Shades of Grey

This was as good as it got this afternoon. The clouds lifted momentarily - just in time for my walk up the hill - and then came down again as I scampered down to get dry. 

For those who know the area, this view is taken from near Ngapara cemetery, across the Waitaki Valley towards the Hakataramea Valley and the Kirklistons Range in the far distance.

After more than a year of dry conditions and a drought that has never really lifted, the soil is properly damp at last. It means that the spring and summer should see improved growth of the native trees I planted in 2019 and 2020. I have spent much of the last 15 months watering them individually, just to keep them alive. All 120 of them.

So whilst I hate days like this when I can't get outside as much as I am used to, there is a silver lining.