rick & lynn vandertie

January 7-17, 2012 - Summer Holiday (Part 1)

2012-01-12T10:13:00.001+13:00

We are currently in the Golden Bay area of New Zealand on holiday. This is the northern most area of the South Island, across the Tasman Bay from Nelson. There are incredible beaches, hills with caves, and great little towns. We haven't taken a vacation like this in a long time - one where we are booked into the same holiday camp for 9 nights. Usually we are moving on to a new location every 1-2 nights. It reminds us of vacations our families took when we were kids and we went to the cottage for 1-2 weeks. This holiday camp has lots of kids, tents, camper vans, activities, etc. We are in a self-contained unit which means we are living luxuriously with a bed, our own bathroom, TV, and a kitchen. The viewing out our front door is priceless as kids come and go to activities and ride their bikes in various groups. Here's a small recap of our holiday so far:
Sat 07-Jan-12: We drove to Takaka and spent the night with our friend, Tim Hughes. His driveway was washed out by the recent rains so we had to hike the 300 meter hill to his house. It was great to catch up after not seeing him for a year.

Lynn, Rick, Neil (standing), Scott, Lindsey, Jess, Ben Hardisty at Wharariki Beach

Sun 08-Jan-12: We went to Wharariki Beach with friends (Neil, Lindsey, Ben, Jess, and Scott Hardisty) from Chch who are also vacationing in the area. It was overcast but pleasant and we spent a few hours so the tide could retreat and we could explore the caves.
Mon 09-Jan-12: We rode our bikes about 15 km to the resurgence of the Riwaka River. The river runs under the adjacent hills and then emerges into a deep clear pool of cold water. Neither of us was brave enough to jump in even though we were heated up from the ride. Rick had a flat tire on the return so I did a long walk while Rick took my bike back to the camp to return with the car. That evening, we joined one of my colleagues from my job at Nurse Maude for dinner. It was a coincidence that they had scheduled to be in the same holiday park at the same time as us.

Rick at the entrance to the Resurgence of the Riwaka

Tues 10-Jan-12: Tim loaned us a great book of walks in the area so we spent several hours walking through the coastal hills from Stephens Bay to Little Kaiteriteri to Kaiteriteri Beach and back including lunch at Shoreline Cafe in Kaiteriteri. There are some enormous holiday homes along with some classic basic baches (Kiwi for cottage). The beaches are very inviting and in Kaiteriteri, the beaches were as crowded as we've ever seen one in NZ meaning there were more than 10 people on the whole beach. That night we biked into town to see the new Sherlock Holmes movie and I can actually recommend it even though I'm not a huge fan of Hollywood blockbuster movies.

Lynn on the coastal walk to Little Kaiteriteri Beach

Wed 11-Jan-12: The day was sunny and we couldn't resist the temptation to take a ferry into Abel Tasman National Park to do a hike. The ferry dropped us off at Torrent Bay and we hiked over coastal hills to Bark Bay where the ferry picked us up. It was a classic NZ hike with great views, lots of vegetation, birds, and rivers, a swing bridge with kayaks passing underneath, and a fair number of other hikers. We haven't done many of the most popular walks so normally it's just us and maybe one or two fellow hikers. The track was very well maintained with large sections obviously cut away from the cliffs especially for the track. It took us about 100 min to do the walk and then we had a nice lunch while waiting for the ferry. Unfortunately our internet connection at the holiday camp isn't good enough to upload videos.

Lynn & Rick on the Abel Tasman National Park track from Torrent Bay to Bark Bay

December 27, 2011 - Sawcut Gorge (Part 2)

2011-12-29T23:43:00.001+13:00

Another photo from our friends - all are present except Sydney who was taking the photo.

Rick, George Kerse, James Kerse, Galen Erickson, Vicki Kerse, Felicia Erickson, Lynn

December 27, 2011 - Sawcut Gorge

2011-12-28T10:30:00.000+13:00

We have just returned from a two day excursion with our friends, the Kerses and the Ericksons (minus Jay due to his recent shoulder surgery). After spending a relaxing night in Kaikoura (including some rounds of Mancala, Rummi-kubs, and Balderdash) and having breakfast at the Why-Not Cafe in Kaikoura , we set off to hike the Sawcut Gorge, 1 hour north of Kaikoura.
This hike includes numerous stream crossings and boulder scrambling. Galen and James spent most of the time in the stream fully immersing themselves along with some algae fights and floating in the current. Sydney also did a few immersions intentionally and I tripped and did a face plant for my immersion. Near the end, all went in a pool, some voluntarily, some with assistance.
We couldn't have asked for better weather, better company, or better scenery. The gorge is amazing and the hike provided lots of adventure.

December 21, 2011 - Christmas Cookies

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I got out the U.S. cook book yesterday and made some Christmas cut-out cookies (not a NZ tradition, not yet anyway). I had seen a feature in a magazine that used the gingerbread man figure but turned it upside down to make Rudolf-the-red-nosed-reindeer cookies instead. Of course, their sample was smooth and pretty. Mine are shaggy reindeer with a sparkle in their eyes.

December 15, 2011 - Christmas Letter

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Click on photo or words to enlarge them.

November 1 - 21, 2011 - John & Barbara Roberts

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We have just had an amazingly 3 weeks with my Uncle John & Aunt Barbara from Saginaw, Michigan. They were good luck charms when it came to the weather so we were able to enjoy so many outdoor activities while touring around the South Island. They arrived in Auckland on 24-Oct-11, the day after our rugby team had won the World Cup! They drove themselves around the Bay of Islands as well as touring the Auckland area.

On 01-Nov-11, they flew to Christchurch. First we spent some time around Chch seeing the Botanic Gardens, the newly reopened downtown area, the Port Hills, and the beach. There was an overnight trip to Oamaru to see the penguins and Moeraki boulders. Then we took a week to take a road trip to the West Coast (Franz Josef Glacier, Lake Kaniere, Cape Foulwind), Nelson Lakes National Park, and finally to Kaikoura on the east coast north of Chch.

There was plenty of wildlife from birds (kea, weka, ducks) to cattle on the road to seals on nearly every beach as well as seal pups frolicking in a pool at the base of a waterfall. New Zealand put on quite a show!

There was some culture (symphony and ballet) and meals with our friends. On the last day we celebrated Thanksgiving with a classic turkey dinner plus a bit of overacting to explain the holiday to our international friends.

Here's a collage of photos (double click to make it bigger) plus a couple of videos (a hike, a cattle round-up, and the seal pups).

October 28, 2011 - Last days in U.S.

