In this part of the world…

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Tom took all of these sunset photos last night, as the views changed in a matter of seconds. 

It started out as a dark and gloomy day, at 7:00 am this Easter Sunday in the South Pacific. Low lying clouds shrouded views of the mountains. If we looked hard, we were able to see the ocean through the mist. Now, as we approach 10:30 am, the sun is out and the mist has cleared.

Peering out the windows we can see some of the nearby alpacas although many are now at distant paddocks requiring that we walk quite a way to visit. Today, as yesterday, we’ll walk over a few times, again checking on Delilah and Mont Blanc. 

We can’t actually see the sun at sunset due to the mountains, but the sky delivers.

The magpies are loudly singing their wide variety of songs as always. They are one of a few bird species in the immediate area (they scare off other birds), flying in pairs as they dash through the trees occasionally alighting on the patio or deck for our easy perusal, never quite long enough for a photo of their distinct black and white plumage.

With no big plans for today, we’ll stay in. This is our fourth Easter away from family and of course, we miss them, the festivities, the laughter and the noise of playful activities. How could we not? 

These views aren’t over the ocean.

But, we’re content, at ease in our decisions, at home in any environment, at peace in having chosen this life on the move. In a mere three weeks from today, we’ll be boarding Royal Caribbean Voyager of the Seas for a 14 night cruise, having flown from Auckland the previous day for an overnight in Sydney.

Its funny how some venues refer to 14 nights or…14 days. Often I refer to days/nights spent in various locations as “days” as opposed to “nights.” For us, the “days” seem most significant, the nights mostly spent in relaxation and slumber. 

Quickly darkness fall and the views dissipate.

On cruises, we stay up later at night thoroughly embracing the evening’s socialization. Then again, the days are rather enjoyable when we often find ourselves spending entire days in the company of other cruise passengers or languishing in our favorite ways to spend days aboard ship on our own.

For today, there’s no special meal. Tom’s meal will include well seasoned baby back ribs (no sauce) and I’ll have grilled yellow fin tuna. We’ll both have a variety of low carb friendly side dishes. 

Taking photos of the two pink cockatoos through the narrow chain link fence is tricky.  This unedited photo illustrates the tightness of the fence. 

After busying myself in the kitchen after today’s post, we’ll take the walk to check on the animals, visit the pink cockatoos who get excited and noisy when they see us coming, and walk to the neighboring property to say hello to our favorite local cows, bulls and sheep.

Later in the day, if it stay sunny, we’ll sit on the deck to toast a glass of New Zealand white wine, a pleasant Pinot Gris we picked up at the grocery store.

The lily pond continues to bloom pretty flowers

Ah, had we been farmers in our old lives how we would have appreciated being able to revel in the beauty and simplicity of farm life without the work. Instead, we’ve been gifted during this exquisite three month period with the unique opportunity to experience just that…an ideal farm life free from responsibilities. 

How fortunate we feel, even as the time quickly winds down toward leaving. We’re preparing ourselves for the upcoming busy next many months with our usual enthusiasm and joy. Life is good. May yours be as well.
 
Happy Easter to celebrants in this part of the world and tomorrow, for others.

Photo from one year ago today, March 27, 2015:

One year ago, the colors in this scene at the Princeville Ranch took our breath away.  For more details and photos, please click here.

Worried about Mont Blanc…Delilah…Watching over the alpacas this week…

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Little Mont Blanc, dirty from days of rain, still small and fragile.

With Trish and Neil gone for Easter until next Wednesday, we’re keeping an eye out on the alpacas. Their friend Barb is stopping by each day to give them their daily vitamin feed which is placed in dozens of colorful bowls at the edges of the various paddocks.

Mont Blanc’s mom, Giselle’s half-hearted grin.

We don’t have much to do other than to check on pregnant mom, Delilah, who’s due to deliver at any time. Her photo is shown below.

Much to our heavy hearts young Mont Blanc isn’t doing well. He’s now in a separate paddock with his mom and another mom that is also not doing well. Her cria, Latle is also in the paddock.

Latle, the healthy fast-growing youngster with Giselle, Mont Blanc’s mom, in the background.

On Wednesday the vet came to examine Mont Blanc and determined he’s having some type of digestive disorder preventing him from growing and thriving. 

A few weeks ago when we alerted Trish and Neil that Mont Blanc didn’t seem to be nursing or pecking at the grass and appeared tiny and skinny compared to the other fast-growing cria of similar age, they separated him and his mother to another paddock. 

Mont Blanc is much smaller than one month older Latle.

During that period, we’d spotted another cria nursing from Mont Blanc’s mom, leaving less for him. We sent Trish a photo showing the two babies attempting to nurse simultaneously, which proved to be an oddity. Less than a week ago we posted the story with photos as shown here.

Latle is 29 days older than Mont Blanc and is growing well.

At first, once separated from the others, he gained weight and was seeming to improve. Then, a few days ago he began to take a turn for the worse, losing the weight he’d gained, prompting Trish and Neil to call the vet to determine what was wrong. The diagnosis of a digestive disorder left them uncertain as to his fate.

As for Delilah, the only remaining pregnant mom due to give birth this year, she’s yet to deliver her cria.  We’ve been watching her progress daily but see no signs of impending birth. In Trish and Neil’s absence we’ll keep a close watch to ensure all goes well should she soon deliver. She seems fine, is eating well. 

