Exciting news: Heidi, my penpal from grammar school days, is coming to New Zealand and to Struan Farm for Christmas. Her son Niklas will be in New Zealand for the next year, and she's decided to make the journey down over the holidays.
It's been over 20 years since we've seen each other last, although we remain in periodic touch. She stayed with my family in New Jersey one summer during our high school days, I also visited her family in Bad Schonborn, Germany one summer. While the volume of correspondence has waned over the years, there is a connection between us that endures.
Readers of this blog will know that Christmas and Boxing Day at the farm involve visitors and lots of them: kids, grandkids, extended Robertson family, etc. So while all of the beds are pretty much spoken for, we have lots of floor space in the Homestead and are able to improvise on sleeping arrangements when need be.
However, the news of Heidi's impending visit has prompted John to think that now may be the time to accelerate the reincarnation of Jim's Hut. He's been wanting to convert it into a fisherman's cabin and relocate it to a site overlooking the Mangaotaki River.
The builder's recently been on the scene to assess the project. Work will commence shortly. There will be a loft upstairs with a double bed, two twin beds in the main room. Essentially it will be a "sleep out" for the foreseeable future, so no power, water or toilet. (No problem on that score with the Homestead nearby, but when it's moved down overlooking the river we will need to re-assess the amenities and infrastructure required. But think basic cabin or tent cabin for fishermen either way.)
I'm already plotting the decor-- it will need to stay rustic but will have a few high end touches like nice bed linens and braided rug (I know myself). The good news is that Heidi and Niklas will have proper beds to sleep in for Christmas if all goes according to plan!
Comments
You can follow this conversation by subscribing to the comment feed for this post.