Season's Greetings

[Belle]

I'm off to New Zealand in the next couple of days and won't be here for the Festive Season so I'm wishing everybody here on CMG a happy Christmas and Festive Season and prosperous and healthy 2018. We'll be back in time to watch the Vienna Philharmonic's annual New Year Concert with Riccardo Muti. Sadly, Ernst Ottensamer will be missing from the woodwinds this year and I'll be thinking of him - as I surely know the music won't be on the top of my playlist. We just like to get with the tradition!

[lennygoran]

Belle have a safe lovely trip and season's greetings to you and yours! Regards, Len [facing snow and a pesty great blue heron]

[barney]

Off to Godzone, eh? A wise decision. Most beautiful country, acre by acre, on earth.
Happy Christmas and all other festivals you may observe (or not) to my fellow CMGers.

[Belle]

Off to Godzone, eh? A wise decision. Most beautiful country, acre by acre, on earth.
Happy Christmas and all other festivals you may observe (or not) to my fellow CMGers.

We travelled 2300km through the south island, which included Fjordland. We visited many little hamlets on our journey and were more than impressed with NZ infrastructure. They've got it all!!

Absolutely loved the stunning scenery right through the south island of NZ; postcard material. Reminded me of Austria and Switzerland in that respect. In fact, I spoke to a Swiss man inside a museum near the stunning Dunedin railway station and he commented on how like his home country NZ often appeared.

Get going down there, you north Americans!!!

[lennygoran]

Absolutely loved the stunning scenery right through the south island of NZ; postcard material.

Belle welcome back-we just saw a documentary on New Zealand from the Smithsoneon Channel-incredible scenery-any good city activities or was it all just scenery? And we have friends who swear by their wines! Regards, Len

[Belle]

Well, I don't think there's too much in the way of culture when compared to NYC!! But they do have everything geared for tourism, which can be rather expensive; boat rides through fjords, ski lifts and resorts for winter, lift chairs to top of mountain over Queenstown, helicopter and aircraft rides over glaciers and Mt. Cook chalet-type accommodation out in the middle of nowhere, but 5 star. There are some lovely little villages with museums and in their original condition, eg. Arrowtown:

https://www.queenstownnz.co.nz/plan/sur ... arrowtown/

We travelled by luxury coach with 18 others, with single seats beside each aisle (similar to business class on a plane). We befriended 3 Jewish women from Toorak and Brighton (wealthy Melbourne suburbs) and they had all lost their husbands in recent years and they were our constant companions and absolutely loads of fun. Between them they were worth vast millions but you'd never know as they were so grounded, warm and friendly.

I can thoroughly recommend Grand Pacific Tours (Australian company run from NZ) as superbly professional and, in our case, high quality hotels and coach.

[lennygoran]

>Do it Len; wonderful!!<

Belle your trip sounds just wonderful-wish I could! Regards, Len

[Belle]

>Do it Len; wonderful!!<

Belle your trip sounds just wonderful-wish I could! Regards, Len

I hate the airport experience where you have to check in your own bags, print your own luggage stickers and apply them and scan your passport electronically (and these seldom work!!). The taps in the toilets at the airport were all electronic and I couldn't get them to work. As my son says, "there's no customer service in any way"!! (I'd like to tell you about my son's upcoming trip to the US with one of our political leaders but he'd sanction me if I did so!!)

[lennygoran]

(I'd like to tell you about my son's upcoming trip to the US with one of our political leaders but he'd sanction me if I did so!!)

Well of course I'd love to know more but understand why I can't! Regards, Len

PS-how about your plans for coming to NYC!

[Belle]

(I'd like to tell you about my son's upcoming trip to the US with one of our political leaders but he'd sanction me if I did so!!)

Well of course I'd love to know more but understand why I can't! Regards, Len

PS-how about your plans for coming to NYC!

I just had an email from a friend in Springfield, West Virginia, about the cold weather!! We are experiencing the opposite, with no significant rainfall for about 9 months where we live. The shrubs in our back hedge have been severely damaged because apparently it got to 42 degrees C on two days while we were away and they are badly burned. These are the shrubs we seem to be losing (I took the picture from the internet) - a hedge about 100metres long: they are burned to a crisp and we should never have planted this variety in the first place, since they are so water-demanding.

https://www.gardensonline.com.au/Upload ... dge700.jpg

Right now we are in garden 'survival' mode here and plans for travel have to be sidelined as we decide what to do about our increasingly demanding garden and landscaping in this appalling climate!

[jbuck919]

(I'd like to tell you about my son's upcoming trip to the US with one of our political leaders but he'd sanction me if I did so!!)

Well of course I'd love to know more but understand why I can't! Regards, Len

PS-how about your plans for coming to NYC!

I just had an email from a friend in Springfield, West Virginia, about the cold weather!! We are experiencing the opposite, with no significant rainfall for about 9 months where we live. The shrubs in our back hedge have been severely damaged because apparently it got to 42 degrees C on two days while we were away and they are badly burned. These are the shrubs we seem to be losing (I took the picture from the internet) - a hedge about 100metres long: they are burned to a crisp and we should never have planted this variety in the first place, since they are so water-demanding.

https://www.gardensonline.com.au/Upload ... dge700.jpg

Right now we are in garden 'survival' mode here and plans for travel have to be sidelined as we decide what to do about our increasingly demanding garden and landscaping in this appalling climate!

Your trivia item of the day is that every state in the United States has a town or city named Springfield. The one in Virginia (not West Virginia), where I have dear friends, is having the same problem, but it is not to be compared to the Ultima Thule that we are experiencing in the North Country of New York. I ordinarily have a problem with insomnia, but now the cold has made it such that I can hardly go three hours without falling asleep.

[lennygoran]

These are the shrubs we seem to be losing (I took the picture from the internet) - a hedge about 100metres long: they are burned to a crisp and we should never have planted this variety in the first place, since they are so water-demanding.

https://www.gardensonline.com.au/Upload ... dge700.jpg<

Belle took a look at the link you provided-those hedges look great--do you know what the shrubs are? Regards, Len

[lennygoran]

every state in the United States has a town or city named Springfield.

That's right-here in NJ we have a Springfield that borders the town we used to live in-Maplewood NJ. Regards, Len

[Ricordanza]

every state in the United States has a town or city named Springfield.

That's right-here in NJ we have a Springfield that borders the town we used to live in-Maplewood NJ. Regards, Len

Actually, there are two Springfields in New Jersey. The other one is in Burlington County.

[lennygoran]

Actually, there are two Springfields in New Jersey. The other one is in Burlington County.

Thanks-wasn't aware of that-we live close to one of NJ's Washingtons. Regards, Len