Today is Chinese New Year. I don't know if the weekend on the river will be busier than usual but, just in case, here's a view of it before the hordes of tourists arrive. No need for the red arrow to show you the location of "Riverbend", is there?
But getting back to the Chinese New Year, this takes place on a different date each year because it is based on the lunar calendar but normally falls between January 21 and February 20, and moves in a 12-year cycle represented by twelve different animals, the six main domestic animals ox, horse, goat, rooster, pig, and dog, and the rat, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, and monkey which are all loved by the Chinese.
They are then separated into two categories - yin and yang - depending on whether they have an odd or even number of claws, toes or hooves, and arranged into an alternating yin and yang sequence, to give the rat-ox-tiger-rabbit-dragon-snake-horse-goat-monkey-rooster-dog-pig cycle.
This being the Year of the Dog may be an omen for us as we have been without little Malty and Rover for many months now and perhaps should find another 'furever' friend at the RSPCA shelter in Nowra.
Xin nian [new year] kuai le! [happy] (pronounced shin nee-an kwai le)
