So this is Christmas and what have we done, another year over….

Yes it’s Christmas once again and with it the double edged sword of the summer weather. Lovely for beaches and barbeques, not so lovely for grass, animals or water tanks.  And, that’s just here on the Ark.

The Indian Runners are diving into anything holding water and glaring at me when I walk past, so when we had our water tank filled the first thing I did was fill up their paddling pond.  This was met with much enthusiastic quacking, splashing and diving from the Runners. 

Yellow slobradog Barney loves water and was most unimpressed to find the paddling pool was not for him.  He lay in the carport glaring at the Runners – and as soon as they climbed out, he climbed in.  He sat there about a half hour, with a big doggie grin while the Runners preened themselves in the shade.

Fitzy, the black slobradog, has decided it is way too hot for anything except possibly to get up from the spot under the tree and wander to a spot in the carport and go back to sleep.  Shaking his lead entitles you to a baleful glare that roughly translates meaning “get a life woman, it’s too hot.”

While the two older moggies are happy to stretch out on their back in the sun and bake, The Terrible Twins have finally met their match. 

It’s just too hot for obstreperous felines to gallop around The Ark wreaking havoc.  Instead they can be found most days, stretched out under chairs or tables.  In fact under anything that gets them away from the sun and the heat.  

On occasion a rather limp paw is waved half heartedly at an ankle, but really that’s as energetic as they are getting.  At least until someone opens the fridge or says “bathroom”….

The Offspring of course love the weather and can’t quite understand what all the fuss is about. After all – at 12 the water tank running dry just means you get to go to the beach more often.

So as Christmas looms and the inhabitants of the Ark lay melting everywhere another change is on the horizon.

You see, I have decided to head off on a new adventure and so this is the last time I shall be telling you tales of the tails at the Ark as the editor.

Before you breathe a sigh of relief and wonder if the next editor will be somewhat quieter  and have better behaved animals – I’m not disappearing entirely.

I am quite simply going home to spend time with my children and pursue a career as a freelance writer while I work on some personal writing.  Part of that personal writing, I’m pleased to say is going to be a regular column here in Rural Living entitled – drum roll please – The Great Urban Ark.

For the past three and a half years I have had the extraordinary privilege of reporting on and to the rural lifestyle community and I have loved every moment.

It was an honour to help launch Rural Living in 2007 and  I would like to take this opportunity to publicly thank Brian and Reay Neben, the owners of Times House Publishing, for allowing me the independence and freedom to do so. 

Also a huge thank you to manager Karla Wairau and the entire sales and editorial team who work tirelessly on meeting the needs of our advertisers and readers.

I would also like to thank you, our readers, for having invited me onto your farms, into  your homes, and sharing your stories with me. And for never laughing at my pink gumboots – at least never too loudly.

On that note have a wonderful, happy and safe Christmas.