WInter Wonderland

It is a lovely thing when the solstice comes and goes, the daylight hours get progressively longer, and those hours are warm enough to spend the day in shorts and a tshirt in midwinter!  And to spend that day from the beach to the soccer pitch to and around the Mount (twice in one day even!) is a true banner day here.   At one point I had to really pinch myself and remember that it is mid winter now.  

There is snow, but down south on the volcanoes, and stores advertise skiing and such, but we are happy here spending these nice days outside playing together.

Boys soccer game was postponed so we played a bit on our own this week, got through some chores around the house, and enjoyed some unscheduled time.  Took in a couple movies as well, The Fault in our Stars (whoa!  get the tissues!)  and Words and Pictures, another lovely story that got me excited about teaching and education again.

Ok, so here are some more photos of the recent week, starting with yet another new fruit of this season, the Tamarillo.  Originally from S America like the feijoa that we enjoyed so a couple months ago, this one is red and tastes like a combination plum/pomegranate.  Delish!  See it on the tree below. 

And when you cut it open, the deep red gives way to this lovely pattern!

And last weekend I agreed to take the boys and Jamey paint balling, who knew it was such a world wide event!  They loved it and still have the welts and bruises to show for it.  THey played some kiwi mates, NZ vs USA.  Seemed everyone was a winner of sorts.  And the one most keen to go back was Maggie of course who just watched, but feels she has it down now and is ready to take on those brothers!

Had the pleasure this week of joining Maggie and her class on a tour of the airport and our local airplane museum, all part of their studies on flight.  We have such a lovely airport, small, intimate, easy to navigate, lovely cafe where one can get a flat white and muffin or glass of Sauv blanc.  Here we got to tour the runway, see the control tower, and get up close and personal with the fire truck on duty.

Classic Flyers is the name of the museum and it has all sorts of classic planes, many of which will fly you up and around for a small fee if you are game.  The kids loved it, and I loved seeing all of these young ones so engaged and having fun.

Yes another kitten photo, but you just can't believe what this cat puts up with and enjoys!  Under the covers with Mamma ( as she refers to herself which then makes me Grandma!! eek!), all snuggled in for the night.  Still progressing towards shipping this four legged back to the US as well.  What was I thinking??

And today was a day of swinging.  Here at the park, Maggie and the neighbor took to the air as they showed me just how high they could go.  The boys and I were playing soccer on the adjacent pitch, and afterwards we were off to the local dairy for ice cream and coffee.

Though a passenger for only a moment until I got a bit motion sick, Maggie showed my how using the legs, one can really get this thing going.  Such joy!!

Our day progressed and we took in a movie, and then once back home it was too nice out to stay inside, so I was blessed to have the company of Maggie and Noah for a stroll around the Mount.  We found this swing so had to take a ride.  Noah was great helping his sister, and then when it was his turn, he got on the swing, and the thing collapsed under his weight.  I missed the photo, and no injury was sustained, perhaps a bit of a bruised who.  Alas.

It was a wonderful winter day indeed.  Noah admitted he is looking forward to snow and skiing and all the fun that will bring, but for now, loving the shorts and sunshine.  BBQ'd some chicken and ended the night with some episodes of Game of Thrones.  What could be better??  Sorry if I made this day and past week sound all rosy and sweet.  Each day of course has its moments or sibling turmoil and angst, but when blogging, want to remember the sweeter moments.  No need to bore anyone with the teenage drama!  Though I have had some good conversations recently about puberty with the boys…..
can you see them rolling their eyes now?!

OZ II

So here is installment #2 of our trip to OZ.  Mostly more photos but I will try to add a bit of anecdote for each moment. It was a great trip overall, but in general realized for myself big cities are not where I am my best.  Of all cities, Sydney and Melbourne have to be two of the best and the brightest and most colorful.  Due to the fact that people get paid pretty well there, many are out spending their monies in cafe, out for drinks, a meal, lots of livelihood.  Our last day in Sydney found us visiting some of the more historical sights, like the Rock, famous for being the first settlement of the British prisoners sent to settle this land.  When you learn the history of a country settled by convicts and bad guys 

(and gals) and the survivalist attitudes they brought, it is pretty impressive what they were able to do with this once wasteland.  

The Rock, so aptly named for the stone you see in the background, which served as the foundation for this neighborhood.

When we sat down for lunch this day, kids were mesmerized watching these candy makers pull the colorful sugar into small round pieces.

Me and mom sharing a moment post lunch

And then we spent the afternoon touring the Opera House.  Impressive architecture as well as engineering to make this building happen.  Unfortunately the architect struggled and eventually had to leave the job, never to return, never to see this amazing structure in all its glory.
Here is a view from inside the House looking at the Harbor Bridge.

Here is the cafe and hallway inside.

Like the innards of a great whale, the concrete and steel and wood find magical ways to meet and support this structure.  5 different halls to accommodate all sorts of artists, musicians and performers.

Taking in the scene….

Such a handsome young man in the midst of it all.

And the usual antics on the ferry back to our hotel.  Just another day in the life...

One last parting view

And then we arrived in Melbourne, hit the ground running and within an hour we had tickets to go see Wicked.  Melbourne is a smaller city than Sydney, very colorful, youthful, tons of sports enthusiasts and sporting venues, lots of small lanes full of boutiques, cafes, funky shops.  A Chinatown, a Little Italy, Greek town, and a few other beach side communities.

Needless to say, we loved Wicked!  Amazing show that adds so much to our understanding and enjoyment of the Wizard of Oz.

Here was one of our favorite lanes where we ate belgian waffles, drank yummy flat whites, bought some hip new clothes and passed the time away.

And later while Linda went off to some museums, I took kids to the famous Melbourne Cricket Grounds.  Like any big stadium, it had its own story to tell.  This one in particular served a dual purpose for both Australian Rules Football and Cricket.  We took the official tour and tried to imagine the frenzy when the teams are in full play.  The best part for me was rediscovering that the Olympics were held here in 1956.  As we passed the outside of the building, there was a plaque to all the medalists of those games, and there, carved into the stone, was the name of my dear friend Bob Clotworthy, gold medalist in springboard diving that year.  Bob and I taught together in Albuquerque years ago, and how great to see his name featured as one of the best of the best!  My kids were impressed!

The lights on the field are there to help the grass grow as this time of year the sun does not shine here.

In the basement of the Cricket ground is fantastic sports museum with all sorts of sports paraphernalia .  Best for us was the experiential section where one could race a bike, play some netball or rugby or Aussie Rules football.

Maggie the netball star!

and we then took in the Melbourne Aquarium, sharks, crocodiles, penguins, poisonous snakes and spiders.

In order to get to the market we desired, we hopped on this tour bus which allowed us to see the city from above.

And finally we got to Queen Victoria Market full of great produce, meats, seafood, cheeses, tea, desserts, and then some.

And one glance up, we saw something only in Aussie.  Though did not get to try any kangaroo….

Early morning over Melbourne, rowers on the river, hot air balloons overhead, it is a really nice place to be!

Before we left this town, we bussed out to St. Kilda's beach where we walked around, a bit aimlessly, taking in the local color.  Nice walk down the pier, run along the jetty, a beautiful skyline.

Thank goodness for Jack we found our bus back home.

And our final lunch, it was a treat indeed!

After the 8 days, we were tired and happy to be going back to our home in the Mount, but loved our time on this immense diverse continent.