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October 22 - 26, 2011 - More Photos from Our U.S. Trip

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Caroline and Terry Thies John Thies, Beth Burka, Lynn, Addie Harte, Rick Barbara Jabbusch, Lynn
Katie Thies Lisa Jabbusch, Marian Jabbusch

John & Caroline Thies, Rick, Addie, Katie Thies, Lynn, Beth Burka, Terry Thies Chris & Myrna Burkhalter

Chris, Kelly Jabbusch, Lynn

We spent the weekend (Oct 22-23) with our friends John & Terry Thies in Urbana IL. They have two delightful daughters, Katie & Caroline. We met John during the summer of 1983 when we were both in Washington DC. That summer Lynn was in the same internship with Addie Harte and Beth Burka who joined us in Urbana for the weekend as well (coming from Kansas City and St Louis). It was great to catch up on the past many years with plenty of laughs and stories (true or not!).

Then we stopped to see our niece, Kelly and her husband (Chris) and daughter (Myrna) in Valparaiso IN. Even a few hours together is worth the effort. We had never met Myrna since it had been over 3 years since we last saw Kelly & Chris when we were all in Germany. Myrna was a delight and it was hard to pull ourselves away.

Now we are in Seattle where we are staying with my brother Mark and his wife Barbara. We've been able to see others as well, including their daughter Lisa, our nephew Bob and his wife Jamie, plus a good friend, Kris. Sometimes it feels like we've told the same stories so many times and can't even remember which stories we've told to whom (old age is setting in).

October 20 - 21, 2011 - Visiting with Good Friends

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We had two wonderful visits with long time friends over the past two days. We spent a night with Nancy and Bill Meyer in Madison, Wisconsin - Nancy and Lynn were room-mates during our days at the University of Wisconsin. We managed to get in a short walk through the Arboretum which was a favorite place of ours during our Madison days in the 1970s. After a short drive to Muckwonago, Wisconsin, we had lunch with Grace Kimpel and her daughter (Karen) and son-in-law (Paul). It was so good to catch up and have lots of laughs. Unfortunately our cameras stayed firmly in our packs so I don't have any photos to post.
During our drive to Urbana, Illinois we stopped at Moraine View State Park near Le Roy, Illinois. There were many deer grazing the fields and we took a short hike through the forest. The autumn colors are still evident this far south and the lake was so calm that we couldn't resist taking the attached photo.

Moraine View State Park, Le Roy, Illinois (21-Oct-2011)

October 18-19, 2011 - Vandertie Family

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We've had a great time catching up with Rick's family in Green Bay. Here's a collage of photos we've taken. It contains Rick's sister (Nancy) and her husband (Jake), Rick's brother (Terry) and his wife (Mary). Also there's two of Rick's nieces (Valerie and Tracy) and Valerie's daughter (Cheryl) and Cheryl's children (Brylea and Lynkin).

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October 15, 2011 - Molly Kimpel & Justin Borska get married

2011-10-17T18:21:00.000+13:00

We travelled to Santa Barbara, California to be at the Molly's wedding. It was a great time both to be there to see Molly and Justin exchange their vows and to catch up with so many of our dear friends from San Diego. Here are some photos of the reception and our lunch the next day with the newlyweds.

September 26, 2011 - Abel Tasman National Park

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Another beautiful day and another beautiful national park. We drove to Kaiteriteri and took a water taxi to Anchorage Bay in the Abel Tasman National Park. This is a park that borders a shallow, turquoise bay. The only way into it are hiking, kayaking or water taxi. We hiked up and over a peninsula to an isolated beach and then out to a lookout point before heading back to the taxi pick-up point. The birds were in full form - mostly the bellbirds. We tried to capture some of the vocal activity as well as the spectacular views.

September 25, 2011 - Nelson Lakes National Park

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We spent a whole day in St Arnaud, the small town at the entrance to Nelson Lakes National Park. It was a beautiful day with sunshine and some wind. The town borders Lake Rotoiti where we hiked along the lakeside track, an out-and-back hike since going around the whole lake is an 8 hour adventure. We didn't have any trouble with sand flies (notorious problem for this area) - maybe it was too cold or too windy for them or the drenching of insect repellent on each of us worked.

September 24, 2011 - Sawcut Gorge

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This was an amazing hike. We were either walking in the river or scrambling over boulders. There were a few areas of actual tracks but for the most part, we just spotted the next trail marker (orange triangle) or a rock cairn to figure out where to go next. The valley walls got higher and higher until we reached the gorge. It was a very narrow (about 5 metres/yards across) and tall (about 150 metres/yards high). It was a wind tunnel as well. We had a beautiful day and didn't see another soul the whole time (3+hrs) we were hiking.

September 24, 2011 - Ohau Stream Seal Pups

2011-09-25T18:22:00.000+13:00

Rick and I have taken five days off to spend some time doing some day hikes that we've been anxious to do ever since we've heard about them from some of our visitors. Yesterday we drove north along the coast from Christchurch. Our first stop was a place we'd been to before but it's different each time because there are seal pups in a pool about 400 metres from the ocean and it depends on how old the pups are as to how many are still swimming the pool. The pups find the pool around May, the most are in July and August and it tapers off until November when the mother seals have new pups and refuse to keep feeding the year old pups and they have to go to the ocean to eat rather than goof off all day in a scenic pool. There were about 10 pups in the pool when we were there. It's a gorgeous setting with a huge waterfall and it's only a 10 minute walk from the road.

Good buddies

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August 17, 2011 - Oliver swims the ice water.

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Since the snow is melting from our latest winter blizzard, the local creek is flowing pretty deep. We thought we'd see if Oliver likes swimming enough to brave the ice cold snow melt water.

August 13, 2011 - James Kerse at Christchurch Rugby Park

2011-08-15T11:11:00.004+12:00

Just as a snowstorm was bearing down on the South Island, I went over to Christchurch Rugby Park to meet with our friends George and Vicki Kerse (and Vicki's Dad Keith) to watch their son James as he played in a victorious game with his team Canterbury Metro. It was an exciting game and the boys got to experience some real weather as freezing rain pelted them during the second half. James is #19 on the green/blue team.

July 31, 2011 - Sunny winter day

2011-07-31T16:58:00.001+12:00

After our snow day and chilly days since then, today we had a clear blue sky which was perfect for a 2 hour walk at our favorite park. The dogs are always ready for some chasing about and were rewarded with interactions with lots of other dogs as plenty of other folks had the same idea of going for walk in the park. Since it's still the middle of winter, even at mid-day the sun is not that high in the sky and therefore some light glare is obvious on the videos. It turns out that Wilma is always curious about the camera so there are some extreme close-ups of her.

