The Birthday Hat gets an Airing

Three vans from the caravan club stayed at Bridge Lodge, Otaki, for the weekend for our Christmas Rally.  Bridge Lodge is a rustic style camp, and we parked under a large totara tree.  Muffy was keeping a wary eye on two young semi feral cats which had the run of the property.  They keep the rabbits down, we were told, so they must be good hunters. 

Under the totara tree at Bridge Lodge

Bridge Lodge complex is multi functional and is also used for school visits, conferences and group bookings and weddings.  There is an imposing altar on the lawn which dates back to when the complex was owned and run by the City Mission.    However, the days of this property are numbered, as it is under a compulsory acquisition order to allow for a future roading development. 

The outdoor altar at Bridge Lodge

We dined out at the RSA restaurant on Saturday evening, joined by Eileen and Geoff  who live locally.  This establishment was looking very festive with all the Christmas decorations.  A small Santa was waiting in the foyer to welcome us inside.  (What’s that hiding in my large blue bag?  All will be revealed later).

The dining room was full of twinkling lights, Christmas posters up on the walls and a whole group of jolly reindeer lined up waiting for the sleigh.   That old question of what to order kept us all busy for a while as we pondered the choices. 

  Lots of red nosed reindeer

It was an easy choice for me, as I believe you can’t really go past a good old fashioned roast and veggies.  Robin chose steak, and was very pleased with his meal, and everyone else enjoyed theirs as well.  As the staff were busy in the kitchen, Robin decided to set his camera up on a spare chair, engage the delay function, then rush back to his seat to take our group photo. 

In the RSA dining room

Eileen was having a birthday so I pulled my special “birthday hat” out of the large blue bag and placed it on her head.   She sat there quite happy, looking very regal as she posed for a birthday photo.  I think I’ll have to doctor those candles to make them sit up nice and straight for the next birthday celebration, they look all higgledy piggledy and out of control!

Happy Birthday Eileen

The next morning Eileen and Geoff and their visiting family called around to the camp for morning tea and fruit mince pies.  Geoff obviously was trying to upstage the the birthday hat from the previous night and came along wearing his “Bah, Humbug” Christmas hat.

Geoff in his Bah Humbug hat

It was another good rally, small in numbers but brimming with fun, friendship and Christmas good wishes.