Hans en Nienke: Finally summer's here :-)

Hi all, this is Nienke again. I've decided this is a great moment to be starting with the first entry in English in this blog, it's about darn time that our friends over here can read the text around the pictures that they feature in! First a bit of bragging about Hans his excellent building skills; voila, the new recladded and re-roofed shed for our tractor Fergie (has undergone a sex change from being Stanley since Hans and Eric repainted him/her with bright red nailpolish). We're still debating whether or not to paint the shed; it's not needed and yes, there is a lot of other stuff to be done but on the other hand it might be the special final touch to all Hans his hard labour. He couldn't do without the micorwaved hot pillow at the moment to sooth his back in the evenings.....! But is was all worth is as you can see.

We've had a meeting with the builders early last week where they confirmed that yes the house will be ready end of February. So, exciting times and all hands on deck. Literally, because last Thursday we could take this first picture of a beautiful sunset (again and again) from the (partially) finished deck.

Friday morning we took off for a three day weekend in and around Lake Taupo; our favorite 'mountain' place in NZ. First stop for a nice home pizza lunch was just above Turangi at the south-west side of the lake, where our friends Roger and Marya have a time share home that they use a few times a year. After lunch we went out for a boat trip, which turned out to be a really bumpy ride. On their deck it was nice and hot but out on the lake it was windy and very choppy and that's what you experience on a fast fishing boat! But great and fresh little trip although the fish couldn't exactly find the lines that were trailing along the boat. We weren't brave enough to have a swim in the cold lake (yet).

After the boating trip we left to join Louis and Sue and family at their home at Acacia Bay, one of the neigbourhoods of Taupo. Spectacular lake views, lots and lots of cool white wine and perfectly cooked lamb on the barbie provided for a lovely evening with a lot of laughs and catching-up. Luckily we just had to tip ourselves into the empty beds in the guest bedroom, Hans couldn't have made it much further than that.... Hans and Louis go such a long way back and have managed to stick to the drinking habits they had back in the good old days in Utrecht, impossible to keep up. Cooking lesson from Louis; you put the lamb on the barbie, close the lid and let is cook for x... amount of time (until you remember to take it off) and than you carve the meat and say; yes, that is exactly how it was intended (either rare, medium or easy off the bone). Another great night.

After breakfast the family prepared for a trip to Auckland and we retreated to our next weekend-holiday stop; Kinloch. The fantastic family bach of Miriam and Erik.

Great weather, coffee's, catch-up and after a hot walk in the area our first dip into outdoor

water this summer. And cold it was, very very cold! But once you're in there, after 10 minutes is actually nice and swimming with these views; who wouldn't love it? Erik was chasing Pim around, he had a bit of a trip over something ( in other words; just being clumsy) and ended up covered in sand admitting his defeat. Luckily the litte doggie Skippy came to the rescue.

During the walk we did the next day Hans managed to capture the nephew of our Kingfisher at Sims Road who lives, as we now know, in Kinloch!

After a game of tennis tacticks had to be discussed, was the ball in or out, is my racket too short, were the lines crooked? Or were they discussing the size of the fish they would have caught if they knew how to fish? The t-shirts they are wearing might add to guessing what they were discussing; on Erik's t-shirt the text is: Bull Shirt and on Hans his t-shirt is the image of the on/off button of a computer. Anybody with any ideas about the content of the discussion? Put your reaction in our guestbook.

Today, after two days of work Hans had to get back to the next job that had to be finished (yesterday, according to Hans); the re-roofing and cladding of the pump-house. The electricity for the electric fence around the grazing stock is also in there, so it had to be done. Looks all nice and tidy now, and the birdhouse with the beautiful Amsterdam-canal look made by Rutger has been given its final destination. That will be busy next year, when the sparrows can no longer fly in and out from under the new roof, as they still do now. The builders have promised to cap the gutters so the sparrows can't get in anymore and poo in the gutter, because that water will end up as our drinking water very soon. Well, how much more rural can you get? And also; these sparrows just have very good taste wanting to live underneath the roof of this spectacular house.

Okay, time to watch some Australian Open tennis now (live!) and get ready for bed and another working day.