Thanks Joe! I'll do an update below.
Cheers Deeve! It should be coming into a pretty good time of the year for either island I would think with Summer around the corner. It's a tough one, there are a lot of scenic places in both, but if you really wanted mountains, lakes, hot springs and nature walks then perhaps the South Island altho the North also has some of the same but probably double the population.
Thanks Uncle!
Update - After many weeks of being AWOL
Greetings fellow 420 enthusiasts!
Sorry for being AWOL but it's been quite a shitter of a time these past couple of months.
My 86 year old mother who was on no meds, and altho frail and slight of build she was fit and in good health, even at 86 she would walk 2-4km each day. She unfortunately did her last walk knowing the weather was going to mango to strong cold winds in the afternoon, and I guess she lingered a bit too long exchanging books at the town library or in one of her favourite cafes, but when she went to walk home the weather had changed, she said for the final 500m she was walking into a cold head wind and was really struggling to move foward. A couple of days later she developed a respiratory infection, and then unfortunately had a fall, cracked her skull and then seizures, strokes, respite care and died. I really felt she had at least 5 if not 10 years left, but that one fateful choice to not call a taxi did her in, quite dreadful all things considered.
And as for me, around the same time she made her last walk, I was out in the cold wind spraying chemical cleaner on the concrete and paving, then in the afternoon water blasting it all. I was only wearing 2 light layers I could feel the wind was cold and cutting thru but I felt robust or at least I thought I was, but in the coming days I also came down with a humdinger of a chest infection. I think it would have come close to wiping me out had I been any older. The lesson is be careful as you age as it's a shitter to realise that you're not 25 anymore!
Next grow update
I have kicked off several beans for the next grow. I haven't yet made up their balcony garden bed, but intend to do that very soon as I have everything ready for it. I initially only intended on 3 plants but ended up with a 4th when it looked like the Black Valium's weren't viable.
Greenhouse Seeds:
Super Lemon Haze
Humboldt Seed Company:
Blueberry Cupcake
Anesia Seeds:
Frozen Black Cherry
Topshelf Elite Seeds:
Black Valium
I started these a month later than last year but all the same I can't help feeling concerned for the slow growth in the beginning as time is ticking on. I think that is normal but I usually start earlier and have small bushes by this stage!
The Black Valium strain really interested me for it's description, because this grow I wanted to try something that was strongly Indica to see how that compared to the Sativas that I have been growing more recently. However, the first 4 seeds all failed to sprout, then the final 5th one did sprout but as I was not expecting success I failed to check it before it's tail was maybe an inch and half long and rather scrunched up, bugger. Anyway it was been planted 3 days ago, and today I carefully scrapped away some of the top soil layer to see whether it was still alive, it seemed to be, so I left it with it's 'head' in the light, fingers crossed it will come through.
When the first 4 Black Valium seeds failed to sprout I kicked off a Frozen Black Cherry as a backup, that turned out to grow very strongly, fresh seeds?
As they look today
Anyway, I will start a new journal soon to document this grow. Thanks for dropping by and wishing you all the best!
to know you’re still okay and will be starting a new journal. CL
. 
My heartfelt thoughts go out to both you and your family.