Mont Blanc does appear to munch on a bit of vegetation.

Delilah, pregnant and soon due to deliver, is one of the largest alpacas.  She is a less common rich dark brown. Delilah appears to be the leader of her herd, always at the peak of alertness for any possible intruders.  She’s become used to us visiting the paddock and expresses no concern when we come by.

Yesterday, we walked the distance to the paddock close to their house where Mont Blanc and his mom are located. We made our way over the fence to get inside the paddock and gingerly approached. They didn’t move away as they were unconcerned by our presence having been around us for over two months. Their means of communication, a tender little hum, was escalated by our presence.

Delilah, the last of the pregnant moms yet to deliver this season.

The other youngster in the paddock with his ailing mom is four weeks older than Mont Blanc but was easily triple his size. This is worrisome. We can only hope that somehow Mont Blanc survives this condition and soon begins to grow. He seems alert and active.

After checking on Delilah with no obvious evidence of impending birth we headed back home, planning to stay home over the next few rainy days checking on them several times each day.

Happy day to all!


Photo from one year ago today, March 26, 2015:

One year ago, we met with Curly, owner of the Princeville Ranch, at the entrance that adventure seekers use for the myriad activities offered on the ranch.  He took us on a tour of the vast property in his 4X4 vehicle which was quite an adventure in itself. For more details, please click here.

Easter on the horizon…A frenzy in town…Food in our old days…More new photos…

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The rocky cliffs and sprawling shoreline in New Plymouth.

Heading to town on Thursdays to grocery shop has worked well for us. We leave within minutes after the house cleaner’s arrival allowing them to do their work with us out of the way.

In all previous instances, arriving in town around 11:00 am has been ideal with little traffic and low numbers of shoppers in the markets. Tom reads a book on his phone while waiting in the car while I do the shopping.

We stopped at Paritutu Centennial Park for a walk and to check out the scenery. 

When visiting the Costco/Sam’s Club-like PAK n Save every few weeks he joins me to push the cart. Yesterday, we a trip to New World was all that was necessary. This particular week we had enough meat on hand and didn’t make a stop at Kiwi Meats. 

Much to my surprise upon entering New World market almost every cart was taken while the aisles were jammed with busy shoppers. I’d forgotten Easter was fast approaching until I noticed all the Easter baskets, candy, and people. I hadn’t seen crowds such as this since a holiday weekend in the US a long time ago.

With no big plans for Easter dinner, which among other holidays, over which we no longer make a big fuss or a special meal, it was grocery shopping as usual. With our way of eating, it makes no sense to spend days cooking in an attempt to adapt old recipes to work for our diet. 

Paritutu Rock is located along the shore. Some ambitious hikers climb to the top. That didn’t include us.

Sure, we occasionally discuss old Easter and other holiday favorites; green bean casserole, cheesy potatoes, honey-baked ham, fluffy white buns, fruit whippy, and of course,  our usual coconut and seven-minute frosting covered chocolate bunny rabbit cake. 

It’s easy to recall eating a big chunk of that delicious homemade cake, which we usually saved for well after dinner to savor on a less full tummy. Tom may have included a big glass of 2% milk. Those days are long gone.  We make no exceptions, other than Tom’s occasional indulgences on cruises and dining out.

These steps leading down to the beach are used by surfers who frequent this area.

People often ask us if willpower keeps us from savoring these former treats and once considered hearty and healthy meals. It is not about willpower. It’s about choice. As Tom always says, “If you put your hand on a hot stove and get burned, it doesn’t take willpower to avoid putting your hand on the stove again.”

In essence, it’s a conscious decision to maintain and continue to improve our health. Since we began this way of eating almost five years ago, Tom was able to stop all medications, including seven pills a day for conditions that have long ago disappeared. Now, he takes no prescription medication

Signs such as this are often posted to remind visitors to be respectful of marine life.

As for me, I am down from four medications daily to two tiny pills taken in the morning both for moderate hormonal issues neither of which I’ve been able to control with lifestyle changes. Most likely, I’ll take these two pills a day for the remainder of my life.

We reduced our intake of vitamins due to the problems of hauling long-term supplies. Tom takes three 50 mg Vitamin B6 to keep kidney stones at bay which are apparently working for him. 

This area led to a picnic spot as shown in the below photo.

Prior to him taking this supplement, he had three kidney stone surgeries in three years (in Minnesota). Since taking the B6 and eventually changing his diet, he’s had no recurrence. We both take a daily probiotic supplement. After many blood tests while in Trinity Beach last August neither of us had any deficiencies.

Of course, our wellness regime doesn’t guarantee long-term good health. Nothing can guaranty that. One never knows what lies on the horizon. And on occasion, we fall prey to viruses, colds, coughs, and flu, especially when exposed to the germs on cruises. 

From this website: “The Sugar Loaf Islands, off the coast of New Plymouth, are the eroded stumps of an ancient volcanic crater. Above the water, you can see seven islands and several reefs. Below the surface, there are spectacular cliffs, canyons, boulder reefs, and sand expanses. Captain Cook named the islands, taking inspiration from the lumps of sugarloaf he put in his tea. The “sugar” is actually bird guano.”

We don’t suggest you try any or all of this without first checking with your physician as to what lifestyle changes may work for you. We have no intention or desire to suggest what we may do, which may be suitable for you.

