Ah…at last…We made it to the villa…It feels good to be here…All new photos going forward…

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The Chicken Run fast food restaurant on the highway in Denpasar. Fast food is common in most major cities around the globe, including many popular chains in the US.

“Sightings on the Beach in Bali”

We were thrilled to see the buffaloes strolling along the beach soon after we arrived. 
Two separate sets of two occurred a few minutes apart.

At 10:00 am, after the buffet breakfast at the hotel drinking very few liquids to reduce the necessity of stopping, we loaded the van and were on our way, first to the market and at some point, an ATM. 

Our regular Butu wasn’t our chauffeur this time. We got another Butu for the long journey to the villa. During our last stay in Bali, we wrote that children born of Balinese have only one of the four possible names. 

Here’s the link to the post with a further explanation about the four names including mention of why we included the above “Sightings on the Beach in Bali” for each post during our stay, repeated daily during these two remaining months of this stay.

Butu couldn’t speak much English. Gede had explained where we needed to shop, a small well stocked grocer that sells “mince” (ground beef). For the period of two months, we had hoped to buy again 10kg, 22.2 lbs.    When we approached the meat counter, the butcher explained he only had 5 kg available. 

As we drove away from the hotel to begin the harrowing four or five hour drive to the villa.

I asked if they could grind another 5 kg. The manager of the meat service came out of the back room smiling and bowing, happy to do pleasure.  That’s the Balinese people for you, always happy to please.

After an hour in the market, finding most of the products on our list and while waiting for the meat, Butu carried the cool box (cooler) inside the store from the van after which Tom packed the meat, streaky bacon and dairy products with ice for the long road trip ahead of us. 

The ground beef was a whopping US $97, IDR 1,278,250, translating to US $4.37 a pound for freshly, ground grass fed sirloin steak! Our total grocery bill was US $420.94, IDR 5,557,058, including most of the other grocery items we’ll use during the two month period.

Our total grocery bill was US$420.94, IDR 5,557,058, including most of the other grocery items we will use over the two month period. 

Note the number of air con units atop this building.    Many of our photographs will feature power lines that are seen everywhere.    I’m sorry I didn’t take the time to remove those. I have software to that effect, but it is a tedious process that I would prefer to avoid. 

Most of the meals they prepare for us average at US $10, IDR 132,015 making our total daily food cost around US $17.52, IDR 231,290, quite the bargain considering we don’t do any of the cooking or cleanup. Having them cook and clean spoiled us so much that it was painstaking cooking in Phuket. 

Anyway, once on the road on a beautiful sunny day, I decided I could distract myself taking as many photos as possible. With the massive amount of traffic, stopping frequently, I was able to open the van window to take shots while we weren’t in motion creating clearer photos. 

On April 30th, when we made the first trip from the airport to the villa the long drive occurred later on a cloudy, rainy day, dark before we arrived. Taking photos during that drive was pointless.

Yesterday was heavenly, perfectly sunny with stunning clear skies. Figuring that searching for photo ops during the entire drive would keep me preoccupied, the time went more quickly than I imagined possible. 

Internet cafes in other parts of the world may be referred to as “chat cafes” as is the case in Denpasar.

Even Tom, who wasn’t happy about the long drive, spent time searching for photo ops distracting him for a while. By 3:30 pm, five and a half hours after we began, we arrived at the villa.

Ribud greeted us upon our arrival with two frosty glasses of fresh squeezed orange juice (none for me, thanks). Shortly later, Gede arrived to welcome us  to see if we needed anything. Of course, we each shared how we’d spent the past two months. In the early evening, he returned, bringing us a loaded SIM card for my phone.

By the time the two Katuks arrived at 5 pm, we’d put all the groceries away, unpacked everything we’d use while here, leaving most of our clothing folded in our individual suitcases.Wearing swimsuits, all day, an occasional tee shirt and shorts, we put a few items in the closets and drawers.

The Ketuts prepared a lovely chicken satay dish with a peanut sauce (no sugar added), the stir fried vegetables we like so much, our usual salad and a serving of white rice for Tom. We were content. 

There was no shortage of elaborate Hindu statues in front of and atop a building in Denpasar, the capital of Bali. It takes a full two hours to drive through the city.

Again, we suggested they have dinner ready each evening at 5:00 pm allowing them to get home earlier to their families.

When we dine at 5:00 pm, they can be out the door by 6:00 pm leaving us to enjoy the remainder of the evening to ourselves. 

Arriving each morning at 8:00 am, after shopping at the open markets, they clean  the villa and do some prep for dinner. That leaves us with the middle of the day to ourselves.

As for my ongoing recovery, the flight day was easy. The four or five hour harrowing drive was tough. At this point, I just can’t sit for long periods in any type of seat. Even after a good night’s sleep, I’m still feeling the consequences of the long drive. 

This morning once the girls arrived, we went for our first walk of the day with a plan to walk the roads in the mornings, the beach in the afternoon when they return. This prevents us from the necessity of closing the big doors and locking the house, especially when we have our digital equipment sitting out.

Apartments and houses line the highways.

Also, it’s cooler during these two periods of the day, making the walk all the more enjoyable without the scorching sun beating down on us. Today, we’ll commence 20 minutes of basking in the sun for a much needed dose of Vitamin D and a little color to our now pale skin after a two month hiatus.

Then, each day we’ll spend time in the pool while I’m especially careful to avoid re-injuring my spine on that same sharp edge as I’d done on June 1st, a full three months ago. It’s been a long and painful period and I’m anxious to have it all behind me.

With the slow Wi-Fi connection here, we won’t be able to post lots of photos each day, but we’ll do what we can. No more than 45 minutes after we arrived, four buffaloes made their daily trek along the beach as shown in the above photos.

We laughed heartily watching the buffaloes, then looked at one another, smiles on our faces to be back in Bali.

For those in the US, have a safe and enjoyable Labor Day weekend.

