tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-44048686067975450192024-02-07T05:03:34.617-08:00ashley m.Ashley Mackayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12111748817174029795noreply@blogger.comBlogger331125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4404868606797545019.post-12017092933693300782011-03-18T08:48:00.001-07:002011-03-18T08:56:06.951-07:00http://ashleysamantha.com/blog/<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">It is a big change, but I've decided that I'm going to change blogs. I love this one and am not going to delete it or anything. If I go on any cool trips and need somewhere to document them I may resurrect it but from now on what posting I do will be on my </span><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" href="http://ashleysamantha.com/blog/">website blog</a><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">I just thought I'd mention it, just in case anyone still wanted to follow my blog even though I am no longer in New Zealand.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Here is one last picture of my brother and I in front of the pawn shop from Pawn Stars. We were in Vegas for the Mountain West Conference Basketball Championship. </span><br /><br /><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK0eL7EfBJBLYc6hJNQF6B6c4lmHQkysGbP_AR1uYH8-4HwCuNOwyPGrl4sHsJUTiGFRibgmagZMuYBlgzwEqT02FQu0vR0IHFgEgTcYOA-h7TdZ1UlMBqyZnGg0T9RSOfJIAC-WI2uy4/s1600/pawnStars.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK0eL7EfBJBLYc6hJNQF6B6c4lmHQkysGbP_AR1uYH8-4HwCuNOwyPGrl4sHsJUTiGFRibgmagZMuYBlgzwEqT02FQu0vR0IHFgEgTcYOA-h7TdZ1UlMBqyZnGg0T9RSOfJIAC-WI2uy4/s400/pawnStars.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585449052257914738" border="0" /></a>Ashley Mackayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12111748817174029795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4404868606797545019.post-84849223542755261802011-03-08T20:45:00.000-08:002011-03-08T21:05:05.008-08:00some catching up<a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJvxhMYxYvH7R0vjgwCawjVPGsFpjS44gHW6zwhEpSsr8a3UtqFVh2fD3lNeiCiAgc6iAdn1Qwg_jb9Gs9R5dMFd_r6ji4cOI3_0L5IuD6H7VlYEMc6U-6-o6Lr6WZrFaDiHFMbdeOe1o/s1600/nzMordor1.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 84px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJvxhMYxYvH7R0vjgwCawjVPGsFpjS44gHW6zwhEpSsr8a3UtqFVh2fD3lNeiCiAgc6iAdn1Qwg_jb9Gs9R5dMFd_r6ji4cOI3_0L5IuD6H7VlYEMc6U-6-o6Lr6WZrFaDiHFMbdeOe1o/s400/nzMordor1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5581937119848244098" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">I guess I'll finally post some of our pictures from when we hiked Mordor. I will not be posting any pictures from when we saw Hobbiton because they have rebuilt it all for The Hobbit movie and they made us sign waivers. Feel bad though. The pictures are awesome. We even danced in front of the party tree. More fun than expected.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">You know what is harder than expected? Backpacking for four days. We had the option to do a one day hike, but thought it would be fun to go for four days. It <span style="font-style: italic;">was</span> fun, but hard. We did not train. We just rolled off the beach and thought it would be no big deal. 100 km winds were kind of a big deal. Now that I've been away from it for long enough, I remember it being fun. But I did decide backpacking was something I could only do maybe once every two years.<br /><br />MT. DOOM!!!! (look how happy we are. This is before it got hard. So innocent):<br /> </span><br /><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUKSeOllx0OO4l7YbEmikgi1NFmaGx-p4l_WqnYX2x86G7nux3eSGnp0qEDUEthAijoxz1EB8ZHA7CmHG2bpcKd0TUl-BE-d1o4y5MQvhS1So_-BCNIeN1UfteHx_lsly5XxCqAByuCOE/s1600/AmaAshDoom.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUKSeOllx0OO4l7YbEmikgi1NFmaGx-p4l_WqnYX2x86G7nux3eSGnp0qEDUEthAijoxz1EB8ZHA7CmHG2bpcKd0TUl-BE-d1o4y5MQvhS1So_-BCNIeN1UfteHx_lsly5XxCqAByuCOE/s400/AmaAshDoom.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5581937128764959762" border="0" /></a><br /><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5lk367pW5xuoQ0xO4bnXr97AvXuWxxa9TLRtWd0EUoHS73fUpGdhx3uxoXrxWDy25R3SBK6juK3LSnltkIhC6NXOOHBMHltarPXnad2mI2ifgo_0mig6kuUU2idJjcr3wvZXgu4WGg1s/s1600/mordorwalk2.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5lk367pW5xuoQ0xO4bnXr97AvXuWxxa9TLRtWd0EUoHS73fUpGdhx3uxoXrxWDy25R3SBK6juK3LSnltkIhC6NXOOHBMHltarPXnad2mI2ifgo_0mig6kuUU2idJjcr3wvZXgu4WGg1s/s400/mordorwalk2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5581937993530184354" border="0" /></a><br /><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMx1f3RWwXBGIUYGK0NsBWlytn4NQFCYme_RGzldhje7_Wj9ozFao08tiPvz7gxVjzVzYfU6OXp_hm_WOMQl2Y6xouJBBe5gkH2NUMhoQh6L2WDZXClfuvrVGdl2FrmhhROQr87d3hlnU/s1600/mordorwalk.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMx1f3RWwXBGIUYGK0NsBWlytn4NQFCYme_RGzldhje7_Wj9ozFao08tiPvz7gxVjzVzYfU6OXp_hm_WOMQl2Y6xouJBBe5gkH2NUMhoQh6L2WDZXClfuvrVGdl2FrmhhROQr87d3hlnU/s400/mordorwalk.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5581937982660007810" border="0" /></a><br /><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGh2Jiw18qpAhXmj-WtyUVCKfPlzSWTvuV_ACKp6HrszQEQfJFCIU63LcSM2Y5ErsnAiwJARSd0xoFiCI_PdNFqM9t72ssZ1YQRjqmPZ0ErTxlVnaIEO1w8LBIkWPm_R_Mr55p7pNxk8o/s1600/mordorLakeBags.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGh2Jiw18qpAhXmj-WtyUVCKfPlzSWTvuV_ACKp6HrszQEQfJFCIU63LcSM2Y5ErsnAiwJARSd0xoFiCI_PdNFqM9t72ssZ1YQRjqmPZ0ErTxlVnaIEO1w8LBIkWPm_R_Mr55p7pNxk8o/s400/mordorLakeBags.