Another birthday and some exploration

It's Monday evening now, 21st April. I didn't blog yesterday as after Eunice's birthday I was so tired, I just went to bed and slept... and slept! To celebrate, we all went down to Bluff, which I think I mentioned is NZ's "Land's End", not quite the southernmost point but the southernmost town at any rate. Along the coast, at the end of a road is the point where they have a signpost with arms pointing to the Equator, Cape Reinga (most northerly point in NZ), Melbourne, London.... and lots more. I had to have my photo taken there!!! The whole family, Eunice, her husband, son, daughter, son-in-law, 3 grandchildren, and a great auntie (grampa's sister) met up for lunch at a restaurant looking down on the signpost and out to sea. Lots of fish on the menu so I plumped for scallops/scollops, my favourite, and was persuaded also to try some Bluff oysters, something I have never tasted before! I opted for the battered and deep fried ones, which were actually pretty good. Still don't think I could cope with raw (straight out of the shell, down the throat in one) oysters! Unfortunately the meal had taken so long to be served up that we didn't have time to have desserts, then birthday cake, so it was decided that everyone would gather later at Eunice's!
Despite a good weather forecast it rained pretty heavily again, but Ken and I took a short walk along the coastal track through the bush - tree ferns, hebes, pepper trees, fuchsia trees, clumps of flax... and beautiful views of the sea and a couple of the Foveaux Strait islands. Did I mention yesterday that I got my feet wet the day before at Riverton while trying to take a photo of a water spout? The sea took a detour round the beach - yes, it DID - and attacked me from two directions. I had anticipated the one only! Well. no wet feet yesterday, thank goodness!
Back at home again, the family gathered with presents for Gran and a birthday cake decorated as a hat with red net and red flowers and feathers and a huge purple ribbon sash around it - Eunice is an honorary member of the Red Hat Society, a group for "fun and friendship after 50", an American woman's innovation, the symbol of which is the red hat - obviously - adorned with purple. It comes from the poem

"When I am an old woman, I shall wear purple,

With a red hat which doesn't go, and doesn't suit me,
And I shall spend my pension on brandy and summer gloves
And satin sandals, and say we've no money for butter.

I shall sit down on the pavement when I'm tired
And gobble up samples in the shops and press alarm bells
And run my stick along the public railings
And make up for the sobriety of my youth.

I shall go out in my slippers in the rain
And pick flowers in other people's gardens
And learn to spit......... "

It goes on, but basically it says "I am going to grow old disgracefully - and have a good time while I'm at it!" My colleagues at work will recognise that saying! I got a purple streak put in my hair recently, and I'm a lot older than most of them! Hey Shell, and Keith. Joyce! Moira! Norma, you'll identify with this too, though we always talk about the purple hat!
Well, to get back to yesterday, Eunice's daughter brought out the actual red hat and a red feather boa which Eunice wore for the cake cutting ceremony. The three grandchildren helped to blow out the candles, and we all sang Happy Birthday! Then there were photos! Being a special big-zero birthday, it was a real occasion, so everyone was photographed with everyone else at some point!
At last, after pudding (dessert/sweets), birthday cake and 'Nanny McPhee', it was time the kids went home, so lots of goodbyes, hugs and kisses and off the family went. Peace reigned! The kids were lots of fun, but very bouncy, so it was good to wind down again and chill before bedtime!
Well, I WAS going to carry on blogging telling you of todays adventures, but I have been ordered off the computer, by Eunice, who says it's time I went to bed! It is ten past one a.m. now so I guess she has a point! I'll try to catch up tomorrow morning before I set off for Queenstown, otherwise it will probably be Queenstown before I can continue the story. Oops, here's Eunice again! Better go! Talk again soon!