US vs NZ list

I was thinking the other day about things that I never  would  have done if I hadn't moved to a whole new life on the other side of the globe.  As I wrote them down, Hubby reminded me of more.

I'm sure it will lengthen as time goes by, but for now, here's the list of things I never thought I would do:

• pull weeds
  
• worry about balanced meals
• buy brown eggs at the store
• snuggle on the sofa (I didn't own one in KS)
• be chased by waves
• watch the Simpsons
• dust
• recycle
• hang clothes out to dry
• consider myself responsible for wild ducks
• grow my own tomatoes
• see dolphins swim alongside a boat
• take a zillion pictures
• grow flowers in an old work boot
• do the 'titanic' pose on a ferry boat
• do the 'titanic' pose on a charter boat after my wedding vows
• hike through woods to see a waterfall
• stand on the beach at midnight
• wonder if flowers need moving for more sunlight
• check homework
• look 200 feet straight down while standing on a window 
• compost
• turn a plot of grass into a flower bed
• watch BBC programs
• search for John Deere tractors
• buy furnishings from the internet
• see sea anemones up close
• read the back of a seed package
• text proficiently
• sit in a tennis-court size hot pool
• chase trains
• kick a soccer ball around
• hear about--much less actually see--glowworms in a cave
• ride a train for pleasure
• learn some English history
• buy Swan plants to attract caterpillars
• drink instant coffee on a regular basis
• have a pet cat
• call the bush beside the pond 'George'

Looking back over this list, it seems I was saved from a life of boredom.

Handy hubby

I have a very handy hubby.  He has a strange sense of humor (if you remember how he named 'Dougie') but he is very clever in the shed (garage, for my yankee friends).

The first pictures are of Otterboy's train bed that was built in 2007, with no formal plans at all.  The bed is on top with lots of storage below, but Otterboy's room doesn't seem to stay tidy.  Go figure.  I painted a sheet to hang on the wall so it looks like the train is just coming out of a tunnel.  The white doors open and the bottom removes to become a desk.

Here is a mailbox he made years ago.  It was put in a display of some sort and when a lady wanted to know how much it cost to buy, Hubby sarcastically said $300.  She bought it.  It still collects mail by the side of the road outside of Palmerston North.

About 10 years ago, this one was built as a flowerpot display.  It just got a bit of refurbishing this spring and adorns our back patio.

Here is the dollhouse he built for Missy a few years back.  It has very English details inside and out.  I crocheted a few curtains and we found some put-together furniture that fit great!

This playhouse was originally attached to a friend's back porch for her three girls.  I believe Hubby has become their very favorite visitor of all time.

Meet 'Woody'.  He is older than dirt, but still finds time to fish in our goldfish pond.

And, this is what he made for me.  In a former life, I worked in a casino and, as a supervisor, was required to look the part, so I have lots of jewelry that doesn't get worn much.  It does, however, have a nice, safe place to hang out.

Yes, there is a theme of trains through it all.  But it makes both the boys (Otterboy and Hubby) happy, so it makes me happy.  This is a portion of the train track he put up around Otterboy's 'other' bedroom (at his mum's).  It runs all the way around the room and through the 'tunnel' that goes into the closet.

I think he's rather clever, making most of this stuff without any plans except what rattles around in his head. And all the recepients are happy with their hand-made goodies.  My hubby.  I think I'll keep him. *wink, wink*

Mokau, Taranaki

On a return trip from Waikato, we stopped at Mokau for a bit of fish and chips at the beach before our last bit of journey home.  As we watched the tide and the waves (and from a warning sign for swimmers and surfers), we realized that there was an interesting rip tide that kept sweeping past us from right to left.  It looked like someone was pulling a toy on a string straight across our path causing the water to spray upward. Click on the top picture to see it more vividly.

Just a bit to the left of where the first photo was taken, we noticed that there were two sets of waves moving in perpendicular directions. This was due to the river feeding from the extreme left.  It made an interesting pattern on the water's surface.

I don't think I will ever get tired of watching the ocean!

Castlepoint holiday

We recently took a short holiday to Castlepoint (also called Lion Head point) in the Southeastern part of the north island.  Some of the pictures on my photo blog are from there, but I wanted to share a couple of special photos.

Here  is the point that the area was named after.

It was a great opportunity when we saw the moon over the lighthouse long before sundown.

Missy climbed all the way to the top of the point (much to my panic, as I try to let her go!) and took this picture.

This is the strange lava-formed beach at Mataikoma.