A story from ten years ago today…Four days and counting…

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A simple life in the country…

on 
Sunset at the alpaca farm in New Plymouth, New Zealand.

Note: It’s ironic that we’re back in New Zealand ten years later. We thought it would be fun to share this story we posted on this date in 2016. See the ten-year-old post below:

“The house has a metal roof, and it’s a veritable hot box on hot days. We have no choice but to leave the sliding doors open. The flies and sand flies are bad. I wear repellent round the clock, re-applying it three times a day.

This alpaca, Amber Rose, who recently gave birth, often looks at me through the kitchen window while I’m preparing meals, at times pressing her nose to the glass.

Last night, a dragonfly was flying around the bedroom, making noise as it bumped into the walls, keeping me awake most of the night. With no screens on any of the doors or windows, we can’t open any of the bedroom windows at night to cool off the hot room.

The fan moves the hot air around but doesn’t seem to cool it down. We’ve only used the comforter on a few occasions.

The WiFi is metered, and we can’t download as many of our favorite shows as we’ve often been able to in other locations. We’re in a tough position, knowing we won’t have good enough WiFi in Bali to download shows. We’d hoped to download everything we’d need while we’re here to watch later in Bali. That may not happen.

Each sunny afternoon, the alpacas crowd to the side of the house to find shelter in the shade. See more below.

I love it here. Tom loves it here. Adaptation. It’s a simple life in the country.

There’s a lot to love; the alpacas; the many comforts in the house; the ever-changing exquisite scenery surrounding us; the sound of the flowing nearby river; the kind and helpful owners, Trish and Neil; the New Zealand people; the ideal shopping fulfilling all of our needs from the health food store to the grass-fed only meat market to the weekly farmers market with the best eggs in the South Pacific.

The number of alpacas in the shade from our house grows with the heat of the sun.

Yes, there is a lot to love. Yesterday, I filled a bowl with a special grass mix for the alpacas and hand-fed it to them as my feet dangled over the edge of the veranda.  I couldn’t take photos while my hands were otherwise busy. It didn’t seem to matter at the time. Sorry about that. Sometimes the experience supersedes all else.

Hanging the laundry on the clothesline is a pleasant experience in itself, as is each time I step outdoors in my bare feet to check to see if it’s dry. The feel of the soft, neatly trimmed grass under my feet sends my senses reeling, reminding me of the yet unproven philosophy of “earthing” or “grounding,” which may have some truth. See here for details.

The grouping of cria started with these four.  They love sitting in this dirt, rolling around, and getting dirty. See below after it grew in numbers.

The rental car sits in the driveway, used only three times a week for various local trips. We don’t want to leave more often. Everything we could possibly want is right here within a few hours’ drive.

In minutes, the group of cria grew to eight.

Yesterday, I walked alone when Tom didn’t feel like joining me. As I approached the cattle, my favorite pregnant female immediately spotted me heading to the fence. She literally danced, so happy to see me, lifting one leg at a time as she rocked in place, shaking her head back and forth, slobber flying from her mouth.

My favorite cow was separated from what may have been her last offspring.  We often find them close to one another, sneaking affection through the fence.

She moaned in frustration as I walked away. Had anyone seen this, they would have laughed at this crazy woman communicating with a cow. I’ve often wondered if I should have lived on a farm when I’ve always been drawn to barnyard animals, rolling dough, and baking bread (in my old life, when I could eat gluten).

Instead, for now, we live this simple life, spending a lot of time outdoors, cooking good meals, mingling with life in the country, and taking photos of precious moments, with the ongoing joy of sharing them daily with all of YOU, as we’ve shown today.

This mom and son, Mont Blanc, were separated by the fence when Mont Blanc crawled under it and escaped. Later, Trish and Neil picked him up and placed him over the fence, not an easy task. We often see them in close contact, perhaps because they remember being once separated. Although Mont Blanc, the only blue-eyed cria in the group of 12, loves playing with the other youngsters.

