They say things happen in threes, but this past month it has been all twos. Two bee stings - 1 requiring emergency treatment because of the build up of poison from the last one; two journalists out prowling for stories ( my 9-year-old son for a school project), and I was writing about biking trails for Crux Media. Next month I am looking into homelessness in Central Otago. The big-ger picture. Anybody with a hard luck story contact me, because the world needs to hear it all. Some of the community is living rough. In cars, on couches, with relatives/friends/flatmates they don't particularly like, etc. Accommodation has been an ongoing issue across Central Otago for at least a decade now. I have been there myself. Several times. It has taught me to think outside the square and quite frankly shift, move town even, when the going gets tough. I take it as a sign. Wrong place, wrong time. I'm living in a great place now - in a town I grew up in and where my kids get to go to the same school I did. Things happen for a reason. I remember people frowning at me in Wanaka when I used to say, " if you can't afford to be here, then go somewhere you can." It's true. When your circumstances change, you have to move on. And if that means moving to Tarras, Alexandra, Gore, or Invercargill then so be it. There's no point living in a caravan in Hawea Flat on a piece of land somebody else owns, driving a vehicle that you can't afford to register, let alone put petrol in to make a trip to town, (12km away) if you can rent a perfectly nice house in Roxburgh by the river and possibly have your own mini orchard to go with it. Speaking of fruit, the neighbours moved out yesterday (leaving a perfectly good house vacant - but that's another story), so I went and raided the grape vine. Look at the beauties I came up with! And then just when I went to walk away I spotted a small apple tree fully laden with gorgeous fruit. That's TWO more things. Loving Autumn, loving harvest... Anyone have a feijoa tree? My favourite.