Evening stroll...

Today we finally decided to do something with our day... but we had waited until nearly 4 to get out the door which left us with precious little daylight. In spite of this we set off for Makara Mt Bike park and here is some of what we saw:









I occasionally hear kiwis comment on how lovely the American Yellow School Buses are, but I have to saw that there is a certain appeal in a path like this leading you to school:

As much joy as this stream would bring me as my front yard, my worrywart side would fret about flooding....


Below is the first glimpse of the Mt Bike park we'd be meaning to check out for ages.

There were incredible views of throughout the park. To your left you could see nothing but green and sky, to the right were all the houses on the ridge with a few lights on here and there.

And one day we'll have proper hiking shoes again. Until then I'll just smile at our muddy dress shoes by the door

The Trash Palace

Some lure their families and friends to visit them with such things as great accommodation, good food, photos of the scenery.. I even hear grandkids can have that effect.

Although we can offer food and photos, the other two are not currently present in our flat.

However I have just learned of a potentially very cool thing. It is called the TRASH PALACE. Here is a description from another couple's blog (whom I suspect also are Portlanders who were living in NZ). Reading the description, I knew I had to added to the list of places to potentially show my father. My mother would be thrilled because as much as Dad loves a bargain, the Pacific Ocean could serve as a deterrent to actually buying and bring stuff home. My only worry is that trash would still be bought and end up in Trav and I's house. But still, there has to be some takers who want to venture to the Trash Palace with me...

Pauses...

I'm trying to pause now and then and notice my surroundings. I think that deliberting choosing to live in a far away place helps me remember to mentally say "wow I'm here."


Every day I try to remember to look up at the tree fern. It keeps changing, and I realize I don't know what the various things I see are properly called. So I use my own words... Now the first fron has unfolded into mini ferns. A couple new fiddle heads have emerged.

Autumn is finally making itself known with its colours, rains, and chilly temps.


I also have noticed uncanny resemblences to my dear parents. This photo Trav snuck reminds me of photos of my mom from when I was a kid...

And when I realize the number of photos I have from randomn roadside stops I realize how much I've taken on my Dad's habit of stopping here and there when driving to explore on foot. My job often means that I am going from one house to another far afield of the office. Occasionally I misjudge the timings and have a few minutes to kill before the next appointment, but not enough time to find a coffee shop and do some report writing. Here are some photos from such moments.


Hutt River (above)

Kapiti Coast... the ocean is just over the ridge but my battery died by the time I walked to it :(

Food everywhere...

I don't know if it'swinter is setting in or if I've been working to hard, but I seem to have food on my mind quite a bit. I seem to see food everywhere.

Presently, I see Persimmon Ginger Cookies that I made from this recipe. I substitued dried cranberries and some of the white sugar with brown sugar. As I write, with an eye on the oven, I am enjoying one now!

But I also see food in more unique places than my kitchen. The other morning I was staring at the street median from a downtown bus stop.

And on the way back I grabbed a photo of what I think is one of the coolest winter landscapping ideas I've ever seen. Much nicer than the scaley ivy covered in pidgeon droppings you find further along the street.



In case you can't make much out of my blurry bus drive-by photograph- that's SWISS CHARD the city has planted in the median! Its so pretty, and a lovely way of letting those of us who want to show kids that food actually comes from somewhere before it gets to the grocery store do just that.

Or maybe my food thoughts are from the recent early mornings which often are a bit skimpy breakfast wise. Though I have a long standing love affair with sleep, these early mornings have brought me certain joys. The winter morning fog has a way of bringing back happy childhood memories. Fog was common throughout my childhood memories, but rarely presented itself during my uni days, and always feels like an embracing and accepting hug, hiding some of the uglier bits of the world for a time.

Home...

... so after a full evening of looking at houses I can't call home, I found this on the internet

http://geoimages.berkeley.edu/wwp1205/html/RobertSHaan.html

nothing is more home to me

Hither thither

I have no idea what that means, but it seems to suit my current brain energy.

I thought I might share one of my evening past times. No its nothing shocking, though I have I've gone through several 'porn' phases according to my dear partner.. there was the 'wedding magazine porn' that I stored in the downstairs bathroom, because somedays looking at page after page of pretty dresses was a soothing way to wrap up the day. There were the days that I soured the internet for cheap airfares. I go through baby name phases where I find joy in reading lists of names. But nothing like my current phrase of trolling the internet looking at real estate. Babies, weddings, PhD's, travel... all those feel possible, maybe not in the same week, but all accessible.

Houses, though, seem beyond me, unless I leave the type of work I love which is too specialized to do in the sticks.

So I stroll through the various housing websites torturing myself looking at houses I can't afford, and find solace in saving photos of rooms that appeal to me. And just when I convince myself its all fantasy, I accidently stumble across the address of a house I've seen online. So what exactly appeals?

Well some facades intrigue me

I lust after kitchens,

Particularly those with beautiful dogs looking in

I am a sucker for bay windows



and I definetely have a thing for fire places




and window seats



pathways lure me in too

and then there are just dreams of night and day

So that is how I spend some of my evenings, eatting up broadband thinking of a place to grow veggies, chickens, and do some remodelling. Really my life is quite good - fun job, decent hours, yummy food, and a flat that is like camping with really nice dry wall - but the urge to check out real estate is a bug I've definetely caught!