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5581937982338829826" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Sunrise view from one of the cabins. That cabin in the top of the mountains was hard for us to hike to after having already hiked the mountain once that day:</span><br /><br /><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjfPEFgEhykRelEaoJ9SGm28exqm7X5NQZJnR4DAB1Uu7o5zoQGDEStXkrKHqyuok8bPq-WwR2BAyGFikv5_7GJH4Uxd8GOuOVqsdnOyh6ONrzXvd2iKNEnXTZ3_NY9tz6EJ7_IpOs5zY/s1600/mordorHutSunset.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjfPEFgEhykRelEaoJ9SGm28exqm7X5NQZJnR4DAB1Uu7o5zoQGDEStXkrKHqyuok8bPq-WwR2BAyGFikv5_7GJH4Uxd8GOuOVqsdnOyh6ONrzXvd2iKNEnXTZ3_NY9tz6EJ7_IpOs5zY/s400/mordorHutSunset.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5581937980675986946" border="0" /></a><br /><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglbwOjbxvNgb4S-upTGvhz9UmHOcBRY30IJMKqxbBXxXUd9EArS_kWymgV8CpUPCGFpWji2eSZfN5dawiPVLc4vKxdl2rjvBxEbCRKEQCVr4SX0MKAQ92qHqHKao7W54RFxnbmyfAn4MI/s1600/mordorAmaAsh.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglbwOjbxvNgb4S-upTGvhz9UmHOcBRY30IJMKqxbBXxXUd9EArS_kWymgV8CpUPCGFpWji2eSZfN5dawiPVLc4vKxdl2rjvBxEbCRKEQCVr4SX0MKAQ92qHqHKao7W54RFxnbmyfAn4MI/s400/mordorAmaAsh.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5581937150867580690" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Emerald Lakes:</span><br /><br /><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjglwhZfjtRLvSOkWwBeS_BLmuj_uX1aozIKc4nLbDzITOaJz8Eq7j3rEgeUaqdxqfZoYP3qfJNd4h38J3ZkhaUa2t3ZgHzHrBISZoBbrKcMjQMbN5-SadXFv6mBkrN21TyxzvsMXZcmd0/s1600/AshAmaLakes.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjglwhZfjtRLvSOkWwBeS_BLmuj_uX1aozIKc4nLbDzITOaJz8Eq7j3rEgeUaqdxqfZoYP3qfJNd4h38J3ZkhaUa2t3ZgHzHrBISZoBbrKcMjQMbN5-SadXFv6mBkrN21TyxzvsMXZcmd0/s400/AshAmaLakes.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5581937138019358770" border="0" /></a><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUKSeOllx0OO4l7YbEmikgi1NFmaGx-p4l_WqnYX2x86G7nux3eSGnp0qEDUEthAijoxz1EB8ZHA7CmHG2bpcKd0TUl-BE-d1o4y5MQvhS1So_-BCNIeN1UfteHx_lsly5XxCqAByuCOE/s1600/AmaAshDoom.jpg"><br /></a>Ashley Mackayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12111748817174029795noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4404868606797545019.post-20844361957211050242011-02-11T10:33:00.000-08:002011-02-11T18:01:58.922-08:00change of circumstances<a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Y3cgPYY6EazMi6i47MLPeKOnRa1tcKsAizOCZCQwyg3gnzo1it89nzOPH6hNQyZHnCd-1w5e4HftzMoM7DF8nGbf9JtZi17kCcia2UuOqscv0WIf-5kTqepzx_wDy1X3XwfWttmE4u0/s1600/HotWaterDad.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Y3cgPYY6EazMi6i47MLPeKOnRa1tcKsAizOCZCQwyg3gnzo1it89nzOPH6hNQyZHnCd-1w5e4HftzMoM7DF8nGbf9JtZi17kCcia2UuOqscv0WIf-5kTqepzx_wDy1X3XwfWttmE4u0/s400/HotWaterDad.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5572505016886072946" border="0" /></a><br /><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY5RKXw7LMuXfoj2qzL9QIJyG392RfuPexEi1iKZdm1M5TCYHpVqIZBTTVQ3fnhgYECiXJ26zbkZ_hAE2FjVioaec2rMdLU_WnaQmTHeZYFUHcnCdO3WxF670xsSR8zuq72Ds56L_kswE/s1600/BridalVeilMomDad.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY5RKXw7LMuXfoj2qzL9QIJyG392RfuPexEi1iKZdm1M5TCYHpVqIZBTTVQ3fnhgYECiXJ26zbkZ_hAE2FjVioaec2rMdLU_WnaQmTHeZYFUHcnCdO3WxF670xsSR8zuq72Ds56L_kswE/s400/BridalVeilMomDad.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5572505009476542050" border="0" /></a><br /><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb_hxRUWsqTvwfG0zyx6bkG4bPynQyWqGTH0Ow23VCJ9vHl1CcSg_FTrw5nvAs-B-D4ZzY_VolSqbDHILP6Snqhyphenhyphen10qMkg_4StDf6m7b-fll4Rby8Zn1RWqFsU1eAolGbWfp8iV1rESws/s1600/FamMaunganui.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb_hxRUWsqTvwfG0zyx6bkG4bPynQyWqGTH0Ow23VCJ9vHl1CcSg_FTrw5nvAs-B-D4ZzY_VolSqbDHILP6Snqhyphenhyphen10qMkg_4StDf6m7b-fll4Rby8Zn1RWqFsU1eAolGbWfp8iV1rESws/s400/FamMaunganui.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5572503026788900962" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">My parents have been visiting for the week which has been fun (for me at least, maybe a little boring for Amalia). We toured around Raglan, Mount Maunganui, and the Coromandel for a few days. The semi-unexpected thing that happened is my </span><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" href="http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/postregister/obituary.aspx?n=joyce-mackay&pid=148514548&fhid=7137&sms_ss=facebook&at_xt=4d55598b16c1c1cb%2C0">Grandma died</a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> while they were here. She got really sick right before they came so they were going to cancel their trip but she was very adamant that they come. So I am flying back to the United States with them. I'm totally ok with that, I have had a really great holiday in New Zealand. Amalia is going to go see the South Island with this guy Keaton who is also visiting from Utah. So that is the new plan. I still need to do some posts about our Mordor hike but after that my posts will all be cold and snowy. We have talked about Amalia being a "guest blogger" so she can still post what she is doing on my blog but we haven't decided, so if you are just reading to check on Amalia, I'll let you know where to look next. Meanwhile, enjoy some pictures of my parents and I fishing on the ocean for snapper. We had the best fish fry ever last night.</span><br /><br /><br /><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhblVd5ZVxAncjTYRzos142WGc7tDVhloiA2ZbwThst2pAvSoLE6duKoND2MTyKWMCtEisO7uSwpZMQrCat0_QpL65odo-Hk-J2Rfta36IrnN4AwPTxxcHbqdW2AU44zMewwLayjxWwroA/s1600/FishDad.