Thus, this way of life, like touching the hot stove, is a no-brainer for us. Instead of exercising willpower, we tap into the innate motivation that results from the lifestyle changes that have proved to be successful for us.

Hard to see in this photo, there were a few surfers in the water.

As I made my way through the overly crowded grocery store, I loaded my cart with our usual foods; fresh organic veggies and avocados, coconut oil, full-fat dairy products including no-sugar-added locally made yogurt, kefir, and delicious New Zealand “grass-fed” butter. 

With plenty of grass-fed meat products remaining in the freezer, all we needed in the way of protein sources was the two organic, no chemicals added, roasted chickens we purchase each week. Most weeks, we’ve purchased these at New World but yesterday, there wasn’t a single such chicken to be found.

It was sunny when we started out, clouding over shortly after we were on the road.

After wading through the crowded aisles, finally, I made my way to the car with a relatively small haul at NZ $154, US $103. Without chickens, we decided to stop at Countdown, another market along the highway on the way home hoping to find the right chickens.

They too didn’t have a single cooked organic free-range chicken and their other non-organic roasted chickens had a list of 30 ingredients used in their preparation including sugar, wheat, and a variety of starches and chemicals. Not an option.

Mount Taranaki covered in fast-moving clouds.

Perusing the refrigerated meat case I located fresh uncooked organic free-range chickens, no chemicals added…plain whole chickens. I was shocked over the great prices for the good-sized chickens, NZ $12.95, US $8.68 each, and quickly grabbed two as the supply was dwindling rapidly.

Yesterday afternoon, I roasted both chickens, delighted with the end results. Lately, as a further attempt at enhancing health, we’ve been eating our main meal midday with a small healthy snack in the evening. We’ve both noticed a difference in feeling better going to bed without feeling full.

In seconds the peak of Mount Taranaki was no longer visible due to cloud cover.

Eating the main meal midday won’t work on cruises when one of the biggest highlights of each day is the fun “shared” dining experience each evening in the main dining room but for now, it’s suiting us both well.

In two days, it will be Easter here. We won’t miss a thing other than our family whom we look forward to seeing again in months to come. The significance of this day remains in our hearts and minds and we wish the same for you, should you celebrate this particular religious holiday along with us.

Photo from one year ago today, March 25, 2015:

The “wet” tunnel at Tunnels Beach in Kauai is not open for swimming due to the stagnant water causing illness. For more photos of Kauai, please click here.

Continue reading “Easter on the horizon…A frenzy in town…Food in our old days…More new photos…” →

Stormy sleepless night…Musings of life…What does homemade toothpaste have to do with anything?…

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Ingredients for making the toothpaste recipe (see below).

Sleep was elusive last night as we both tossed and turned most of the night. I’d be surprised if I’d slept three hours, Tom a little more. Nothing, in particular, was on our minds as we both commented on several occasions how we were still awake.

Famous words to a loved one during a fitful night, “Are you awake?”

Wait 10 seconds, ask again, “Are you awake?”

“Yes,” they reply after the second inquiry after which you realize you may have awoken them with the question, “Did I wake you?”

“Oh, no,” we say, “I’ve been awake for hours.”

This type of dialogue is not uncommon when receiving a phone call during the night. Why do we always say, “No, you didn’t wake me.  I’ve been awake for hours.”

When following a recipe I place my laptop on the counter to easily follow the instructions.

Funny, we are, we humans. Regardless of our country of origin, or languages spoken, our learned behaviors, we often respond similarly all over the world.

Finally, this morning after reading a book on my phone for over two hours I dragged myself out of bed feeling exhausted in body, alert in mind. What’s that about? 

In part, I believe a sense of joy over the gift of another day of life triggers my brain into full-on mode as I begin another day the moment my feet hit the floor. 

That’s not to say each morning we awake with an over-the-top cheery disposition although neither of us is grumpy in the morning, or at most other times of the day. 

We attempt to live by these principles, although unspoken in their exactness, exercised in our daily lives:

Gratefulness.  A natural segue to happiness.

Appreciation.  A natural segue to a great relationship.

Organization.  A natural segue to maintaining a sense of responsibility.

Faith, humility, and reverence. A natural segue to maintaining a sense of peace and acceptance of the immense impact of a higher power in our lives.

Perfection? Not on the menu. We are subject to the flaws and foibles we continually allow to flow from our beings, in essence, that which makes us unique and vulnerable. 

Combining all the dry and wet ingredients separately, made the final mixing easier.

We love that vulnerability and in this life, we make an effort to find humor in our flaws, our peculiarities, and at times our insane rituals.  We each, in our own way, possess a series of things we say, things we do, and ways in which we respond to one another. 

For us, this uniqueness makes our 24/7 existence not only tolerable but highly entertaining and meaningful. The fact that we travel the world living in one country after another, is almost incidental. It’s the day-to-day that shapes our lives and contributes to our personal growth and well-being.

What does making toothpaste have to do with all of this? I suppose one could say it falls into the category of “organization” in taking responsibility for our health in yet one more simple way.

Finally, I put the liquid ingredients on top of the dry ingredients and mixed them thoroughly.  I didn’t need to use a blender or food processor.

Today, we share yesterday’s photos of that quick and easy process of making toothpaste which we’re happy to report proved to be more effective, better tasting, and better feeling in the mouth than we’d expected. 