                                Photo from one year ago today, September 3, 2015:

People, young and old, walk along the esplanade, the walkway along a beach in Australia.  For more photos, please click here.

Tom’s second biggest scare of his life?…In his own words…Three days and counting…

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This buffalo was not happy to see him. Tom used no zoom to capture this photo when suddenly this monstrous agitated animal approached him.

“Sightings on the Beach in Bali”

Hauling a heavy load of vegetation on the beach.

Up until yesterday morning the most frightening experience of Tom’s life occurred while we were sitting on the veranda in Marloth Park, South Africa and he spotted a Mozambique Spitting Cobra next to his bare foot. Here’s the link with photos to that story.

His second most frightening experience since that event in South Africa occurred late yesterday morning when he decided to take a walk in the neighborhood to check out the main road currently under construction which lead to the villas. We’ve walked that road many times and he was curious to see how it was coming along.

This is the beginning of the paver road under construction at this time.

I was busy attempting to get a good enough signal to upload the post and suggested he go without me. He grabbed the camera expecting to return within an hour. I never gave it a thought.

Thirty minutes later he returned, sweaty and flushed. “You won’t believe what happened,” he said, his voice more intense than usual.

Several workers were involved in the project to pave the road.

“What?” I asked with the utmost of concern while quickly scanning his body up and down for any possible injuries. In a flash of 10 seconds, I wondered if he’d fallen, although he’s as surefooted as anyone I know.

This is the grassy path Tom took in search of photos, never realizing what lie ahead.

Here are his words as to what transpired on the walk:

“The road construction is a 20 day project using pavers/cobblestones. While the work is being done cars have to drive on a small grassy trail (as shown above) to get to the highway.  

On Monday, when I went with Gede to the ATM, he drove on this path (not really a road) which is used by motorbikes and walking the buffalo down to the beach and the river located near us.

This buffalo snorted and stomped his feet ready to charge.

After taking photos of the road construction, I decided to walk the secondary path to take photos of the cows and buffaloes I’d seen on Monday when I rode in the van with Gede.

As I walked down the path, I noticed two male buffaloes laying down on the backside of a property. I was walking on the grassy path about 10 meters, 33 feet, from the buffaloes when they first saw me.

This is the second buffalo who considered getting into the action. A cow is behind him seeming totally uninterested in what was transpiring.

One buffalo appearing agitated, immediately standing and snorting. He was only standing on  three legs since the rope he was tied to was caught and wrapped around his left rear leg. 

Being tangled and seeing me simultaneously obviously added to his agitation. I stopped dead in my tracks unsure of how secure his thin rope really was and what it was secured to. My first thought was that he was getting ready to charge me. This all transpired in a matter of seconds.

He untangled his fourth leg and aggressively began to approach me. I started walking backwards, keeping my eyes on him the entire time. Adrenalin kicked in as my heart started racing and I was sweating profusely.

Cows were contained in this roughshod enclosures.

My eyes scanned the area looking for a safe place to retreat in case he got loose. At this same time the second buffalo, about 30 meters, 98 feet away, stood and approached using all the slack he had available in his rope.

At this point, I slowly backed up out of sight from the buffaloes still checking for a safe exit strategy if either of them charged. At the same time, I was thinking to myself, “I’m glad I’m by myself and Jess isn’t here!” This way, I was only concerned for my own safety instead of worrying about her safety too.

Finally, I was out of sight of the buffaloes with vegetation blocking our view of one another. Then, I decided to carefully approach in order to take these photos. I sound like Jess who takes every precarious situation and turns it into a photo op!

Cows often look to see who’s passing by but seldom show signs of aggression. 

Originally, my plan was to walk the entire length of the grassy path and return the same way. So far, I was only one quarter of my way down the path but decided I didn’t want to take the risk of passing the agitated buffaloes again, especially when at one point, I’d end up between them on the path, not a good place to be.

I cut the walk short, retracing my steps back down the path constantly looking over my shoulder to make sure the buffaloes weren’t following me, all the while thinking how grateful I was to escape and that Jess wasn’t with me.

Finally, Tom had returned to the entrance to the villas and the beginning point of the road under construction. He’s was relieved and grateful to have avoided injury.

As I breathlessly told Jess the story, she asked, “Which situation scared you the most, the cobra in South Africa or the two buffaloes in Bali?” I had to think about it. In both cases we were in remote areas far from emergency medical care. These thoughts entered my mind. 

Both situations were equally frightening. But, with the buffaloes I was only fearful for my own safety and didn’t have to worry about Jess. So, for that reason, the cobra was scarier and the buffaloes are a close second.” 

As Tom told me the story, my own heart was racing over the thoughts tumbling through my mind over what could have happened.  Once again, “safari luck” kicked in and much to my surprise…he still got the photos!

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

In Trinity Beach, Australia I stepped out of the car to take this shot. Tom reminded me that passengers on the ship had told him that the ocean is murky at most beaches in Australia, as opposed to the clear crisp blue waters of Hawaii and other islands. Here’s an article about the murky waters surrounding the Great Barrier Reef.  For more details, please click here.

Mont Blanc…A sad story of a little life lost…

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It was hard not to fall in love with this face.

I don’t know how I became so attached to the little guy, alpaca Mont Blanc, born January 10th, nine days before we arrived in New Plymouth. 

Perhaps, it began during the harrowing few hours we spent trying to figure out how to get him back into the paddock when his tiny body easily maneuvered under the wire fence of the paddock next to our house leaving him separated from his mom, Giselle.

They both cried the sorrowful alpaca hum over and over again, afraid and frustrated by their separation, while we stood by helpless to figure out what to do.  We wrote about this event in this post using this photo below.

Mont Blanc’s mom Giselle, standing at the fence (left) was very worried that he’d escaped the fence to the paddocks. The other alpacas looked on, worried as well.