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhblVd5ZVxAncjTYRzos142WGc7tDVhloiA2ZbwThst2pAvSoLE6duKoND2MTyKWMCtEisO7uSwpZMQrCat0_QpL65odo-Hk-J2Rfta36IrnN4AwPTxxcHbqdW2AU44zMewwLayjxWwroA/s400/FishDad.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5572503025576852114" border="0" /></a><br /><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3UsdxXmpcoXVGPtNvhRuO5n_dURP2qd_7Ad3SULrgolaJOLGyyEoK5vyXNb0BlgRjRgbsIyKms9a74m3s3z2GwHMboXlkj58L8oqzNEWfK3M58TNZCFRHB_Bf2usGCUikUr7a782Q8f4/s1600/FishAshDad.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3UsdxXmpcoXVGPtNvhRuO5n_dURP2qd_7Ad3SULrgolaJOLGyyEoK5vyXNb0BlgRjRgbsIyKms9a74m3s3z2GwHMboXlkj58L8oqzNEWfK3M58TNZCFRHB_Bf2usGCUikUr7a782Q8f4/s400/FishAshDad.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5572502539829923138" border="0" /></a><br /><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG-Zg2gX1X5d7ODzUbF89bBzIMyyqNn4FDvsO-nmMAEZ6Y1umqQsMG8oFM2J3WV5z38VVCogNlu2nFtvGAmsz_T7aNtMp96mBAB56jPqTxMFYjLLbBSM3XtADELAbJqOSw5Xo7-7P9tjs/s1600/FishAshSnapper.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG-Zg2gX1X5d7ODzUbF89bBzIMyyqNn4FDvsO-nmMAEZ6Y1umqQsMG8oFM2J3WV5z38VVCogNlu2nFtvGAmsz_T7aNtMp96mBAB56jPqTxMFYjLLbBSM3XtADELAbJqOSw5Xo7-7P9tjs/s400/FishAshSnapper.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5572502538203435842" border="0" /></a><br /><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXiF7JXcVizW_VI4ri_St1f-ofosT6IiTXgooPRPfIrcld2tmKY-efCg72SMMLSrxh8p2vvQxl7EdqcJvPVXgcDjmWnLpQvh1B8CcSl4NBVs6glAlOYWhrRe2RReK34vfrpzodKm73ga8/s1600/FishDadSnapper.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXiF7JXcVizW_VI4ri_St1f-ofosT6IiTXgooPRPfIrcld2tmKY-efCg72SMMLSrxh8p2vvQxl7EdqcJvPVXgcDjmWnLpQvh1B8CcSl4NBVs6glAlOYWhrRe2RReK34vfrpzodKm73ga8/s400/FishDadSnapper.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5572502533150373698" border="0" /></a><br /><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5rbcXfap4B1IUbfnTavfRMMabsc8qp3kotv82mYpeSicMlk3ue1R0iqmtvoicqOXB8hg7j1M2TE7TfLlF9S3S26OLK3KTacXiN0VZ_CkSYNind1iXIla7SW4_pUQWX7wfeBlkY04QvP4/s1600/FishMomCowEye.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5rbcXfap4B1IUbfnTavfRMMabsc8qp3kotv82mYpeSicMlk3ue1R0iqmtvoicqOXB8hg7j1M2TE7TfLlF9S3S26OLK3KTacXiN0VZ_CkSYNind1iXIla7SW4_pUQWX7wfeBlkY04QvP4/s400/FishMomCowEye.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5572502528540634818" border="0" /></a><br /><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkF7IbRkT2YOoI2IsN6MHrvvlfd8xfiCmW502wRpz5klsVmjmz5VNbwXfWS4Ri14QCx89gUl5-SkH-ImKFpxOBqCzfzIoGYaY1CxbQqT5d0v1t0uYq-zsUQkYfVksyfHrW2lb1QMUsRjU/s1600/FishMomThrow.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkF7IbRkT2YOoI2IsN6MHrvvlfd8xfiCmW502wRpz5klsVmjmz5VNbwXfWS4Ri14QCx89gUl5-SkH-ImKFpxOBqCzfzIoGYaY1CxbQqT5d0v1t0uYq-zsUQkYfVksyfHrW2lb1QMUsRjU/s400/FishMomThrow.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5572502522779654322" border="0" /></a>Ashley Mackayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12111748817174029795noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4404868606797545019.post-89329143560065830182011-02-04T19:39:00.001-08:002011-02-04T19:39:15.164-08:00I wish I had taken this picture<a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" href="http://28.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lfwrfkcT431qcuvv5o1_400.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 328px; height: 314px;" src="http://28.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lfwrfkcT431qcuvv5o1_400.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Josh Kessie sent me the link to </span><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" href="http://chuffi.tumblr.com/post/3045247193">this photo</a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">. Thank you, thank you, thank you to him. My blog has been kitten free for way to long. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">And to Sarah and others who think it has been too long since I've posted, I am not dead. We have been gone on a 4-day backpacking hike across Mordor braving 100km wind gusts, rain, sun, huts, and orcs, but sadly no </span><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" href="http://news.discovery.com/animals/sharks-swimming-in-australias-flooded-streets.html#mkcpgn=fbdsc8">sharks in the streets</a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> (thanks to Sarah for that link). </span>Ashley Mackayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12111748817174029795noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4404868606797545019.post-9076510593590485542011-01-28T17:31:00.000-08:002011-01-28T17:55:37.288-08:00La Niña<a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEvsprHiOw-NP7rCcdBTqPtc6Oa-jbb9ekFpPgdEqPZuKBGddylSvDOMLc0W_2F0S5RTgqe5A-UmQtSRBXJ4ox54qoqAXasG9gqX7xKG5row1Gv3HBO0Qd31CP2c9Yb7felH72-xK74ng/s1600/flooding1.