Icy

We had grey fog at home this morning but headed up to Nelson Lakes National Park at 8.30 and found they'd had a really good frost up on the plateau - and they had rapidly clearing skies.

A and Y went for a 10 km walk while I just took on a shorter one. Before I'd gone 3 km I managed to get hit in the head by a falling branch, which landed me on my backside - more from the surprise than the force. Then whilst looking skyward to avoid any other deadfall I tripped on a root and landed on my arse again. With a bruised head, scratched glasses (that I only picked up last week) and a double bruised posterior I decided that was enough and turned around and headed back to the car.

While waiting for the others to return I met up with Second Half of Life at the lakeside and she made me a coffee whilst I sat in the sun beside her motorhome. Good life that!

It is the first day of winter and while we were there a group of a dozen people took turns at jumping into the lake. When C asked them why they were doing it they claimed it was for the 'photo opportunity". The madness of youth!

We made a stop on the way home this afternoon.

A's 18 year old son was killed in a car accident on the road between Kawatiri and the Lake. Some years back someone removed the cross that she had placed at the site. When I bought the timber to make a cross for the site of my son's accident I ended up with double what I needed so I had an extra cross made for A. It has sat in my hallway for nearly 6 months and earlier this week A picked it up and painted it. Today she erected it where the previous cross had been.

A pointed out as we walked away that she'd had him in her life for 18 years and been without him for 27.

Heart breaking.