Another blue and gold day in our Central Otago paradise. We have had some horrendously smoggy days over the winter; not in the same league as Beijing, you understand, but pretty grim by the same token. The neighbours down the road have an open fire on which they may be burning old tyres, by the smell of it. Not kosher, but – hey – you have to stay warm somehow, I guess. So, here in Central, we have no time for all the whining about recessions and doom and gloom. Sure, things are tighter than they have been, but sometimes it is a matter of re-organising your budget or thinking a little laterally about different ways of making money. (And legal ways……..) Most people around here are optimistic that things will pan out – I certainly am!