A day in the new life of Ray

Well Folks I've finally been let loose on our Blog. Neil normally produces our blog with my input but now it's my turn to show you my pictures of my new, fabby life here in New Zealand . I'm so excited.....anyway enough of the bull I just hope I don't bore you to death,, so here goes.

This is me at 5.00am in the morning looking, you must admit, a little more perky than my other half.
Yes 5.00am is the time I have to rise to get to my job in a little village called Wellsford, 1 hour North of our house in Torbay. I start work at 7.30am until 4pm so I'm glad of the early finish to get home and do housey things but I've had to get used to getting up early.

My feet by the way are on our cat's play stand for those wondering.

















Here I am at our office picking up one of our guys before setting off on our journey. The temperature outside at dawn is about 19 degrees, brill hey!





Here are some pictures of the dreadfully boring scenery on the way to work.





















Sometimes if I'm a good boy they'll let me drive the van as long as I promise not to wear the silly hat on a regular basis.




























then off up the scaffold for me to do a hard days work.










At around 10.00 in the morning we have Smoko. Yes that's what it's called here and no I don't know the origin of what should be called break-time. Here are a couple of the guys I work with. The fella in the middle is Dave and he talks just like me cause he's from Ashton in the UK so after munching copious amounts of pies between us, all's well in the world. I've struggled to understand the lingo here especially when people talk about going out and drinking Piss....yep that's like us saying we're going out on the piss but with a very different slant. I thought my ears were deceiving me at first.



Well then it's back to work for me until Lunch, which is normally taken at 1.00pm for a full half an hour!.....(tongue in cheek)I'm so Lucky!!!!!

























Now then I don't think she'll mind me saying but it's a little unusual to me to have a young lady working with us. Her name is Wendy and she's an absolute darling, very bubbly and yet another Scot....I can't get away from them!!!!!
I would have said it's very much a male dominated type of job but she's proved that's not the case, in fact she has other friends over here who are also painters and decorators so it just goes to show what I know. She's become one of my best friends and long may it continue. Here she is relaxing and in action.


























And here more hideously, awful pictures of us on our way home.































Once home it's straight out and down to our beach for a soothing, relaxing dip in the cove.

Then back home on the dicking, sorry decking, I'm beginning to speak and type like the locals now, to have dinner of home made burgers, Neil's speciality, and rabbit food,,, yum! oh and lots and lots of mayo just to balance the fat intake you understand.

















Well here's our new purchase, a 3 man Spa, which is Brilliant!! We lay out under the stars and drink our vino blanco before departing to bed for a well earned sleep.......












......me pretending to be asleep. I hope you've not gone to sleep OY! WAKE UP!