Holiday week

Last week I had a much needed week off. I spent most of the time with my mum - as we live in separate towns we don't often get to catch up and do things like go shopping or go out for coffee, so we decided to do as much of that as possible in one week. By the end of it, I was all shopped out and had eaten enough sweet things to last me the rest of the year (or so I thought yesterday - I still managed to force down a gingernut for afternoon tea today though!)

Food and shopping will come in the next couple of posts, but in the meantime here are a few photos from the first two days, which we spent in Timaru.

Timaru sunrise - taken from the window of my dad and stepmum's house. I thought how pretty and misty it all looked, but realised later that the mist is probably smoke from people's fireplaces (it was a completely still morning, and very cold at minus 2 - brr!)

From the same window but another direction.

Caroline Bay. The haze was still there, as was a strange pinky/gold glow in the sky. It was like sunrise, but at 10.30 in the morning!

They have put a new fountain in a the Bay. It's an ostentatious, Victorian monstrosity covered with mermaids, twin-finned merbabies and a cherub riding some kind of seahorse. I love it!

Even on a grey chilly day.

The lovely mermaids seem to be wearing frilly skirts of some kind. They don't seem to mind the water dripping in their faces, but I bet they are looking forward to summer and a bit of sunshine on their tails.

As am I! We were quite lucky with the weather though and that was the only grey day - the rest were sunny and warm, and were a welcome reminder that spring is not too far away.