With Sarah struck down with food poisoning at the moment I'm in sole charge of writing this week's column.
After the weekend we've just experienced, I want to talk about inspiration.
Firstly, the weather was Inspirational!
I don't know about you but I feel so proud of our beautiful region when it puts on a weather display like it did. With so many visitors here, it was nice not to have to make excuses about the lack of sun in "sunny Hawke's Bay". Instead it was stunning like it always is!
The six contestants who went head to head in the Hawke's Bay Chilli Eating competition were truly inspiring. As hundreds of people looked on wondering if one of them might burst into flames, there could only be one winner and that man was Kurt (iron stomach) Jones, who seems totally unphased by whatever strength chilli crosses his plate.