Finally, we called Trish to report the incident. In a short period, she and Neil arrived to gently pick him up and place him back over the fence to reunite with his worried mom and the other equally worried alpacas who cried along with them. 

We’d have lifted him over the fence, but at the time, so new to the farm, we were uncertain as to how to do so safely to avoid hurting him or us with his razor-like hooves. Watching him and his mom reunite was heartwarming. For days, if not weeks, he remained close at her side as shown in this photo below.

We took this photo within a few hours of Mont Blanc and his mom Giselle being reunited. He seldom left her side, although at times he attempted to play with the other crias.

At this point, I was hooked, and with his greenish collar and name tag, I began watching him each day; his gentle demeanor and more than anything… the way he looked into my eyes with his pale blue eyes. His little pink mouth and nose combined with his blue eyes made him easy to spot.

On rare occasions, he’d play with the other cria for short periods. They often ran with vigor through the paddock in the early evenings as the heat of the sun waned but he was unable to keep up.

Mont Blanc would wander off by himself when he wasn’t napping or hugging close to his mom.

When the cria joined together in a pile to rest in the sun, often in the dirt patch outside our sliding door, he’d easily participate in “nap time.” It was during these periods and many others that I could spend hours watching him. 

He was different from the others, not only with his lash-hidden blue eyes, an anomaly in alpacas, but in the way he hung close to his mom and seldom munched on the grass as the other cria had begun after their first month of life.

Mont Blanc in the left front was smaller than the other cria many born weeks after him. The cria would gather in this dirt spot for their naps, one of few interactions he had with the others.

In his own little way, without ever holding him in my arms, a special affinity grew over these past almost three months. (Alpacas don’t like to be touched by humans but will engage in eye to eye communication with their gentle moans and hums easily expressing interest and love).

And when I began to notice how little he actually nursed while seldom munching on the grass, his tiny stature became more and more evident as the more newly born cria passed him in size when they were but a few weeks old.

Reporting our observations to Trish and Neil they weighed him to discover he was considerably underweight.  Then, when we took this below photo of him trying to nurse while another unrelated fast-growing cria nursed from his mom, we knew something was terribly wrong. We reported this to Trish and Neil immediately showing them the photo.

It was this photo that further prompted us to notify Trish and Neil when we suspected something was terribly wrong when tiny Mont Blanc (on the left) was attempting to nurse from his mom while another born-this-season cria nursed from her as well, an uncommon scene. Even Giselle looks surprised by this event.  Click here for the post on that date.

At that point, Trish and Neil separated Mont Blanc and Giselle from the others in another paddock closer to their house, a distance from ours. Each day, we walked to that paddock to see how he was doing. Once they moved them, he gained a little weight, later losing it all. At times we spotted him with a few blades of grass in his mouth in an attempt to eat as shown in this photo below. 

Last week the vet came to the farm to check on him. The report wasn’t good. Mont Blanc wasn’t thriving. When Trish and Neil had left for the Easter holiday last week, we continued to walk to the distant paddock to check on him.

Recently, we wandered through the other paddocks looking for him. When we didn’t see him, I wrote to Trish asking where we’d find Mont Blanc and she wrote:

“Mount Blanc…. I had the vet look at him and he was very worried.  We discussed ideas and possibilities. I had already realized something was definitely wrong and the vet agreed. I took him to the vet clinic on Thursday where he was euthanized.  Horrible outcome but as it turned out the vet and we knew it was something untreatable – He did a post-mortem and found the outlet from the second to third stomach was restricted to only a pinhole so no food was getting through and no nutrition. We were never going to win with him.  Being blue-eyed may have had something to do with it because they may often have malformations. Sad but he is no longer suffering.”

At this point, we all thought he was doing better.

Tears welled up in my eyes as I read her message, my heart heavy for his little life, so sweet, so precious, now taken away. As I write this now, the tears flow once again. 

It’s ironic how when we lose an animal, however short a period we loved them, we are reminded of all of God’s creatures that we’ve lost in times past. It was only a few weeks ago that Tom and I reread the blog I wrote when we lost our last dog, Willie in 2011. 

The five-year anniversary of the day we lost Willie is in a few days and reading it still makes us cry. Here’s the link to the first day I wrote Willie’s blog (the balance follows in the archives) after he was diagnosed with cancer and given only weeks to live. 

For a period of time, he seemed to be doing better. But that soon faded and again he lost weight.  We were so hopeful.

I wrote the blog in the first person as if in his own words, picking it up “in my words” after he was gone. Writing Willie’s blog, my first foray into blogging was a healing process and inspiration in writing here now, all these years later.

In a funny way, writing here today, after discovering that Mont Blanc will no longer be found in any of the paddocks hanging out with his mom, is also a healing process. 

And yet, a sense of sorrow remains; for Mont Blanc, for Willie, for all the other dogs we’ve lost along the way, for all the people we’ve lost along the way, and for all the sorrows we’ve all experienced in our lives.

As happy as we are in our lives of traveling the world, we’re never exempt from the feelings of love or for the caring of those we’ve lost both human and animal, and for those we’ve left behind. Love travels well.

Photo from one year ago today, April 5, 2015:

The rushing waters below at high tide in Princeville, Kauai.  For more photos, please click here.

Part 1…Road trip…Many new photos on a perfect day!

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The sign outside the Fonterra Cheese Factory and retail store in Eltham, New Zealand.

With many cloudy days over these past few months, getting out to explore on a sunny day has been limited.  When any particular day started sunny, we’d plan to head out as soon as we finished posting. Invariably, by the time we’ve completed the post around 11:00 am, the clouds would start rolling in and we’d change our plans, hoping for another day.

As I’ve mentioned on many occasions, I don’t like taking photos on cloudy days. I’m just not that good of a photographer to do a great job, nor do I have an interest in spending hours editing dark photos, as more talented photographers may choose to tackle.

