Lunar Eclipse

I tried and I tried, but I just could not get a good photo of the eclipse. A total eclipse - only happens every seven years. The moon turned completely red. It was the most fabulous sight - another of those "had to be there" moments. I was teetering atop a chair on our deck, pointing the camera through the lattice, attempting to capture an unobstructed view of that awesome color with the stars dancing around, but it was too dark and I couldn't even find the darn thing through the view finder (have you ever noticed how small that little peephole is.....especially when you're accustomed to just pointing and checking with the digital preview.....and if you're wearing glasses, you can't even get your eye up close enough to see anything, and then before you know it you're seeing double......). Anyhow, you can see where I'm going with this. It was too dark and my camera is not powerful enough. Hell, my camera is practically archaic.....my laptop refuses to even recognize it. The above photo is from the front garden at the beginning of the eclipse. The rest of the show was much more spectacular. Check out these links.

http://www.shadowandsubstance.com/

http://www.geekzone.co.nz/paradoxsm/3647

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10460282 (click on view photos)

Cheers.

Sunrise - Sunset

I love these days when the sea and the sky are the same color. Oh, heck, I love any day that I'm looking at the ocean - or Lake Michigan, for that matter. Sometimes when the day is dismal, it's difficult to see the horizon. The sun didn't shine and the skies didn't brighten up much, but the day was warm and there was no wind. Even now at 11:30 PM the temperature is almost 60 degrees. (Remember it's still winter over here on the other side.) There was no setting of the sun because there was no sun. Ho-hum, I said. No excuse to admire the nightly performance and postpone prepping dinner. Go out, you say? Nice try. I'd already finagled lunch at the new cafe in the village and didn't want to press my luck. After all, we do have a kitchen. Pity.

POW. All of a sudden the sky is on fire. Photos cannot do it justice although I snap a few dozen anyway. Tomorrow night a full lunar eclipse is scheduled. The weather forcast does not look promising, but hey! how often do those guys get it right? Stay tuned. Oh, and did I mention that we experienced another earthquake over the weekend? Just a shimmy, but it got our full attention.

So don't feel that you're out there alone with Mother Nature's wrath. There's danger lurking everywhere - even here in paradise.

Look Who's @ the Zoo

We've lost our heads and are at the zoo with the world's cutest and his group from the Play Center.

http://www.wellington.govt.nz/maps/pdfs/zoo.pdf

We spend a lot of time admiring the pelicans, the Malayan Sun Bear, and the common cement mixer. The zoo is great in spite of the steep inclines, but I can only wax eloquent over a cement mixer for a few moments. And trust me, there are lots of questions about function and capability.........to say nothing of the hows and whys. Of course, holding that little hand makes it all worth while. As his mother explains, "At this age, they're just as fascinated with the storm grates as they are with the giraffes."

Still haven't seen a kiwi.

Beachin'

Yep! That's my winter coat, but it's not zipped up. Yep! That's a wool sweater, and if you're really observant, you'll notice my polyprops peeking out under the cowl. It is winter here, you know. However, I'm not even wearing gloves, and, most importantly, I am at the beach. Not building any sand castles, but not expecting any hurricanes either. However, the real point is......another day, another beach. This one is up the coast a little farther than we've been before - at Otaki. Same scenario - reminds me of Florida and the South before it became so air-conditioned. A little sleepy, a little shabby, and mostly deserted. I can remember Pensacola Beach when you might be the only person within sight - in the middle of summer. But, I digress. A sign of age, I think. Anyhow, here too you can look up and down and you're the only one around. What is it about the sand and the sea that attracts us so?

Give yourself a gold star if you spotted Kapiti Island, and now we're looking back at it from a different angle. Looking up the beach, there's nothing out there - just the ocean and the sky - and today they're both blue. Why is it a good thing when they're blue, and a bad thing when we are?