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEvsprHiOw-NP7rCcdBTqPtc6Oa-jbb9ekFpPgdEqPZuKBGddylSvDOMLc0W_2F0S5RTgqe5A-UmQtSRBXJ4ox54qoqAXasG9gqX7xKG5row1Gv3HBO0Qd31CP2c9Yb7felH72-xK74ng/s400/flooding1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5567415955059345202" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">I read in the NZ Herald that the flooding in Australia was caused by La Niña. The same weather pattern has been sending us some tropical cyclones. New Zealand never gets really bad storms (according to the paper) but the past two weekends we at Waikawau Bay have been flooded in. Not bad flooded. Just bad enough that all the roads are closed and we can't leave. Last week we couldn't make it to church. This weekend Amalia and I had planned to drive back down to hike Mordor, but we are stuck again. The people in the campsite are stuck camping until the roads open. So at least we are stuck at a house with internet and television, and if worse came to worse, we have a freezer of ice cream novelties from the shop to eat. </span>Ashley Mackayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12111748817174029795noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4404868606797545019.post-33936907108031708052011-01-26T18:38:00.000-08:002011-01-26T18:48:27.787-08:00speedy delivery<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">My parents are coming to visit New Zealand during the first week of February for five days of summertime fun. This is the first draft of their itinerary:</span><br /><br /><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizMn3nR9SVpyK-tWxTxWVjgHlTodxDztST4Q0kLY1zR5OR5Y-ixeQXX-9t0SaEZt2M2LTfTefrSjXSn5XrbRIgKsPSF5Kv73Uf4OnI5QXBdeZZ2AUM04nJUqB9UDYG4cWg7JxbCfzTvZA/s1600/MomDadSchedule.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizMn3nR9SVpyK-tWxTxWVjgHlTodxDztST4Q0kLY1zR5OR5Y-ixeQXX-9t0SaEZt2M2LTfTefrSjXSn5XrbRIgKsPSF5Kv73Uf4OnI5QXBdeZZ2AUM04nJUqB9UDYG4cWg7JxbCfzTvZA/s400/MomDadSchedule.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5566689941694469842" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">I am excited to see them and have been buying a few necessities online and having them delivered to their house for them to bring to me. I just got back from my 3-hour shift at the shop to an email from my brother with the subject line "I found these and I think I'll keep them" and these 12 attachments. It seems my new sunglasses have arrived:</span><br /><br /><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD4rXFXAWA2TwuKj_Q4hwS2N2in7-GZWARwpP_wDL0ambq0S6ACWb1BTHKQzz1T_MLhRYWkMrHbCy1EbDJa6_xgeeBSyE8ok5MKnGBe6sI5CVRUUuSTgOzt_aHtUxNVQSLa_T3Oy9b-Ms/s1600/DrewSunglasses.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 391px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD4rXFXAWA2TwuKj_Q4hwS2N2in7-GZWARwpP_wDL0ambq0S6ACWb1BTHKQzz1T_MLhRYWkMrHbCy1EbDJa6_xgeeBSyE8ok5MKnGBe6sI5CVRUUuSTgOzt_aHtUxNVQSLa_T3Oy9b-Ms/s400/DrewSunglasses.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5566689948226401218" border="0" /></a>Ashley Mackayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12111748817174029795noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4404868606797545019.post-22450134633053634752011-01-19T21:37:00.000-08:002011-01-19T21:44:07.933-08:00Ring Shells<a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-mpqMMUgHeOkB4PBsR-GcXGOsvD2lHgt8mVmMT5ONpDODsr3_Pjmc3Sc-XHz6FHi2nDEsOwGfAbko3qXft2zJqL-rCGkIYV0GkQCkewA5ozRt8_86XYe8gCj7JMSRG9C24VGsuXrLEIw/s1600/shells.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 168px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-mpqMMUgHeOkB4PBsR-GcXGOsvD2lHgt8mVmMT5ONpDODsr3_Pjmc3Sc-XHz6FHi2nDEsOwGfAbko3qXft2zJqL-rCGkIYV0GkQCkewA5ozRt8_86XYe8gCj7JMSRG9C24VGsuXrLEIw/s400/shells.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5564138153069908578" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">I've been collecting ring shells to make into necklaces to give away as souvenirs when I get home. I accidentally collected way more than I could possibly need (Waikawau is FULL of them!). Everyone says they will be hard to get through customs, so I just washed them in soap and bleach then strung them all together, but they look so cool all together like that maybe I should just keep them. Any advice on getting them through customs?</span>Ashley Mackayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12111748817174029795noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4404868606797545019.post-19396159452221024462011-01-15T21:57:00.000-08:002011-02-22T08:24:32.568-08:00More pictures from WaikawauMe and Ama (yes, I put the shadow of the camera directly on her face):<br /><br /><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsVY69SoRmdt5o7nsPEJIKBU-FferHrN-bQ_35EVIdygFvAHVnujyApoQ8B3l6zdyaDlT6Y33dQJ1J3uCMshBAtD6Q33vu2iuGEVtCgPolXs7HdWojJ9_aLq1E99VoJ7-t551An3accR8/s1600/AmaAshBeach.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsVY69SoRmdt5o7nsPEJIKBU-FferHrN-bQ_35EVIdygFvAHVnujyApoQ8B3l6zdyaDlT6Y33dQJ1J3uCMshBAtD6Q33vu2iuGEVtCgPolXs7HdWojJ9_aLq1E99VoJ7-t551An3accR8/s400/AmaAshBeach.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5562659482804886050" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Amalia and Charlie making lolli bags to sell at the shop (and eating the lollies aka candy):</span><br /><br /><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzdgSyzEg2Bh70wBoIMtWqZASGZ9t4hpNe-g_VkmQNIo_LX1oOVxF5kiI-NrcoKApTWAIPMX1YdsU2tIDmGSLg0L5fTiuF8z21qcVdCpQGPQvBRLPbhLNGmxO6Wzij9c_akmaCONw9lhw/s1600/AmaCharlieLolli.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzdgSyzEg2Bh70wBoIMtWqZASGZ9t4hpNe-g_VkmQNIo_LX1oOVxF5kiI-NrcoKApTWAIPMX1YdsU2tIDmGSLg0L5fTiuF8z21qcVdCpQGPQvBRLPbhLNGmxO6Wzij9c_akmaCONw9lhw/s400/AmaCharlieLolli.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5562659478460224002" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Amalia holding a surf board:</span><br /><br /><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIKhswAORxZ0_853PiicimfeXXRj_EaaREK-8FJFr5CHR49zjDLtisV460A77DJTFCQFg7MKTDuXmLdhbL4jaO-EzDf6qNJxOfq5Viur6zCYP9i6BSgBh3aoQ4ERpt7x1OiwSQqse-hVU/s1600/AmaSurf1.