Here’s the recipe from Dr. Josh Axe, a renowned and highly acclaimed natural medicine doctor. More on Dr. Axe is located here. 

We prefer not to pack glass containers. This BPA-free contained we had on hand was perfect.
Dr. Axe Homemade
Mineralizing Toothpaste
Total
Time:
2 minutes
Serves: 30
Ingredients:
·
4 tbsp coconut oil
·
2 tbsp baking soda
·
1 tbsp xylitol powder
·
20 drops Cinnamon or
Clove essential oil
·
20 drops Peppermint
essential oil
·
30 drops Trace Minerals
·
Toothpaste
Tube
Directions:
1.     Put all ingredients into bowl and mix well
together. (You can also use a food processor for this)
2.
Remove homemade
toothpaste and store in glass jar with a lid. If it starts to dry out, add a
bit of water
To keep the packing weight at a minimum, I only packed the items we may have more difficulty getting in Bali, the next vacation home in our journey.  I left out the baking soda which is easy to find in any country.

Its delicious tasting and forms a solid paste easy to scoop from the container with a small spoon.

May you have a day filled with gratefulness, appreciation, organization, and faith.

Photo from one year ago today, March 24, 2015:

A year ago, we attended the Princeville Artisan Fair in Kauai and thoroughly enjoying the experience as we met and later highlighted one of the talented vendors.  For more photos, please click here.

Stumbling across a hidden treat!…

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As we drove past this sign, Tom quickly turned around so we could check it out.

Yesterday, headed to local health food store for a few ingredients to make homemade toothpaste. After reading considerable information about the less than ideal ingredients in most toothpastes, we decided the time had come again to make our own. On a few occasions, we made a few attempts with little success.

Over these years we’ve attempted to buy more healthy toothpastes from pharmacies and health food stores around the globe but even they contain less than desirable ingredients for our liking.

We purchased the fresh smoked salmon instead of the frozen offered on this sign.

Today, we’ll make a new recipe for the toothpaste we found from a highly regarded physician, trying it today, tonight, and again tomorrow morning. If we find it palatable, tomorrow we’ll post the recipe, photos of ingredients, and how to make it along with our assessment of the taste and efficacy. 

Anything we can do to aid in our continuing good health is certainly worth a try. We continue to research in these areas on a regular basis, only from reliable professional resources incorporating those which may work for us.

When seeing these fish prices they are quite reasonable.  For example, one of TV guru Gordon Ramsey’s favorites is the John Dorey and red snapper (which we purchased). At the NZ price of $37.50, US $25.33 for a kilo which is 2.2 pounds!  What a great price!

After we left the health food store, Tom took a detour along the ocean close to the industrial port. As we drove past a business area, at the exact same moment, we spotted a sign for a wholesale fish market, open to the public. “Did you see that?” he asked.

“I did! It looks like a fish market!” I enthusiastically replied as he quickly and safely made a U-turn, pulling up in front of the building.  We’d made a few inquiries about fish markets, but no locals had mentioned this location. 

Sole is a wonderfully mild fish suitable for sauces.  But without a good knife, it would be impossible to filet.

The local grocery stores in New Plymouth have substantial fresh fish sections which I often shy away from when often, the fish is imported from other countries, not caught locally. 

On a few occasions, I’ve inquired as to the origins of their fresh fish only to discover they’re imported which is a big turnoff when we have no idea if it originates from a “farm” which we’re opposed to eating. I realize that when cruising any fish we order is imported and may be farmed. 

Although mackerel is a healthy fish rich in nutrients and fish oil, I’m not a big fan.  We would have purchased the fresh salmon, but all that was remaining was tail sections with bones.

While on a cruise for only a few weeks and we’re less concerned over the short period as opposed to three months in a specific location where we’re in control of food purchases.

For example, in Fiji, we discovered that the locally sold fish was mostly caught close to the shore where toxicity is high. As a result, we never purchased fish in Fiji to cook “at home.”

From left to right, yellowfin tuna, snapper, a bag of mixed local clams, shrimp, and calamari, and fresh, not frozen smoked salmon.  Total cost for all items: NZ $40.31, US $27.21.  I cut the snapper into two portions, the bag of shellfish will provide three portions and one portion for the tuna for a total of six portions at an average of NZ $6.72, US $4.53 per serving. We use the smoked salmon as an appetizer with cream cheese and celery.

Of course, there’s no guarantee that purchasing fish from this wholesale fish market would be different, but the odds were improved when I inquired as to the origins of the fish they offered for sale. 

When they explained it was all locally caught with the exception of a few frozen items, none of which we purchased, my mind was at ease, especially we weren’t buying many items with our short time remaining in New Zealand.

Tom doesn’t care for fresh fish. He’ll eat lobster, Barramundi in Australia, and in our old lives, fried walleye in Minnesota. Everything we purchased yesterday will be exclusively for me with the exception of the smoked salmon which he’ll try.

The doorway to enter and exit the fish market is a series of chain links.

The tiny shop, Egmont Seafoods, Ltd, was jammed with other shoppers but we didn’t have to wait long. In no time at all we were out the door, having spent less than expected as shown in the included photo’s caption.

After we left the fish market, with our fish triple wrapped on a cool day, we continued on our detour, able to stop at some sites we’d yet to see while taking several photos as the clouds rolled in.

