Today is our 4th anniversary of posting…

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These beautiful tree clusters create a nice foreground for our photos at sunset.

Yesterday, as I was uploading the post, the date dawned on us as the upcoming anniversary of our first post.  As it turns out, it was four years ago today, on March 15, 2012, that we posted this site for the first time.

Here is the link to our first post on March 15, 2012.

At the time we began posting, we weren’t leaving Minnesota for over seven months until our departure date of October 31, 2012 with much to plan and handle in attempting to undo a lifetime in Minnesota and 26 years in our home.

Each room in our house was decorated and appointed with mementos, treasured and decorator items, all with a story and special meaning only to us. The two walk-in closets in the master bedroom, three upstairs guest room closets, and a large attic were filled to the brim with years of collection and accumulation. 

There’s a sliver of moon in this photo.

Certainly not, “hoarders” we still had our fair share of stuff. The thought of disposing of it all much of which our kids had no interest with their own house filled with their “stuff”, we made up bins of memorabilia for the each of the grandkids.

We arranged a professional estate sale for the rest, donating the items which didn’t sell. It was a daunting task I’ll never forget, along with the sale of the house and both cars.

In addition, we had to research and plan insurance, medical, immunizations, financial matters, digital equipment needs and of course, enough upcoming travel arrangements to give us peace of mind in knowing where we’d be traveling for the first few years.

Taking photos of sunsets is always tricky when the sky changes by the seconds, not minutes.

Tom was still working up until departure date. Being able to document the process was both therapeutic and rewarding, especially when people from all over the world began reading our posts, much to our surprise and delight. How did they find us? 

At the time, we did little promotion to acquire more readers. Magically, they appeared and continue to do so through “word of mouth” and our occasional promotion on other websites. 

When readers started writing to us about enjoying their “armchair experience,” reading our story on their ride on the train or bus ride to work, during a coffee break or at the kitchen table, our enthusiasm escalated to hopefully provide a worthwhile experience.

It was almost completely dark when we took this shot.

Many changes have occurred over these past four years.  Early on we hired a web designer, Brooke Woodall with http://www.smittenblogdesigns.com/ to help with the nuances since I have little time or interest in web development. 

Eventually, we added advertisers although we earn little revenue from the links but never did so with the intent in making enough to support us in any manner. Most likely, that will never occur. 

As time passed, around February, 2013, we found ourselves posting every day and attempting to perfect the quality of our photos. Since we began posting daily, we’ve hardly missed a single day, only due to internet connectivity or on travel days. 

With the mountains blocking our view of the actual sun setting we’re able to see the beauty in the sky at sunset on clear nights.

Over these past few years we’ve made an attempt to prepare the final day’s post to be scheduled to upload on travel day. That process seems to be working well preventing us from missing any days.

We realize that some days our stories are “thin” and not as content rich as others.  Its the “nature of the beast.” If someone told me I’d write a several page “essay” with photos every single day, I’d have said it wasn’t possible due to lack of content and/or motivation.

Nothing stop us, not lack of content, motivation, illness or planned activities. On cruises, we often go our on tours early in the morning. We either prepare a post the prior day or post upon return with new photos. 

Moments later it was pitch dark.

Our dedication and commitment has never wavered mainly due to our loyal readers commitment to continuing to stop by to see “what’s happening.” We are eternally grateful for our readers. 

It’s all of YOU who drive us to get out, see more, have more experiences, create more stories to write and take more photos to share. This, dear readers, even after four years never and I mean never, leaves us feeling pressured or stressed to prepare the next day’s morsel.

We enthusiastically continue to share our lives of two somewhat daring, somewhat crazy, sometimes boring seniors citizens of the world dedicated to living life to the fullest for as long as we are given the gift of good health.

