At home on the deck - reflecting and planning.
Back home in Golden Bay, New Zealand after 10 months away in England, Australia and SE Asia. Wendy and I have a lifestyle where we try to block our time so that on average we work for only 6 months of the year. Having this balance, for us, is integral to our happiness.
When we're home we run a B&B business as one of our blocks of work. We list through AirBnB and Booking.com as 'Golden Bay by the Sea'. Use the Booking.com link above to book, put in your dates and search for 'Golden Bay by the Sea'.
When we're home it's also a time for catching up with family and friends and to plan what we're going to get up to next! Our planning invariably takes place on our deck, which is where I am now – north facing into the sun and overlooking our gardens and paddock with views to the sea and mountains beyond – it's lovely.
For those not familiar with the word 'deck' in this context, it derives from the deck of a boat but means the wooden platform adjoining a house with seating positioned to enjoy the view.
Over the years I've found that there are certain things that enable your brain to stop its' internal dialogue – looking out to sea, or into flames, or watching the currents of a river. Now our deck seems to have the same impact. We can sit down for a cup of tea and chat, and just sit ------ and 10 minutes go by – the deck grabs you and holds you there, you sit and watch the view and the passing birds and another 10 minutes pass by, and so on and so. It's amazing how long you can sit on our deck inanely commenting now and then that we 'better do something'. In my more whimsical moments I think it's an atavistic evolutionary thing hearkening back to the African savannah where our distant ancestors would have found the scene familiar – looking out onto a green tapestry of trees and grass as they sat around their camp-fire. Sitting on the deck calms the brain, allows reflection and from that planning and then, eventually, action!
But it's not just us – it has the same effect of our B&B guests. Hear what one of our recent guests, David from Norfolk in England had to say by listening to the audio link above. Wendy also speaks about some of guests that have changed their lives as a consequence of 'the deck'.
Above Wendy 'planning' our future on the deck.
As a digression whilst recording the Pats Postcard audio some sort of warbler was trilling in our weeping willow, accompanied by the early morning flight from Golden Bay to Wellington. Half and hour flight and you're in the capital – it's a great journey flying low over the Abel Tasman National Park, Tasman Bay, the Marlborough Sounds and then the Cook Strait. If you get a chance try it - Golden Bay Air.
Perhaps with our increasingly busy lifestyles we all need a 'deck', a place where we can stop, reflect and decide what is important in our lives. I hope you find yours.
We've many birds in our garden, both native and introduced. Here's a list of those that can be heard on the audio plus others commonly seen here. A useful link to identification is NZ Birds Online
Birds heard: Tui, pukeko, unknown warbler, blackbird, paradise shelduck.
Other common birds: fantail, bellbird, grey warbler, Australasian harrier, house sparrow, starling, thrush, yellow hammer, silvereye, Californian quail, weka, kingfisher.
Above - Californain quail family.
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