For those in the US, may you have a fun-filled Super Bowl Sunday, upcoming tomorrow. (We’ll be watching it here on Monday). And to our friends in New Zealand, enjoy the rest of Waitangi Weekend. For details of this holiday, please click here.

Have a happy day in the country, city, desert, mountains or plains or, wherever you may be…”

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, February 7, 2016:

Last year’s young bulls, in New Plymouth, New Zealand. For more, please click here.

Historic properties worldwide…Out to dinner with our lovely property owners/new friends….

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A historic house we visited in New Plymouth, New Zealand. See the 2016 post here.

Visiting historic properties has become one of the quiet anchors of our travels, the steady thread that stitches together countries, climates, and cultures as we move through the world. No matter where we find ourselves, there is something grounding about stepping into a place that has already lived many lives before we arrive. These buildings, estates, ruins, and preserved homes remind us that while our journey feels expansive and modern, it is layered on top of countless human stories that came long before us.

As travelers, we have learned that historic properties are rarely just about architecture. They are about people, routines, conflicts, triumphs, and ordinary days that somehow survived long enough to leave an imprint. Walking through an old manor, a centuries-old farmhouse, or a once grand city residence, we find ourselves slowing down almost instinctively. The pace changes.

The entrance to the sunroom.

One of the most fascinating aspects of visiting historic properties is how universal yet deeply local they are. A stone cottage or a house such as this, which we visited in New Plymouth, New Zealand in 2016, are storytellers. They speak of who had power, who labored behind the scenes, how families gathered, and how survival shaped daily life. We often leave these places with a deeper understanding of the country we are visiting, not from dates and timelines, but from kitchens, bedrooms, gardens, and worn staircases.

Traveling long term has given us the luxury of comparison, something short visits rarely allow. We notice how climate influenced design, such as thick stone walls, as we experienced in Boveglio, Italy, in the Tuscany region. We notice how resources dictated beauty, ornate woodwork where timber was abundant, and simple lines where materials were scarce. Even the smallest details, a hand-carved doorframe or uneven floorboards, hint at the skills and limitations of another era. These are things you cannot fully grasp from books or photos. They need to be experienced in person, quietly, and without rushing.

There is also an emotional element that sneaks up on us when visiting historic properties. Some places feel warm and lived in, almost welcoming, while others carry a heaviness that lingers long after we leave, such as the ruins we visited in Ireland in 2017. Former prisons such as The Tench, which we visited in Hobart, Tasmania, battle sites, such as Normandy, France, in 2014, or homes tied to painful histories often stay with us the longest. They remind us that travel is not always about beauty and escape. Sometimes it is about witnessing, acknowledging, and learning to sit with discomfort as part of understanding the world more honestly.

Seeing these cute flowers was a first for us.

We have found that historic properties often reveal the everyday lives that history books overlook. Grand events are important, but it is the small details that tend to resonate most. A narrow servant staircase tucked out of sight. A child’s bedroom, no larger than a closet. A kitchen hearth worn smooth by generations of hands. These details humanize the past and make it easier to imagine ourselves there, dealing with the same fears, hopes, and routines, just under very different circumstances.

As nomads, these places also provide a strange sense of continuity. When you are constantly moving, it can be easy to feel untethered. Historic properties remind us that movement, change, and adaptation are not new concepts. People have always migrated, rebuilt, expanded, and endured. Standing in a home that has survived wars, economic collapse, or natural disasters puts our own temporary inconveniences into perspective. It is humbling and oddly comforting.

June apologized for the dandelions and the sparse lawn, citing a lack of rain at the time. We could easily imagine a lush green lawn in a more rainy climate.

Some of our favorite moments happen after we leave the property itself. We sit with a coffee nearby, looking back at the structure from a distance, imagining how many others have stood in that same spot with entirely different lives and futures ahead of them. In those moments, travel feels less like ticking destinations off a list and more like participating in an ongoing human story.