Thank you for these past amazing four years.  Thank you to our readers who’ve stepped in along the way.  Thank you to our new readers who may be here for the first time today.  Each of you inspires us to continue on…

Photo from one year ago today, March 15, 2015:

We didn’t post a photo one year ago today when instead we wrote about our original post on March 15, 2012.  Please click here for details.

Busy sports weekend in the countryside…Sports and interests…

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We never figured out the source of smoke in these photos when the road was closed for a bike race.

We’re not much in the way of sports enthusiasts. Tom’s only sports passion is for the Minnesota Vikings football with no interest in other teams or sporting events. I’ll watch a few Vikings games when we can hook the HDMI into a flat-screen TV, but not when he has no choice but to watch it on his laptop.

We’ve attempted to get into watching golf, tennis, soccer, and other sporting events. But, during half of our time spent living in vacation homes, we have no TV, nor could we depend upon being able to watch any potential favorites when they may not be on in any given location.

Watching sports and finding great pleasure in doing so seems to revolve around having a favorite team to cheer on. That’s difficult to embrace when we’re always on the move.

To the left, there’s was a distant freighter. There’s a relatively inaccessible sandy beach in this area.

Tom’s allegiance to the Minnesota Vikings surely is predicated by having been born and living in Minnesota all of his life except for the past 41 months. He’s a staunch fan, preferring not to watch the game with others fearing distracting conversations. I’ve learned not to distract him when he’s watching a game.

As it turns out, being able to watch the Vikings is a costly undertaking when games aren’t available in most parts of the world requiring he pay an annual fee for the online NFL Game Pass service in order to watch the games, plus the cost of data to stream it online.

In total, the cost of NFL Game Pass (only viewable outside the US) has been NZ $251, US $169 per season not including playoff games. With 16 games, that’s an average of NZ $15.55, US $10.56 per game plus another approximate NZ $14.83, US $10 for data.

Driving along the ocean, we spotted these cyclists, participants in a local race on Saturday.

When watching totals NZ $30.38, US $20.56 per game, one thinks twice about adding any other video streaming sporting events. It all adds up. Luckily, with our lack of interest in other sports, we’ve avoided incurring such additional costs.

With each of us with distinct interests in different areas, we find ourselves easily entertained on the days such as today when it’s raining and we have no interest in heading out to explore. 

Although I read most of the downloaded books on my phone when in bed, I can easily spend the better part of the day researching my favorite topics; wildlife, nature, health, food, science, space, technology, and travel, while Tom wraps his brain around communicating with friends and family on Facebook, future travel/cruises, investments, history, and ancestry.

Outside a refinery, the bikers stopped to converse during the race.  Mount Taranaki is in the background.

Of course, I’m very interested in seeing how family and friends are doing on Facebook, but spend only a short time doing so each day. As a fast reader, I breeze through the recent posts in no time at all.

The most amazing part of our diverse interests is the fact that we can easily share interesting tidbits with one another, expressing genuine interest in what one another discovers. We’ll watch the US and UK TV series “Who Do You Think You Are” (as one of Tom’s interests) as readily as we’ll watch a health-related documentary.

It appeared a number of teams were participating in the bike race. There was also a motocross race occurring at the same time, although we couldn’t get close enough to see anything.

On other occasions, we may watch an old episode of Stephen Hawking’s theories on science and space which on his own, Tom may not be interested in watching. Living together 24/7 we automatically gravitate toward sharing our interests while reveling in one another’s passion.

Sure, he’d rather not visit a botanical garden, nor do I have a great interest in visiting a military armory. We do both of these and many more never feeling as if we’ve had to compromise.  Its this innate willingness to bring joy to our peculiar lives of travel that we easily participate in each other’s interests.

While I was inside the health food store, Tom took a photo of this passing decorated truck, most likely with a connection to the local sports events.

May someone special present you with an opportunity to share in their interests, whether it be a sporting event, a science fiction movie, or an episode of World War II on the history channel.

