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We're back! and the computer is s--l--o--w because a certain young member of our family has been on the internet about 14 hours a day, using up all our fast internet time until the end of the month...oh well. They will be back in school in a week and half. Joseph starts Feb 5, then the 6th is Waitangi Day, a national holiday that celebrates the founding treaty with the Maori. Picnics, maybe--I'm not sure about fireworks. Then Emily starts the 7th. Joseph got his schedule, which remains marginally fathomable to parents and other aliens, but I gather his electives are computer programming, design (old fashioned not computer, artish), and the Junior Enrichment and Extension programme, which is the kind of like gifted program, but this year is supposed to include going on a sailing ship for a few days, so that seems promising. And we also gather, by reading between the lines but not yet getting any actual information, that he is going camping for a week in March. We are supposed to pay a "camp fee," and there is a mysterious "Y10 OE" on the school calendar for a week on march. Outdoor experience? Joseph claims to know nothing about it, and appears unconcerned--"we'll find out."

Our Outdoor Experience at the Coromandel Peninsula was a bit more indoor than expected--unfortunately, it rained for the first 2 1/2 (of four) days there, and the ocean was so stormy that none of the boat tours were going. They said, "oh, yes, for the last few weeks it's been beautiful, lots of dolphins playing in the bay..." but no go...we tried to go to Hot Water Beach, a beach with an underground spring so that at low tide you dig your own hot tub and hot water seeps up and you mix it with sea water to get the right temperature--seemed like a good activity for a drizzly day--lots of other people thought so, too, but we got there and there was a sign saying that the surf was rough and too dangerous. Other people ignored this, but we didn't...we did a puzzle, and explored several small beach towns, including a museum (at least Joseph and I went in. Emily is still struggling with taxidermiphobia) with a lot of Captain Cook memorabilia--he landed near there. The house we rented was very nice, at the top of a hill in a macadamia orchard. There were wild turkeys that wandered around in the mornings, and other interesting birdlife. When the sun finally came up, Emily and I went kayaking on an estuary near the house, and I had fun retrieving her paddle a couple of times...but that water was nice and calm and fairly clear, and then Emily had fun playing with hermit crabs and there were little starfish around.

We drove back home the long way around, exploring more beach towns on the Firth of Thames--a long, often windy road, with occasional short but nerve-wracking one-lane bits...I am still hankering after a beach house--somewhere where we can walk out of the back door onto the beach, and sit on the porch and listen to the waves. A friend at work just came back from Fiji, where they go to an island called Navini. You rent one of ten "bure" and they feed you and you snorkel and kayak and sit on the beach. You can walk around the island in ten minutes. There is nothing else on it. They have a two-bure-for-the-price-of-one deal on now...anyone want to meet us in Fiji? It's far away from the capital, where they are having a few political irregularities...

Charlie seems to have enjoyed her weekend at her original mama's...she is getting shaggier and bolder every day. She ate the cover off the HP and the Chamber of Secrets. but we love her anyway.

We sold our Topeka house! Finally, cheaply, but we are very grateful to have it done, and to Helen Crow for all her work on it...I guess we are planted here. We hear it is cold in Topeka and wet in California. Here it is warm (up to about 85, which they consider blistering here) in the day, cool at night, and we wish for a bit of rain, but don't seem to be getting it anytime soon.

Come visit us! My cousin Suzy is going to be our first guest, arriving on Feb 7th!
Carrie