More Photos

We had such a good weekend I would like to share a few more images of the celebrations. These were all taken at the meal on Saturday night. Jenny gave a speech
while Jena and Sam listened attentively.

This is Jenny's cake

and a toast being proposed by Gemma

who is one of Jenny's favourite friends in Dunedin.

Daughter and proud father.

A gang of four! They are probably plotting something.

Mustn't leave Kathy out - the main purpose of her visit here was to see her only granddaughter graduate.

Jenny's Graduation Weekend

This weekend we have been in Dunedin to attend Jenny's graduation ceremony. Otago, in common with most New Zealand universities, have a tradition of a formal awarding of degrees. Most people extend the festivities to include formal photos in academic dress and invite all their close friends and family (what we term whanau).

Graduation day started with a parade of graduands. It was a wet and cool experience
but many brave souls marched forth, led by a Scottish Pipe Band (Dunedin was settled by Caledonians and the name Dunedin is the old form of Edinburgh).

The ceremony was held in Dunedin's Town Hall with all the university hierarchy bedecked in their traditional attire in attendance. The fellow in the centre is the Chancellor who confers each degree on the recipient by symbolically tapping them on the head with a mortarboard (or trencher as they are known there). This is the ritual of capping at which point the recipient becomes a graduate.

There is a video of Jenny's capping which may be a bit bandwidth-hungry if you have a slow connection.

Afterwards we celebrated with our whanau - here are Janie (who has a degree in nursing) and Denise who has only a degree from the University of Life so felt she was entitled to wear the trencher.

At times there were more photographers than photographees (from the left Kathy, Sam, Jena and Noreen).

Later we had a meal and toasted Jenny's success. The group is, again from the left, Chris, Jenny, Denise, Noreen, Kathy, me, Janie, Jena, Sam, AJ and Gemma.

One of the highlights of the weekend for me was this bottle of Taieri George (or to be more accurate the contents of the bottle but the bottle itself is pretty neat).

Jenny and Janie being mysterious, or possibly Muslim.

This is the house we stayed in. Four bedrooms and plenty of room for us all.

Janie and Denise were busy in the kitchen. Pink gloves are so in this year.

Jenny's Graduation Video

This is the video of her actual "capping". We were a way back so the sound is fairly faint but the head of faculty is saying "Chancellor, I have the honour to present for graduation in the degree of Bachelor of Arts with Honours and the Degree of Bachelor of Laws, Jennyfer Carolyn Jewell".

Technology Update

Greetings all. This is being written on Noreen's laptop, after uploading pictures from Noreen's new PDA. She bought the machine on her visit to Auckland with her mother. They stayed at the Peace and Plenty where we stayed last year.
After Auckland they travelled to Christchurch and stayed with Denise and Janie. On a cold and windy Sunday they went for a trip on a restored tug in Lyttelton Harbour.

Note the strategic placing of the lifebelts!

This is the view from the Summit Road on the way to Akaroa

and a lop-sided shot of Denise's magnificent vegetable garden. You will be surprised to learn that this was once the swimming pool.

And finally I have to acknowledge Denise's wonderful gift to me of two tee shirts. Here I am modelling the stripey number. Thanks Denise I can't think how you knew what I needed.

Beer Tasting and House Warming

Noreen and her mum have been away this week, visiting Sam in Auckland and then Denise & Janie in Christchurch. Meanwhile my cousin Phil's youngest son Matthew briefly visited us. He is in New Zealand for a few months and was travelling from Christchurch up to Auckland where he will be doing voluntary music teaching in an inner-city school. So we took him to the brewery for the traditional tasting.

He prefers Sassy Red while Jen is partial to the Brewjolais (note the pull-tab ring)
and I quite like the Sassy as well.

In other news, Andy has moved into his new house. This is the official handing over of our present to him.

In the front room Jane's artwork has pride of place over his mantelpiece.

Andy has made several small sculptures from Oamaru stone. There are two in the front of the fireplace above and one lurking in the undergrowth of the garden.

This is the outside of the house, looking down from the road. He gets lovely views across the valley to Crofton Downs.

The house warming party was in the evening. Big brother Bob turned up unannounced from Auckland.
Jeneane was busy in the kitchen

and of course there was Morrris dancing.

Autumn Days

The week just past was increasingly wet, windy and cold but then the weekend dawned bright and clear. It is even warm in the sun. I went for a stroll through the Botanic Garden. The autumn colours are in evidence again.
There is always something going on in the garden. This week they have built a haystack to publicise the exhibition of painting by Monet and other impressionists at Te Papa.
When the children were little one of their favourite places was this fountain. Sam even sailed his boats in it on occasion. Officially it is called the Joy Fountain and according to the plaque was erected in 1946 (although there is a photo here purportedly taken in 1929). It has recently been rebuilt and restored to its original glory. We always knew it as the Frog Fountain. By holding your finger over the nozzle you can direct the resulting jet a surprisingly long way – at least across the pond to soak your brother or sister doing the same thing on the other side!
This is the view looking across Anderson Park (used for cricket, football and generally having fun) to the Rose Garden and Begonia House with the Met. Office (where all New Zealand’s weather is made) on the ridge above and Jenny’s favourite sculpture on the left.
Here is a closer look. If you ever go to the weather web cam on the Wellington Weather site the camera is right on top of this building.

An update on Kathy’s visit – we have been keeping her busy cooking for us. Tonight she made a beef and red wine casserole.