Lilies of the Field

Can you believe that these beauties grow wild here? In fact, they are considered weeds. Some Kiwis consider them pests since they are ridiculously hardy, thrive almost anywhere, and spread prolifically. They may look all innocent, but they are actually big bullies, crowding out more delicate species. It's the old survival of the fittest story. I've noticed them all winter blooming in the pastures alongside the grazing cows. Either cows are smarter than we think, or the lilies are more aggressive than we imagined because Bossie and her friends never never nibble on these plants. They might be dead if they did. Only their poisonous nature would prevent my crowding my garden with them (the lilies - not the cows). The World's Cutest is often out there digging with his fleet of tonka trucks. I'm certainly not worried that the cows are smarter than he, but you've never heard of curiosity killing a cow. And speaking of curiosity, I now know more than I ever wanted to know about dumpers and diggers and excavaters since a VIP often insists that "Nuhnah fix it!" or "Nuhnah dig." And, Nuhnah does.

Sometimes the flowers in our gardens are so demanding.

Earthquake

Who would guess that this sunset would predict our first earthquake this morning at 7:56 AM?

http://nz.news.yahoo.com/070816/3/18e6.html

Of course, we should be thankful that we didn't wake up in Peru today. Our earthquake was just a little bit of rock and roll. The dishes did rattle and the house did vibrate, but the shaking only lasted a few seconds. However, there was no doubt that it was an earthquake, and although it was not serious, there was that first quick intake of breath and moment of anticipatory fear. Earthquakes are expected here in New Zealand, and inhabitants are advised to prepare for them with an earthquake kit - three days worth of water, torches, rain gear, sleeping bags, an emergency kit, toilet paper, etc. Hey, don't ask me - I'm just the messenger.

Stormy Seas

Good to know that these guys are coming to get you if you get into troubled waters.

Some days the ocean is all calm and clear blue; others, all angry and dark gray. Just like us, I guess.

We saw three women with their jeans rolled up to their knees wading in the water yesterday. I haven't had my bare feet near the water since the first day we arrived - not because the water was so cold, mind you, but the sand bugs chewed up my ankles. Aren't they supposed to hibernate?

Even the surfer dudes in their wet suits have bare feet - better to grip the board, my dear. Love to watch them, but, like I said, not getting my feet wet. Of course, some (the world's cutest grandbaby) love to fling their socks off and wriggle their toes in the sand - sometimes up to their knees. Keeps a mum on her toes! Tough job, being a mum, but the rewards are great. Fortunately, we nuh-nahs just get to reap the rewards. However, I did change my first nappie today - I may have gotten it on backwards, but I don't think he'll tell on me.

Eating Down the Coast

The suspense has probably driven you crazy - where the hell could that other restaurant on the Kapiti Coast be? Sorry for the sleepless nights, but this is it. Obviously the entrance doesn't even begin to hint at the view on the other side. We always try to go on a day when we can eat outside and hear the waves crashing on the shore. Yep! As you can see, there is danger lurking, but what is life if you can't live on the edge sometimes? You might also notice that the pictures were taken on two different days. You guessed it - we're regulars here too. It's really the view that keeps us coming back although it is just down the beach from our sandcastle. In fact, it's in walking distance, but, nonetheless, the view is very different - rockier, and the surf is rougher. The bottom photo is looking south toward Wellington. The other one, north toward us, and you should recognize Kapiti Island by now.

Again, I try to stick with the fish and chips. They're really quite good ( terahiki, hoki, monkfish ...... I guess they're all out there in the water somewhere) if you have them pan-fried (nothing fancy) and insist on the fish of the day (it's the freshest one). Of course, you can go crazy. I ordered the scallops only to discover that they come with some bright orange attachment that even the Kiwis can't explain. Is it the darn thing's foot or tongue or what? Anyhow, it's all rubbery and slippery like the meat in the lobster's thumb ....... only here they're called crayfish, mate. Well, they look like lobsters to me, but nobody knows what you're talking about when you say lobster. People look at you like you're from another planet. Could be. And if you say faucet, you'll have them rolling on the floor. Don't ask me what's so funny. It's a tap if you want to save yourself the embarassment. Who knew?

The white wine is always served too cold, and I'm not sure that I've ever ordered a red.

And you're right....that is a different purse in my hand. You can't journey to the other side of the world with only one. What would people think?