July 25, 2011 - Snow in Christchurch

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This is a rare occurrence - it started snowing yesterday evening and continues to do so this morning. There's about 2 inches on the ground at the moment (8 a.m.) and it's still coming down. The temperatures are hovering around freezing so it will most likely turn into freezing rain but while it's still white and fluffy, we took the dogs out and let them frolic. It's been several years since it last snowed in the city so this was a new experience for both of them.
Christchurch has no snow removal equipment so even this small amount of snow has shut the city down. The schools are already on a two week break but I'm enjoying having a "snow day" from my part-time job.

July 20, 2011 - Oliver, the Sneaky Dog

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Not because Rick and I are good dog trainers, but merely because Oliver is an amazing dog, he won't go near any food that hasn't been put into his dish or deliberately handed to him. We have left platters of cheese and salami on a coffee table and left the room and never was a piece taken.

This past week, I watched Gizmo, our friends' dog, while they were in Wanaka with Rick. Feeding three dogs can be a challenge but all I really needed to do was pick up Wilma as soon as she was done so she didn't push Gizmo off his food dish. Gizmo would always leave a couple of dry dog food morsels in his dish when he was done. Instead of putting the food into Oliver's dish, I told Oliver it was okay for him to eat it out of Gizmo's dish. The attached video shows Oliver sneaking up on the food dish, I'm sure knowing the whole time it was forbidden but unable to turn down the offer.

July 18, 2011 - Farewell to our New Friends

2011-07-19T13:56:00.001+12:00

While Rick is away in Wanaka, Lynn joined our friends for a farewell afternoon / dinner in Governor's Bay. True to form, a new acquaintance (Kaley from Wyoming) was introduced as we were farewelling Erin and Laura (who leave Chch on Tue 19 Jul) and Michelle (who leaves Chch on Mon 25 Jul). We first indulged in a hot chocolate at "She Chocolate", then we walked down to the waterside and back up to wear off a couple of the calories. Finally we had a leisurely dinner at the local hotel/restaurant where Shannon and Amanda joined us. They had given Lynn a gift certificate to the restaurant as a birthday present so it was nice to be able to make it into a group dinner.

Pure chocolate!

Lyttleton Harbour from Governor's Bay at dusk

Kaley, Shannon, Amanda, Michelle
Lynn, Erin, Laura

July 18, 2011 - Bike Ride in Wanaka

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Today was the first day of a week I'm spending in Wanaka with the Erickson's, the Kerse's and Simon McGregor. They have all come up here to ski the big snow in the mountains of the Southern Alps. Today they were doing alpine skiing and since I only do XC skiing, I decided to do some bike touring of the tracks around the area. Here is some of what I saw.

July 10, 2011 - Crusaders Return to Christchurch

2011-07-10T21:52:00.006+12:00

We went down to the airport today to greet the Crusaders as they returned from playing the championship match in Brisbane. The evening before we had a large group of our friends over to watch them as they played the Reds for the championship. While they played an impressive game, they lost their final match. They had to play every game on the road this season since the stadium here in Christchurch was destroyed by the earthquakes. So, along with hundreds of others, we rode down to the airport to cheer them for giving us an amazing winning season without having any home games. Lynn managed to get a photo with two of our favorite Crusaders, Brad Thorne and Richie McCaw.

June 25, 2011 - Lynn's Birthday Party

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What a great celebration!! Rick organized the party in a private room at a local restaurant. He had assembled 150+ photos from birth to a few weeks ago and had them projected on a big screen TV in the party room. It was a special time with so many good friends. Thanks to all for making me feel so wonderful on my birthday.

Yes, Rick put all 60 candles on the cake!

Cloud of smoke from all those candles

Laura Dalton, Rick, Lynn, Erin Locker

Hannah & Kurt Frauenstein

We fiddled with the calendar to get the date right.

June 23, 2011 - Lynn's birthday

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Today is Lynn's birthday. Here are just a few moments from an amazing 60 years.

May 27-29, 2011 - Cultural Journey to Auckland

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We travelled to Auckland last weekend in order to see several stage shows - something that has been in short supply here in Christchurch since the earthquakes. Joining us for our outing were Felicia and Sydney Erickson. On Friday evening we saw the Royal New Zealand Ballet perform an all Stravinsky performance, Saturday evening it was the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra performing an all New Zealand concert with the composers actually there to receive our adulation. Our finale came on Sunday afternoon when we found ourselves at the Civic Auditorium for a marvelous performance of Miss Saigon. The weather was perfect and somewhat warm so we wandered the city and even got out into the Waitakere Ranges for a little back country exploration.

28 May - Morning walk through Mangere Bridge Village

28 May - Lynn's initials up in lights

28 May - Shopping on Queen Street

29 May - Walk to Piha Beach

29 May - Interior of Civic Theatre where we saw "Miss Saigon"

May 21, 2011 - Taking Wilma to her first day on the beach

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Although it's nearly winter here, yesterday was a beautiful warm day. Since we intended to walk for 3 hours, we took the opportunity to use the low midday tide and do a long walk on the beach. It's always so much fun to take the dogs down there. They seem to enjoy better it than anyone can. Wilma made the most of her first visit and the beach has always been Oliver's favortie place.

May 20, 2011 - Cross Country Season in New Zealand

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Our buddy Galen Erickson put on a show again with a great run at his cross country meet today.

...and his Dad ran as well!!

May 15, 2011 - Duathlon (Rise Up Challenge)

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We joined friends and participated in a duathlon on Sunday. It was 2k run, 10k bike, 2k run. Rick did the running and I did the biking. It was held on a race car track so there was no traffic to deal with. Cutting around the corners was a blast. It had rained the night before so the track was wet with lots of splash up my front and back. Rick had a leg cramp but managed to complete both running legs - it's not much fun to stand around and get cold while I was biking. Then what we were all really looking forward to - a great lunch at Robbie's in Yaldhurst.

Here are finish photos (thanks to Bruce Wilson, photographer).

Lynn and Rick

Phil and Emma

Hank, Shoana, Liz

Chris (teammates were Julian and Graham)

April 30, 2011 - George and Vicki's amazing bonfire party

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Every year our friends George and Vicki Kerse host the most amazing party. The food, fireworks, games and guests make it enormously entertaining, but the highlight of the evening is always George's astonishing bonfire.

April 29, 2011 - Royal Wedding

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Living in a country that still pledges allegiance to the Queen of England, we certainly had to have a hen party to watch the Royal Wedding. It was good fun with tiaras, cucumber sandwiches, and British biscuits. The boys headed to a separate house to watch sports (and scratch and spit and do those other men things) but it turned out that their entertainment wasn't as long as ours, so they ended up being here for the big event as well. We all enjoyed the wedding, the dress, the ceremony, and especially the waving.

Look for the well-placed word "London" in the still photo of the elegant girls.

