Wine anyone?

The last few days here have been absolutely beautiful…sunny and warm. My walk into town yesterday didn’t have the usual brisk pace involved…the kind that implies “CAN’T WAIT TO READ EMAIL”. Instead, it was bucolic and leisurely, like a Sunday drive. The brook that runs down along the side of the road into town reminds me of the creek that Kayde and I used to hunt for salamanders in, except this one is dotted with cabbage trees. They say that normally it’s just a trickle, but with all the rain we’ve had, it’s been rushing. There was the scent of musty, wet leaves on the ground which brought me back to School Street on a chilly October morning...waiting for the bus...but the memory was laced with the smell of dryer vents from french-style homes and strange bushes with colorful flowers. I have a favorite house on my walk now…It’s a turn-of-the-century cottage with a white, chipped picket fence. It looks broken and worn, but it’s the unruly garden that expresses how much this house was once loved. There’s a giant vine with a gnarly base that grows up around the porch. It’s branches curl around every inch of the old wood. The overgrown lavender shrubs protrude through the fence leaving you perfumed as they brush your shoulders when walking by. I watched two boys ride by on one bike, still in their school uniforms…one sitting on the handle bars, his navy socks pulled up to his knees.

It’s funny because even though I’m feeling settled, every morning I wake up and see the big wooden beams above me, instead of the plain white ceiling of my bedroom at home, and gratefully think. “Oh yeah, I’m here!” Familiarity is good…but change and the excitement of the unknown is what I love about travel.

In two weeks, I’m taking the TranzScenic train up to Blenheim. I’m hoping the scenery is as grand as they describe it. I’ll be staying in Blenheim for two nights. For those that don’t know, Blenheim is 3 hours and 45 minutes north of Christchurch right on the east coast. It’s known for it’s winemaking and I’m hoping to sneak in a tour of the wineries. I'm taking requests if anyone wants a bottle! :)