Photo from one year ago today, March 14, 2015:
No photo was posted one year ago today.  Tomorrow, on March 15th (here in the South Pacific), we’ll elaborate.  Click here for that post without photos.

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.

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.

Handling business matters from afar…Not always easy…

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A single beautiful lily in the lily pad pot in the yard.

Today, we had to make several business calls and had set aside our early morning, during which we can only reach some of the companies due to time differences between the US and New Zealand.

Thank goodness for Skype. Otherwise, such calls would incur monstrous charges. With our Skype phone account any call we make to the US is only NZ $.03, US $.023 per minute plus data charges which add up quickly.

We’ve discovered using Skype with video for an approximate 30 minutes results in a cost of one gig. Of course, when we’re calling a phone number without the recipient using Skype on their end, there’s no possibility of video.

Beach on a cloudy evening.

A few of our readers and Facebook friends have suggested we use “What’s App” for making face-time calls.  Doing so requires a phone with a capacity for making calls and using data. Using only Skype for phone calls with no data connection on our phones, using such an app isn’t possible.

If we needed to use the phone, we could swap out the SIM card, we have on the Spark hot spot from which both calls and data could be used. However, using that NZ SIM card would incur expensive charges when calling anywhere outside of New Zealand.

One of our business accounts requires a few signed documents in order to make changes requiring an original ink signed document. In today’s day and age, this concept of signing in ink is becoming obsolete with the availability of documents easily be signed online. 

Lots of seagulls at the beach in New Plymouth on the Coastal Walkway.

When we have to send a signed document we run into the problem that we no longer have a portable printer when ours quit working over a year ago. It wasn’t worth replacing it when we seldom need to print anything. 

We still have our portable Doxie scanner which continues to work quite well when we use it for saving tax-deductible receipts. Scanning the receipts prevents us from hauling paper receipts all over the world.

We’ve been unable to access one of our business accounts online since we arrived in New Zealand, one we easily accessed in Fiji and all other countries in the past. We’ve contacted the company by Skype and apparently, there’s nothing wrong on their end. 

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

We can only assume there’s an issue with the Internet here in NZ blocking our ability to access that account for some reason or another. This is a unique situation we’ve never experienced in other countries.

With our good knowledge of the use of the Internet, we can’t find any other reason that particular account is blocked. We’ve spent considerable time working on a solution only to discover after calling, there’s nothing we can do.

These types of scenarios are a part of traveling the world over which on occasion, we have no control in creating a solution. But, we’ve found a “workaround” as is always the case…today’s phone call on Skype answered all of our questions.

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

Another issue we had today, is regarding a new credit card we received over six months ago. It’s a card that provides “extra perks” for grocery shopping and fuel, a great adjunct to the cards we already use. 

When the card arrived in one of our “mailed-from-the-US” shipments, we immediately attempted to use it only to discover it was declined. How embarrassing! Immediately upon returning home (we’d just arrived in Fiji and had picked up the shipment from customs at a local post office) we called the credit card company asking, “What’s the deal?”

They explained that the US-generated card had to be used in the US for six months before it would be released for use in other countries due to fraud guidelines when many credit card thefts transpire outside the US.

Frustrated by the inconvenience, I marked my online calendar to remind us to call in six months to “request that the card be made available for use outside the US” per their requirements. The only way to do this was to make the call as required this morning. In 24 hours, the card will be available for use outside the US. 

These noisy pesky birds are magpies, which tend to keep other birds away.

We’re required to call back to list the countries in which we’ll be using the card again in another six months, after listing today each country where we may use it in the upcoming six months. 

This company requires a phone call whereby our other cards are available by entering “travel notifications” online which we’ll be updating today, again noting on the calendar to do these again in another 60 days as required.

Often, many assume that handling one’s personal business can be relatively easy while traveling the world.  For short periods, that may be the case. For us, traveling for the “long haul” we must stay in touch and in tune with changes, updates, and processes required for banking, investments, and other “paperwork” related transactions.