Visiting historic properties has taught us to travel with curiosity rather than urgency. These places reward patience and attention. They invite reflection. As we continue to move through the world, they remain some of the most meaningful stops on our journey, quiet reminders that, as we pass through, the stories we encounter are enduring, layered, and deeply worth listening to.

This evening, we’re heading out to dinner with our lovely landlords and new friends, Dave and Eing. They have been incredibly kind to us. Most recently, after Dave read our post about being out of rice, he showed up at the door the next day with a new bag of jasmine rice. Such a small gesture, yet so thoughtful. Tomorrow, we’ll share photos and details from our evening out.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, February 5, 2016:

Our host, June, whom we met at the supermarket, invited us to see her historic home in New Plymouth, New Zealand. Plas Mawr is a historic custom home built in 1913 by the renowned New Zealand architect James Chapman-Taylor, with a stunning garden as shown here. For more photos, please click here.

Ten years ago…Have we changed much in ten years?…

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The main thoroughfare, Eliot St., in downtown New Plymouth heads out to the ocean.

The following is a slightly revised (I corrected numerous errors) copy of a post from ten years ago, found here.

“When we arrived in New Plymouth 15 days ago, we expected WiFi to be available. This wasn’t the case, and we had no choice but to head to a local phone store, buy a device, and load up on expensive data.

To date, we’ve spent NZ 593 and US $388 on Internet access fees, an expense we hadn’t anticipated. Don’t get me wrong… the owners are very kind and caring people, and we’ve greatly appreciated their efforts and attention to detail.

They had no idea it would take so long to get service, assuming only a day or two. They’d tried to arrange it over the holidays but couldn’t pin down a date. We have no doubt they tried. But, as in many parts of the world, not everything happens according to a schedule one would prefer.

Ornate house on a corner.

Actually, we feel bad about how much pressure we’ve placed on them as the WiFi bill continues to rack up expenses day after day. Yesterday, I paid the bill after Spark set up an account for us to be paid monthly, without requiring a 12-month contract.

Yesterday, Trish stopped by with an extra fan (without our asking) since we’ve been hauling the one fan we had up and down the stairs every day. Although the air is relatively cool here in summer, the metal roof makes the house very hot on sunny days.

St. Andrews Presbyterian Church in downtown New Plymouth is another historic building.

We’ve decided to keep the doors open, welcoming the cool breezes most days, and deal with the flies. They aren’t biting flies and seem fairly easy to swat with the flyswatter we purchased. They are considerably less prevalent on cooler, windy days. By dinner time, we close the doors, kill the flies, and have dinner, preferring that no flies buzz over our food. This plan seems to be working.

After handing me the fan, Trish explained she’d heard from Vodafone, who are to arrive today. We had an appointment with June for today and had planned to grocery shop after we were done. We immediately contacted June, apologizing and kindly asking that we change the date. She was happy to make a change.

Contemporary houses overlooking the ocean.

In the process, we decided to postpone the grocery shopping until Thursday, after Tom’s 10:15 dentist appointment. We have enough food on hand for Wednesday’s meals. Goodness, we haven’t had “appointments” to speak of other than our medical exams while in Australia.

We’ve loved having a simple life, avoiding planning and instead waiting until we “feel like” doing something. Now, we have three dinner reservations looming: for Valentine’s Day, my birthday, and our anniversary; Tom’s dental appointments; and the meeting with June.

Has our free-spirited lifestyle taken a break while we’re here in convenient New Zealand with everything we could need or want at our fingertips? There’s even a movie theatre here showing current US movies at NZ 10, US $6.55 for seniors. Perhaps, we’ll give it a try on a rainy day.

Modern-style houses and apartments.

The last time Tom and I attended a movie together was in the theatres on cruise ships or watching on the huge screen out by the beach, but attending an actual movie theatre?