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIKhswAORxZ0_853PiicimfeXXRj_EaaREK-8FJFr5CHR49zjDLtisV460A77DJTFCQFg7MKTDuXmLdhbL4jaO-EzDf6qNJxOfq5Viur6zCYP9i6BSgBh3aoQ4ERpt7x1OiwSQqse-hVU/s400/AmaSurf1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5562659478386926578" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Amalia laying on a surfboard:</span><br /><br /><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg917WVCIl4CrlgeoLqDC6n9XOs06tgcFKezZMKC23ESKvslORgi1GN-UWOrcY_o9Nf0cRw0korR5b7lQNtyXAUYeMOkknvyKg5ubKM72DrSQU_h-wCBbbClY6GOM747O7CyiuudQ7hcew/s1600/AmaSurf2.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg917WVCIl4CrlgeoLqDC6n9XOs06tgcFKezZMKC23ESKvslORgi1GN-UWOrcY_o9Nf0cRw0korR5b7lQNtyXAUYeMOkknvyKg5ubKM72DrSQU_h-wCBbbClY6GOM747O7CyiuudQ7hcew/s400/AmaSurf2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5562659472118775506" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Brooke and Mel riding horses on the beach:</span><br /><br /><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWQz5M2W0vsAzS-RSLvz1vyu7K7AhoBp5Ykv6DGegxo1KXc9pZr_emwUqYxVQqCSPAybnRt-QfkvJJqRbST2aQiYl8B-e_Zg_o-crgLW7n6Wm_65E1S334AGCIzz-LClqE3h9l8Gj2igo/s1600/BrookeHorse.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWQz5M2W0vsAzS-RSLvz1vyu7K7AhoBp5Ykv6DGegxo1KXc9pZr_emwUqYxVQqCSPAybnRt-QfkvJJqRbST2aQiYl8B-e_Zg_o-crgLW7n6Wm_65E1S334AGCIzz-LClqE3h9l8Gj2igo/s400/BrookeHorse.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5562659161170995442" border="0" /></a><br /><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitSDecwWhJp0JMeom47xVvIIloqCekB0oJZCedavYIVLfK5U17KB1vO4CLIM_n_h-SwTSU9ubJcz6OoAFT2p7wsLEO4DVBJqlAbaO2cN60Bv6xf1wIkdvuZpdCxagxlbrlRhzEn7Wo4MY/s1600/HorsesBeach.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitSDecwWhJp0JMeom47xVvIIloqCekB0oJZCedavYIVLfK5U17KB1vO4CLIM_n_h-SwTSU9ubJcz6OoAFT2p7wsLEO4DVBJqlAbaO2cN60Bv6xf1wIkdvuZpdCxagxlbrlRhzEn7Wo4MY/s400/HorsesBeach.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5562659160687515458" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">In this photo I was trying to capture both my awesome tan line (we were inexplicably sunburned while at Shipwreck Bay before Christmas. My legs are still peeling) and the amount of bug bites on my legs. I am the only person with that many bug bites. Bugs love me.</span><br /><br /><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwi2jwrCXBngKPgOoS0q30DGagNr5jHq4B5lYkGdlUm4sGY-z5ww5E76QEhoy857eq012qOBbgd9jvTXEVJnTmgyDjgBEz6-TvK2fJSjSsjvbjJ_21WxbMoLU7a7QlFkv9OYr3f_9NDlU/s1600/myLeg.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwi2jwrCXBngKPgOoS0q30DGagNr5jHq4B5lYkGdlUm4sGY-z5ww5E76QEhoy857eq012qOBbgd9jvTXEVJnTmgyDjgBEz6-TvK2fJSjSsjvbjJ_21WxbMoLU7a7QlFkv9OYr3f_9NDlU/s400/myLeg.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5562659154116140210" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">My tan line is pretty good, but nothing in comparison to my <a href="http://myhatisawesome.blogspot.com/2009/07/ragbrai-xxxvii.html">bike short line of 2009</a> (photo by Ty Mecham. This picture is too funny not to drag out again):</span><br /><br /><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNiElKXHA6TdArVGXyqHbTp9FQE1AMREgH8oTnK_zVF3_q72YCiO7DzAROrFyh2U8-om3qtsdMgndB_6iahG-ohdeKEU3hm-HBWAzn26S3bCzRHua2Dr7yJeowkPpJ0jR1jAKQK_rpzvY/s1600/ashTan.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNiElKXHA6TdArVGXyqHbTp9FQE1AMREgH8oTnK_zVF3_q72YCiO7DzAROrFyh2U8-om3qtsdMgndB_6iahG-ohdeKEU3hm-HBWAzn26S3bCzRHua2Dr7yJeowkPpJ0jR1jAKQK_rpzvY/s400/ashTan.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5562662192593574354" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Here is another view of the house where we are staying:</span><br /><br /><br /><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht6r9EOHVyuM4QAJN8oEYoV8HLYbsx3dZJY8KQ7lQo6089b2y-_1G_RoyrLfUorSBMafBnLCrdWcn3zALC0ExNWk-UEsev8LbjrQdy2Sj1rrDnaLsLDES-NABWAZLHqrp_YPTt5BBvj0c/s1600/TupaeaHouse.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht6r9EOHVyuM4QAJN8oEYoV8HLYbsx3dZJY8KQ7lQo6089b2y-_1G_RoyrLfUorSBMafBnLCrdWcn3zALC0ExNWk-UEsev8LbjrQdy2Sj1rrDnaLsLDES-NABWAZLHqrp_YPTt5BBvj0c/s400/TupaeaHouse.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5562659151080362194" border="0" /></a>Ashley Mackayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12111748817174029795noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4404868606797545019.post-82260837328546430432011-01-12T22:07:00.000-08:002011-01-12T22:17:55.328-08:00BIG NEWS!<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">I, Ashley Mackay, graphic designer, FINALLY have my very own website. The address is NOT <a href="http://ashleymackay.com/">ashleymackay.com</a>, although you should probably check it out, it is pretty amazing. MY website is <a href="http://ashleysamantha.com/">ashleysamantha.com</a>. A big big thanks to </span><a href="http://codybuell.com/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Cody Buell </span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">for programming it for me. Feel free to pass the link around to people who might want to give me a job. What do you think of it? I'm pretty happy with it.</span>Ashley Mackayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12111748817174029795noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4404868606797545019.post-24312600075751561432011-01-11T23:31:00.001-08:002011-01-11T23:37:00.202-08:00Two redactions<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">It has come to my attention that I have made two errors in my blogging about New Zealand (there are probably more I don't know about). I would like to clear them up.