Grey again.

Another grey day,
Oh summer, wherefore art thou ?
Land of long white cloud.


New Zealand is almost like two different countries this year. Whilst we on the west coast seem to be having continual cloudy or wet days much of the east coast is tinder-dry. Today there has been a terrible bush fire near Christchurch destroying 11 homes. And Hawkes Bay has also just had a very destructive fire. 
The Maori name for N.Z. is  Aotearoa which translates as " The land of the long white cloud".  That is definitely an appropriate name for us in this area at the moment.