The last time I attended a movie, Interstellar, was with my son Greg in December 2014 in Hawaii, when the family visited us on the Big Island. Both my sons and I always enjoyed attending movies together, especially back in my days of eating popcorn, long since passed.

Seldom do we have access to an English-speaking movie theatre. Seldom do we make appointments, locking ourselves into specific dates and times for events, except on travel days.

As much as parts of our lives may require extensive planning and preparation for the next leg of the journey, the next year, and, oftentimes, two years out, our daily lives are simple and uncomplicated. Somehow, it all works.

When all is said and done, we’re blissfully happy. Having accomplished that single feat in life is more than either of us ever expected during these “golden years” of our lives.

On Valentine’s night, we have a dinner reservation at Table Restaurant, as shown on the right of this photo.

Isn’t that our ultimate desire… happiness, seemingly elusive, yet once a decision is made to become happy? We often find the opportunities to do so right at our fingertips. We’re truly blessed and grateful to have found it, and we’ll continue to hang on tight for as long as we can.

May your day bring you happiness.”

After reading this ten-year-old post, I don’t see that we’ve changed that much. We may have become more tolerant, resilient, and perhaps even more resourceful after a plethora of unexpected experiences. We are still the same individuals and the same couple who thrive on life on the road and being together. Who knows what the future holds, or whether we’ll still be traveling in years to come? We live one day at a time, grateful for every opportunity, for every moment, of precious life on the move in this vast world.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, February 2, 2016:

Colorful apartment building in New Plymouth, New Zealand. For more photos, please click here.

Few animals stopping by…Photos from seven years ago…Boredom…

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A single beautiful lily in the lily pad pot in the yard in New Plymouth, New Zealand, in 2016.

Note; Due to a lack of photos right now, today’s photos are from a post on March 10, 2016, when we lived in New Plymouth, New Zealand, for three months on an alpaca farm. See the post here.

I think the black worm invasion is over. I sat at the table on the veranda this morning, and not a single worm fell on me. A few nights ago, when I got into bed, I felt something on the top of my foot. It was a black worm! I let out a little startled scream. I don’t usually scream when I see insects or even snakes. But, a hairy, slimy, black worm slithering on my foot surpassed my level of calmness.

I must have picked it up when I’d gone into the kitchen to turn on the little lamp, close the blinds and turn off the overhead light. Yuck. I’ve had it with them. This morning, when I didn’t see a single worm on the floor in the house or the veranda, I sighed in relief. They are gone. Finally. They were here for about four weeks.

Similar to Australia, many of the beaches in New Zealand are uneven and rocky.

As a result, I was able to sit at the table on the veranda to eat my breakfast of smoked salmon and two eggs atop two thin slices of homemade keto bread. What a treat! There’s no breakfast I could enjoy more. The only addition I could use is having breakfast outdoors with Tom. Gee…these next five days can’t pass quickly enough.

His absence has created a feeling of boredom I haven’t experienced in over ten years. I’m never bored when he is here. If a thought pops into my head, I need only to approach him, and he immediately stops whatever he is doing to pay 100% attention to me. Who does that? Of course, I’m not a pest, and when he’s engrossed in something, I can leave him alone until he’s done.

The nights are easier than the days. I’ve been binge-watching a TV series….911 Lone Star with Rob Lowe, and although it’s totally unrealistic, it’s entertaining enough for me to watch it while I play games on my phone. I should be done with it by the time Tom returns.

We often stopped at this favorite spot for photos of Mount Taranaki.

But, during the day with Tom away, when I’ve completed the post, usually by 1:00 or 2:00 pm, 1300 or 1400 hrs., is when I find myself feeling like a lion in a cage, practically pacing the house with nothing to do. In my old life, I would call a friend or family member, run an errand, work out at the health club, or work on a project around the house. I was never bored then.

