Can you hear the sound of the year winding down?
Like a jet engine at an airport, the year is coming to a standstill. For me it has been an interesting year. Technically, I retired in October last year. However, I accepted a contract to teach one more course from March to June, so I don’t feel as if I have had a full year as a retired person. Then Mary and I did our five state tour of the US (with side trip to Canada).
From a blogging perspective, this is my 365th post (there would have been one more, but for the date lost somewhere in the Pacific Ocean over the date line). According to the statistics WordPress sent me, the blog has had 33,000 “views” since 1 January. A thousand images were loaded. I have no idea how many unique visitors there were, but they came from 70 countries. Thanks for sharing the ride with me, and special thanks to those of you kind enough to interact by way of comments or emails.
Yesterday was a very windy day in Wellington, and Mary and I were almost lifted off our feet walking around Pt Jerningham. There’s nothing of Mary, so that’s no surprise, but I am quite solid so it was disconcerting having to maintain my grip on the footpath. We came back up and over Maida Vale Rd, and down into the headwind on Oriental Bay. Under the terms of my contract with Mary I don’t carry a camera when walking for exercise, so I can’t provide evidence of the conditions, but they were very vigorous indeed.
Later in the day, I was at Seaview looking across the harbour and noticed the enormous “Voyager of the Seas” berthed by the cruise terminus. She is a big one … at 137,276 Gross Tonnes, one of the largest in the world with 3,100 passengers, 1,100 crew. I liked the view between Matiu/Somes Island on the left (and the arch I had not previously noticed), and the much smaller Mokopuna Island on the right. You get a sense of the wind form the state of the water.
From there I went up the Western hills and from high up on Normandale Rd caught this panorama of the lower valley. The CBD is in the centre, and you can see the Hutt River winding its way to the see on the right. You really do need to enlarge this to see the detail
That’s it for 2012. Thanks for your company, have a wonderful New Year, and I hope you will join me in 2013.
Wysiwygpurple's Blog 
3 replies on “December 31, 2012 … an ending is merely a prelude to a new beginning”
Thank you Brian for your thoughts and photos for 2012. Have really enjoyed them and appreciate the time and effort you put in. 🙂
I agree with Margaret in thanking you for all the joy you have brought me in your pictures, and writings especially those done in New Zealand. Chico and I wish you and your family all the very best for 2013.
Thanks both for the kind words.