We're all going on a summer holiday ... Yeah, right.
True, I have had a holiday, and true, it is technically summer. But our post-Christmas camping holiday turned into three nights in a cabin after the rain bucketed down.
North Otago farmers were counting their blessings while campers counted their dry pairs of socks.
Then, after two sunny days at the crib over New Year, more rain drove us back home, where at least we have Sky to amuse us in wet weather.
In fact, none of my plans have quite worked out.
The bees are still at Outram, where they are happily gathering honey while I prepare their new home.
I have found the sunniest spot on the property with reasonable access, the tree that shaded it first thing in the morning has been felled and a site for the hives is being levelled.
Meanwhile, I drive to Outram each week and check on the hives. And last week, I got a bit of a hurry-up.
My strongest hive had outgrown its space and urgently needed to expand.
First, I rang the tutor of our bee course to find out where I could pick up the extra boxes for my hive.
After a tiki tour across the Taieri, I arrived at his trailer, where gear belonging to students was buried under stickies - boxes full of frames from which honey had been extracted.
Unloading these was complicated by the fact that every bee within cooee was trying to gather the leftover honey.
There were thousands of bees working but, not being at their hives, they weren't too defensive.
Since I am a coward, I wore my bee suit, hood and gloves as I unloaded and restacked, unloaded and restacked, until I had reached the very back of the trailer, where I found that none of the student boxes was mine.
So I restacked and reloaded, restacked and reloaded, then went to Allanton and picked my boxes up. Back at Outram, where the weather was sunny and warm, I gave the bees some breathing space by expanding the hive.
As I worked, sweat ran down my nose and dripped on to my veil, but I didn't care. It was a job that had to be done, as well as one I enjoyed.
And I am looking forward to my next visit so I can see how they are using their new space.
The other job that needs doing is still waiting.
The sheep need to be dealt with, and until the rain came I was ready - they were rounded up and confined, ready for me to organise the shearer.
But then it rained, and you can't shear soggy sheep.
During the wet spell, the naughty few of the flock escaped again and now I am back to square one, except time is not on my side; I am back at work.