Christmas 2012

I sit here with arms aching from dragging a small donkey for a walk. Half an eye is on Pip as she ploughs through a packet of liquorice wheels. Another eye is watching Bob take a bucket of pea pods over to the goats. This doesn't leave much for writing so please excuse all spelling mistakes.

Christmas on St Helena has been quite different and rather lovely. Not sure I can pick out a highlight, don't really get the big highs and lows that you might get elsewhere. Everything just mooches along quite nicely. occasionally surprising you with something quite simple and quite special. It might be that everyone joins in in such a quiet, good spirited way. I sort of expected the carnival and parade to be a little more... something. They're pretty steady really but what is really impressive is the span of people you see dressed up and getting involved. No embarrassment, well perhaps a little but everyone is laughing with you. It can give one quite a warm fuzzy feeling.

We've had some wonderful walks too. Every time we make it out we're blindsided by just how stunning the place is. Will sort out a few photos of some of the views and put them into some sort of order- too many to just upload in one load.

Picnic on Flagstaff Hill, Christmas eve 2012

On the waterfront setting off to join the parade. Jacob's ladder in the background. "The Castle" home of St Helena Government is the white building on the left. 

The parade attracted onlookers of all shapes and sizes.

We all looked the part :-) (post office is the building behind us)

After dancing down the street the parade continued along the waterfront.

Really impressed at the efforts everyone made.

Yet another of the rather stunning views. This on was boxing day while a friend looked after Pip we got to have a little look out.

Really can't get to grips with how quickly everything changes here...

Looking up

I can tenatively say that the weather is improving. I'm pretty sure that the arrival of our tumble dryer (order 28th September) and waterproof trousers on the RMS this week will guarentee that neither are needed for several months. Shoes are drying out and noses are starting to peel. It's all good.

Work is busy- dealing with day-to-day, planning going forward, reviewing methodology (which would be greatly facilitated if everything had been written down to start with!), training and much more. Giving a talk at the local secondary school next week which makes my knees quite wobbly when I think about it... which I try not to!

School has been a whirlwind too- school plays, partys, trips and competitions are keeping Pip (and us!) busy. Pip says she's getting into the spirit of it now the weather is warming up, how quickly things changet!!

One of the biggest treats coming with the changing season is the stars. So many. So clear. So amazing!
They look different here- can't recognise any at the moment. I know we've got the Southern Hemisphere ones but we can still see lots of familiar Northern Hemisphere constellations, apparently- we can't find them! Probably hiding in all the others.

Day time sky can be pretty fancy too. This week a NASA published a satellite image of cloud vortices trailing from St Helena. Pretty fancy I think you'll agree.

Cloud vortices off St Helena.
Link