View of cattle from the highway.

At this time, we’re also working with our accountant in Nevada, US, to complete our 2015 tax filing, due by April 15th. We had all the necessary paperwork sent directly to her from our mailing service in Nevada. Once she received the docs she scanned everything sending us (by email) copies for our records.  We’ve already sent her all of our calculations. Filing taxes is another one of those tasks that must be done from afar.

With both of us sharing in these tasks; Tom the investments; me the banking, payments, and taxes, we manage to get it all done in a timely fashion. Once we have these types of responsibilities behind us, we can return to our relatively carefree lifestyle of enjoying our world travels.

Today it’s very windy here in the Taranaki Region, not uncommon this time of year. After I’d hung one load of laundry this morning, I went outside to find that one of the clotheslines had broke in the wind and our laundry was lying on the ground. We brought everything inside to finish drying. With all these other tasks behind us today, that’s the extent of today’s concern. We love that!

Happy day!

Photo from one year ago today, March 11, 2015:

One year ago, we attending a senior event in Princeville, Kauai for food, fun, and bingo. We actually had a great time. For more details, 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.

Terrorist fears for Bali, our next stay in our travels…

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The sun was peeking through the clouds casting this glow at the beach. Of course, the scene would have been more impressive had it not been so late in the evening.

We’re scheduled to arrive in Bali at the Denpasar Airport on April 30th, a mere 53 days from today.  Yesterday, Tom noticed a change in ports of call for the Celebrity Solstice, a ship on which we’ve sailed twice when he was reading travel concerns at cruisecritic.com. 

Here’s yesterday’s cruisecritics.com news article which in part, stated as follows:
“(11:47 p.m. AEST) — Celebrity Solstice canceled its scheduled stop in Bali today due to the “potential for terrorist attacks” in Indonesia.

In a letter distributed to passengers over the weekend, shared with the Celebrity Cruises board by Cruise Critic member NorbertsNiece , the ship’s master, Captain Yannis Berdos, said the situation had been closely monitored since sailing from Fremantle, Western Australia. 
 
“The most recent information in the past few days, indicate that the possibility of an incident in Bali has increased. Also, the Balinese New Year is March 9 and recent past advisories have named this date as one that could be targeted by terrorists,” Captain Berdos wrote.”

The beach at Opunake slightly before dark, when we visited a few nights ago.

Immediately, we got to work checking news stories, researching the map, and reading as much as we could find about the imminent risk.  In reviewing the map the only area where we’ll be concerned is upon arrival in the Denpasar area, one of the high-risk areas listed in the threat.

A news story from an Australian media source stated:

“BALI police are investigating a threatening letter that claimed Islamic State militants were ready to bomb the island.

The letter has also prompted police to tighten security across Bali’s seaport, airport, and crowded areas that are popular with tourists.

The note was delivered to a government office in northern Bali just days after the Jakarta attacks that left eight people dead, including four civilians and four terrorists.  According to reports, the note stated: “Our members are currently present in Denpasar and Singaraja” and threatened “to blow up these cities in the name of Allah.”

“Our members are currently present in Denpasar and Singaraja,” it said. The letter also warned they would “attack shopping centers, offices and tourism destinations.”

When driving along the coast, we often try to make our way to these scenes of sun peeking through dense clouds. 

The property we’re renting in Bali is 120 km, 75 miles, from Denpasar Airport.  Yesterday, we arranged a private luxury van to transport us from the airport to the villa.  We’d read a few reviews that past guests had arranged a car to transport them, suffering uncomfortably in an old vehicle without AC during the long, almost four-hour drive on rough roads. 

For a mere NZ $18, US $12 more than the cost of the car without AC, we could arrange the luxury van. At this point, we don’t know the degree of luxury in that van but we can only hope for some degree of comfort. If not, so be it. 