There are several refrigerated cases with a wide array of New Zealand made and Fonterra Cheese Factory made cheeses. We only purchased cheese made at the factory when we can easily purchase the others at the local grocery stores.

Based on the fact that we take over 10,000 photos a year, spending time editing photos could take a few more hours each day. When we don’t usually finish posting until around 11:00 am seven days a week, adding a few more hours editing photos each day would definitely cut into the time we prefer to spend doing other things.

Yesterday morning, awakening to a totally clear sky without a single cloud in sight, we knew it was a good day to get out. I hurried through the post using all new photos (most often all of our photos are new unless referencing a past experience), hung a load of laundry on the line and we were out the door before 11:00 am.

We’d never seen these “fruit pastes” which most likely are jam type items.

Over the past few months, we’ve had a few places in mind, we hoped to visit; the Fonterra Cheese Factory in Eltham and also the town of Stratford, fashioned with a Shakespearean theme. As it turned out we saw much more which we’ll share over these next several days.

Small jars of a variety of locally made chutneys, mustards and sauces.  In reviewing the ingredient’ list on these items, most contained sugar or starches.

Actually, over a month ago, we headed out with the same two towns in mind getting sidetracked, which resulted in a visit to Mount Taranaki which took most of the day. We decided we’d visit Eltham and Stratford another time, but only on a sunny day.

It’s a good thing we chose yesterday for the visit to these two towns since this morning, it was again cloudy as shown in this morning’s photo below. We weren’t disappointed when it stayed clear and cool all day, a perfect day for an outing.

We were happy we decided to go on yesterday’s road trip when this morning, it was cloudy and now raining.

The furthest of the two towns is Eltham where the well known cheese factory is located. Keeping in mind that cheese is one of the few treats I can eat, a plan to visit a factory with a wide array of locally made cheeses has been of particular interest in our worldwide travels.

This was only the third such occasion when we visited a cheese factory/specialty store; one in Belize as shown in this post and on another occasion when we visited Rusty’s Market, a huge farmers market and tourist attraction in Cairns, Australia, to find an extensive cheese vendor on site which prompted us to purchase a huge amount of exotic cheeses as shown in this post.

If we had more time before leaving New Plymouth, we’d surely have purchased one of these avocado oils.

Its not as if we can make an outing for food items other travelers may find worth a long drive; a special restaurant, a popular ice cream parlor or a bakery known for its sweets and bread. 

For our way of eating only these specialty venues work for us including a farmer’s market for fresh produce; a grass fed meat market; a fish wholesaler open to the public; a cheese factory or distributor; and a health food store.

Locally made oils.

When there’s an opportunity to visit any of these types of shops we’re as excited to do so as others may be when there’s “food on a stick” at a state fair or visiting a special restaurant known for foods that don’t work for us.

Yesterday, was no exception when we entered the Fonterra Cheese Factory. Although many of their options in the refrigerated displays were New Zealand made cheeses one may find at the local grocery stores, we asked the staff person to point out the cheeses that were made exclusively at their factory. No tours are offered or we’d definitely have participated.

Old newspaper articles about the cheese factory in Eltham.

After spending NZ $41, US $28, we were surprised how much we actually purchased. We didn’t go overboard in our purchase considering we’ll be leaving New Plymouth two weeks from tomorrow. 

Our day consisted of many more surprises delightful experiences as we continued on our day long tour of the exquisite countryside. We even encountered some funny animals during our fun filled day. More on that yet to come.

We purchased five packages of cheese including that huge round of Brie. I ate part of the smoked Havarti in the car while Tom ate this mint ice cream bar.  We were “out and about” when there are no “rules”  or comments from me on what he chooses to eat. He said it wasn’t that good after all.

May you share experiences with others, whether big or small, with enthusiasm and joy in your heart.

Photo from one year ago today, March 31, 2015:

A lazy day sitting under a tree with a cold beverage and good book is all many visitors to Kauai require for a glorious vacation. Not everyone is into adventure hikes and sightseeing. Many tourists come to the islands to get away from a “must do” lifestyle preferring to relax and unwind. Lounging on the beach, dining in a popular restaurants and drinking Mai Tai’s is all some travelers need for the perfect vacation. For more details, 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.

Unusual sighting on a drive…Who knew?…New photos!

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Later, upon arriving home we laughed over this photo that appears to be what??? A six-legged cow? No. The photo is a fluke which one cow standing behind the other.  We didn’t stay long for better photos when they began showing a few signs of aggression.

After days of bad weather, yesterday as the winds diminished we took off for a drive anxious to get out. The sun was shining and we couldn’t have been more thrilled to be on our way. 

It was Saturday and the roads were busy with outdoor activities including a motocross event and a bike race requiring we make a few detours to get around the road that runs along the ocean.

We were able to take many photos often getting out of the car when possible to walk down country roads for better shots when parking wasn’t readily available at the most scenic locations.

The air was cool, but we’d dressed accordingly. This area is an amazing wealth of unique sights to see, unlike many countries we’ve visited in the past inspiring us to take advantage of sunny days.

This sign is posted at the entrance to the Belted Galloway farm.

Many sightings, unique to New Zealand, only add to the excitement as we wander onto road after road, making an effort to avoid repeats.  I almost hold my breath as we drive anticipating something special at the next turn. 

It’s no wonder we haven’t wanted to drive far away, incurring hotel bills, costs of meals, and expensive fuel when everything that appeals to us is within a two-hour drive.

This morning, prior to preparing today’s post we headed to town again to purchase eggs at the Farmers Market Taranaki, a trip we make every other Sunday morning. Open only in the mornings and having taken my time getting up this morning after a fitful night, we decided to head out as soon as we were up, showered, and dressed, even waiting for our usual morning coffee.

The egg farmer from whom we purchase usually purchase six dozen free-range, organic eggs, asked if we’ve traveled much throughout the country. We explained how much we’ve loved this general area and he laughed saying, “Many locals never visit all that you two have in their entire lifetime in this area!”

