It took me a long time to get used to the holidays in the southern hemisphere, because everything about that time of year is bound to be dark, snowy, cold, etcetera. After many years, however, I got used to living this time of year in a summery, lighter atmosphere, at least when I arrived. The consumer society has since caught up and we see a little more of everything. I find it difficult to join the brouhaha. I continue to live as usual and enjoy all that Nelson has to offer, including, given its temperature and long hours of sunshine, all kinds of produce, which almost all Nelsonians grow around their house. In times of plenty, they put the surplus on the sidewalk and passers-by help themselves,  it is free, or you can buy it in exchange for a few dollars left in a small box. Depending on the season, I can stock up on fejoas, plums, apples, pears, figs, lemon, grapefruit, oranges, tangerines, etcetera, and each time it fills me with  joy. Yesterday on my morning walk, a table on the sidewalk caught my eye. There were bags of walnuts, wrapped in transparent paper and golden ribbon, a small label stating that they were organic nuts from a tree planted in 1892, and it was free. I forgot to take a picture of these wrappers, but thought it was a great display of the Christmas spirit.