April 24, 2011 - Climbing in Mt Peel National Forest

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April 22, 2011 - The puppy can run

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One of favorite places to walk, Bottle Lake Forest Park, has finally reopened after being closed due to the earthquake. We took the dogs there on April 20 (without camera) and did a 3 hour walk and pretty much had the park to ourselves. With some trepidation, we allowed Wilma off the lead but were pleasantly surprised that she didn't get far away from us and followed Oliver, who minds well. So when we returned on April 22 with a camera, we let her loose again. She definitely can run despite some pretty short legs. There were more people and other dogs around, and the temptation to run away became too great when a yellow lab romped away with her. We retrieved her without too much running on Rick's part but we'll look for another "quiet" day before letting her go again.

April 23, 2011 - Riding to Doyleston

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Hank, Liz, Emma, Phil, Lynn and Rick enjoyed a beautiful warm autumn day by riding our bikes from Lincoln to Doyleston. We were treated to treats and wine at Mandy and Geoff's house.

Liz, Lynn, Emma, Phil, and Hank

Hank, Mandy, and Geoff

April 16, 2011 - Ericksons, Kerses and Vanderties enjoy the Kaikoura Coast Walk

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Despite waiting several weeks to complete the last leg of the Kaikoura Coast Walk, the weather didn't change - still misting to light rain. But no matter, seven of us did the hike: Jay and Galen Erickson and the two of us from the original trek on 18-20 March plus George, Vicki, and James Kerse joined us. This hike had more tracks in the bush and a good climb to Skull Peak. There were extra large worms and a dead sheep that provided some target practice. I misstepped off a stile and Rick provided the muddy butt for crossing the "Muddy Butt Bridge". And of course, lots of laughs and good times.

On the way home, we stopped to see the farm that Vicki visited often as a child. Her Aunt Ivy and Uncle Bill lived there and she had fond memories of the house and picking blackberries. The tree lined driveway was much longer in her childhood memories but the house had been well cared for and appeared the same.

April 9, 2011 - Lunch and Walk in Darfield

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We spent Saturday afternoon with Sue and Phil Baldwin - first a great lunch and then a nice walk in a woods near their house. Both of our dogs plus their dog accompanied us on the walk. The day was beautiful and we enjoyed kicking through the autumn leaves.

Phil & Sue Baldwin with Boatswain the dog (and Lynn too)

Wilma leading the way

April 6, 2011 - Boo Boo (aka Wilma) has a boo boo

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The time had come for Wilma to have surgery. She was still drowsy that evening when we brought her home from the vet, including some serious sleeping time. But the next day, she was as lively as ever. We think the vet put something in her rather than taking anything out.

March 26, 2011 - Climbing Mt Thomas with the Dogs

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Though we had to retreat from Mt Thomas due to weather conditions last time, we were undeterred. This time we were better prepared, better equipped, better trained and more determined. Not only that, we brought our trusty mountain dogs Oliver and Wilma (Boo Boo).

March 18-20, 2011 - Walking the Kaikoura Coast Track

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Our friends the Erickson's joined us last weekend for a long awaited tramp on the Kaikoura Coast Track. The walk is organized by three cooperating farmsteads and each provides a wonderful, fully equipped lodge for each of 3 nights during our journey. We explored some of the most beautiful coast and mountain terrain in New Zealand while enjoying the cleverly designed routes between each farm. Though we missed our last leg due to foul weather, we thoroughly enjoyed the two days of hiking we did complete. Our hosts promised we could return and do the last leg of the journey sometime when the weather is better. We are anxious to do just that.

March 5, 2011 - Mount Thomas Hike

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We have found a new hike. Our favorite haunts for daily walks have been closed by the earthquake. So we've looked further afield and found the Mount Thomas Conservation area in North Canterbury. Unfortunately it took us a while to get going on Saturday morning and by the time we were hiking, the clouds had moved in. We weren't prepared for cold and rain plus the summit was socked in with clouds which would eliminate the views. So we hiked up 90 min and down 60 min - gotta love the downhill. More good news is that dogs are allowed so next time we'll take Oliver along.

February 28, 2011 - Trip to Takaka by Rick, Mom, and Julia

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We missed posting about Lynn's cousin return visit to NZ. Julia was here in November/December and was traveling with us when Mom broke her hip. Since she wasn't able to escort Mom home in December, she returned to NZ the day after the earthquake, Feb 23. Although most of her visit was consumed with our "survival" mode post-earthquake, Rick, Julia, and Mom took a short trip to Takaka. We have friends who live there - Tim and Cris Hughes, folks we know from Belfast Maine who live 6 months per year in NZ. Their house was on top of a hill with spectacular views. Rick and Julia took a hike to Wharariki Beach and they all met up with Katie Hess on their way back to Christchurch.

Julia at Wharariki Beach

Tim Hughes

Katie Hess and Mom

March 2, 2011 - Returning to normal

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The last few days have seen some return to normal here. Mail came today for the first time since the quake and the pick up crews have cleaned up the mound of liquifaction sand that we had removed from our driveway. We have power and running water so showers and laundry are possible again although we still have to boil the water to safely drink it. The Kiwi's (locally and nationally) have performed wonders in making sure we have enough food, water, petrol and housing for everyone in the city. It is a monumental effort for which we are greatly impressed and appreciative. We have tried to do our bit with some volunteer work whenever we can, but most of the important work is being done by a small army of highly qualified professionals that have flocked to our aid. It is inspirational to see the Kiwi's come together like a rugby scrum and work as one to save our city.

February 26, 2011 - Welcome to Wilma

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Among all the earthquake drama, we haven't posted the news of our new dog. She came with the name, Wilma, which we kept but have to admit that Rick calls her "Boo Boo" since she looks like a little bear. She is a Norwich Terrier who was supposed to be a show dog but her nose is too narrow. That's just fine with us - no need for a nose job.

Here's a couple of photos. She gets along great with Oliver, our golden retriever.

February 25, 2011 - A little help from our friends

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A brigade showed up on Fri 25 Feb to shovel all the sand and silt out of our driveway. Best of all, they came with shovels, wheelbarrows, and their wonderful good-nature.

February 25, 2011 - Still shaking but recovering

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We have been enjoying each other's company while camping out at our houses. The power was restored within 15 hours and we have running, non-drinkable water now. Best news today is that we can now flush our toilets - that's literally a relief. Luckily we have friends far enough from the city to still have full services that have offered to let us shower - that's where we are heading today. The grocery stores are open so there is no problem with getting food.

We've put our names in to volunteer - Rick was called out yesterday to help manage parking at a busy medical clinic. I haven't been called yet so we are going to take a trip out of town today. My cousin Julia flew in the day after the quake - a pre-planned trip because she will be Mom's escort back to the US next Fri (Mar 4). So Mom, Julia, and I are going to a winery about 1 hour north to have lunch and a wine tasting.