The line of demarcation of the white and black hide is fairly defined in these unusual cattle.

We certainly understand this often typical scenario. Who goes sightseeing in their own town unless they’re taking out-of-town visitors to see a specific venue or visiting a few popular sites with their children and/or grandchildren?

By the time we leave the Taranaki Region, we feel we’ll know it quite well as opposed to knowing a little of “this and that” from frequent travel outside the area. 

Perhaps, this is a rationalization for our lack of interest in making long road trips at this time. As we explained to the egg rancher, we do what we love to do which ultimately brings us the most joy and meaning and, hopefully, provides a modicum of entertainment for our worldwide readers.

Taking dozens of photos which we’ll share over the next many days, we were able to see a “story” in many of our camera subjects, especially the photos we’re sharing today, that of the unique (to us anyway) Belted Galloway Cattle. 

We’d never seen this breed of cattle in all of our world travels where over and over we’ve seen a wide variety of the more common breeds.

What a sight to see…these belted cattle!

This website is a good resource for information about the Belted Galloway who originated in Scotland in the 1700s.  Here’s a little about these special looking cattle from the online source:

“Belted Galloway cattle originated from western Scotland, a region whose weather is strikingly similar to Ireland’s own damp climate! This makes Belted Galloways perfectly suitable for the wet, cold winters and the boggy soft terrain of Irish farms. Their long, curly outer coat is ideal for rainy weather, as its coarseness deflects moisture from the animal’s skin. They also have a soft undercoat to keep them warm in colder temperatures. The head of the Belted Galloway has long hair around its ears, preventing frostbite in a case of an extreme Irish freeze.”

These unique animals are often referred to as the “Oreo” cattle. We “borrowed” the below photo from the website to illustrate that point which once seen clearly makes sense of such a nickname:

Yep, kind of similar to an “Oreo.”  Tom misses those for sure but looking at these cows didn’t make his mouth water as much as eyeballing a package of Oreos at the grocery store.

Standing on the side of the road, having parked on the narrow weedy road’s edge we proceeded with caution. (Few local roads in New Zealand have a “shoulder” for any necessary or desired stopping).

Wading through the tall grass and weeds we were able to get close enough for today’s photos. This breed of cattle may be aggressive as noted in these comments from the website:

“The dams also have strong mothering instincts, which is a plus for farmers who worry about the safety of vulnerable calves. Any nearby predators can be warned off by protective Belted Galloway dams; however, as with every breed, this kind of aggression should be treated with caution, and extra care should be taken around a volatile dam and her offspring. In the case of bulls, visitors should always be wary of the danger! Have a look at our article on Bull Safety to remind yourself of the right practices.”

It’s the females that are more aggressive in this breed as may be the case with this mom who may have a calf nearby.

As we stood and watched the cattle we could sense a bit of possible aggression as we noticed the double electric fence. As we’ve seen most recently cattle have certain movements such as kicking up a leg at a time and snorting indicating agitation.

Preferring not to upset their daily routine, we took these few photos and were happily on our way to see more treasures in this special area. We’ll be back with lots more over the next several days.

May you have a day of new discoveries!

Photo from one year ago today, March 13, 2015:

In Kauai, Tom spotted these two chickens. “Must have been a double yolker,” Tom clucked as I laughed. Kauai has one of the largest feral chicken populations in the world. For more photos, please click here.

Each day bring more wonders, more laughter and more surprises…

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Trish and Neil recently acquired these two pink cockatoos, a mating pair, from an elderly couple whose health is failing. This pair is living in a chained link cage on the grounds with lots of space and plenty of food. To get this photo, I placed the new camera, touching the closely woven chain link cage. Our old camera would never have been able to capture this photo through the wire.  More photos of these gorgeous birds will follow on sunnier days.

In an attempt not to think too far ahead, I’ve avoided checking how much time until we leave New Zealand.  Why do we ever count the days? Often, we have necessary steps in the process of moving to a new location that require advance planning.

Also, when we’re in a location which we won’t be disappointed to leave, counting down the days seems to make the transition and remaining time easier. It’s never that we want LIFE itself to move along more quickly. 

We treasure each day in its content and length, both arising early and staying up until sleepiness overtakes us; me, always before Tom. We never lie down or nap during the days, never wanting to miss a moment.

The alpacas sleep in this tree lined area of the paddock at night.  We took this photo very early this morning. As the day warms, they move close to our house, where we can observe them all day.

Living in this glorious location, the alpaca farm in the Taranaki Region of New Zealand, leaves me a feeling a little sad over the prospect of its eventual end.  In an attempt to stay in touch with reality, today for the first time since our arrival, I checked this “date to date” calculator to see how much time we actually have left here, although we both had a good idea in our minds.

When the calculator indicated only 41 days until we depart on April 15th, my heart sank. Only 41 days left on this farm. It will be hard to leave. Plus, from what little we’ve seen of New Zealand, this amazing country has wrapped its arms around us making us feeling welcomed and included.

Sorry, readers. We haven’t traveled much to share the endless scenery and tourist attractions. In essence, we’re chasing joy however it may come our way. We’ve found it right here. And, if staying close to New Plymouth has given us joy, we don’t question it for a moment.

From time to time a family member mentions, perhaps even criticizes that we don’t travel about enough. Maybe that’s what “they” would do in our circumstances.  

Yesterday, we walked down the road to visit the cows at the adjacent farm. This mating pair were “necking.”

With our goals of “living” throughout the world, we find ourselves living exactly as we’d like, as the locals, in their environment and in their world of simple pleasures surrounded by the treasures they appreciate each and every day.

The difference for us is that eventually we have to leave behind that which we’ve come to embrace, the beauty of this simple life with few responsibilities other than life’s daily maintenance of a healthy existence and a warm and loving environment with one another, with our surroundings and with nature. 