But now, with the house always clean, the bed always made, and dinner prepared early in the day due to the heat, I find myself watching mindless drivel on a streaming service on my laptop to ward off my feelings of boredom, perhaps interspersed with profound feelings of missing my partner, my lover, my friend.

I may sound like I am complaining. I am not. It’s more of an observation I’ve experienced these past five days. It’s not as if we spend every moment in each other’s presence when he is here. It’s the calming and comforting sense that this delightful human being, my husband, is available to me at a moment’s notice to make me laugh, smile or feel loved. I am so grateful for him, as he is for me. We never take each other for granted.

The beach on a cloudy evening.

On occasion, Tom asks me, “Are you bored?’

I always say,  “No, are you bored? I am never bored”

His answer is the same. This life we’ve chosen to live, however peculiar it may be to some, never leaves us feeling bored. At any given turn, there is something that attracts our attention, often inspiring us to take photos or “write about it.” The anticipation of that fact alone prevents either of us from ever becoming bored. Even something as simple as each other attracting our attention is sufficient to keep us entertained, wherever we may be at any given time. We are very blessed to have one another.

Tonight, I will be entertained going to Jabula when my friend Sindee picks me up at 5:00 pm, 1700 hours, and bring me back to the house later in the evening. I haven’t decided if I’ll return to Jabula on Saturday night as we always do.

Be well.

Photo from one year ago today, March 10, 2022:

Helmeted guinea-fowl chicks have yet to develop the blue and red facial features shown on the adult on the far left. For more photos, please click here.

Favorite photos..Leaving for Auckland tomorrow morning at 10:00 am…

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This cria who’s birth we were able to attend when we first arrived on the farm was born only 30 minutes earlier. 

Normally, a five-hour drive to get to an airport would be too long in our perspective. But, New Zealand is so beautiful, we have no qualms about the long drive, especially when we’re leaving early enough we won’t feel rushed. 

When we first arrived and the flowers were still blooming, we particularly loved this photo of Mount Taranaki.

On this return trip to the airport in Auckland, we won’t feel compelled to stop to take photos when we’ll have completed all of our NZ photos unless, of course, we see an irresistible sight.

A one-day-old cria nursing.

Upon arrival in Auckland, we’ll make our way to the car rental facility, drop off the vehicle taking their free shuttle to the airport. Our flight isn’t until 5:55 pm.

Our favorite neighborhood cow who’d walked up to the fence to see us when we were on a walk.

We’ve finished most of the packing except for the clothes we’re wearing today and the few toiletries we’ll use through tomorrow morning. Staying overnight in Sydney, we’ll both will wear the same clothes tomorrow and again on the day, we board the cruise, only changing underwear. 

This photo made us laugh over and over especially with the shorter alpacas ears down and other alpaca’s ears at full attention. 

Spending two weeks on a ship with limited wardrobes along with the cost of having laundry done by the ship’s laundry service (necessary mid-cruise) getting two sets of clothing dirty before we even board the cruise makes no sense. If we spill on ourselves, we’ll haul something clean out of a suitcase.  

Grapes growing at the OkurkuruWinery which we visited on two occasions.

Once on the cruise, we have enough to wear to avoid frequent repeats. Jeans and khakis are allowed in the main dining room except on dress-up nights. Shorts and nice tee shirts are acceptable everywhere on the ship during the day.

This peculiar occurrence, never observed by Trish and Neil, had us ready to go into the paddock to help these two tangled alpacas.  The larger alpaca wasn’t too happy with this situation. Fortunately, they managed to break apart.  Once we knew they were OK, we couldn’t stop laughing. 

We weighed our bags moving items around to reduce the baggage fees we’ll pay later today for the third checked bag. It’s tricky weighing the bags on our stand-on travel scale. Tom weighs himself first and then weighs himself again holding the bag. 

We visited the Taranaki Cathedral Church of St. Mary in downtown New Plymouth on its last open day when it was closing permanently due to earthquake instability.

