>“Hi, jb”

I heard this voice, but I couldn’t work out where it was coming from.

We’d agreed to met Meg and Ben from Nelson Daily Photo at The Red Gallery on Bridge St in Nelson for a coffee, after having sparred occasionally from a safe distance.

“Hi, jb” said this voice.

Looked around.

Saw a friendly looking Japanese guy who I (correctly) assumed to be Ben, but I couldn’t see Meg.

Looked around some more.

No sign of Meg.

“Hey, jb. DOWN HERE!”

Well, she said she was short (and short-sighted) but….

Seriously, though.

It’s been an unusual experience over the past year, seeing a city and region that you know quite well through someone else’s eyes. And finding out that you have quite a number of shared acquaintances.

Meg stumbled over YMBFA just as we were ending our 3 month sojourn in Nelson last year (so we didn’t meet) and I picked up on the idea of starting a Mainz Daily Photo.

And so it continued.

Until Wednesday.

It was a really neat afternoon.

“Not a woman of few words” is a more-than-appropriate title for Meg’s blog (Ben plays the quiet, silent role very well, not that he’s got much choice) and we had a sparkling, erudite, wide-ranging and fun-filled chat.

And Jay Farnsworth, Red’s owner, hovered around the edges, making us coffee and feel very welcome and quietly enjoying her role of providing the environment for the meeting.

Looking forward to more of the same when we get down here for good.

And I DID try not to be irksome….