All the Best of the Season to You!

[Lesley Cox]

Thanks to everyone for their greetings and especially the lovely cards, pictures and flowers/foliage shared. A white Christmas almost seems to be the height of achievment but perhaps there's a bit too much white in the northern hemisphere this year. I believe there were 2 in New Zealand in the whole of the 20th century. My mother remembered one from about 1919 or thereabouts. I hate to tell you this but Dunedin had the country's highest temperature yesterday, 32C. I daresay Australia was hotter.

[Lori S.]

great shot, lori--i've never been farther in/higher than kootenay plains (a low snowfall area) in winter, and that only a couple of times..

Cohan, I must admit I have not been up there in winter either, LOL!  I borrowed the pic from one of Stuart's back-country ski trips to show how magnificent it all looks in this season.  I've only been in the relative lowlands for a bit of cross-country skiing and snow-shoeing.  There just aren't enough hand- and foot-warmers in the world... 

Lesley... amazing to hear about the other side of the world - what a contrast!

[Paul T]

Lesley,

We actually had rain and 23^oC here yesterday, a blessed relief after the 35 and 36 the 2 days before.

I recall growing up that we had a frost one year in Christmas week, which is almost unbelievable compared to the last few years.   Given we had just under 20^oC as our minimum the other night, the thought of a frost is quite weird!! 

[cohan]

paul, congrats on the rain! amazing that historically you could have had temps so much lower!

lesley, its always fascinating to know the conditions are so different somewhere else at the same time, but its actually harder to believe that conditions here will be so opposite in 6 months--incredible that we can have these conditions of pure white and everything 100% frozen above and below ground, and then be totally green and growing and even warm!
while i can cope fine with the winter here (and having moved back knowing what its like, i vowed not to fret!) were i somewhere warmer, i would not have the slightest twinge of regret at missing a white christmas!
that said, i know the native woodland plants really appreciate the snow..

lori--i think pictures of the back  country in winter are the perfect way to see it! i am not interested in skiing off the horizontal, so i was never moved to visit anywhere in winter that would increase the amount of snow i have to deal with!

[Renate Brinkers]

All the best for a wonderful Christmas and a great Year 2010,

let´s allways make the best from everything we get!

[Hans J]

Hi Renate ,

Please think on this old poem   :

"Oh Menschenkind bedenke wohl Dein größter Feind ist Alkohol,
doch in der Bibel steht geschrieben : Du sollst auch Deine Feinde lieben "

Cheerioh
Hans

Maggi : please can you translate ?

[Lvandelft]

Hi Renate ,

Please think on this old poem   :

"Oh Menschenkind bedenke wohl Dein größter Feind ist Alkohol,
doch in der Bibel steht geschrieben : Du sollst auch Deine Feinde lieben "

Maggi : please can you translate ?

Gosh, consider that  probably your largest enemy is alcohol, but in the Bible is written:
"You are to love also your enemies".

I think this will do Hans?
Did you ever use LEO.org.?? The best word translator!

[Anthony Darby]

I'll drink to that Luit.

[Hans J]

Many thanks Luit !!!

Maybe  would it's be better :

Human child, consider that  probably your largest enemy is alcohol, but in the Bible is written:
"You are to love also your enemies".

No - I have never heard LEO.org .....
I use partly Google translater and sometimes my Bookman ( Franklin ) .....but the best translator is still Maggi - do you know she understand near all my german ?

[Miriam]

Wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year with many flowers!

[Paddy Tobin]

Hi Renate ,

Please think on this old poem   :

"Oh Menschenkind bedenke wohl Dein größter Feind ist Alkohol,
doch in der Bibel steht geschrieben : Du sollst auch Deine Feinde lieben "

Cheerioh
Hans

Maggi : please can you translate ?

Hans, I am deeply in love with my enemy.

Paddy

[Hans J]

Paddy ,

Irish Whisky ?

[Maggi Young]

Hans, I might be able to translate your German, but I have a lot of trouble with paddy's Irish!

[Maggi Young]

Guím beannachtaí na Nollag ar mo chairde go léir anseo sa SRGC agus Athbhliain faoi Shéan agus faoi Mhaise freisin. Mo Bhuíochas faoi leith dos na daoine sin a raibh chomh deas sin is gur sheol siad plandaí chugham i rith na bliana, go háirithe lucht na bplúiríní sneachta.

Anois, tá sé in am óil. Slán go fóill.

 I think he's sending Christmas greetings to his friends inthe SRGC and a happy new year also to Mhaise (Maggi??) And special thanks to those who sent plants and made snow (?)
 And now he's back to the drink but still standing..... ?

[Hans J]

Maggi ,

  I had the same idea like you ....and we poor german understand really not one single word !