We’ll be relieved once we get off the plane, collect our luggage, go through immigration and hightail out of that airport and be on our way to the property. Unquestionably, we’ll be avoiding any popular tourist venues while in Bali based on the high degree of risk in heavily populated areas.

Our new camera is able to zoom in further for this distant cloudy evening shot.

Did we consider changing our plans?  Not at this point. We’ll continue to monitor the news, checking travel warnings at the US Department of State, which as of this morning hasn’t posted any travel warnings for Bali.  Then again, on their homepage, they’re still highlighting 2015 weather conditions. This source may no longer be a reliable for our use.

Are we frightened?  We try not to be frightened instead taking every measure possible to ensure our safety in high-risk areas as we’ve done in the past.  Having traveled extensively in other high-risk areas, the most logical decision is to steer clear of nightclubs, coffee shops, popular tourist restaurants, and tourist attractions. 

There’s no guaranty that the small village where we’ll live is free from risk but then, no place in the world is entirely free from danger, nor is any airport, pier, public places, or even private property.

The coastline in Opunake is jagged, rocky with many steep cliffs, hard to see this late in the day.

At this point, we watch and wait. We’ll keep our readers updated as this short period winds down. On April 16th we’ll board Royal Caribbean Voyager of the Seas for a 14-day cruise which is not scheduled to go to Bali. The cruise ends in Singapore where on the same day we’ll board our “already booked” flight to Bali.

We can only pray for safety and good health in our travels and for each of you in your travels and daily life as well.


Photo from one year ago today, March 8, 2015:

One year ago we posted a few photos of us as we celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary which was March 7th in Hawaii (March 8th here today…confusing).  I took this photo of Tom while we were visiting Mount Kilauea on the Big Island with the lava spewing in the background.  For more photos, please click here.

Yesteryear’s movie theatre in a charming small town…Everybody’s Theatre…

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As soon as we got out of our car on Tasman Street on AmeriCARna Day (a sunny day), we knew entering this historic theatre would be a treat.

On February 26th, we traveled the one hour drive to the small oceanfront farming community of Opunake to see one of the stopping points of the popular annual New Zealand classic car event, AmeriCARna.

Ticket pricing list in the lobby.
Lobby view.

Arriving early as usual with the intent of perusing the town, we parked along the main boulevard, Tasman Street, to see a venue that had caught our attention online, Everybody’s Theatre.

Antique chairs in the lobby.

The doors to the theatre were open as we tentatively entered to inquire if we could “nose around” to take a few photos. Often prior to visiting a village for the first time, we check online to determine what we may want to see as an aside to the original purpose of our visit. 

Last night, as we entered the main floor seating area before the 26 viewers arrived for Boutique Night.

A highly entertaining aspect to this serendipitous theatre is the use of old sofas, comfy chairs and recliners for the main floor seating with an array of blankets, handmade afghans and throw pillows for viewer’s uses for staying warm as if they were in their own living rooms watching a movie. We couldn’t help but try many of the furniture pieces giggling all the while.

Not only are comfy sofas and chairs strategically placed on the main level, but there are side and coffee tables for beverages and snacks during the movie.  Note the blankets hanging over the backs of the furniture.

With traditional seating on the balcony level for the more traditional movie viewer’s the theatre has it all, meticulously maintained, modern, and well equipped with a tucked away concession area with popcorn, candy, and cold beverages.

Last night, we sat on this comfortable blue leather sofa in the “front row.”

The high point for us in Opunake, was the historic Everybody’s Theatre, once a general store in the 1912 era, converted in 1920 to a “picture theatre” with shops in the rear, with the entrance to the theatre on Tasman street for easy access for the public.