Thanks to everyone for their concern, thoughts and prayers. If you want to donate money, I'd suggest the Red Cross (www.redcross.org.nz/donate) or the Salvation Army (http://www.salvationarmy.org.nz/giving-back/donate-online/). Or go out and buy something from New Zealand - our economy could use a boost.

February 23, 2011 - The Day After the 6.3 Earthquake

2011-02-23T09:58:00.001+13:00

First off, we are fine. All of our friends are fine. Our houses are for the most part fine - we had some minor damage but the houses are structurally sound.

The downtown area is devastated including the steeple of the cathedral which has fallen. We were without power until this morning and we still don't have water. Since this is so soon after the last big quake, we had taken some precautions. The power company sent us a small transitor radio which was our only means of hearing what was happening. Those not in Chch more likely knew more than we did since we had no TV for images. Rick had diligently put tap water aside in our shed so we have plenty of drinking water. Luckily most of our visitors had already departed to other parts of the country so we have just our core group of people at the houses (Rick, Mom, and me at the 30 house, and our friends, the Ericksons at the 36 house). I'm attaching some photos I took yesterday of the kitchen at 36 house. We also had a water main break under our driveway at 30 house and had a river of mud running past the house to the creek behind it. No water got into the house but it has left a pile of mud 6 inches deep. Since there's no school today, Galen is on shovel duty.

February 20, 2011 - 75 km Charity Hospital Bike Ride

2011-02-20T21:35:00.000+13:00

Today Rick took part in a bike ride in North Canterbury. A couple of weeks ago we both went with a group of friends and rode the course. It took me (and Rick with me) just over 4 hours. Today he rode it in just over 3 hours with me as the camera-person. Here is a short video with photos from both rides and some video of the team members riding today. My camera skills leave much to be desired so my apologies to those I missed.

January 28, 2011 - Mom at home (YEAH!!)

2011-01-29T14:19:00.000+13:00

FINALLY - Mom is at home! We retrieved her from Burwood Hospital on Wed Jan 26 and she's been getting out for walks and to transfer between our houses. Yesterday our friend Felicia Erickson put on an afternoon tea party for Mom plus a bundle of other Moms who happened to be in town. Mom has an appointment on Tues Feb 1, hopefully to get the cast off her arm.

January 21, 2011 - Making strides

2011-01-21T17:06:00.000+13:00

New video - first of Mom before she left the acute hospital and then today at the ortho rehab hospital (Burwood). She is working with the physical therapists as well as occupational therapist (OT). The plans now are for Mom to come to the house on Tuesday with the OT for an evaluation of her needs. She will return to Burwood that night but then discharge is planned for Wednesday, Jan 26!!

January 19, 2011 - Mom moves to rehab facility

2011-01-20T06:27:00.001+13:00

Finally - Mom has been discharged from the acute hospital!!! She's in the next level of care - a rehab facility called Burwood. She's in the orthopaedic rehab ward where there are 3 PTs working with the patients. There is an exercise room where the patients can use equipment to gain strength and balance. Mom continues to walk well with the frame with partial weightbearing on her left leg. Her room has outdoor access to a patio plus she has reconnected with her previous room-mate (they were together for 3 weeks at the acute hospital). We'll post some photos later today.

January 16, 2011 - Marian walks again

2011-01-16T18:41:00.001+13:00

Last Wednesday, after 5 weeks of traction and 1 week of bedrest, Mom started to get out of bed! The first hurdle was getting her body used to being vertical - over the weeks, her blood pressure had dropped to 90s/40s so light headedness was her first reaction. But after repeated times, she has gotten steadier and now walks with the aid of a walking frame. It's the weekend and the frame is not fitted to her so she has to lean over to use her arms to bear her weight, but she can walk straight up for a decent distance (~10 meters) before needing to rely on the frame for support. As a treat we then put her in a wheelchair and took a long walk around the Botanic Gardens which are right next to the hospital.

Next up, the hospital social worker is moving forward with assessing Mom for rehab care. We are hoping it will be at our house, but it might be at rehab facility called Burwood which is near the forest park where we do many of our walks. Every day Mom gets stronger and she's definitely determined to get out of the bed. Luckily there hasn't been much pain in her hip and she's able to do the 50% weight bearing that the physicians have recommended. Thanks to all for the cards, prayers, e-mails, visits, and small gifts!!

January 13, 2011 - R.I.P. Belle

2011-01-16T06:03:00.001+13:00

What a difference a week made in Belle's health! She had been doing extended walks with us plus being her usual perky self at home. Then suddenly she couldn't stay awake and she stopped eating. The vet did blood work and diagnosed kidney failure. There is no doggy dialysis but he tried some meds and IV fluid management. After a few days without a return to health, we decided that she had a great life and ended her struggle. So the house is quiet (Oliver rarely barks), there's no need to tell visitors to keep the bedroom doors closed since Belle won't be digging through their luggage to find any possible morsel of food, and no need to hide a sneeze (which would make Belle run away, a left over from her first 7 months in a breeder's kennel). Just a big hole in our hearts and empty laps.

January 3, 2011 - Happy New Year

2011-01-03T11:16:00.000+13:00

We've welcomed the new year with some great walks. On Jan 1, after Jay Erickson's arrival back to NZ (yeah!!), we did a medium effort (for me) 60 minute walk at Bottle Lake Forest Park. I was walking fast and some slow running - Rick and Jay were walking and yakking without losing any ground which shows just how slow I am. Both dogs accompanied us - Oliver has lost over 10 pounds since he's started accompanying me on my walks and Belle continues to be able to walk for 1-2 hours despite being over 14 years old.

On Jan 2, Oliver and I went for a 50 minute walk around the neighborhood. But today (Jan 3), Oliver and I did a 130 min walk over the Port Hills. Gorgeous day, great views, but most of all, it made me so grateful to my niece, Sarah, who 5 years ago decided to get a golden retriever puppy and what a great dog she found!!

Rick is also getting back on a running plan. As of New Year's Day, the agreement is that he has no household responsiblities until 10 a.m. So he can put together whatever program and workouts he wants without the distraction of housework (and you know how that goes - suddenly it's 3 p.m. and the run never got done). So happy to report he's had 3 runs in 3 days - a good start.

Happy New Year to All!!!

December 21 - December 31, 2010 - Christmas season

2011-01-01T08:20:00.000+13:00

The end of another eventful year!! Our good friends from San Diego visited with us over the Christmas holiday - they stayed in Chch before and after their adventure packed trip to Wanaka and Queenstown. Margie and I have been friends since we were work colleagues starting in 1985, including plenty of walks while training for a marathon in 2003. Their visit was short but hopefully enough of a taste of NZ for them to want to return for more. In the photo are Margie, husband Bruce, and their kids, Brian and Stephanie.

