Celebrating double figures

This week my middle grandson reached double digits.

Jack turned 10.

 And what better way to celebrate than to head 

down to the lake with a couple of friends, 

a picnic lunch 

and a birthday cake.

The boys had a lot of fun, 

Jacks Mum and Dad have a mate who owns an inflatable dinghy

with an outboard motor

and he came down and took them for rides around the lake. 

The boys that is, not Mum and Dad. Then while he relaxed with the adults the boys had a go at paddling, rowing or whatever it was they were trying to do. Sometimes paddling and rowing was happening at the same time. They went in circles quite a bit, but no-one cared, they were having fun.

And of course they were taken out to the pontoon and enjoyed mucking around on that. As boys do.

When they came back to shore some older boys took it over, 

young teenagers, who when they saw some bikini clad girls not far away began doing push ups and generally showing off.

 Quite funny really as it was 2 of my grand daughters they were trying to impress and getting nowhere. We all had a bit of a chuckle because the girls hadn't even noticed them - or so they say.

Anyway, I digress. 

There was plenty for the boys to do both in the lake,

and on the shore at the playground.

At the end of the day after finally rounding them up,

(it's amazing how hard it is to round up five 

young lads when they are having fun 

and don't really want to be rounded up)

 they all went happily, or not, home to their parents.

Some were a little sunburnt too, I think, 

even though the adults were diligent with the sunscreen.

All in all it was a fun way of celebrating the big 10.

Wishing you all some fun and

sunshine in the days ahead.

Diana

Heading to the caravan

Well, we are back from our break up at the caravan.

The sun shone.

It was extremely hot, for us.

The wind didn't blow.

We ate salads every night for tea and drank lots of cold drinks.

We ate ice cream every day.

No-one caught any fish, but it didn't matter.

I have a bit of a suntan, and it isn't peeling. Wow!

We had a lovely relaxing few days away.

***************

The road to the caravan takes us more or less 

the same route as the goldminers and pioneers of old took.

Our first stop is at a little place called Lawrence, not  far from where Gabriel Read first discovered gold and started one of the biggest gold rushes in the southern hemisphere in the early 1860's. 

It lured men from all over the Australian and Californian goldfields.

Helen Munro,  Gabriel Read and Edward Peters (Black Peter)

 Helen Munro first discovered gold at 'Munro's Gully' and Edward Peters was credited with indicating where gold might be found 

but never found enough to become rich himself.

Unfortunately the town is now just a small place, 

mainly used for a comfort stop but it has a lot of lovely little cafes, b&b's and some nice wee boutique style shops.

Heading up the road we come to the apple and pear country. 

Just the right climate, hot summers, cold winters.

Ettrick (in a&p country) has a nice wee tearooms 

where we sometimes stop for devonshire coffee. 

Coffee just the way we like it and lovely scones,

raspberry jam  and cream. Yum.

It doesn't look much but is world famous in New Zealand, 

being the star of a humorous TV ad for ice cream.

It's also used as a pit stop for trucks and for farm and orchard workers to have lunch, the only place around for several miles.

And a little further up the road we are into the stone fruit area.

I love stone fruit. We always buy enough on the way home 

to share with all the family and we know it is fresh off the trees.

So although there is not much gold around

 it is great fruit growing country. 

A different type of gold, maybe.

And there I think I will finish 

so you don't get too bored with my ramblings.

We haven't had lunch yet and there are 

a couple of other places I'd like to give

you a glimpse of so I'll do 

another post later sometime.

Hoping you're all well,

and the weather isn't 

treating you too badly.

Have a good week,

Diana