Today, it’s pouring and after two days out and about, we’re staying in. Back at you tomorrow with more new photos! We hope your day is bright and sunny!

Our prayers and thoughts are with the families and friends of lost loved ones in the devastating bombing in Brussels. Is there any place safe left in our world?

Photo from one year ago today, March 23, 2015:

A Laysan Albatross chick growing quickly while we visited every few days  Oftentimes, the chicks are left alone for many days while the parents head out to sea for food returning to regurgitate a huge portion for the chicks. As the chicks get fatter and fatter, they are easily able to survive off their fat for water and sustenance until their mom and dad return. For more details, please click here.

A drive in the country when the sun peeked out…New photos…

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Cattle are found everywhere in the New Zealand countryside.

Living on an island such as New Zealand the weather is constantly in flux. What may start as a cool cloudy morning easily evolves into a few sunny hours, then clouding over later in the day. It’s during these sunny times we tend to run out for a drive for an hour or two to further investigate our surroundings.

We spotted this sign in the motorcycle park and got out of the car to check it out.

As many of our readers have heard from us over and again, I just don’t enjoy heading out on cloudy days.  Sorry about that. I can’t tell you how often we make plans to go explore and change those plans when the clouds roll in and raindrops begin to fall.

Although no racing was in action, it was fun to stumble upon this raceway in the countryside.

The fact that we’re always “somewhere,” where taking photos and exploring may be of great interest to us and our readers, we always feel we have plenty of time.

As time flies quickly, suddenly we have to move on and we often wonder if we shared enough photos during our stay. In many cases, we’re confident we’ve done so and can easily state an emphatic “yes.”

Lounging longhorn cattle with swishing tail.

At other times, we look back and think we could have gone out on more of those cloudy days to explore and take photos anyway. For now, here on the farm, we’re comfortable with the photos we’ve taken thus far. 

We chose to come to New Zealand to live on an alpaca farm. For the first time in either of our lives experiencing life on a farm surrounded by these and other amazing animals has been a real treasure. 

Another lounging longhorn sitting near his water supply in an old bathtub.

There’s no doubt in our minds that many other parts of New Zealand, including the South Island, have considerable scenery that we’d most certainly find appealing.

Yesterday, as we drove through the countryside, I asked Tom if he feels we should take four or five days and drive to the South Island, staying in hotels along the way.

A pretty farmhouse at the end of a long driveway.

Its almost a day’s drive and a ferry ride to the South Island, thus it a two day trip just getting there and back.  With more to see than we could possibly do in two or three more days, plus the expense we hadn’t budgeted for such a trip,

Tom reminded me with our upcoming five cruises in the South Pacific, one of which will sail to New Zealand’s South Island it makes more sense for us to wait and to see that area when our ship arrives at a few significant ports.

An usually shaped forest of evergreens.

I totally agreed. Neither of us has felt like going on a road trip, especially in the older rental car we rented when we arrived. Most rental car agencies don’t offer their newer cars for our online-booked lower priced long term rentals. 

These less costly cars have worked well for us. We have no complaints. When most travelers rent a car for a week or two the fees don’t seem too bad. When we book and pay for a three-month car rental contract plus often huge “holding fees” locked on our credit cards, it proves to be a relatively large layout in funds.

Often, when we walk out the door for a drive, the sky is totally clear.  Within a short period, everything changes.  By the end of yesterday’s drive, it was dark and cloudy.

Let’s face it, our lives are predicated by the budget.  We have no choice but to carefully monitor our spending.  After all, we’ve been on a “vacation/holiday” for 41 months. It costs a lot of money, which we must diligently monitor to ensure it never gets out of control. This could happen easily in a moment of weakness.

We rarely, if ever, say “Oh, let’s go for it,” when an expensive or an “out of budget” situation occurs. We pay off all of our credit cards at least as often as every two months, if not every month. By the first of April, we won’t owe a penny on any of our cards.  But, that won’t last for long.

With recent rains the hills and valleys are bright green again.

Then, we start booking and paying for vacation homes, cruises and flights, big chunks all at once, all on credit cards, the best and easiest way to pay.  At any given point, we know exactly where we are financial. For each expenditure whether it’s for a cruise, a night in a hotel between flights, or a trip to the farmers market, we log every penny. 

Luckily, I’m in the habit of entering all expenses within 24 hours of the time they incur while Tom’s great at getting receipts for everything since he pays when we’re out shopping. 

When we return ‘home” I place the receipts next to my laptop, converting the amounts paid from foreign monies to US dollars, writing the amounts on the receipts, and then, one by one, entering the expenditures into our spreadsheet in each of its many tabs (worksheets in Excel).

Flowers along the way.  Summer has ended here when yesterday was the first day of fall.

Its the close familiarity with “where we are” financially that definitely has a bearing on “where we’ll go” and “what we’ll spend.” Its only through this detailed diligence that we can continue on with peace of mind and…adequate funds to fully enjoy life in the process. 

As a result, we curtail some of our activities with expense in mind as I’m sure many of you do in managing your daily lives. The challenge is finding the best way to fill our days with activities we love and can easily afford, living life to the fullest.

We wish the same for each and every one of YOU!


Photo from one year ago today, March 22, 2015:

The final vestiges of the sunset over Kauai on Julie’s last night of her visit. We had a wonderful time together as she fell totally in love with Kauai. For more sunset photos, please click here.

Are we slacking off in planning for the future???

