Gold

Each year the Oamaru Rotary Club runs a fundraising "Bookarama" in town. They collect 10s of thousands of books, CDs, magazines and puzzles from near and far, sort them into themes, and open the doors for 10 days every May.

I spent a couple of hours browsing this morning for my FFL's birthday books. He gets three each year. Always from the New Zealand section, and usually memoirs from the High Country or by Kiwi adventurers.

I struck gold today. He is just home from a month hiking in Nepal, so I was particularly pleased to find a signed copy of a book by Louise Hillary - Sir Edmund's wife - about Himalayan holidays.

While I stood chatting to the manager of the annual school exam supervisors - who is a Rotarian - I glanced down and saw that we were in the Cookery section and my hand was idly lying on a pristine (unsigned) copy of Delia Smith's Complete Cookery Course. 

My copy of the book, which I was given when it first came out in 1982, has loose pages so oft-used it has been. It is my go to cook book for queries, basics and ideas. It is about time I replaced it. All books at the Bookarama are $2, so I didn't think twice. Now I have to transcribe my notes written next to various recipes. A job for a rainy day.

Bean was snoozing in the car (her safe place) while I browsed the books, and when I returned she greeted me as if she was expecting never to see me ever ever again. So obviously it was time for a romp on Cape Wanbrow. 

Bean romped, but declined to be photographed today.

The views from the far end of the loop walk were of a flat calm Pacific Ocean. I never grow bored with the subtleties of light, clouds and shadows on the water. So it is my main. Books are the extra.