Winter of our Content

Just when I think I've found a favorite season here in NZ the next one is even more beautiful! We are now into late fall and what with the leaves changing, the beautiful fall light, angle of the sun and clear, crisp days I think this now is my new favorite season. The nights can get quite cold but we just throw another shrimp on the barbie... er, hmmm, that's not quite right... throw a wool blanket on the bed and we're just fine. The days warm up quite nicely, usually around 55-65 degrees and we continue our daily walks. Now that the tourist season is over life, it seems, has returned to normal in the city with far fewer cars and many less slack-jawed gawkers. I can appreciate the boon to the city economy tourism has but also feel, like most Nelsonians, that life seems better without the locusts.

This last week we took a camping trip to the Marlborough Sounds, about 2 hours north-east of here and had a wonderful time. The Sounds are hundreds of inlets and bays flanked by steep mountains that drop almost vertically into the sea and with only two roads in and out, much of the Sounds are inaccessible unless you backpack in and out. We managed to find a nice campsite on the shores of Cowshed Bay, pitched our tent and managed to survive the wet and frosty nights. We took a 4 hour tramp along the Queen Charlotte track and were again impressed with the variety of flora and fauna, including whole forests of mammoth Ponga trees. At one point we were high on a ridge with deep blue bays on both sides and although pictures rarely do justice to what things actually look like, I've included some anyway. Susan did her usual spectacular job of fashioning delicious meals on our camp stove and the highlight for me was a nice campfire on the last evening. Maybe the best part of the trip was NO BUGS!

The band has had more gigs and we are becoming quite solid in performing some of the more difficult and exacting jazz tunes. The original name of the trio was “Pacifica” which I rather liked but Allan, the bassist thought a better name would be Snazz (Simply Nelson Jazz) and as he is the resident Kiwi in the group we decided to go with his instincts. Strange, I know, but when in Rome...
We recorded a 5 song demo and are now shopping it around to hopefully pick up some more work. We've also submitted it to the Nelson Jazz Club which are the jazz music Nazis here in town but if they like it we are guaranteed gigs at the Victorian Rose and Pub which is THE place for live jazz here in Nelson. I also seem to be in another band called “The Fishermen” and am looking forward to performing with them although now that winter is upon us many venues are scaling back on live music. They called and asked me to audition after seeing my “Guitarist, Escaped From America, looking for work” sign in the local music stores. They do some nice original music but mostly pop/rock tunes including “Proud Mary” and “Sweet Home Alabama” which I've already informed them I would refuse to play. I may be a musical whore but there are limits...

Our residency is moving inexorably closer to fruition and has actually sped up since moving our application from London (UK) to Christchurch here in NZ. Susan needed some additional medical tests and once those are submitted we may be close to the final interview. As the death toll in Iraq and Afghanistan mounts, GW bush's murderous deceptions multiply, the Democratic party's collapse, Gonzalesgate, etc., etc. Susan and I both agree that being ex patriots looks more and more like the right move for us. We've been so pleasantly surprised at how we've been accepted and welcomed by Kiwis and are quite enamored by the tolerance, openness and skepticism of organized religion besides the astonishing beauty and deep devotion to protecting the environment that we find here. Obviously there are problems here but I know I definitely don't regret our move except for the fact of missing our friends, family and Miles and Bessie. What with blogs, email and the webcam we stay in touch with the family and that goes a long way to relieving, somewhat, the homesickness.

That's the news from here and we hope to hear from you soon. So long...