Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Tuesday 26th August - get over it

I listenen to the Nolan radio podcast about the floods last week. A householder whose home in Belfast was hit by the flood was saying that he would not have accepted aid from the 'forces of occupation' if they had come offering help... In the words of a Tui ad 'Yeah Right' !!!!

There has been a lot of rain in the South Island these last 48 hours. Some places have had 3 months worth of rain in those 48 hours!!!

A dairy farmer in North Canterbury lost over 100 cows this morning as they walked over a bridge which was overwhelmed by a swollen river. The coastguard, police and rescue services all came to the farmers aid and managed to rescue 30 cows. No politics of victimhood here!!!

All this wet weather here is mirroring the weather in Northern Ireland these last couple of months... I hope they get some good weather soon... we need it here too!

Tuesday 26th August - Dutch Open

Well done Darren Clarke... good to see him winning again

Tuesday 26th August - Earthquake 5.9

Hastings and Napier were hit with a level 5.9 earthquake at 11.25pm last night...

No serious damage done.. just a lot of shaking...

Tried to get R & J on the phone this morning but the phones were out... the earthquake had taken out some power lines and phone lines...

Managed to get J on mobile phone at 8.15am... all ok..

R was up when the earthquake hit. She thought the house was going to fall. The noise was like a train inside the house!!!

We need to sort out our emergency supplies in case the really big one hits!!!

Thursday, August 21, 2008

Thursday, 21st August - a visitor in Wellington

My cousin, Mary was in town today. She was down from Hamilton with a school team for an economics competition.

The weather in Wellington was excellent today.... lovely and calm with not a cloud in the sky...best winter day for quite a while.

We met up for half an hour at the Beehive and caught up with the latest news.

Good to see a familiar face in Wellington!!!

Thursday 21st August - podcasts

I have been listening to a few Radio Ulster podcasts this week.

It seems nothing changes much.

Gerry and Sean are still using the same jokes.... and they are still funny!

Ian Junior is trying to wear his fathers shoes.... listened to him on the Nolan Show.... Denis Murray is not Stephen Nolan!!!

I was listening to the blogs to follow up on the flood news over the last weekend. That flood warning between Omeath and Warrenpoint was hilarious... will take a while for Carlingford Lough to dry up!!!!

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

12th August - hail in Wellington

We have just had a hail-shower while I sit in this internet cafe in Wellington... the locals are amazed to see ice fall from the sky...

If only they spent a winter in Northern Ireland....

By the way I see the northern irelanders are suffering from heavy rain... you have my sympathy... Wellington has had a lot of rain over the last few weeks... I almost feel at home here in an odd way!!!!