The only way we could weigh the bags is in the upstairs bathroom with a solid surface floor with the remaining floors carpeted. Once Tom lifted the large bags he barely had room to stand on the scale and not bump into something. 

This photo, taken through the glass in the kitchen window, was the first of many times she peered inside watching me prepare dinner. Love this!

It all worked out when both of our larger bags weighed under the allowance of 30 kg, 66 pounds. The remaining third bag, based on our reshuffling everything should weigh under 20 kg, 44 pounds, resulting in fees of NZ $522, US $362. It’s frustrating to have to pay so much for the extra bag but as hard as we try we can’t dispose of one more item in our possession. 

Tom at Taylor Dental in New Plymouth on the day he had his abscessed tooth pulled a painless and inexpensive experience at NZ $170, US $115.

Today, when all is done, including both today’s and tomorrow’s post, we’ll spend time with the alpacas, hand-feeding those interested and laughing over the playful antics of the youngsters. 

There are countless creeks and streams in New Zealand.  We’d hope for sunny day photos but many times when we went out for the day it started sunny and clouded over within the first hour.

It’s not easy leaving here. We have many memories we’ll carry with us, some of which we’re sharing in today’s and tomorrow’s post as our favorite photos. Tomorrow, we’ll share the expenses for our 87 days in New Zealand.

We visited Plas Mawr, a historic architecturally interesting home by invitation of its owner June, whom we met while grocery shopping.

Unfortunately, the Internet signal here doesn’t allow the posting of as many photos as we’d have preferred and, with the many photos we took while here it was difficult to pick and choose favorites. Many others were left behind that our less frequent readers may have missed and possibly enjoyed.

When Trish and Neil went on holiday, we watched over the birth of two crias, an extraordinary experience for both of us.

Feel free to go through the archives on the right side of our daily homepage to see any posts you may have missed for this location or any other locations, all the way back to 2012 when we first began posting. To access each year, month or day, click on the little black triangle to open that period of time.

The front dining room at the Table Restaurant where we dined on Valentine’s Day.

We’ll be back tomorrow with the final expenses and a heartfelt goodbye to this special location and superior experience.

Beautiful flowers when we visited the Pukekura Botanical Garden near the mountain.

May your day bring you a superior experience as well!


Photo from one year ago today, April 14, 2015:

Sunset in Kauai, one year ago.  For more photos, please click here.

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.

Windy days and night…Coldest we’ve been in awhile…

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Only a few pregnant moms remain in the paddock that will give birth this season. Many more are pregnant for next season. This most recent birth occurred in this past week. In this photo, the cria is less than one day old.

This is unusual for us…being cold. My hands are frozen. With no warm clothing with us, this morning I’m wearing spandex Capri-length workout pants, a tee-shirt, socks, and Tom’s zippered hoodie.

The temperature this morning is 10C, 51F. With the wind blowing fiercely for the past 36 hours, we’ve wondered how the alpacas are staying out of the wind since we can’t see them easily from our house especially with them huddled in a low spot in a distant paddock.

We haven’t wanted to venture out in this wind especially after one of the clothesline broke after I hung a few towels yesterday morning, leaving an entire row of fresh laundry on the grass. Foolish me. We brought everything inside hanging them over the glass shower stalls in each of the two bathrooms.

We giggled when we thought we saw the name of the newest cria. Look at the photo below for the name! 

We’d hope to go out sightseeing yesterday or today, but the high winds make it less enjoyable, especially when getting out and back into the car to take photos.  Surely, there will be better days down the road. The cool air is tolerable, but the wind is annoying.

There’s no doubt, many of our readers who live in frigid climates are laughing at our intolerance for the coolness. But, we’ve been in mostly tropical and arid climates over the past 41 months, only wearing our jackets on rainy days, rarely feeling cool enough to “bundle up.”