What a clever idea!  Most likely locals donated the comfy furniture!
In 1980, the then owner Bruce Whiting, on a path to retirement attempted to sell the theatre with no results.  Anticipating no other options, Whiting decided to close the theatre. The closely-knit village wasn’t about to let this historic landmark wither away with time and wear.
As the movie began, there were a few ads presented, mainly for local farms.
In April 1980, a local group called a meeting with 500 to 600 in attendance and Everybody’s Theatre was born through generous local donations, loans and the hard work of many volunteers since that period. With all debt and debentures paid off by 1994, the theatre thrives as a local source of entertainment for both locals and visitors alike sustaining itself through its revenue.
Color-matched row on the main floor.

We can’t resist posting the names of the many years of dedicated volunteers (from the Everybody’s Theatre website) who continue to work with love and devotion to continue the legacy of this unique theatre:

  • Since 1980 the theatre is run by volunteers – projectionists, cashiers, ushers, managers, cleaners.
  • Original Trustee for Everybodys Theatre,  Mr Leo Hickey, who offered to be Manager for 6 months, retires after 18 years service in 1998.
  • 1999 Ian Wither retired after 13 years as Secretary/Treasurer, but 18 years total on committee.
  • 1999 Annette Wither retired after 18 years on the committee.
  • 2010 – Robert Fisher passed away after 30 years actively being involved with the theatre as a Projectionist, Chairman, Committee member.
  • Kath Murray an active usher retired after 19 years in 2011.
  • 2011 Bev Henderson announced retirement after 28 years on the committee, president, cashier and cleaner.
  • Graham Dodd, a current projectionist, involved since 1986, prints the flyers for distribution at a greatly discounted rate.
  • Fred Schultz passed away in 2014 after years of involvement with the theatre as an usher.
  • Debbie Campbell, Maree Drought, Graham Dodd, Kim Gatenby, Shane Butler and Len Pentalow are current projectionist. 
The balcony includes traditional seating as well as some furniture pieces and blankets.

Now, modernized with current digital movie viewing equipment, Everybody’s Theatre provides a fine viewing experience for the most avid of moviegoers in the Taranaki Region, attracting tourists from many areas.

Antique projection equipment located in the concession area.

On AmeriCARna day, we met the lovely above mentioned volunteer Debbie Campbell, who excitedly mentioned a special night upcoming on March 6th, referred to a “Boutique Night” who again warmly greeted us at last night’ event.

Antique projection camera.

Not only is a current popular movie presented onscreen but Boutique Night is also a social event held before the started of the night’s movie which included an included beer or glass of wine and appetizers at a cost of NZ $25, US $17 per person.

More antique movie theatre equipment.  Note the old tear-off tickets.

Excited to write a story about this charming venue, we knew there was no way we could resist returning for last night’s special event. We’d have an opportunity to see the theatre “in action” during this social occasion and, to watch a movie, The Danish Girl, for which the supporting actress, Alicia Vikander, most recently won the Academy Award.

Props for the photo booth.

The excellent movie was practically incidental for us when we were entranced by the charm of the theatre, the well presented and served appetizers, the energy and enthusiasm of the volunteer staff, all  of whom were seamlessly scurrying about to create a flawless experience. And, that is was, indeed.

Tom, holding a gold Oscar statue!

We were fortunate to chat with a few local residents during the social period, only adding to the unique and memorable night.  We’re continually amaze by the friendly nature of the Kiwi people and treasure each conversation as truly a gift. (Thanks, Hugh!  It was wonderful meeting you)!

Sitting in the “photo booth” on our first visit.

On other movie nights that don’t include the special Boutique Night’s pre-movie party, the prices are reasonable, certainly by our past movie viewing experiences in the US, with high prices. Most movies are in the NZ $10, US $6.82 range with discounts for seniors over 65 at NZ $8, US $5.46. 

More props for the photo booth.

Everybody’s Theatre is also available as an affordable venue for special events as detailed in this page on their website.

Debbie and other volunteer staff were busy preparing the cheese boards which included a variety of cheeses, breads and crackers.  Later during intermission delicious-looking, chocolate desserts were served. Tom ate everything including both desserts.