Our fly-fishing friend, Lucas Young, has returned and brought two more fisherman with him. We all spent a wonderful New Years Eve at a barbeque at the Frauensteins.

Finally, Mom has a date for getting out of traction - next Wed Jan 5 - but then the plan is for another week of bedrest at the hospital. We are all praying that she will be able to bear weight on the hopefully healed pelvis but no one can tell until she can get up and try it. Thanks to all who have sent cards, e-mails, messages, and those who have visited her in the hospital. It's been a test of her patience.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

November 28 to December 2, 2010 - Tour of South Island

2010-12-28T06:20:00.000+13:00

This is a bit out of order. We were on a wonderful tour of the South Island before Mom had her accident. Lynn's cousin, Julia Roberts, started her visit with us on Mon, Nov 22. She was here for the sailing at Akaroa Harbour and the Thanksgiving dinner. She was drafted into service to help at the church Christmas fair and joined us and 100,000 others at the annual "Christmas in the Park" concert on Sat Nov 27. On Sun Nov 28, we took off on a road trip around the South Island. The attached video shows some of the activites and sights we took in before the trip came to an end. Julia stayed until Sat Dec 11 and was a welcome help during all the medical attention Mom received.

December 25, 2010 - Marian's Christmas Adventure

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December 19, 2010 - Marian in her "cage"

2010-12-24T11:28:00.004+13:00

As most of you now know, Marian had a mishap on our round the South Island holiday. Fortunately, it happened at the end of the fun rather than the beginning. Unfortunately, she is stuck in traction for six weeks. As of this writing, she has completed three weeks and she is more than anxious to "break out"of her cage. Here is a photo of her enduring her predicament.

November 25, 2010 - Thanksgiving in NZ

2010-11-28T06:27:00.004+13:00

We had great group of folks join us for a traditional American Thanksgiving feast. All joined in reading a play describing the origins of the holiday, including making a Pilgrim or Indian headdress. Rick made two pumpkin pies - one from canned pumpkin from America (supplied by my cousin, Julia, who arrived in NZ on Nov 22) and the other using NZ pumpkin which is more akin to squash (US style pumpkin doesn't exist in NZ). Both got a thumbs up along with the fresh lemon merigue pie that Mom made (instant lemon pudding also doesn't exist in NZ).

The dinner was traditional - turkey, mashed potatoes, kumara (NZ equivalent of the sweet potato), cranberry sauce, gravy, green beans, and fruit skewers. The special treat was wild rice from Wisconsin (a gift from previous visitors, Terry and Pam Goode). The non-traditional part was making the dinner a picnic since it is late spring here and the weather was nice enough to be outside.

November 19 - 23 - Bruce and Debbie Hollis Visit

2010-11-26T15:51:00.003+13:00

We had a wonderful (and busy) four days with Lynn's cousin, Bruce Hollis and his wife, Debbie. We had dinner at the Octagon Restaurant, hiked in the rocks of Castle Hill, tried to do the Cave Stream but the water was too deep, saw the keas at Arthur's Pass, tasted wine at two wineries in the Waipara Valley, and had a great sailing tour of Akaroa Harbour. It was great to connect again after decades of being out of touch.

November 6-11 - Bonfires, Iris Gardens, Seagars, and more hikes around town

2010-11-12T08:44:00.005+13:00

Nov 6 - We gathered with heaps of others at the Kerse's house in Tai Tapu for a delicious pot-luck dinner and then a bonfire and fireworks. NZ celebrates Guy Fawkes Day even though it's an English holiday and has nothing to do with NZ. But it's a great reason to shoot off fireworks which can be sold legally for a few days leading up to the day. George built another of his massive bonfires and then regaled us with his fireworks show.

Nov 7 - Mom and I joined our friends, Judith Todd, Vicki Kerse, and her Mom, Pat Murfitt for Devonshire Tea at the Motukarara Iris Gardens. We had a special seating in the "Summer House" and what a delightful time we had! A tour of the gardens followed with some purchases. The irises I bought last year are now blooming in my home gardens.

Nov 8 - Mom and I drove to Oxford (about 45 min NW of Chch) to meet our friend Marg Frauenstein for lunch at Jo Seagar's cafe. Marg is a lifelong friend of Jo's husband, who we met while we were there. Great food and even better company! Plus we stopped at some farmer's stalls on the way home for fresh asparagus and spinach.

Nov 9 - Rick has put up a blog below of our hike from Sumner up the Scarborough Cliffs.

Nov 11 - It was a sunny warm afternoon so we took the dogs to the beach for my "long easy" walk - 100 min of walking on the hard sand. I did most of it in my stocking feet and then barefoot.

October 25 - November 2, 2010 - Hikes and Out of Town Trips

2010-11-12T08:12:00.005+13:00

Oct 25 - Rick and I took a walk in the Port Hills on the Kennedy's Bush Track with Katie Hess and Kate Allen. Kate was supposed to ship out to the South Pole on Oct 20 but ended up being delayed until Oct 29 - much to our delight as she joined us for several hikes.

Oct 26 - We have found a new track at Bowenvale called Hidden Valley Track. Good for 50-60 minutes of medium effort hike. Rick, Kate Allen, and Oliver joined me on this day.

Oct 31 to Nov 1 - We took a train up the east coast to Picton and then a ferry to Wellington. Our friend, Norm Brown, met us at the ferry landing and gave us a tour of the area. By Monday it was sunny and we managed to see the Te Papa Museum, the waterfront, a bus tour and Cuba Street for shopping. Thanks much to Norm and Ami for a great time.

That's the Parliament Building behind Mom and me - in NZ speak it's the "Beehive".

Nov 2 - Terry and Pam Goode returned from their South Island tour and spent a couple of nights with us. On Nov 2 we drove 2 hours north to Kaikoura. There is a stream just north of there where juvenile seal pups have found their way to a pool at the base of a 130 meter water fall. The video shows one of the pups working his way up the stream. These pups goof off during the day while their moms are out in the ocean feeding. Soon they too will have to learn to fish since the moms are ready to have a new set of pups. But for this beautiful spring/summer day, the pups had nothing to do but frolic in the sun.

November 9, 2010 - Climbing the Cliffs Out of Sumner

2010-11-11T00:31:00.003+13:00

October 20-24, 2010 - Busy Days

2010-10-25T07:35:00.007+13:00

It was a great week with some sunny days and lots of activities.

