tardy

I have been missing in action lately.

My sincerely apologies.



Let's see I spent a week a week ago at Fieldays

in Hamilton

which was pretty bludy freezing.

As much fun as Fieldays proves to be once the sun is up

I have yet to be remotely warm no matter how much clothing I wear.

However the set up day,

the day before Fieldays begins

was hot as it can be in winter!

Punky Pete and I drove up

catching the ferry across Cook Strait on a sunny Sunday afternoon.

See this is Pete on the ferry looking ever so evil with his cocked eyebrow.

 We were accompanied on the ferry by

quite a few utes, trailers and trucks traveling north to the Fieldays.

So many that the ferry check in chick welcomed us on our annual pilgrimage,

almost by name, well with a cheery

"Hi! Young Farmers!"

She did have our tickets in her hand at the time to be fair

and my ute has a mother sized Young Farmers banner across the bonnet.

We drove for 19 hours,

staying with Uncle Denys and Aunty Fliss for Sunday night

(Young Farmers is a charity with a limited budget

so my lovely relatives are much appreciated as they vicariously

support the rural youth of New Zealand by hosting me)

plus a rather long delay

as we parked in the dark on State Highway 1

at Pukerua Bay, just north of Wellington while

we waited for an accident to be cleared.

I always feel conflicted at my uncharitableness

at being annoyed with the people in car accidents.

I remember when I lived in Wellington

being excessively annoyed with some poor soul

who threw themselves on the commuter train tracks.

How rude holding up thousands of weary commuters only wanting to get home.

Once back on the road and heading north to Hamilton

we headed straight up the middle of the North Island

zipping past Mount Ruapehu

and not passing at any great pace the multitude of tractors

and trucks on the road.

See happy, sunny driving at a good pace photo

versus grey, sad struggling up the hill behind lumbering tractors and loaders photo.

But then we were towing a couple of tonnes of gear

in the huge, lumbering Contest trailer

otherwise known as the Uterus

as it gives the miracle of life to the Contest every year.

It's a long haul every year but

supporting and celebrating Young Farmers

at the Fieldays is part of our calendar now.

Our Waikato Young Farmers do such a lot for Fieldays

and having a place for them and any Young Farmers visiting

to gather at the end of the day,

each of the four days for five beer o'clock

is about appreciating our contribution to our rural communities.

All that and this year we have alpacas to play with.

Sarah, Kylie, Craig and CJ are actually delivering this beer.

Truly.