New Years Day

OK - so it looks like we can't do pictures at the moment, not until our computer is connected. In the meantime we can post text from any computer, so you will have to make do with that.
It is windy, dark and raining in Chelmsford UK. We are all chilling out at Karla and Nick's house before we go out for a Chinese.
As Chantelle pointed out this afternoon, we are eating in a Chinese tonight and flying over the country tomorrow night.

Time is warping quite markedly for me, pretty much since we left Lancaster, as in slowly down.

We blew out the cobwebs in Southend with a blustery walk along the front tody. Thames estuary on one side and lots of people and cars on the other. Plenty of stuff to keep the little'uns amused, an amusement park, sand , doughnuts.

I was surprised to see small flocks of turnstones raiding scraps of food off the pavement, mixing in with pigeons at one point. I have never seen feral turnstones before! Even better were the wateredge flocks of sanderling. Haven't seen these for several years.

Wake up those of you who don't know your sparrows from your starlings.

Today does not feel like New Years Day! It seems like arrival in Auckland should be New Years Day. Anyway it isn't, so best wishes to all our readers, with their hopes and dreams.

Final thing: if you have a New Testament check out James 5 v15. It is where the book fell open on me today. An omen or what?