Fiddler on the stage

After a fabulous morning service and fellowship lunch, people were in no rush to get home - we pulled out the freshly washed teacups and served a second round of tea and coffee, an unprecedented act in the almost three years that we've been here!  We weren't home long before it was church time again.  Good thing Nick wasn't preaching, because two thirds of the Gonan family came home with us after service (their home in Kakanui is over an hour away) and Nick was deep in conversation with 12-year-old Aviel who was delivering a keen critique of his message, and they got to church late!  I'm usually his time keeper I guess but I was already at church for a music practice :)  We had Alfie Orr full the pulpit in the evening, and then after another lengthy time of fellowship we picked up fushnchups and joined a small collection of friends (including our latest addition, Dennis, far right - who may or may not become a more regular part of our fellowship as he's living here in Timaru but spends weekends in Dunedin where his brother and girlfriend live) to watch the last concert of the carnival, which was Marian Burns - this was the one concert I had really been looking forward to, as she's a fiddler.  We were sadly disappointed though at the blasphemy throughout her too-lengthy introductions to songs, and then she only did about two or three fiddling pieces - not that she's not talented, but I would have preferred less singing and guitar!  Nevertheless, we amused ourselves with trying to start up waves through the crowd and eating yummy blocks of cheese.  The boys had a ride each - Caleb on the bumper cars and Aaron on the Octopus (all by himself - not so much fun!)