 
Celebrating three years of my new life today with a Piratical Themed party. Much fun had by all, most especially the birthday boy himself. This was the pick of the cards.

We are off to Thailand for a month. You will not notice my absence from this blog.

Save the Mokihinui

120 kayakers, environmentalists protest West Coast dam - Environment Sci - Video - 3 News

Briefly out of blog retirement to lament the slanting of the above news item. Having been at the Mokihinui this weekend in support of the river run, I'm disappointed that news piece couched the run in terms like "costly" and supported by "outsiders".

For the record the most of the costs of the exercise went directly into the West Coast economy and a number of locals are against the dam. This would have been evident if the ONLY 'local' interviewed in the piece hadn't been a representative of Buller Electricity. Also, Meridian's consent is under appeal and this means that the dam is NOT going ahead until these appeals are sorted (amongst other go-ahead issues).

The river run was an incredibly important way for those opposed to it to generate a personal understanding of the river and balanced publicity for the reasons behind not wanting to dam it. It was also an economic way for some river lovers to run the Mokihinui river and see it, first-hand, for what may be the first and only time.

As I mentioned I travelled to the coast to support the trip, but to be honest, I wasn't entirely for or against the dam. On seeing the river, and on walking some of it's length, and witnessing the effects that large scale industry are having on the West Coast, e.g. the Stockton mine, I can't help but now be 100% against the proposed 85m tall dam.

I say we should save the Mokihinui.

In other News...

Building and Resource consents have both been granted. At last. We shall commence and there will be photos and posts...

Yay!

Broken Blogging Continues

Still really haven't got a use for this site, but in the interests of half maintaining a presence on it, here are a couple of links to two inspirational videos that I just keep watching. It helps beat the winter blues you know...

Video one is just plain awesome. Linked to it by William Gibson, way back in August last year, I've been regularly watching ever since. I keep hoping it will start me back on the path to flight dreams. I used to have them regularly as a kid and teenager but for some reason they have left me in more recent years. Every time the spectator on the road yells "Dude, that was sick!" I'm reminded of that delicious sick feeling that I used to get when jumping off cliffs in my dreams or diving in flight. Quite how stomach churning sick feelings can both be delicious and yearned for I don't know. But I want them back. This video is the closest I've come in AGES!

http://vimeo.com/1778399?pg=embed&sec=

The second video was linked to my my best blogging buddy ~m. Of course he would be up on the latest rising starlet of YouTube. And this true celt from the Isle of Skye riding his bike around Edinburgh seemed like a Friday Linky just-for-me! Anyway, if you ever wanted a reason to ride your bike then join the other five an a half million viewers and take a look at the cool shite you can do on one!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z19zFlPah-o

Arthur is One!

From Exported Videos

From Exported Videos

Three Posts: Three

We bought a house.  In fact we bought this one...

It is an old villa that was built in all likelihood in 1914 as part of a development that was designed to create affordable housing for workers in Nelson. 

It is in a particularly poor state of repair.  You can't see it from this photo, but the lean-to area at the back of the property, which housed the bathroom, kitchen and toilet, can't be lived in at the moment - well not at least with a baby.  It has taken three months just to get rid of the mouse poo and urine stench.

It is proving to be a very interesting project.  Not only does the property need a HUGE amount of work, it is protected by inclusion in the Elliott St Historic Precinct that recognises the importance of maintaining the houses in the street as an example of early New Zealand housing.  

We had to apply for resource consent to approve the renovation work we aim to commence and were worried that this would unduly hold up the project.  However we were very pleased to have been granted consent last week, and are now itching for the building consent before we commence the renovation works.  The condensed list will see us re pile the house, extend the rear lean-to, renovate the front veranda and redecorate and insulate the entire old house.  There are also plans to add a solar hot water cylinder and re-roof but we hope to delay that a little till the funds come through.

In the end we hope that the exterior of the building will look like this:

Will have to post progress photos.

Fortunately  we have the house pictured in post Two to stay in while the work is carried out.  Even better is the fact that the in-laws, and owners of the big house, are dab hands at renovation work, having fully renovated Hillwood over the last number of years.   It is their expertise and support that has allowed us to go full steam into the Elliott St project.

That said, it is proving tricky balancing the demands of the project with a twelve month old baby.  So this Sunday I'm on baby sitting duty while the missus is in at the house sanding and scraping (we are re-using all the original lean-to windows and doors etc.).  The baby is asleepat the moment and I'm not being the productive domestic goddess that I'm supposed to be.  Off now to hang out the nappies, make some vaguely pureed veges and some homemade crumpets for the adults.  But while I'm doing that, I'm itching to be at the house...

Three Posts: Two Point Two

Just a quick follow up on the second post.  Saw this article in the paper a day or so ago.  

Spooky about how that happens; you think of something and then it pops up again a short time later.  

Three Posts: Two

As mentioned (almost a year ago now...) the plan was to head back to NZ and start settling in Nelson.  Here is a special photo of the house in which the family is currently living.

It is an amazing photo for a couple of reasons.  For a start, the perspective of it makes the massive building look like a dolls house. The miniaturising perspective was achieved by an arborist, who had climbed one of the massive redwood trees on the property.  The photo was taken in on the 28th of August last year, right after the big storms had come through the region, toppling trees and generally making a big mess.  The protected trees at the house in the picture were no exception and this arborist had come to lop off dead hangers, tidy up the fallen branches and, for good measure, climb the tallest tree on the property!  At the time we didn't knowhe had his camera with him.

The arborist died in a private climbing accident eight weeks later.  We read the news article at the time but didn't put two and two together and realise that the climber was the same arborist that had visited a couple of months earlier.  When his widow arrived a week or two later, and offered us copies of his photos, she told of how Stephen had spoken very fondly of the big redwood in his last weeks. 

We are very lucky to have this photo.  Thanks Stephen and Denise. 

Three Posts: One

It has been nearly a year and the silence on this blog has been near absolute.  Here is the reason, my lovely boy Arthur.

This is my favorite photo of Arthur.  It is reminiscent of old photos of me at Arthur's age; always smiling and always with some food in my mouth!

Being a dad is great.

Hmmn

My baby saw the new Indianna Jones movie today.  I have yet to see it.  Seven weeks old (nearly 8) and I am already jealous of him!