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Narrow road along an area of tucked away homes and farms.

By the time we left Minnesota in 2012, we had bookings for the upcoming two years. At this time, we’re booked our for 589 days which is one year, seven months and 10 days from today.

Is there a reason we haven’t stuck to our goal of staying booked two years in advance? Are we uncertain as to how we’ll spend those “missing” five months from our itinerary?

An intentional fire at the mill not far from us.

Not necessarily. Once we leave from the booked three-month stint at the fabulous Costa Rica villa (click here to see) on October 31, 2017 (our five-year travel anniversary) we’ve decided to leave Central America to head to South America where we hope to spend 18 to 24 months.

While in South America, there are many points of interest we’d like to see, but one stands out the most; a cruise to Antarctica. Whether we book this in the later part of 2017 or 2018 is up for grabs at this point. 

None of the cruises in December, January, and February for either of these particular years have been posted yet. We have a specific cruise line, we’d like to choose from and will share details once they’re available. 

Paddock fences at the nearby farm

There are several price ranges for Antarctica cruises on relatively small ships with under 200 passengers, one for as short as 10 days at a much lower price and the more expensive option for 15 or 16 days. 

The vast difference in cost for these two options is the less expensive “cruising by” some of the most interesting islands or actually getting on Zodiac boats from the ship to the islands to get “up close and personal” with the wildlife. 

A place to stop and enjoy the views.

Our regular readers can easily surmise, the “up close and personal” option is our only choice. “Cruising by” would be torture for us. Taking photos from a mile away is not something that appeals to either of us.

By far, this option will be the most expensive of any of our plans to date. We’re preparing for this eventuality in attempting to book affordable locations in the interim which we’ve been able to accomplish so far and hope to continue into the future.

With that in mind, we still have a gap in our schedule we failed to address in our last few posts…how we’ll spend the two weeks between getting off the ship after the Alaskan cruise on May 26, 2017, to June 8, 2017, when we plan to arrive in Minnesota to visit family, later heading to Nevada to visit more family members.

Gate to a long driveway to another farm.

We picked June 8th in hopes of the grandchildren being out of school for the summer holiday. With a plan to rent a caravan/RV during our stay in Minnesota and with the high daily rate of doing so, we decided not to arrive any earlier than this date, hoping to find a less costly way of spending the two-week gap along the way.

After carefully reviewing the outrageous costs of staying in a hotel or vacation home in Minnesota, arriving two weeks earlier than planned would severely cut into the budget, especially when we’d be dining out for all meals and renting a car. 

The rolling hills and mountain views are lovely even on a cloud covered day.

With an RV we can prepare our meals (especially considering our way of eating) not leaving it up to family members to cook for us or putting us up for the extended stay, get around town easily and have a place to sleep, all in one.  It makes the most sense to us both financially and practically.

Arriving in Seattle after the Alaskan cruise, heading across the northern part of the US to Minnesota, leaves us many options. In the next several months, we’ll reserve the RV in Minnesota and figure out how we’ll spend the two-week gap.

Planning beyond the time in Costa Rica, after we’ll have left the US is totally predicated at this point on the cruise we choose to Antarctica which hopefully soon we’ll be able to pin down. That’s our entire motivation for waiting to book other locations.

Many farmhouses have ocean views.

This booking process can be complicated and time-consuming. The thought of “not having a place to live” for a period of time could be frightening and unsettling for some. 

For us, after all this time, its simply one more item on our “to do” list over which neither of us stresses or worries. There’s always a solution, one way or another.

May your day bring you solutions and peace of mind.

Photo from one year ago today, March 21, 2015:

This photo, taking from our lanai in Kauai after a night of rain, displayed this waterfall on the mountains. What a beautiful sight! For more details on this date one year ago, please click here.

We landed a vacation home in Sydney!…Itinerary almost completely filled until October 31, 2017…

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Chaise lounges, gas grills and dining table outdoors overlooking the bay.

When we went back and forth via email for a vacation home in Sydney for the 40 days we discussed in yesterday’s post, we were relieved and excited to have wrapped up this time frame later in the day.

Of course, dealing with Aussies is always delightful based on our past experiences. Oh, dear…am I stereotyping Australians as outrageously warm and friendly? 

 View of the North Harbour and Manly Cove, from the property. A view, WiFi, a clean and updated property is all we need. No screens? We’re used to it by now.

I suppose in a way it may be a stereotype of a nation of people but it’s utterly irresistible to avoid doing so when they, like Kiwis, are some of the most friendly people on the planet.

No doubt there are exceptions, but we’ve yet to experience anything other than pleasant and memorable interactions after spending approximately six months in their presence after arriving in the South Pacific on June 11, 2015. 

Walk out from the kitchen to the beautiful yards and gardens.

We spent three months in Trinity Beach, Australia, a month on two Australian cruises, and now over two months here in New Zealand, giving us ample time to make such a general assessment, albeit it is biased after having such great encounters.

And yesterday was no exception when we pinned down the lovely apartment in an oversized bed and breakfast type house overlooking the bay with a private fully equipped apartment. 

Additionally, there are two separate bed and breakfast bedrooms with baths, common areas, and daily continental breakfast. 

Modern kitchen with everything we’ll need.  No dryer.  No dishwasher.  No big deal to us!

