What Next?

The request has been made for me to continue this blog for the next four years. When I began this excercise, I didn't think much beyond the run up to and the experience and events of our NZ vacation. Those asking that I continue the blog are extremely important to me....so It's going to be difficult and probably sporadic, but I will keep it going for the next 4 years. I appreciate the fact that I have two loyal readers and for that reason I will continue this blog. It will become more eclectic because I have many strong opinions, diverse interests, a Biblical world view stacked upon a desire to inform and educate. I keep many of my musings, thoughts and opinions to myself, but since one of the purposes of a blog is to express oneself, that is what I will attempt to do. Fortunately or unfortunately, I love to laugh and more pointedly, to make people laugh. Sooooo, many of my posts will be couched in humor or at least be humorous to me. Therefore, you have been warned and should be prepared for most anything.

Journey's End

We've been home almost a week and we are still recovering from the return journey. Traveling east (or returning home from a fabulous vacation) seems to be a much more difficult adjustment than the trip to the destination. We hit the ground running in Auckland but having been in a fog much of the time since returning. It gets a bit better each day. We would like to return to New Zealand in two years. Special thanks to Ken and Patty for the great care they gave our pets. Thanks to Kelly, Shane and kids for picking us up at the airport, visiting the dogs, chasing the vermin, decorating with flowers and having fresh food for our return (and removing all the dead things from the frig). Thanks to Kristen and family for being there to greet us and visit for a time. Until next time....

PACIFIKA FESTIVAL

Today we attended the Auckland Pacifika Festival at Western Springs (Te Wai Orea-Lake of eels). We roamed around for 30 minutes looking for a parking spot and when we finally got onto the grounds of the park, we found out why...there were thousands in attendance. Auckland is the largest polynesian city in the world and most who have left the islands to live in New Zealand, were in attendance at the park (or so it seemed). While there, we found the Prime Minister of New Zealand (Helen Clark) in attendance and accosted her in order to get a picture. Also pictured is a part of the mass of humanity in attendance...also pictured is a large blow up can of corned beef. I believe that it is one of the traditional foods of Samoa.

Pauanui Birthday

We spent 4 days at brother Dennis's vacation home in Pauanui. Additional friends and family also came. The first two days were beautiful and as is the pattern, we then had a day of wind driven rain. However, because the low tide was to later in the morning, we waited until the bad weather arrived to go out in search of tua tuas (a small shell fish that lives in the sand, in the surf and is best found at low tide). I believe that it is a distant relative of the snipe. Before the wind and rain blew us off the beach, we (not me) found a total of three small shelled animals. Fortunately, we had purchased 2-3 kg of mussels on the way to Pauanui, so we were able to feast on those.

Had my birthday celebration Saturday evening with NZ friends and family. This week we will not be traveling anywhere, so we will spend time seeing Auckland sites by bus. Next Saturday, Sandra will have a barbecue for all celebrating birthdays in March and April. The photos document my birthday party, the beach at Pauanui and those love-birds, Rocco & Rosie.