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">1. A while ago I saw a large bird I was really hoping was a Kiwi bird. It was not (Becca Shim looked it up). Turns out they are nocturnal. Travis says they sometimes walk through the paddock our tent is pitched in. Sometimes at night I shine my headlamp around when I hear bird-like noises, but I have seen no birds. Only a bunny and a possum. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">2. Kaitaia is spelled like that. I left out the last "a" on my blog post.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">My apologies. </span>Ashley Mackayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12111748817174029795noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4404868606797545019.post-2884840266410353322011-01-10T21:20:00.000-08:002011-01-10T22:44:27.692-08:00Leave for two months and everything falls apart<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">We get the NZ Herald in the shop so I read about the horrible horrible shooting in Arizona. I am not happy about that. I'm sure no one is. But it is interesting to read it as news on page A 12 instead of on the front page. If I were at home I would be listening to NPR non-stop and would have all the info the media has to give (I always used to listen to NPR. Actually, I just logged onto their home page and started geeking out about everything. So many things I don't know about! But in New Zealand you pay for internet by the amount you use and I don't want to use it all up for the Tupaeas. Alas, I will have to save all the Wait Wait Don't Tell Me shows until I get home). Anyway, dear USA, please stop being crazy. </span>Ashley Mackayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12111748817174029795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4404868606797545019.post-83415526453158957072011-01-10T19:12:00.000-08:002011-01-10T19:23:00.824-08:00Some more Waikawau<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">This is my new buddy Charlie:</span> <a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3UWR10yav2muFrbnKNFzliPEgfA4eF8iD2CiioLatckdGbPdfw-CdrW9QRSX0d7hMgqdFpoUm7p6cHtzkX81E61LeawmHuYmw9NEjAZ6Ayg-6UtdX2lufZUIt754Yasy-HMWx_EzqTG4/s1600/Charlie1.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3UWR10yav2muFrbnKNFzliPEgfA4eF8iD2CiioLatckdGbPdfw-CdrW9QRSX0d7hMgqdFpoUm7p6cHtzkX81E61LeawmHuYmw9NEjAZ6Ayg-6UtdX2lufZUIt754Yasy-HMWx_EzqTG4/s400/Charlie1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5560761182938210418" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br />The shop is open 9-6. I work 12-3. We used to surf during lunch breaks but now that we work opposite we just take turns. When we are not surfing or eating I don't have a ton to do (anyone have a freelance project they need me to do?). So I've started hanging out with 6 year old Charlie Tupaea. We play hide and seek or ride bikes down the hill. He likes to spy on Amalia when she is reading in the tent. They have a dog Jules (or Jewels, I don't know). She fetches anything, including rocks. Today she was picking up rocks out of the bottom of the estuary and swimming out with them. Crazy dog. I tried to take a picture but she kept moving. Charlie says she doesn't like cameras.<br /><br /></span><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjHcZYbXSA0jEyAA9w7k-2MoUfCCbbwyxnmsdmqSzalZrwW2e6MEfhuIH_G6YlMpwQmGXDuLqv95DkVZxV8-lQXnx6P-n6pFp0WfZ7duytbxT3HbimAQy7wA3laUuq-jSudVPDPhKVPvA/s1600/Jules.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjHcZYbXSA0jEyAA9w7k-2MoUfCCbbwyxnmsdmqSzalZrwW2e6MEfhuIH_G6YlMpwQmGXDuLqv95DkVZxV8-lQXnx6P-n6pFp0WfZ7duytbxT3HbimAQy7wA3laUuq-jSudVPDPhKVPvA/s400/Jules.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5560761178674545506" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br />This is a picture of Brooke's special place. You have to hike through some serious bush to get there, but it is right behind their house. <br /><br /></span><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjra-l5XIAu-1gbtBbaUV6309zKfmziE4qXG7Lnk9BXO5yhnu6HYdugnCHslYjbZT935FrTaoB1zP3Z-Ctobj_t9cDV-IKGiHRtbn842QRjK85P6Eq9BTnkcK9r3Zjn3zl18cJ4CmEz21k/s1600/BrookeSimon.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjra-l5XIAu-1gbtBbaUV6309zKfmziE4qXG7Lnk9BXO5yhnu6HYdugnCHslYjbZT935FrTaoB1zP3Z-Ctobj_t9cDV-IKGiHRtbn842QRjK85P6Eq9BTnkcK9r3Zjn3zl18cJ4CmEz21k/s400/BrookeSimon.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5560761173295772402" border="0" /></a><br />And this is the view from there:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhINJKKmM-Rjmlk98GfHMTttkN7PMlflHhkUZ1YoKstFCT73DbHjh-X87Y5cNEg6-xNg_oUZOfKuQyru6yuAWaS948eLEb6L8fZUmgl_E7MoaE460Uqgyoj2ZpKR33PRlmlePEB9bMi8Vo/s1600/Waikawau.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhINJKKmM-Rjmlk98GfHMTttkN7PMlflHhkUZ1YoKstFCT73DbHjh-X87Y5cNEg6-xNg_oUZOfKuQyru6yuAWaS948eLEb6L8fZUmgl_E7MoaE460Uqgyoj2ZpKR33PRlmlePEB9bMi8Vo/s400/Waikawau.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5560763247846412706" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br />The Tupaeas live in a pretty awesome place.</span>Ashley Mackayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12111748817174029795noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4404868606797545019.post-34106194671260890602011-01-08T15:32:00.000-08:002011-01-08T15:43:28.465-08:00January 9, 2011<a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsSKpqpR1serqJThyphenhyphenngV3JmR2IDJUelFu4hsTRqLfWecGwskEO66hLD_i38sdeHiCASWIDfRc0iSWXI78PTX_Oup8aWNmhi6xjO5GZAqoKGrixsS-N7PuVBKIG-S1AbesalXk8RMICSvA/s1600/dp9_momBday.