On Wed Oct 20, Mom and I hosted a lunch for our girlfriends, Katie Hess, Kate Allen, Marg Frauenstein, and Vicki Kerse. The empty chair is for our friend, Felicia Erickson, who is in California preparing to move to NZ in January.

On Thu Oct 21, we were treated to dinner at Sue and Phil Baldwin's house in Darfield. We also got to meet their friends from Canada, Michelle and Mike.

Our friend Kate Allen arrived in Chch on Mon Oct 18 with plans to ship out to the South Pole on Wed. But to our delight, her departure was delayed until Tue Oct 26 so we've had time to catch up with her and do some walks. Kate Allen and Katie Hess joined me for a walk to Godley Head on Fri Oct 22.

On Sat Oct 23, Rick and Oliver joined me for a walk on the Harry Ell Walkway.

On Sat Oct 23, we had dinner at Vicki and George Kerse's house and met their friends, Kai and Lucie, from Majorca.
On Sun Oct 24, we connected with cousins of my childhood friend, Sue Goode Pfeifer. We love the way we get to meet people through others. Terry and Pam Goode are touring the South Island this coming week. We'll see them again on Nov 1-2 before they travel on to the North Island.

Then Rick, Mom, and I headed up to Arthurs Pass in the mountains west of Chch. Rick and I did the hike up to Devils Punchbowl Falls. After that we met with the Baldwins and attended the church service at the chapel at Arthurs Pass. Sue is the vicar and Phil does a great job playing the pump organ, even while sitting on 5 chairs.

October 14, 2010 - Walking the Beach Dunes

2010-10-14T18:27:00.003+13:00

October 12, 2010 - Up the Scarborough Walk

2010-10-13T01:18:00.003+13:00

It was a glorious sunny day, quite a contrast from the windy wet weather we'd had on Monday. The schedule called for "30 min, medium effort" so we did a walk up a steep path that goes from sea level in Sumner to the top of the cliff in Scarborough. 16 min up, 14 min down.

It was a family affair - even Belle who just turned 14 came along. Mom had some people-watching time at the cafe at the beach.

October 9, 2010 - Captain Thomas Track

2010-10-09T23:06:00.003+13:00

We have some new friends, Dave and Erin Yacubian from San Francisco. They moved to Chch in August with their two daughters. They were staying at our house when the 7.1 earthquake hit!

Today we met with Erin and the girls to take a hike up to the Captain Thomas Track which runs from Sumner (where they live now) up to the Summit Road in the Port Hills. It was a cool windy day but we all enjoyed our time outside. Dave joined us as well after surfing.

A Day in Hagley Park

2010-09-28T17:17:00.005+13:00

We found a great way for Marian to join us on our long walks in Hagley Park. The botanic gardens provide free electric carts for use in the park. The speed and range of the cart is sufficient to do the 80 minute circuit of South and North Hagley. As you can see, the weather cooperated nicely. The daffodils are nearing the end of their performance for the spring season, so our timing was perfect.

On the southern edge of the botanic gardens is the bandstand which is surrounded by fields of daffodils at this time of year. Just around the corner from here is Christchurch Hospital which you can just see in the background.

Barnett Park Walkway

2010-09-25T23:13:00.001+12:00

Springtime Tour of Hagley Park

2010-09-24T08:55:00.005+12:00

We have been doing ever increasing distances in Lynn's walking program and using the opportunity to rediscover some of our favorite places. Today we revisited our beautiful, large central park - Hagley Park. Hagley is divided into two large sections - South Hagley and North Hagley. Sitting on the border between the two is the botanic gardens, which are stunning in the springtime (and most other times as well). Lynn's mom is here and she joined us for our trip and waited for us at the botanic gardens while we circumnavigated both South and North Hagley in a continuous 80 minte walk.

Tokyo and Washington DC aren't the only places that are graced with blossoming cherry trees in the spring. Here is Lynn at Riccarton Avenue just across from Christchurch Hospital. This place marks the border between North and South Hagley Park.

The daffodils are still carpeting much of the park as you can see from this photo taken near the bandstand in the botanic gardens. Notice that both Lynn and Rick are sporting our new "Energy Matters" T-shirts given to us by our friend Beth Burka as a souvenir of our visit to her business in St. Louis.

Crater Rim Walkway

2010-09-20T13:52:00.001+12:00

Return to Christchurch - Earthquake Central

2010-09-15T00:42:00.000+12:00

We've been back in Christchurch for 2 days and I've felt my first aftershock just now. There have been others but I've either been asleep or moving about so I missed them. We had very minimal damage to our houses. Rick has been out in the city to view the damage but I haven't had a chance to do so yet. Demolition has been going full force to bring down unsafe buildings so people can once again walk around without restriction. Bad news is that one of our favorite restaurants that's in an old church (where we celebrated Rick's 60th birthday in June) has some significant damage. No word yet about whether it can be saved.

Rick & Lynn's Whirlwind Trip to the USA

2010-09-14T21:53:00.003+12:00

Scarborough to Taylor's Mistake Beach

2010-06-25T14:29:00.002+12:00

Saturday, June 12, 2010 - Rick's 60th Birthday

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We had a celebration of Rick's 60th birthday at a restaurant downtown. There was live music and good friends to help us celebrate. It was an amazing evening!!

Saturday, May 15, 2010 - Farm Visit

2010-05-16T15:11:00.002+12:00

Thursday, May 13, 2010 - Upcoming visit to US

2010-05-13T06:56:00.001+12:00

We are making plans to be in the US from Aug 21 to Sep 11. I've included our itinerary below. Considering that we will be in the US for only three weeks, obviously we can't get to every place that we would like to. But if there is any chance you could see us at one of our destinations, please let us know so we can make plans to connect.

Sat Aug 21 - fly from NZ to Boston. We arrive at 10pm.
Sun Aug 22 to Wed Aug 25 - travel around New England. Will spend time in Belfast ME but would like to hear from others so we can make plans to stop in other towns.
Thu Aug 26 - fly from Boston to Green Bay. We arrive at 2pm.
Fri Aug 27 to Sun Aug 29 - spend time with family and friends in Green Bay area.
Mon Aug 30 - fly from Green Bay to St Louis. We arrive at 6:15pm.
Tue Aug 31 - spend time with friends in St Louis.
Wed Sep 1 - fly from St Louis to Cleveland. We arrive at 1:30pm.
Thu Sep 2 to Mon Sep 6 - spend time with family and friends in Cleveland area.
Tue Sep 7 - fly from Cleveland to Los Angeles. We arrive at 11am.
Tue Sep 7 - spend night in Yucca Valley.
Wed Sep 8 to Sat Sep 11 - spend time with friends in San Diego.
Sat Sep 11 - fly from Los Angeles to NZ. Leave at 11:30pm.

