Summer is coming

Althought I dont think its in any hurry.....but things are starting to awaken from there long sleep and the weather is oh so slowly starting to improve.
I also dont think I pose a threat to the NZ fruit and vegetable exports yet with my attempts of crops but It really gives me a "Warm Fuzzie" to know that I am providing (even though its just a taste) food for my family.
After 3 years of growing my Feijoa tree its finally blooming and starting to show signs that this year we might actually get fruit.
After 2 and a half years of growing one by itself I asked a friend of mine what the deal was and being in the horticultural industry and in the know she asked if I had 1 or 2 plants?
I answered by saying 1 and her response (with a "smirk" that can best be described as "Ya Dummy") was......"Well my friend you have sucessfully planted............"A bush".......you need another 1 so they can cross pollanate"................thanks for that Carol.......ya cheecky bugger.

So for the last year its had a partner and it seems alot happier.

Also we now have the first "Christmas-y" red bloosom our one of the 3 Pohutukawa trees.

Our corn that Mana helped me plant/sow has taken off and according to Mana "When its tall like Daddy its ready.....but not yet.........."and the good ole strawberries are just starting to relinquish there summer-y delights......yum,yum!

Roll on Summer..........

"What's a Pron?"

Caught up with my friends from Otorohanga (Means "food for the journey") the other day while I was staying down there way on the job with Japanese High School students.

I worked in the morning visiting farms that the students were staying on and then pretty much had the rest of the afternoon off.

So I called up my mate Gath and he came and picked me up (well more of SAVED me from going round the bend by myself at the "crappy" motel that I was staying at)

Gath and his wife Kazue run a modest B&B just 5minutes out of town and about a "Stone's throw" from some of the best and most beautiful attractions in the area Waitomo,Ruakuri and Aranui Caves,Blackwater rafting,horse riding and Farm stays etc.

http://www.aatravel.co.nz/main/listing.php?listingId=60246 with a bit of good ole Kiwi hospitality (and abit of Japanese politness) they have quite a cool little set up going on and I have to admit at times it's a lifestyle that Im a little envious of......

They were hosting four Japanese students and they had a great time telling me how Gath had been teaching them some Maori words for animals and what sort of food they liked which lead to me re-naming the girls to Hokey.......Pokey......Hoi and Hoi.
We loaded up the two cars and drove on the very windy road to the Marokopa Falls.

Tucked away in the "Back blocks" of "The mighty King Country" The 30-metre falls are often described as the most beautiful in the country (Id have to agree) and continued out West towards Marokopa (either refers to the folding of clothing or going lame) .....Stopped off at this natural bridge Mangapohue (Stream of the Bindweed) and the limestone arch at 17-metres high was pretty damm impressive......... and then you guessed it we kept on following our noses (did I mention the road had more twists and turns in it than a soap opera?) until we eventually arrived........

Right out to the coast to this.........

What a truly magnificent and beautiful country I live in with a treasure a jewel just waitng to be re-discovered around every cornor.

Gath tells me that on its day the surf out here can be some of the best around,althought the drive alone can even deter even the most hardcore surfers about.
Got back home and Kazue insisted that I stay for dinner and what a "MEAN" feed it was too.

But before dinner I sat down with Hokey,Pokey,Hoi and Hoi (Hokey Pokey being the ice cream and Hoihoi is Maori for horse all words the girls liked)

Where they proceeded to abs-so-lutly thrash me at "Scrabble".....some would say "A diffrent interpretation of the rules",some would say "Cheat" but either way a good time had by all.

They all had these electronic dictionaries and what they would do is enter the 7 letters into there dictionaries push a button and "WALAAA" it would find a whole bunch of words of diffrent spelling asking "Did you mean......?"

One of the words was that was used was "Several" and I asked Hokey (not her real name) "do you know what it means?" and with a puzzed look she answered by reading the meaning out from her electronic dictionary...... "Pron.. afew,more than two.......but not many.............Pron wa nane desuka ?" (Whats a Pron??)

I laughed soooo hard..........

Bye bye

Finally I can sit down and try and finish Mum and Dad's trip to NZ.......been "Flat out like a lizard drinking" these last few weeks,well months since Mum and Dad's visit.

Althought I started this BLOG for "ME" and my own surfing ego it's now starting to become more of Mana's blog and although I will still sneak the odd surfing entry here and there in my main focus will be on Mana in the hope that she can one day look back on this in say 10 or so years and see what we were all doing.........scary thought,haha maybe it will be more for us so K and I can remember what we did........haha.

OK so we made our way to the Airport in the wee hours of the morning for Mum and Dad's flight home.

Was actually quite a brief send off and although we were all smiles for the photo's but it was more of a brave face from the "older" ones.

A welcome surprise for Mana (and us) was when she met one of her friends from school and the two of them ran around together easing the whole farewell tension......and then they were off!

Well that was it....Mum and Dad's trip over and done,looking back we had an abs-so-lute blast and everyone came out with something.
I got a week long holiday with my family and even thought alot of planning and stuff was involved,it was a change and they do say "A change is as good as a rest"
Keiko got to see Mum and Dad........and also got away from the cooking duties to which she really appreciated.
Mum and Dad got to spend some time (and money) on there only grand daughter.
But the big winner was of course Mana she got "Spoilt Rotten and generally "Fussed" over by her parents and her Grandparents............What more could she ask for???