JJ's Wargames on Tour - Happy Christmas 2022, It's Xmas Jim, But Not As We Know It!

The Festive Season is now well underway and with Christmas Eve fast approaching, I thought I would send my usual Christmas greeting on the blog, but this year with a difference.

As those of you who have been following my recent posts, Carolyn and I have been off on a bit of a jaunt to the other side of the planet, or down under as we would say at home, here in New Zealand, and well we have found ourselves noticing things that are similar to home but definitely not the same.

So much so that we have adopted our favourite Star Trek aphorism throughout most of our time away, every time we see something that we seem to recognise but not quite, hence;

'It's Xmas Jim, but not as we know it!'

 

For example, the tree pictured above and below, with a close up of it's marvellous bloom, is the New Zealand Xmas Tree, so called because of the blazing red flowers that appear around Christmas and is otherwise known as Metrosideros excelsa, or to the Maori's as Pohutukawa.

Yes it is indeed a stunning tree, but not exactly the bedecked conifer us Poms are used to, and where's the snow, or the holly with its red berries or at least some cold miserable weather that Xmas is supposed to bring relief from, oh and dark mornings and nights?

No it's summer here, with lovely English summer time temperatures, the birds are nesting and in full song, and Freddy Mercury and Queen are blasting out on the radio 'Thank God it's Xmas'.

Even the Robin's don't look quite right, I mean its the right shape, if a little larger than I'm used to, and it is as cock sure of itself as any self respecting Robin is likely to be, as it lands at your feet and looks up at you as if it owns the place, but it's black and white, looking like an 'All Black' with attitude! 

Anyway it definitely is the season of goodwill to all and we are looking forward to spending Christmas in lovely Christchurch NZ, with a restaurant booked for dinner, Skype calls arranged with home, and a punt on the River Avon and a walk around the Christchurch Botanical Gardens arranged in the afternoon.

Normally over the Xmas break I would be preparing an end of year review for the blog together with plans for 2023, but this year will be a little different as I will still be adventuring around the world in some other countries over the break, so plan to reset JJ's Wargames later in the New Year when the routine settles into a modicum of normality.

Thus it leaves me only to wish everyone a very Happy Christmas and New Year, wherever you are, and I look forward to posting further adventures here on JJ's after the Xmas break.

Lots of interesting things to look at here on JJ's following a break for Xmas.

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