It’s a simple prescription for happiness by our standards, one we don’t question, one we find works for us. Even Trish and Neil who have the daily responsibility of managing this 35 acre farm and over 100 alpacas who require daily tasks and attention in order to maintain their good health and well being, are fulfilled and happy in their lives.

Another cria born in the “pregnant moms” paddock. We missed the birth of this one! The mom and cria were located in the far rear of this paddock. With out old camera, I wouldn’t have been able to get this distant shot.

With outside jobs and coming home nightly to many tasks, they never complain and seem to relish in every aspect of this monumental responsibility. They easily dismiss the amount of work to choose happiness instead, to embrace the quality of life they’ve chosen with grace and dignity.

Many throughout the world talk of feeling “overwhelmed” a word we frequently hear as common in the harried lives of those in the US and other countries. In our old lives while we were working, at times, we felt as if it was “too much,” too much stuff, too much responsibility, too much obligation.

We sent this photo to Trish indicating something they’d never seen, two cria nursing from one mom simultaneously, which may determine why the smaller of the two isn’t thriving as it should. Today, she thanked us for keeping an eye out to bring such an anomaly to their attention which may result in separating the mom and baby from the others.

Now, we are free of those feelings, never feeling overwhelmed. Well, maybe once…when we first arrived and the newly born cria, Mont Blanc, had escaped the confines of the fence and couldn’t get back to his mother while both cried loudly. We didn’t know what to do. Now, we’d pick him up and place him on the other side with his mother. 

Life is good. No complaints here.

Photo from one year ago today, March 5, 2015:

Our old camera took good photos in Kauai one year ago.  We think it was the high humidity after four months in Fiji that finally caused the issue. For more photos, please click here.

Another extraordinary day on the farm…Graphic birthing video and photos…

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This is the first full birthing video we’ve taken since our arrival at the alpaca farm over six weeks ago.

I get it. Some of our readers may be tired of hearing about the alpacas. For you, we apologize for our one-track minds while living on this farm. Were any animal lovers living here, it would be easy to see how enthralled we have become with these amazing animals.

We both giggled over our “safari luck” to be able to see the birth when we happened to be walking past.

While living in  South Africa, we were equally wrapped up in the animals on a daily basis as they wandered about our vacation rental, in the same manner, they do here. 

The only difference here is the lack of variety in breeds of animals when instead we have the immense variety of the differences in personalities of the alpacas the more and more we come to know them. Even the rapidly growing cria have developed their own demeanor setting them apart from the others.

Elliouse walked about the paddock as the birth progressed, never far from the other mom or our easy viewing.
Yesterday morning, Tom and I walked toward Trish and Neil’s home to check out birds they invited us to see at any time. Although they weren’t home we were sensitive in respecting their privacy by avoiding any photos of their house itself instead, taking photos of some of the interesting surroundings which we’ll soon post.

We never saw the birds they’d described but will return again soon to see what we may find and when we do, we’ll certainly post those photos as well.

More ears crowning.

On the way toward their home, I mentioned to Tom that one of the four pregnant moms was moaning all of which have been kept in the separate paddock along the road awaiting the birth of their cria.  

With his less-than-ideal hearing from years of working on the railroad, at times he’s unable to hear certain sounds.  On the walk back from their home, I noticed the moaning has escalated a little, not outrageously loud but slightly more detectible. At that point, Tom was able to hear her as well.

For a moment, Elliouse sat down to rest while the other moms watched with their heads up as they waited for the birth.

We stopped, camera in hand, and with our limited experience we could tell a small portion of the cria’s face was “crowning.” The birth of the cria could be imminent. As small as she was compared to the others, we wondered if she may be a young mom having her first birth. Would her small stature present as an issue? 

With Trish and Neil at work, with him as a physician (not a vet) and both highly experienced in the delivery of the cria, if we needed to reach them we could do so quickly when they both work in town and could get back to the farm in 20 minutes, if necessary.

Elouise almost looks as if she is smiling as she sees the cria’s birth was going as nature intended with the front legs showing. We were also relieved.

Seeing the face crowning through the membranes gave us comfort in hoping we’d soon see the front legs.  Trish and Neil explained that if face and front legs come first, most likely the remainder of the birth will go well, providing there were no other unforeseen complications. 

Having had this experience when Miss Jessica was born one week before my birthday, we’d joyfully watched over her birth when Trish and Neil were out of the town.  With both of them in close proximity and, based on our past experience, we weren’t worried, instead, feeling excited. 

Our goal during yesterday’s occasion was to make a video of the miraculous birth in its entirety with a number of photos accompanying the experience, should anything go wrong with the video.

The cria gently landed on the ground listless only for a few minutes while we watched in anticipation.

With our relatively modest lightweight camera which soon must be replaced after substantial humidity has caused issues over these past 18 months, taking videos is tricky. Regardless, we forged ahead, managing to get the video we hoped at the exact moments of the birth. 

Holding up the camera up for so long was challenging but my motivation didn’t falter. Pain or not, I held it up in place as we waited, attempting to anticipate the moment to begin the video when our intention was to keep it short with uploading issues on metered wifi. 

Few readers care to watch a 10-minute video when we’ve determined keeping a video under two minutes is ideal which we managed in this case albeit a bit shakily when I’d been holding up the camera for quite some time. There was no time to run back to our house for the tripod.

This is at 10 minutes after the birth, as the cria wiggles on the grass attempting to stand.

It was interesting watching the three other moms as they stood to watch over her during the birth of her cria.  There was no doubt in our minds they were well aware of what was transpiring as they spent less time grazing and more time on the lookout and engaged in the birth. 

Once the baby was born we started the countdown on the 20 minutes requirement for the cria to stand on its own. If the cria struggled to stand after this time frame or seemed listless, we may have had to help which we were prepared to do if necessary.

