Flutterby

More quirkiness from K's garden. I arrived one Monday in summer to find butterflies had taken up residence in the tubs of flowers on the deck. They are on springy wires and the wings flap, so when there's a breeze they move quite a bit. They are a lovely addition.

K and R (husband) left yesterday to go on their first cruiseship holiday. I really hope they enjoy it because they're away for two months, travelling from Sydney to Singapore, to Mumbai and then through the Suez Canal to Greece, Italy and France. Imagine if they discover they made a mistake soon after leaving Sydney! 

I don't need to go on a cruiseship to know that I would hate it. I'm not a joiner-inner, I dislike noise and I cannot abide small talk. And the thought of being enclosed with the same people for days or weeks on end gives me the shivers.

Their son is home looking after the house and their cattle, but he is eager to be off to Ireland again, the day after K and R get home in May. He spent six months in Co. Cork year working on a couple of farms and absolutely loved it. 

So he's having a double OE. Good for him.

An OE - or Overseas Experience - is a big thing for school or Uni leavers here. I guess the UK equivalent is a Gap Year. It is a great thing for them to see what else the world has to offer...and in many cases it helps them realise how special NZ is.