A little of the future...

At times I think about living abroad again.  A year or two in Europe... or Australia.  Maybe a place in between.  It's always a thought in the back of my mind, ever since traveling around as much as I did.  I like San Francisco and for now it's good - it's the first place in America that's felt like home for a long time.  However, that doesn't mean that I will be around the Bay area forever.

And it gets tougher to feel settled when the people around me take off for foreign adventures.  And now I have two friends who are in the midst of doing so.  It makes me wonder about my own future.  The things I would like about living abroad again.  What it would take to make all that happen.  And would I want to do it alone again this time around.

If these ideas are always floating under the surface, always exploding when I hear of others doing such things... then they should eventually be made to happen, yeah?  It's a strange line of thought that zig zags through my head.  A jumble of emotions and ideas.  I am just wondering what will become of all of it...

Destination: Zion National Park

Yay!  It's almost time!  One week till my friends and I meet for our second photography trip this year. We picked Zion National Park for our fall venture.  Tons of autumnal color, great weather, and an endless smorgasbord of things to point our cameras at.  The trip begins in Vegas, where we will all fly in and meet.  It will be my first time in the City of Sin, and I'm glad it will only be a thrilling hour or so.  Ironic to fly into  such a city just to make our way to a beautiful stretch of nature, eh?

I forgot to post anything about the trip to Yosemite in February; and this time will be much different.  I am sure that there will be many things to post about and share.  Very much excited to have a proper vacation and to see my friends.  It's been awhile since I have used my camera the way it should be used and my creativity has been aching.  And thanks to Neil and I, we will be eating well too.  Many delicious meals planned!  It's going to be a great trip. :)

You will be kept in the loop, so check back!

Final Round

A few final scenic shots of sunrises...

 nightscapes...

 a rainbow reward after a noontime shower...

 and mist over the bush.

 And the one experience no one wants to miss from New Zealand...

 Happy and unaware.

 It was winter so the sheep were only getting their faces and ahm, other parts, sheared to make life a little easier.

 Sporting the new 'do.

 Final sunset in New Zealand.

 Goodbye!  A grand trip it was!

Awaiting my flight home to San Fragjdsco.

Fourth Round

A few days we went over to work with Paul, a neighbor down yonder.  He used to work with the Department of Conservation and occasionally still works on building projects for them.  Quite the character.

 Paul's barn was full of many collections...

 Old tools from logging days.

 Another neighbor, who made several escape attempts from his roadside post.

 AnneMarie checking traps for stoats.

 We were being watched.

 Caught one!

 Yikes.

 One afternoon our hosts took us golfing.  Scores will remain unposted.

 Another day the other wwoofers and I went scouring for mussels along the Te Mata coastline.  We came up empty-handed.

 The bones belong to Frederick, a wwoofer who lost his way in the native bush.

 A few photographs of the glorious views...

 Tihana farm plants 1000 trees every year.  This was #1000.

 Finishing up the sign for the cove of plantings I was given to name.

A few artsy shots.

A good night.

Third Round

We awoke on the fourth morning of the tramp to one of the most beautiful sunrises I have ever seen.

 Admiring my sewing prowess on my Goodwill pants.

 The final days of Abel Tasman...

 Farewell committee trying to avoid the paparazzi.

 My third, unofficial, WWOOF host in Upper Hut, just north of Wellington.  Worked on house renovations.

 Shakily trying to take a picture of the final wall of sealer without getting any on my camera.

 Homemade brownies that Kimberly and I made!

 Found it.

 The only snow I saw in New Zealand.  One hour of powder driving over the highest point on the North Island.

 Te Puia, geothermal hot springs in Roturua.

 Bubbling mud pools.

 Maori tribes would use the pools to cook meals.

 Stones with English translations of Maori words were strewn about Te Puia.

 A fresh water spring at the bus station filled the mosaic pool and fed the water fountain.

 Dogs at play.  My final WWOOF host on the Coromandel Peninsula.

 A garden bed I made.

 A chair I restored before...

 and after!

 The only 'stove' for cooking.  Precarious!

 My first homemade pasta dough.

 Linguine, which we ate with fresh tomatoes from the garden and homemade purple pesto.

A second attempt yielded salmon and herb ravioli.  A few days later we made pumpkin ravioli with spices.  All delicious!