Thursday, May 6, 2010 - Middleton Grange Cross Country Event

2010-05-09T11:57:00.002+12:00

Rick has been enjoying the cross country season this year, attending and sometimes working at the events at our friend's kid's schools. Here's the latest event including Sydney Erickson as well as Hannah and Jonathan Frauenstein.

Sunday, May 2, 2010 - Felicia's birthday party

2010-05-09T11:30:00.000+12:00

We all had a good time surprising Felicia for a birthday celebration on Sunday, May 2. The photo is of the family plus Hannah Frauenstein as well. Jay and the kids pulled off a real surprise - she had no idea.

Wednesday, April 21, 2010 - Making good use of a beautiful day

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Friday, April 16, 2010 - An old Wisconsin boy at a Kiwi dairy farm

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It's been quite a while since I've visited a dairy farm. A long time ago in Wisconsin I remembered the farmers wrestling the cows into their stalls, locking them in, attaching the milking machines and then wrestling them back out into the pasture. I don't know how things are in Wisconsin these days, but in New Zealand it's a mechanized, automated wonder. One guy can milk 900 cows twice a day - amazing!

Sunday, April 11, 2010 - Riding into town for the Jazz Festival

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Sunday, April 4, 2010 - Ridin' into town.

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Tuesday, April 6, 2010 - Castle Hill Adventure

2010-04-07T09:51:00.003+12:00

Our guests Charlotte and Annefleur joined Rick on a little hiking adventure to explore Castle Hill reserve just west of the city. The weather was raining when we left Christchurch, but we drove out of it before we reached the hills. To our delight, they had opened all new sections of the reserve for us to explore. The girls made this movie of our outing.

Sunday, April 4, 2010 - Easter Scavenger Hunt

2010-04-05T09:02:00.001+12:00

The group in the photo met downtown on Easter afternoon to take part in a scavenger hunt that Rick put together for us. It was boys vs. girls and I'm sad to say that the boys outscored us. It was a great afternoon for 3 hours of hiking around the city central district - not sunny but no rain and great temperature. Afterwards, we all headed to a great Chinese restaurant for a tasty dinner with plenty of leftovers.

In the photo:
Back row - Marisa Scott, Jay Erickson, Craig Scott, James Kerse
Middle row - Charlotte Sederel, Nancy Scott, Fleur de Leeuw, Rick Vandertie, Galen Erickson
Front row - Lynn Vandertie, Felicia Erickson

Saturday April 3, 2010 - Kiwi bonfire

2010-04-04T12:02:00.009+12:00

This was a first for us. Our friends George and Vicki invited us to their country place to enjoy a bonfire that George had planned to dispose of some pine cutting he had done on his property. We were joined by other friends (new and old) Craig and Nancy, Martin and Rose, Jay and Felicia as well as the assortment of kids Galen, James, Daniel and Caleb. It was a special treat since George is a formidable fire builder. We were treated to drinks and a s-more competition. George had laid out hay bales for us to sit on, but soon after lighting the fire we all had to retreat way behind them to keep from being roasted. When we returned, the drink cups had been welded together and the tops of the soda bottles fused into a solid mass. In a word - it was warm. After standing back watching the enormous blaze for a while, we returned to the fire side to watch and take turns braving the heat to cook the s-mores.

Thursday, April 1, 2010 - A return to the cave stream

2010-04-04T11:53:00.003+12:00

Ah yes, new visitors requires another trip to the cave stream. This time we have our guests from the Netherlands - Fleur and Charlotte and our guest from Norway - Bjorn. We decided to try doing it in the morning. In the past we always did it in the afternoon to allow the water time to warm up during the day. That logic proved valid since our morning trip was, well....bracing! We were the first ones through this day since there was no one there when we arrived, but upon returning to the car there were four or five more vehicles there.

Sunday, March 28, 2010 - Summer Visitors

2010-03-28T17:55:00.002+13:00

Here's a compilation of photos of guests who have stayed with us since January. So many good meals and laughter have been shared as well as living vicariously through their NZ adventures.

Sunday, March 14, 2010 - Washing Our Shoes at Mt. Hutt

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February 6, 2010 - Lots of Summertime Activities

2010-02-06T06:56:00.006+13:00

We have been very busy lately with summertime activities. We continued to attend the Buskers Festival including the night performance of a fire juggling troupe.

There was a farewell barbeque for our friends, Norm & Ami, who are moving to Wellington. We had a picnic at our house to connect again with some Kiwi friends who have treated us to parties at their houses. Our South Pole friends started arriving back after their summer work assignments have completed. Last night we attended a outdoor performance by the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra that included an amazing solo by a 16 year old violinist and a finale of the Warsaw Concerto played on a grand piano that was hoisted to the stage by a crane (the pianist was playing the piano during the transfer!! - see photo from the rehearsal below) and accompanied by a spectacular fireworks display.

Today we are off to a picnic celebrating Waitangi Day - the NZ National Holiday celebrating the signing of the treaty between the settlers and the native Maori in 1840. This next week is also full of activities - somewhere we have to fit in work hours!

January 24, 2010 - Busker Festival

2010-01-25T12:10:00.003+13:00

Despite some rainy, windy weather, the annual Busker Festival is underway in Christchurch. For our non-British friends, buskers are street performers. This festival raises the bar since all the acts are pre-selected and have been subsidized to come to Chch for our summer (not a bad gig since most are from the northern hemisphere where street performances aren't big this time of the year). We biked downtown and spent the afternoon taking in several acts. Big bonus was the welcome surprise of running into our friends, Norm & Ami Brown plus kids.
I've attached a small video of one of our favorites - Mario, Queen of the Circus (due to his love of music from Queen). He gets the crowd all waving their arms to "We are the Champions" and then takes off crowd surfing. Hope you can spot him - he's in all black and a very small person.

Jan 14, 2010 - Stewart Island, Hike to Maori Beach

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The video is long (6 min) but the hike was much longer (over 4 hours).

During our holiday on Stewart Island with the Ericksons, Rick plus all of the Ericksons hiked from Lee Beach (got a ride that far) to the swing bridge on the far end of Maori Beach and then back to the cottage we were staying in. We were fortunate to have sunshine during our entire visit.

Rick and Jay's Excellent Stewart Island Run

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Jan 9, 2010 - The Worker and the Shirker

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Also, check out our friend Jesse's blog about fly-fishing.

2009 Christmas Letter

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Better late than never. Happy 2010 to all!!

Dec 18, 2009 - Quail Island

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A Holiday Run in Bottle Lake Forest Park

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Sky Show

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Santa Parade

2009-12-06T17:11:00.002+13:00

Bloom of Broom

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