Overall, prices for vacation rentals are high in Australia especially close to Sydney, as is the case for this property.  At AU $200, US $152, NZ $224 per night, this is the highest price we’ll have paid in our travels to date with the exception of hotels and short-term rentals of less than two weeks.

We perused hotels with kitchen amenities such as a small fridge, microwave, and coffee pot but prices were even higher.  Adding the cost of dining out if we stayed in a hotel, we’d easily have spent over AU $394, US $300, NZ $441 per day, well over our budget.

Based on the fact that this property we chose in Sydney, actually Manly Beach, has not only excellent public transportation but there’s also a free shuttle close to the property that travels to the local shopping areas, beaches, and restaurants which we certainly use frequently.

Master bedroom in apartment.

As a result, we won’t need a rental car which once we made all the calculations we discovered this property makes it possible to stay within our budgetary guidelines. Having made this determination, we proceeded to confirm the 40-day reservation with peace of mind and enthusiasm.

With a wide selection of walking trails and paths close to the property, we’ll be able to get out for exercise and to absorb the many beautiful surrounding areas and attractions. 

An easy bus ride will take us to downtown Sydney, the Harbour Bridge, and the Opera House where hopefully we’ll be able to see a performance, a must-do in this city. 

The lounge where guests mingle might be a fun spot to meet other travelers.

The performances for the Opera House aren’t yet posted for 2017. I made a notation on our online calendar to book something as soon as the upcoming performance becomes available.

Sydney has a wealth of tourist attractions we’ll surely visit. We’ll put on our “tourist” persona and go with the flow, seeing everything that appeals to us while living in this amazing city, sharing photos and details here each day.

We’ll arrive in Sydney on a cruise on that particular occasion on March 13, 2017 (more Sydney layovers will follow for many upcoming cruises) departing on April 22, 2017, a little more than a year from now.

From there, on April 22, we’ll take a 24-day cruise from Sydney, Australia to Seattle, Washington, USA for another cruise to Alaska and then off to Minnesota and later Nevada to visit family. 

Whew! We’ll be busy. We love it all!

May all of you stay busy and entertained doing some of those things you also love!

Photo from one year ago today, March 20, 2015:

A year ago today, we posted this photo of Tom and our dear friend Richard who recently passed away. We’ll always miss him and the amazing times we had together during our four months in Kauai. For more photos, please click here.

Filling the last gap in our itinerary…

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Sun streaming through a dense cloud cover at sunset.

We prefer to have all gaps filled within a year of traveling to any specific location. With a gap between two Australian cruises from March 13, 2017 to April 22, 2017,  we’ve been chomping at the bit to find where we’ll stay while in Sydney, Australia.

Unfortunately, if we waited for sunny days, we’d have a few photos of the scenery surrounding us.

Sydney is a magical city with much to see and do. Having been to Sydney three times since June 2015, staying overnight in hotels twice, we easily fell in love with the city, the people, and the vast array of interesting things to see and do.

View of lake at Pukekura Park.

On many occasions, we’ve mentioned that we aren’t “city people” but from time to time a big city holds a certain amount of appeal that piques our curiosity and interest. Sydney is just that type of city.

The very fact of Sydney’s desirability to many tourists worldwide has contributed to the high cost of rentals both in the city and the surrounding areas, making it fall into the category of some of the most expensive vacation homes we’ve researched to date.

The beach in Opunake.

The only way we can justify the higher rents that will surely prove to be the highest we’ll have paid to date is to use public transportation during this 40 day period to avoid the high cost of a rental car, fuel, and parking. Plus, it appears to be easy to get around the city with considerable low-cost transportation options.

It was a cool, cloudy evening when we shot these photos of the sea.

Staying in a hotel is not a practical solution, although if we can’t pin down a reasonable scenario we may decide to stay in a hotel that has a kitchenette with a coffee maker and microwave. This worked for us when we stayed in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada in September 2014 for six days, giving us a feel for how we’d do without a full kitchen.

There are many cliffs along the shores in New Zealand.

There’s a big difference between six days and forty days but if we purchase roasted chicken two nights a week as we do now, pick up some healthy “to go” food another few nights a week, we’d eat out for the remainder.  It’s definitely doable, not unlike how we managed for another 11 days when we were in Honolulu, Hawaii in October 2014.

Of course, we’d prefer a vacation home, able to do laundry, cook our meals and overall keep the costs down.  Finding a vacation home that works is the challenge in Sydney as we’re now on a mission to wrap something up in the next few weeks before leaving New Zealand.

Visitors walking along the beach on a cool evening.

It’s a never-ending process, luckily one that we each continue to enjoy although more so when there are more options that stay within our budget. As we often mention, staying within our monthly/annual budget enables us to continue on as long as our health continues to be good.

The challenge always revolves around matching location, our particular needs, and desires, transportation options, availability of WiFi, and making the financial aspect work within the constraints we’ve established to continue this way of life with the least amount of stress.

As the sun peeked out, we stopped for another view of Mount Taranaki with cows on the hill.

In essence, limited the amount of stress in our lives is not only vital to our long-term health and well being but it greatly affects the level of enjoyment and enrichment of each and every experience.

We hope you have a low-stress day! 

Photo from one year ago today, March 19, 2015:

A year ago, a visitor was killed at this beach at the end of Anini Beach, a desirable beach only 15 minutes from Princeville. This was sad to see.  For more beach photos in Kauai, please click here.