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 299px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsSKpqpR1serqJThyphenhyphenngV3JmR2IDJUelFu4hsTRqLfWecGwskEO66hLD_i38sdeHiCASWIDfRc0iSWXI78PTX_Oup8aWNmhi6xjO5GZAqoKGrixsS-N7PuVBKIG-S1AbesalXk8RMICSvA/s400/dp9_momBday.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5559962051006736850" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br />I have the best parents in the world and they are turning 50 this year! My mom's birthday is today (tomorrow for her...) and I feel sad I am missing it. So everyone should write something nice about my mom in the comments of this post. And may I be the first to say that she makes really great frosting. Happy Birthday Mom!<br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWgpZ1V0R-kFFz6Jz70BHr6_1CH6ZYERgX5n8N3JvdFBj9kx4JwsA5jUUZU0c9tnsQtazPYAvRP_Ey3JR7Vy9ett1-yGbMbrBi6D3a4iHU-1oH1JvY7820Qv7s08Fi29sLAeXtQlRa4jo/s1600/momDadMe.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 394px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWgpZ1V0R-kFFz6Jz70BHr6_1CH6ZYERgX5n8N3JvdFBj9kx4JwsA5jUUZU0c9tnsQtazPYAvRP_Ey3JR7Vy9ett1-yGbMbrBi6D3a4iHU-1oH1JvY7820Qv7s08Fi29sLAeXtQlRa4jo/s400/momDadMe.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5559964570858085538" border="0" /></a>Ashley Mackayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12111748817174029795noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4404868606797545019.post-61917743898399132602011-01-07T11:42:00.000-08:002011-01-07T11:56:47.986-08:00January 2011: Waikawau Bay<a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhId8-p-6sNlkx7p40SHhb_kZ4lZ0jI-D7cb5ygWpsnYMZxMaRwWIIj-R1wBjKOsacHZ9jDAqtDyuKx4P3Ik3fxPsgD0A6PDZUeT0ICubvZEXFEPVAb0YR06vX5CY2tXx5R69klKiE4zks/s1600/Waikawau4.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhId8-p-6sNlkx7p40SHhb_kZ4lZ0jI-D7cb5ygWpsnYMZxMaRwWIIj-R1wBjKOsacHZ9jDAqtDyuKx4P3Ik3fxPsgD0A6PDZUeT0ICubvZEXFEPVAb0YR06vX5CY2tXx5R69klKiE4zks/s400/Waikawau4.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5559532130703248562" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">We are spending the month of January in Waikawau Bay. We met the camp managers a month or so ago and they asked if one of us wanted to work in their shop, which we did. So Amalia works every day with their daughter, Brooke. I work if one of them doesn't want to. Other than that we just swim, surf, and eat. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">This is the shop:</span><br /><br /><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm84UelfkcVvxeuq8_FOjOUCHCcoUPEwUm0gHPZ2XYypgyFlTfL-8UAKbJvdUvOJYCEMW0wxty9zn3NcqP9Oi8eTvJ7Zeuez8j-ncbd4igIQP67F9DGsZHx5FTpgQ-iLt2arVGIbQhcFU/s1600/Waikawau3.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm84UelfkcVvxeuq8_FOjOUCHCcoUPEwUm0gHPZ2XYypgyFlTfL-8UAKbJvdUvOJYCEMW0wxty9zn3NcqP9Oi8eTvJ7Zeuez8j-ncbd4igIQP67F9DGsZHx5FTpgQ-iLt2arVGIbQhcFU/s400/Waikawau3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5559532125871689602" border="0" /></a><br /><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6VO2rFiSB3LDoS_A9BI8rR4mcS3riUJ2FSYQ316fHbvy1zgx64IUv7cnPm2ZYVgJUrBAVasnmZc6GR6jhGMQUIQL_RTxF5juO5MWPoJn4WSx5xOMeU63_fRLRk8eYn8YJHoITNXkglwo/s1600/Waikawau2.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6VO2rFiSB3LDoS_A9BI8rR4mcS3riUJ2FSYQ316fHbvy1zgx64IUv7cnPm2ZYVgJUrBAVasnmZc6GR6jhGMQUIQL_RTxF5juO5MWPoJn4WSx5xOMeU63_fRLRk8eYn8YJHoITNXkglwo/s400/Waikawau2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5559532122145041026" border="0" /></a><br /><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJlTF8R6qdIGfBDOYhyxoVDdQjRtzBBhqXgAc6C4PZcQR1_NUmAPYKI6tvhL568ckOlBFF-60xRL-4ShiPANJATnv65OPgJVdxTpM4PMAEOsvHmYDKzl617ASBwj74wtIhO7clQRXEF6E/s1600/Waikawau1.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJlTF8R6qdIGfBDOYhyxoVDdQjRtzBBhqXgAc6C4PZcQR1_NUmAPYKI6tvhL568ckOlBFF-60xRL-4ShiPANJATnv65OPgJVdxTpM4PMAEOsvHmYDKzl617ASBwj74wtIhO7clQRXEF6E/s400/Waikawau1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5559531959424225954" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">The Tupaeas have a huge grill/deep fryer under this tent in their yard. We have been eating great food:</span><br /><br /><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipISH-g7j2nwaxRjKcL3YSWxGjSq6LvUIpUN8BOjxNVIAcFisIMeaM3JkhvdwyYg1xZOTaASwlrwB8XaWj2x6SZXe4Dy3Fgg65Bd3GriSj-E9TpCWSiUZy_NhNm7ItVlNQKDEa15pe-eE/s1600/Tupea3.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipISH-g7j2nwaxRjKcL3YSWxGjSq6LvUIpUN8BOjxNVIAcFisIMeaM3JkhvdwyYg1xZOTaASwlrwB8XaWj2x6SZXe4Dy3Fgg65Bd3GriSj-E9TpCWSiUZy_NhNm7ItVlNQKDEa15pe-eE/s400/Tupea3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5559531954294292754" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;"><br />The next couple pictures are views from the house. We have our tent set up in the horse paddock in the back yard. We share it with Patch.</span><br /><br /><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidUDBZQpvfKEVzObJI7Y8eCcjG3h2d11_0pSC3owg3AcOerRrrsyPjDx4dJkTFd2j3WUWh6Hbk7UvFrAA5bGBXxxd5wKv1TeFZziHT0CZDOTbDJwuCHtcagwOyrZUkxLyB2zDBpDC_aTQ/s1600/Tupea2.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidUDBZQpvfKEVzObJI7Y8eCcjG3h2d11_0pSC3owg3AcOerRrrsyPjDx4dJkTFd2j3WUWh6Hbk7UvFrAA5bGBXxxd5wKv1TeFZziHT0CZDOTbDJwuCHtcagwOyrZUkxLyB2zDBpDC_aTQ/s400/Tupea2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5559531951877247506" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifcf1VSwJyC-wDdfM4-NcrTS5Eh6b9LoYpuu06ka48XVCmEzYsveAkyoLyyRwCM1pJoWj8vp6ua9x8AHnT0lkNnUK2-LM-V3OLYYBQ-hP-E0Nr1jUycLnw3Zmhr6ZIKdUH3i99uYB0xrs/s1600/Tupea1.