Our goals have been to “follow the sun” as much as possible. The last time we felt this cold was in Iceland in September 2014 when we went out on a cool, very rainy day for a 4 x 4 rough road tour in this vehicle below.

This was the 4 X 4 vehicle we used on the off-road tour of Iceland. Excuse the black lines on the edges of the photo.  It was raining so hard the automatic lens cover got wet and wouldn’t fully open.

It wasn’t the experience we’d hoped for due to the rain, although, overall, we got the gist of life in Iceland. Click here for the link to Part 1 of that adventure. It’s no wonder we go through cameras in no time at all!

There’s a gas fireplace in this house here in NZ but we try to be considerate as to the cost of utilities when we’re renting homes. We’ll only use it if the temps continue to drop during our upcoming remaining days.

Although generally, it doesn’t snow in New Plymouth, it can be cold during the winter months, as shown on the two charts below, one each for Celsius and Fahrenheit:
Average min and max temperatures in New Plymouth, New Zealand Copyright © 2015 www.weather-and-climate.com
Average min and max temperatures in New Plymouth, New Zealand Copyright © 2015 www.weather-and-climate.com
Luckily, we planned to be here mostly in the summer, arriving during the warmest period of the summer, in January. When we first arrived almost two months ago, it was warm enough to warrant the use of fans during the day and again at night. Now, we use neither, huddled under the warm comforter at night, exposed skins chilled to the touch.

Yesterday and last night, the house was literally shaking in the wind, startling us at times. It’s a solid, sturdy, well-built house. We had no fear of any damage occurring, but at times, it reminded us of the horrible spring and summer storms in Minnesota when we’d had considerable damage on several occasions.

Once we’re done here today we’ll head out hoping to find a few photo ops on a drive into town to head to the health food store. I’m chomping at the bit to get out to take more photos, but with recent heavy rains and now the heavy winds, we’ve decided to wait. We still have plenty of time.

For Tom…The cria’s name is “Minnesota!”  We couldn’t stop smiling!

It’s hard to believe that we’ll be on yet another cruise in only 34 days. As much as we love cruising, we’re easily embracing every last day here on the farm looking forward to the alpacas moving back closer to us sometime in the next few weeks. 

I’ve missed them during these inclement weather days and most certainly, we’ll be walking down to their current paddock to see them as soon as the winds abate to a degree.

Our new camera is able to zoom in to these cows on the neighboring farm.

As winter rolls into spring in the US we expect most of our family and friends in frigid Minnesota are looking forward to better weather in the near future. We recall only too well, the slush and mush in March and April as we all anticipated the short spring and summer. 

Now, all of that is behind us. In 15 months we’ll be in Minnesota to visit family and it will almost be summer when we arrive in early June, just in time for the grandchildren to be out of school for the season.

May all of our readers have a beautiful day wherever you may be with lots of warmth and sunshine in your lives!

Photo from one year ago today, March 12, 2015:

We were excited to see many more flowers blooming in Kauai as spring approached. For more details as we approached sister Julie’s visit, please click here.

Part 1…Beautiful and hilarious faces…Take a peek for a warmed heart and a hearty laugh…Part 2 in a few weeks…

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Check out that smile with grass!

Perhaps it’s just us. Maybe we’re somewhat daft for loving animals as we do finding joy, humor, knowledge, and a passion for their health and well-being as we tour the world.

They often appear to be smiling.  Perhaps, these gentle animals are as happy as they appear.

Whether it’s a bird, an insect, a lion, or one of the endearing alpacas on this beautiful farm in New Zealand, we stop to observe, to analyze, to study online to learn as much as we can.

Many moons ago we wrote about the therapeutic benefits for animal lovers when spending time in their presence. Whether it’s one’s own pet or an animal in the wild, many find a surge of feel-good hormones rushing through their bodies.

The noses and lips of the cria are pink until they mature. This cria is only 24 hours old, hugging close to mom.

