Mar 7, 2013

Sue MacKay Wraps up Summer

Living in the Sounds means that summer brings many visitors to our home, either for a day or for much longer. We've had a particularly hot and dry summer this year which has meant many meals out on the deck overlooking the bay - my favourite dining area.
For the last week friends from Auckland have been with us and the weather has been superb. The men have been fishing most days and we girls have been talking, shopping, talking, and walking in the hills. Did I mention talking? There's always so much to catch up on.
My girlfriend and I have also spent a lot of time in the kitchen. We both love creating delicious food for everyone to sit around enjoying in the sunshine with a glass of something delicious from our local wineries. With the fish so fresh it was still wriggling, the vegetables picked from the garden as we needed them, the eggs my chooks think they've hidden from me every morning, we could hardly go wrong. 
Then there's chocolate. Funny how that featured in quite a few creations.
I heard of a new way to savour hollow easter eggs this week. Must've been the chocolate thing. You carefully break the end off, keeping your hands around the opening raise the egg to your nose and inhale the sweet, delicious, chocolatey scent from inside. Apparently it's heaven. I have yet to try it. Personally I prefer to eat them but hey, I might be missing out on something, and as Easter is rapidly approaching I'll give it a try.

Easter will probably wrap up summer, but it will also bring my latest love, our grandson, to stay. He's bringing his parents and some other friends with him, and Granny will once more be busy in the kitchen cooking up a storm. This may be the last weekend we'll spend around the outdoor table for dinner this season. But with a bit of luck autumn and winter will speed past, spring will arrive and we'll be dusting off the cobwebs and dead bugs and starting all over again. Spring is my favourite season but summer brings so many good times it ranks right up there too.

Have you had a great summer? Or for those in the opposite hemisphere, are you looking forward to your summer?
I have a copy to You, Me and A Family to give away.

19 comments:

  1. I have had a Summer of extremes I must say.

    Scorching temperatures that defy belief & I am now seriously thinking we should be building an ark in the backyard.

    This is the second week of non-stop rain. I'm not even counting the storms & Summer rains before that.

    I'm full of complaints, but thank you for allowing me to vent.

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  2. Lots of sun. Sooooo much sun. An amazing summer - especially after last year's 'no show'. And just as the season draws to an end, the pool springs a leak. Where? We have yet to discover, but water is escaping at an alarming rate. The backyard and all around is brown - this is not Auckland.(And the leak is obviously not in our backyard...) We normally have rain most days and our green has dulled - but our enthusiasm for this amazing weather has not. We have loved the summer if only because our little people - grandson(5) and granddaughter(2) - love to swim, so here they have been. Blackmail is mighty powerful and I'm not afraid to use it... :-) (But we really need to find out where that leak is!)

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  3. Oh Mary, summer is so diverse and never goes according to our expectations, does it? I love the idea of an ark!

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  4. Clare, your blackmailing tools are running out. But you're right, we have had an amazing summer down under which we were owed, though my heart goes out to the farmers and their stock suffering from the drought. No pleasing everyone.

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  5. Sue, I love sunshine, but, boy, does my office get hot! I'm tempted to try writing outside. Summer's not over for us until we've been to WOMAD, our annual trip to a wonderful little world music festival in New Plymouth. Once that's over (and the rain's held off) we pack up the canvas and prepare for the cold to arrive. Can't complain this year- it's been fabulous! Love the fact you can provide everything you need from the sea and your garden- want any more visitors????

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  6. Louisa, any time you like. Yes, we've had the best summer. I have tried to work out on the deck but (skiting) the glare is too much. And the scenery too distracting no matter how often I see it. In fact, we have a pact in this house - the day we don't notice the views we're out of here.

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  7. Hi Sue,

    I love the sound of your lovely get togethers. Wish I could be there.

    Summer for me - like my internet access at the moment - has been almost non-existant. Lots of rain and cold days. Hoping for a warm autumn!

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  8. Heck, Annie, we always associate hot temps with your land. Seems we're getting your share of sun this year.

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  9. I'm so glad you are having a great summer as a friend of ours is in your part of the world visiting. (He's staying somewhere on Golden Bay) Wish I was there with him as I'm tired of the snow and more snow. Fresh fish and garden fresh vegetables sound like gourmet food to me.

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  10. Hi Kaelee. Have to admit it's not a bad lifestyle. The thought of snow right now seems alien. But your summer is on it's way.

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  11. Sue, what a beautiful post! I wanna come to your place to stay :)
    I'm not particularly a chocolate person (I know - strange), but one thing I do love is Easter, and the smell of the foil wrappers. I remember doing it as a child. The best smell in the world...or it is when you're six.
    Enjoy your time with your gorgeous grandson!!

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  12. Sue, the Sounds are one of my most favourite places in the world. I just love that photo and can imagine what fun you've had with your friends and cooking up a storm.

    We've been super spoiled having two summers in a row. Wish we could do it every year! Enjoy that gorgeous grandson.

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  13. Book in early, Robyn. :) Gets kinda busy here. How can you not be a chocolate girl? Actually I prefer those marshmallow eggs which definitely won't give me that super scent to inhale.

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  14. Hey, Barb, we have been lucky, haven't we? The cicadas are making a racket at the moment so there's an indication autumn is on it's way.

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  15. Looking forward to summer. It's been cold here.

    bn100candg(at)hotmail(dot)com

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  16. Sue, I've had a very wet summer. Lots of rain and flooding. But the upside is that the trees that were dying off and the undergrowth is all springing back to life. It's soooo green around here!

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  17. bn100, here's to a hot and long summer for you in your part of the world.

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  18. Rachel, you did have a particularly bad summer. But you always find the positive amongst the worst. Glad the trees have recouperated. Hard to imagine your partof the world being green right now.

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  19. We've had a mixed bag this winter. 70F in January, way above normal, followed by cold and then 2 snowstorms within 5 days leaving a total at least 2 feet of snow. Not complaining. Fortunately my job allows me to be flexible so was at home for the snow. The plus side is we've been in a dry spell for the last 2 years so the moisture is welcome.

    Your part of the world looks gorgeous. Thanks for sharing!

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