Where can one find a movie theatre experience to top a visit to Everybody’s Theatre when it includes a trip to “yesteryear” along with a popular movie?  certainly not at any movie theatre we’ve seen in our world travel.

Thanks to Debbie and her staff for making this evening one we’ll always remember with fondness and appreciation!

Photo from one year ago today, March 7, 2015:

In Kauai, while walking on the steep path down to Hideaway’s Beach, the seawater was so clear we could see little fish swimming in this tide pool. Please click here for more photos.

Beauty is all around us…Past and present photos…Big and “small things”…

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A few roses remain in Trish and Neil’s garden as summer comes to an end.

As we continued on our travels throughout the world we found one commonality is each location…beauty is all around us. We need only stop long enough to spot it.

Strawberries growing in their garden, well protected from birds in the enclosure.

The idiom, “beauty is in the eye of the beholder” holds true. We each have our own unique perception of what we discover as beauty. For us, in our constant search for “the interesting” with the intent of sharing it with our worldwide readers, we find that which may be of interest, to possess a beauty of its own design.

Whether it’s an interesting insect, a blooming flower, an animal’s face, or form in the wild we often take a photo in nature we find most appealing. No doubt, many of our readers have no interest in many of the subjects of our photos or for that matter, what we’ve found to be beautiful. 

Here on the grounds, we noticed these flowers we’d also seen at the Pukeiti Gardens at Mount Taranaki.

Many are more interested in photos of familiar points of interest they’ve already seen in photos, online or in their own travels:  a historic building, a popular tourist attraction, a public venue, or familiar work of art. 

Were one to go back through our 1,313 previous posts, many such photos are contained therein.  From our photos in past posts, as shown below in the photo of Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, Spain in May 2013 to the Venus de Milo statue at Le Louvre in the August 2014, we’ve seen so much.

Venus de Milo by Alexandros of Antioch, also known as Aphrodite of Milos. It was amazing there was a momentary break in the number of onlookers when 100’s had been crowded around this famous statue also trying to take photos.

Over the next two to six months we’ll be visiting and/or staying in such countries as Australia, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, and Bali when we’ll be taking photos of familiar and significant works of art, historical buildings, and endless points of interest and beauty that may appeal to a wide faction of our readers who prefer to see more than nature shots.

Sagrada Familia, the famous church in Barcelona that has been under construction for over 100 years.

For us, there’s a tremendous amount of enthusiasm as we anticipate these exciting countries we’ll soon visit.  The prospect of taking and sharing photos along the way, only adds to the excitement.

Sure, we spend a tremendous amount of time in quiet, remote locations constantly on the lookout for even “the small things” we’ve found unique and perhaps interesting to many of our readers as shown in this post and photo below.

This was our first photo of the dung beetle in action. The female often sits atop the ball of dung while the male moves it along using his back legs while his front legs grasp the ground for stability. The female lays eggs in the ball so she tags along as he rolls the ball, as they search for an adequate hole in which to bury the ball. The ball is used as sustenance for both of them as well as for the maturing larvae.

Whether it’s a small thing, a historic location, or an environment such as here on the alpaca farm in New Zealand, we expanded our personal horizons, perceptions, and expectations of that which is truly beautiful as we wrap our arms and minds around that which is located in our close proximity at any given moment.

We’ve never known the name of this dark-colored bloom although we’ve seen them in a number of countries. Any comments?

It is through this window we peer out at the world often from the lens of our camera to capture the beauty we find in our path. This, dear readers, is what brings us this infinite sense of joy and belonging.

Tomorrow on our 21st wedding anniversary (based on the date in this part of the world) we’ll be back with more on a unique, although “small” point of interest we discovered last week when we toured the quaint town of Opunake that, in our perception, we found to be “beautiful.”

Have a beautiful day!

Photo from one year ago today, March 6, 2015:

Partway down this steep trail in Kauai, we spotted this view on the steep path down the cliff Hideaway’s Beach. For more photos from that date, 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.