Yesterday, as we walked the grounds of the farm, I commented to Tom how spending time with the alpacas makes me feel as if I’ve been infused with an added dose of happiness, unable to wipe the smile off my face.

The bottom teeth are of varying sizes and shapes on each of the alpacas, not unlike in humans.

Looking at Tom, I saw that same smile and sense of peace on his face as we got up close to the alpacas, many of whom have come to know us as we approach the fences at the various paddocks.

Again, we stopped to see the pink cockatoos capture this funny photo from the moment they saw us. Surely, visiting them will be a frequent stopover our remaining time on the farm. 

“Look,” she says, “That weird pair of humans are back, staring at us!”  Even the faces of birds are expressive.

Against the narrow diamond-shaped galvanized chain-link which houses the cockatoos, I tightly positioned the lens of the camera to ensure I got a good shot without any major amounts of chain link appearing in the photo.

Using photo editing software I was able to “erase” any remaining vestiges of the chain links, allowing as clear a view as possible of these exquisite cockatoos.

It’s not unusual to see alpacas with grass sticking out of their mouths.

As I sit here now, sipping Tom’s perfectly made French press coffee, I need only lift my head to peer outside on this chilly morning to see a number of alpacas munching on the dew-covered grass in the side paddock to which they were moved a few days ago. 

Posing for the camera!

They’re moved each week to one of the many paddocks to allow the grass to refresh and regrow. Our favorite paddock is the one closest to the house, essentially in our immediate yard, where we can reach out and touch them from the deck. 

This is Gypsy Rose who loves to look in the kitchen window while I cook.This photo was taken through the glass.

Within a few weeks, they’ll be back close at hand which may be for the last time while we’re still here, as our time winds down and we’ll soon have to go. Over this past almost two months we’ve come to know and love them not unlike we’ve adored other wildlife in our travels; warthogs, kudus, zebras, giraffes, and more in Marloth Park and “Birdie”, albatross and chicks and whales in Hawaii.

There are only a few dark fleece alpacas that appear larger and very expressive.

If we weren’t determined to see many parts of the world, I could easily spend all of our travel time living in wildlife areas or on farms with animals (after this amazing farm experience). 

We love visiting these two located in a paddock further down the road, although still on the farm.  They often appear side by side although they are of the same gender.  Adult females (dams) and males (machos) are kept apart unless mating.

Its not beyond my realm to conceive of spending most of our time in Africa and other wildlife-rich locations although doing so would be less ideal for Tom. Instead, we both relish in one another’s preferences making our travels meaningful to both of us. 

No, I haven’t been disappointed living in countries where a passing bird or an insect may be the only creature within the range of the camera. We always seem to find points of interest and other pleasing aspects of every country we’ve visited.

This female appears to have a mouthful of teeth.

Today, we share Part 1 of some of our favorite alpaca photos…faces…adorable, heartwarming, and funny, if not hilarious.  We’ll share Part 2 on another date over these next remaining weeks. 

Most of these faces shown today were taken with our old camera. I’m anxious to capture more with the new more advanced camera, especially now as their fleece has begun growing back after their annual springtime shearing, making them even more adorable.

Ears tucked back for the photoshoot.

Smile with us, laugh with us, and hopefully, you too will feel a little rush of endorphins and feel-good hormones from the sheer joy of such simple beauty in the faces of these somewhat peculiar-looking creatures.

Today, we’re off to the winery.  Back tomorrow with new photos!

Photo from one year ago today, March 9, 2015:

It’s hard to believe it was a year ago we visited new friends Bev and Sam in Kauai who’d invited us to movie night at their home. Bev and Sam are the couples from whom we’ll be renting the fabulous villa in Costa Rica in 2017. This photo is of a small portion of the grounds of their beautiful home in Kauai.  Bev explained that these red bamboo stalks on the right as Lipstick  Bamboo.  We continued on the pavers set in dense grass for an interesting tour of their gorgeous, former botanical gardens home.  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.