Damp. Dark. Cold. Hail on the beach and tornadoes ripping through small country towns. And it’s only May, people! There’s still leaves on the trees! The daffodils and the jonquils aren’t even peeking through! What the hell?

It’s been raining every Saturday for the past three weeks, and I’m desperately hoping that this cold, consistent rain gives up the ghost come next Saturday in particular as there’s two important events on that day: my cousin’s wedding down in Auckland and Kay and Richard’s wedding up here in Whangarei.

I’m gutted that I’m not going to the first wedding – not only do I miss out on seeing my cuzzie Tony tie the knot, I also miss out on seeing my cuzzie Stu, recently back in New Zealand after ten years in England, freshly divorced and (apparently) accompanied by his new girlfriend who is according to sources is a very nice girl even though she is a little bit older than he is.

As for Kay and Richard’s wedding, I’m on Official Photographer duty again, and this time, before I leave home I’ll be double-checking no triple-checking no quadruple-checking my camera batteries are fully charged. I might even get myself a third battery, just to be extra, extra sure.

Now, if only I could stop the rain, even for half an hour, around 3pm, on the 23rd of May?