New Year's Eve 2012

It's finally New Year's Eve, I jogged for 20 minutes this morning.  Back/hip, still not good, going to resort to drugs today, some kind of anti-inflammatory should help.  I'm here with my coffee were it's warm and light, outside however is damp, dull and dark with high winds throughout the night and this morning.

I have a little shopping to do this morning then Bee and I are heading out for lunch at Ness Gardens and a nice walk, it's become a bit of a tradition over the past few years, if Bee is home, we go for a walk around the gardens on New Year's Eve or as close as we can to it.  After that, I'll be home watching TV until it's time.

Like I said in another post, 2012 was full of angst but today, I'm thinking of the happy moments and all the times I had a smile on my face, all the times I laughed out loud.  I had some really good times and I wonder what 2013 will bring me.

So, fast forward to just after noon when Bee arrives to pick me up.  We head to Ness, park up in an empty car park and proceed to read the notice on the door, I have to add at this point that it isn't usually closed on New Year's Eve.  So, the visitor's centre, through which holds the restaurant and the entrance, is closed until January 1st while it has some work done, however 'Friends of Ness,' (that is, members,) can access through, 'the Friend's Gate.'  This is where the notice should have continued with, '... which is located ...' but no, no idea where the secret, (it's apparently secret because we couldn't find it,) gate is located.  We walked up and down the length of the grounds and came across numerous gates, all of which were padlocked. 

After 45 minutes of searching, we're about to give up after yet another hopeful option is once again, a dead end when... (I must pause here to warn you that your mostly law abiding friend may actually be a criminal... now...) Bee pipes up with, 'do you think we could squeeze through those conifers?'  The conifers are tall and spaced close together so they are growing up rather than out.  I place my hands through and between two young trees and open out my arms, we could probably, actually squeeze through.  I go first then take Bee's bags and she follows, after a swift brush down of our coats, we're in and I feel like I've just broken into somewhere that I shouldn't be, like... Fort Knox.

Ness is a huge garden, the car park can be full but you may only pass two or three people in about 4 hours however today, it's a little eerie to begin with, we are totally alone, no sound, not even the waterfalls are falling.  We don't do our usual route because the ground is so sodden and so we stick to the pathways, we park ourselves on Mrs Singh's bench, (all of the benches are dedicated with a small plaque, Bee wants one when she leaves,) and we have a beautiful view.  It's bright, the sun is right ahead of us and low, we can see the rolling landscape below with the pond glistening at the very bottom. 

At this moment, the two of us produce miniature wines to toast the New Year, I think I started that about 3 or 4 years ago and now it's tradition, we're just enjoying our wine when a couple approach then another then another, we're both desperate to ask how they got in but if we did, that would give us away and expose our creative entering.

Moments later and it's as if God has flicked a switch, it's suddenly dark, the sun is gone and although it's only around 2pm, the light is gone, it's dark and the sky looks like it's about to bring forth torrential rain.

I'm home and showered and I've even done my hair again, (so easy at the moment,) I put a wash load in, watched the Auckland fireworks for New Year on the Internet, check that CJ is okay and has plans then phone to check in with J, her dog Molly is not well, (that's the one that C called 'dog' when she was little,) she is whimpering in pain and had to pay a visit to the vet today.  Molly has pain in her back but hopefully has just pulled a muscle, she's on pain killers... fingers crossed.

I'll have Jake Gyllenhall to keep me company this evening, (in the form of the 'Prince of Persia', not in person, sadly,) then a few minutes before midnight, I'll head outside with my coal, silver, salt and bread, (I hope it doesn't matter if the bread is straight from the freezer,) then I'll watch a few fireworks then let myself and the New Year in, take pain killers for the back/hip situation, then head to nod. 

Happy New Year Chick xxx