This cria hardly needed human intervention when he (we later discovered it was a male), squirmed about almost constantly during that 20 minute period raising his head in less than 8 minutes after his birth.

Smaller mom, Eliouse, didn’t seem to want aunties intruding with the cria, hissing at this pregnant mom a few times.

In precisely 24 minutes from the birth, the cria was on his feet. Wobbly on spindly legs we laughed over and over as he attempted to stand, finally doing so with little certainty but considerable enthusiasm.

We’d be standing at the paddock for over an hour. With the cria and mom both looking healthy and happy we returned home anxious to email Trish, check our photos, and upload the video to YouTube. 

Finally, 24 minutes after birth the cria stands on wobbly legs while mom watches. It’s amazing how the moms know the cria must stand quickly to ensure their good health.

A short time later, we spotted Trish and Neil at the paddock. As it turned out, they were on their way home for lunch, a daily occurrence on workdays. We’d sent an email but they’d yet to see it. 

They were as excited as we were when we shared the experience in their absence.  They explained the mom, named Eliouse, was in fact 12 years old, having given birth to many cria over the years, and was an attentive and loving mom.

Now, with only three pregnant moms yet to give birth, we chuckled over how timely our stay on the farm has been. Had we arrived at any other time of the year, we’d have missed these delightful experiences of the births and the pure pleasure of watching these playful youngsters as they quickly grow.

If showing these funny lower teeth (alpacas don’t have upper teeth) can indicate an emotional state of happiness, Eliouse was indeed happy with the birth of her new offspring. We were happy too!  What an experience!

Today, when the cleaning people arrive soon, we’ll be off to town to shop at a variety of markets. We both enjoy the shopping each week, especially stopping at a number of locations.

Each day offers some degree of magic, whether it’s the birth of a cria, the singing of a bird, or a flower blooming as summer winds down in New Zealand. It only requires us to pay attention to our surroundings. May your surroundings provide YOU with some magic today!

Photo from one year ago today, March 3, 2015:

Kealia Beach as we walked along the Kauai Path on a sunny day in Kauai one year ago. For more photos from the Kauai Path, please click here.

Alpacas mating…Video…Time consuming process…Not as simple as one may assume…

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We took this video during the mating.

This morning at 9 am we’re heading an hour south for an exciting local event, returning late in the day. We’ll be back with photos over the next several days which we’re looking forward to sharing.

The males, called Machos, are kept in a separate paddock in order to maintain control over the mating process.

Today’s post prepared late yesterday and completed early this morning is a bit more rushed than usual.  Hopefully, the included video and photos speak for themselves.

We’re continually amazed by the amount of work required by Trish and Neil to manage this 100 alpaca farm, both of whom are also working away from the farm in a high level profession requiring considerable work and commitment.

The pair are placed in a smaller paddock for the purpose of mating. Notice the others looking on with considerable curiosity.

In itself, managing this farm could easily be a full-time commitment.  ]And yet, effortlessly and diligently they both spend many hours each week with nary a complaint. They love and care for these unique creatures with the utmost of love and concern.

Not only are they busy providing nutrient-rich foods a few times each day laid about the paddocks in dozens of colorful bowls as an adjunct to the hay and grass the alpacas graze, but, several entire herds in the various paddocks must be moved frequently to newly greened pastures.

The courtship is rather quick but the event can last for 45 minutes.

Moving the various herds of alpacas from one paddock to another is quite a sight to watch. The alpacas have become accustomed to this process and in their gentle ways, they respond to the carefully managed process that Trish and Neil perform with what appears to be relative ease.

We couldn’t help but laugh over the looks on the faces of the others during the mating.

For us neophytes, it looks a lot easier than it really is. Add the constant handling of baled hay as an additional food source for the alpacas, the annual shearing of all the alpacas, the attendance at alpaca shows throughout the country where they frequently win blue ribbons and awards.

Trish and Neil oversee the mating to ensure all is going well.  The Macho is wearing the harness used to bring him to the mating pen.

The record-keeping is a big part of the management of the farm with each alpaca tagged and named, as is the case for the cria shortly after birth. As much as we’re enjoying the playful entertainment by these amazing animals, we don’t take lightly the responsibility required in all of the above…including the mating process.

We don’t profess to know much about the breeding of alpaca other than the answers to questions we’ve asked of Trish and Neil as time has allowed with their busy schedules.

We were up close during this particular mating.  Others we’ve observed from a distance.

Today, we share the snippets we’ve gleaned, hoping if any of our readers have more specific questions they’ll refer online for more information with many sites providing details. Here are a few points of interest we gleaned in the process:

  • Females referred to as the “Hembra” with the male referred to as the “macho.” Males and females do not live together in the paddock and are only brought together for mating purposes.
The other hang close, so they can watch The crias were chasing one another mimicking the making behavior.
  • Hembra can be bred at one year of age and continue to breed until they are 14 to 15 years old. Machos reach maturity at 2 to 3 years of age.
  • Hembra are referred to as “induced ovulators” meaning they do not have a specific cycle. They can be mated at any time while ovulation is induced by the actions of the macho.
The female will only resist if she’s impregnated from a prior session which immediately is terminated ensuring Trish and Neil there no need to continue.
  • Gestation is approximately 11.5 (from 335 to 342 days) months. Hembra can be mated two weeks after giving birth of the “cria” of which there is only one birth per year.
  • 14 days after mating, the female is reintroduced to the male. If she is pregnant she will not sit down for the mating process. Instead, she will engage in what is referred to as the “spit off” test by kicking, running away, and spitting at the male. It’s this process that enables the farm owners to determine the Hembra is in fact pregnant until further blood tests at a later date. If the “spit off” doesn’t occur, this means the Hembra is not pregnant and she cooperates in the mating.
He was no worse for the wear after the event.

Having witnessed this entire life cycle at various stages since our arrival over one month ago we feel honored for the experience as we continue to observe this miracle of life.