A heartwarming story of a little life…

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Only a few days ago, Mont Blanc approached the fence welcoming us.  Perhaps somehow he knows how much we care. See his story below

When we first arrived on the Watson Alpaca Farm on January 19, 2016, we had an experience with one of the cria, Mont Blanc, son of Giselle that we’ll never forget as shown in this post from January 26th. 

Mont Blanc was born on January 10th with blue eyes considered an anomaly, which Trish explained could indicate possible future health problems often observed in rare blue-eyed alpacas.

It’s been hard to get a good photo of Mont Blanc’s blue eyes with his long lashes. 

Somehow the tiny alpaca had maneuvered his way under the wire fence and was separated from his mother when they were in the paddock next to our house. 

We were inside when this occurred, but with the doors wide open we couldn’t help but hear his cries, his mother’s cries, and the cries of the others as they all worried about the fate of the separated cria at this point only a few weeks old.

Mont Blanc, the day he was reunited with his mom after escaping the fence.

Inexperienced as we were, we feared lifting Mont Blanc over the fence would be stressful for him or risky for us if Giselle was upset if we’d picked him up. Now we know better. We could have lifted him over the fence, returning him to his distressed mom.

Contacting Trish by phone she explained that she and Neil were on their way home from work to check on the alpacas as they do each day at lunchtime. In no time at all, they arrived, lifted Mont Blanc over the fence as we watched the joyful reunion of mother and son. 

Mont Blanc, on the left wearing his green collar sitting on the patch of dirt with the other much larger, younger cria only a few weeks ago.

We watched Mont Blanc and Giselle for days noticing how he never left her side, remembering all too well the distress of being separated for almost an hour. It was during this period we developed a special attachment to Mont Blanc and his quiet shy demeanor, less playful than the other cria who romped about the paddock in the evenings as the sun began to fade.

Since the alpacas are moved to “greener pastures” every week to allow grass to regrow from their constant grazing and to restore the area from parasites as a natural part of the animal’s defecation contributes to the growth of a variety of parasites that can ultimately affect the health of the alpacas.

Mont Blanc, a few days after he and his mom were moved out of the paddock with a few new moms and cria as opposed to the larger herd. 

Trish and Neil are diligent in managing control over the general health of the alpacas including management of the parasites both in the paddocks and the alpacas to ensure their continuing well-being. We’re continually amazed by the alpaca’s great health as a direct result of their diligent love and care.

When the alpaca group we’ve been observing these past two months spent time in the paddocks nearest the house, we couldn’t help but notice Mont Blanc’s small stature and over time, how he didn’t seem to thrive. 

Mont Blanc, a few days ago, bigger and healthier, nursing without sharing.

The many other younger cria surpassed him in height and weight. He seemed to struggle to get up and down when he hunkered down on the patch of dirt outside our living room door where the babies often cuddle together. Over time, we noticed his rib cage showing. 

When I mentioned our concerns to Trish, she mentioned they’d tried to bottle feed him but with the alpacas at a distance from their house, they weren’t able to see him as easily each day as we were at such close proximity.

About 10 days ago, as I sat on the deck lost in watching the adorable behavior of these precious beings, I observed this unusual scenario, another larger cria nursing off Mont Blanc’s mom. 

Mont Blanc, the smaller of the two in this photo, was being pushed out from nursing by this other youngster. Alpacas only have one cria each year and rarely nurse another baby.

Immediately, I sent Trish the photos, and that evening after work, Trish and Neil came and moved Mont Blanc and Giselle to another paddock where he wouldn’t have to compete for food from his mom. We’d rarely seen him nursing or even grazing that all the younger cria had begun doing regularly.

Each day after they were moved we walked to the distant paddock to see how he was doing and much to our delight, he was often nursing and munching on grass.  In only a matter of a few days, he began to fill out. His ribs were no longer showing. Now, he’s thriving and quickly growing.

Mom growled a little at the other cria when she noticed what was going on.

Yesterday, Trish stopped by to drop off our insurance documents that had arrived in the mail from the UK and to tell us that Mont Blanc has gain 2 kilos, 4.4 pounds since they were moved. 

When she said to us, “You may have saved his life,” our heart flipped in our chests. How much better could this experience have been for both of us? 

The pinkness of his nose and mouth is changing as he matures and grows healthy.

To be instrumental in the birth of a two cria while we “babysat” in Trish and Neil’s absence and then to play a small role in alerting them to the critical situation with Mont Blanc, our experience on the farm is complete. 

Although we haven’t had to “do the work” that Trish and Neil do each day and the work and responsibility of our ancestors living on farms, we’ll be eternally grateful for a new understanding and appreciation for life on a farm.

Mont Blanc with a blade of grass in his mouth is looking great!  His name tag says, “Mt. Blanc” like the name of the pricey pen.

Soon, our journey continues on with more life-changing opportunities to expand our personal growth and embrace the scope of the world around us.

Be well, dear friends…

Photo from one year ago today, March 18, 2015:
One year ago, the food in the Oasis restaurant at the resort was delicious according to my sister Julie who was visiting us in Kauai. Her lunch of fish taco was prepared perfectly. Unfortunately, there wasn’t one item on the menu that worked for me and I wasn’t hungry enough to ask for special modifications. I ordered an iced tea and was content to be with my sister as we looked out at the sea. For more photos please click here.