He even offered a little smile for the camera.

Now, we’re off for our upcoming busy day and will return tomorrow with a new story and photos of a popular annual event in the Taranaki Region.  Have a great day!

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

One year ago, we visited Spouting Horn in Kauai where spouts in the lava formed from which the ocean spouted as the waves washed in and out to the shore. We could only imagine how majestic it would have been on a day when the waves were more aggressive. For more photos, please click here.

Booking new flights…We couldn’t get any closer…

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In the early evening a group of the babies get together to play, running through the paddock, making us laugh over their playful antics.

There are always flights looming in the future.  As much as we’d hoped to sail our way around the world using cruise ships as a means of transportation, it just doesn’t work out that way.

As we’ve become more and more knowledgeable (Tom particularly) about the routes of cruise ships, we’ve come to accept how impossible that is to accomplish.  Were cost no object, it may be a different scenario opening up many more possibilities.

If money were entirely no object, one could easily charter ships to almost any part of the world.  Long ago, we accepted that we have limitations on what we can and can’t do based on cost and practicality, neither of which is a disappointment, just a reality.

Not only do we dislike flying for the vast inconveniences, commotion and baggage fees, we don’t get excited booking a flight as we do when booking a new location, a vacation home or a cruise. 

These two babies sat in this spot staring at us for hours, occasionally napping.

Its not the flying part we mind.  Its everything leading up to it including the laborious process of searching online to find the right flight, at the right time of day, on the right date, on the right airline, at the right place and with the right seats.

Then, there’s the challenge of deciding…do we book early (up to 330 days ahead of schedule as allowed by most airlines) or do we wait and hope for better flight options and prices further down the road?

I wish I could say we have a definitive plan for booking flights.  We don’t.  We’ll mention that we need to book a flight, discussing a possible time frame during which it needs to be done.  Then, on an unexpected day, one of us searches, discusses it and we find a suitable option, getting it booked and out of the way.

This isn’t a quick process completed in five minutes.  We’re often checking and rechecking to verify there are no errors.  We use Expedia on our website, accumulating points we’ve yet to use. 

The alpacas, young and mature all get along well and enjoy staying close to one another. With 30 in this paddock and 60 more in other paddocks, its a pleasure to see how they interact with one another.

We’ve found the jumping around to dozens of websites offering supposed better deals, only to discover that overall prices are not a whole lot different from one “supplier” to another. 

Often, blocks of flights and seats are offered by ancillary websites.  We’ve chosen not to spend hours trying to maneuver through all of these myriad options when in the end, we may pay the same price or at times, a better price.

Plus, we’ve found good customer service with Expedia when on a rare occasion we’ve encounter a booking question.  Their reps are easy to reach with quick and painless resolutions as their imminent objective.  This works for us.

Its hard to believe how these young alpacas have quickly adjusted to our presence.

The flight we needed to book (now completed) is upcoming on April 15th from Auckland, New Zealand to Sydney, Australia for our fourth visit to the beautiful harbor city. 

Again, we’ll stay overnight one night to ensure there is no risk of missing the cruise.  Staying overnight the night prior to a cruise is a maneuver we long ago decided would best avoid stress. 

If we arranged a flight on the same day as a cruise and its delayed for any reason, we’d be in big trouble.  We’ve heard stories of this occurring and don’t want any part of it. 

As always our motto comes into play as shown in the heading of our homepage. For one reason or another, we simply think of our travels in regard to our motto, “Wafting Through Our Worldwide Travels with Ease, Joy and Simplicity.”  Its from this premise that we continue on, at times spending a little more to ensure the least amount of stress and frustration.

Napping together.

Finally, we booked the flight with our favorite (to date) airline, Emirates, who’s coach seats are comparable to first class on other airlines.  It cost a little more than a few other options but its safety history, roomier seats and customer service are definitely a consideration. We could have saved a total of NZ $62, US $40 booking on another airline at a less desirable time. 

Instead, we chose our preferred choice of Emirates with which we may ultimately save the difference in baggage fees.  They don’t charge for the first bag per person (see below) and there’s no charge for carry on bags.

Here’s the flight we selected which includes a two hour time difference:

Emirates logo
5:55p – 7:25p
Emirates
3h 30m
AKL – SYD
Nonstop
$188.70 as of 59 minutes ago

5:55p to 7:25p 3h 30m  

Auckland (AKL) to Sydney (SYD)
Auckland Intl. (AKL) to Kingsford Smith Intl. (SYD)
Emirates 413
Economy / Coach (Q)
Airbus Industrie A380-800 Passenger
Seats
Preview availability
Bag fees
Baggage fees when purchased at the airport (Prices may be cheaper if purchased online with Emirates)
Carry on: No fee
1st checked bag: No fee up to 30 kg
2nd checked bag: No info
How to pay: Emirates
 
This airline doesn’t charge fees for this weight of 30 kg, 66 pound which serves us well.  We’ll only have to pay for our third smaller bag online. We’re content we’ve made the right decision in booking this flight.
The babies all hang out together running through the paddock and playing.  All of these cria were born since this past December, growing quickly.

Now, back to matters at hand.  Yesterday, Trish and Neil moved the alpacas moms and babies to the paddock in front of our deck providing us with easier viewing.  We spent most of the day watching them enjoying every moment.  No longer afraid of us, they readily approach making our experience all the more heartwarming.

 
Soon, we’re heading to the Farmers Market Taranaki for more eggs, fish and produce, hopefully arriving early enough to ensure these items are still available.
 
Have a joyful, stress free day!
________________________________________
 

Photo from one year ago today, January 31, 2015:

This was our first photo of “Birdie” whom we came to know and love.  In no time at all, he responded to his name coming when called many times each day, often bringing along his mate, another Red Cardinal with different markings and coloration.  His presence in our lives over the four months in Kauai added to our glorious experience.  For more details, please click here.