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifcf1VSwJyC-wDdfM4-NcrTS5Eh6b9LoYpuu06ka48XVCmEzYsveAkyoLyyRwCM1pJoWj8vp6ua9x8AHnT0lkNnUK2-LM-V3OLYYBQ-hP-E0Nr1jUycLnw3Zmhr6ZIKdUH3i99uYB0xrs/s400/Tupea1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5559531946035521858" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;"><br />This is Samone eating kina. The only part you can eat is that tiny yellow part inside the bristly skin. It was alive until she cut it open. Blegh. I tried a mussel the other day. Lots of seafoods here. </span><br /><br /><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLPeDsJZ0XIZIaWKVlSwtf_iY6b9gUvejT9ko9KOpy410eJPjcFQgAWQiRgIIZ_B1lsF5v0c59Jxj7Sp_LZ6iSSliLOj4aRoUVGWMHf2coY5kMdKEGqdwFUMVfdlAfDLBR4V0UKjqvqWc/s1600/kina.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLPeDsJZ0XIZIaWKVlSwtf_iY6b9gUvejT9ko9KOpy410eJPjcFQgAWQiRgIIZ_B1lsF5v0c59Jxj7Sp_LZ6iSSliLOj4aRoUVGWMHf2coY5kMdKEGqdwFUMVfdlAfDLBR4V0UKjqvqWc/s400/kina.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5559531945584818754" border="0" /></a>Ashley Mackayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12111748817174029795noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4404868606797545019.post-25801545096749245332011-01-01T21:32:00.000-08:002011-01-01T21:49:31.393-08:00"No exposed nipples at the table"<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">On Christmas Eve we camped at a place called Forest Pools. I told Amalia that if Santa were real we would wake up to presents outside our tent. There were no presents, but apparently he left mine at my parent's house. He must have known that I can't fit anything else in my bag. </span><br /><br /><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhACcs-pI-eNlRmx0TKYktazWdkhsD9ogxJPjRa2x-D8IeqZzYwKRAhNa_ksJntT4hFVN6cdtL37voL5Ay2hcWBl3FYLKQp4A307wMS6b9wQMVHxwdUnVytFqlpmSq7cN8A0MxOz0h9XBQ/s1600/CmasBanner.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 64px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhACcs-pI-eNlRmx0TKYktazWdkhsD9ogxJPjRa2x-D8IeqZzYwKRAhNa_ksJntT4hFVN6cdtL37voL5Ay2hcWBl3FYLKQp4A307wMS6b9wQMVHxwdUnVytFqlpmSq7cN8A0MxOz0h9XBQ/s400/CmasBanner.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5557458861320865746" border="0" /></a><br /><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-PA4zcu1ZJOZcLyM1xrcd_UpRWrYUsuuUphyphenhyphen7mKGgVAlYX1ZgrpCI5Dt98wsjcPA0r2Gt9ucrmWbpJ7NuQHCNDrkEwWaschssJ_-ERvad6R6CnkFMHXnfQjLJGqmWwNfdVBrRrn6kk6I/s1600/CmasEveDinner.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-PA4zcu1ZJOZcLyM1xrcd_UpRWrYUsuuUphyphenhyphen7mKGgVAlYX1ZgrpCI5Dt98wsjcPA0r2Gt9ucrmWbpJ7NuQHCNDrkEwWaschssJ_-ERvad6R6CnkFMHXnfQjLJGqmWwNfdVBrRrn6kk6I/s400/CmasEveDinner.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5557458861994242514" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">On our drive to Kaikohe we stopped at a fireman museum. Obviously we would do that.</span><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ0Qic2EFDenGOBTj1l1eNGgZwAbopnWXHGZaMKvtP1uVqwbT6fH-V5RsAMFJJWmW4vYX4uBA_eJMfaihqmkXVDjlKp_9IdLSN5v6NvaYtwP4Qpcb-F8gFXImwSl3YFpR66TBDaHDknFo/s1600/MiniPony.jpg"><br /></a><br /><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6q0DuqnsWyLLdNW0cowRIdgC_Ax6LR2LKLSRzLcXCDa0thNEXbb2Wh8BR3jwBubJoNYpGBZvwLrNmvO5xkA_7-ItN8VWeX9nLtraqxIQohtxQPxpAxPAwu7zB-tJo0FtsfM9ezOyJbWM/s1600/FireStation2.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6q0DuqnsWyLLdNW0cowRIdgC_Ax6LR2LKLSRzLcXCDa0thNEXbb2Wh8BR3jwBubJoNYpGBZvwLrNmvO5xkA_7-ItN8VWeX9nLtraqxIQohtxQPxpAxPAwu7zB-tJo0FtsfM9ezOyJbWM/s400/FireStation2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5557458447617535266" border="0" /></a><br /><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjDpxRjaCeDEdlg78McHvi0LZ6LQTBb4W-Vx-W8cwULl5lr05KeYv0BT1KIQY8qIW4Ik4lf9SnAfbGG5Uye4wbROnbFbiS62pFFYxrhzBr5teY4-XDA88SnNuqW28s9eBpE1xMpP6AbWk/s1600/FireStation1.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjDpxRjaCeDEdlg78McHvi0LZ6LQTBb4W-Vx-W8cwULl5lr05KeYv0BT1KIQY8qIW4Ik4lf9SnAfbGG5Uye4wbROnbFbiS62pFFYxrhzBr5teY4-XDA88SnNuqW28s9eBpE1xMpP6AbWk/s400/FireStation1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5557458441637692370" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">And obviously there would be a miniature horse baby there. </span><br /><br /><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ0Qic2EFDenGOBTj1l1eNGgZwAbopnWXHGZaMKvtP1uVqwbT6fH-V5RsAMFJJWmW4vYX4uBA_eJMfaihqmkXVDjlKp_9IdLSN5v6NvaYtwP4Qpcb-F8gFXImwSl3YFpR66TBDaHDknFo/s1600/MiniPony.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ0Qic2EFDenGOBTj1l1eNGgZwAbopnWXHGZaMKvtP1uVqwbT6fH-V5RsAMFJJWmW4vYX4uBA_eJMfaihqmkXVDjlKp_9IdLSN5v6NvaYtwP4Qpcb-F8gFXImwSl3YFpR66TBDaHDknFo/s400/MiniPony.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5557458451949234498" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">We were invited to Christmas by Aryan McKay who said their Christmases are usually "the more the merrier". We loved everyone. It was great to have such a fun place to be for Christmas. It wasn't super hot but people were swimming in the pool. The no nipples rule was implemented when Ary's dad was trying to get his son to put a shirt on for dinner. A good Christmas tradition.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">One of my favorite parts was when Ary's Grandnan said this cousin looked like an Afghanistan boy (I will also take this time to note that little mullets are all the rage on little boys in NZ. Seriously. All of them up to like age 18):</span><br /><br /><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIifLNs8tfqbJKn9qFNrQFHMgiHcEn-kjtotCxKnfCoqJGB5o7r_PymodLtQwO9wrQlnalMSM5ByvHVw_5p1JmuXwsEf5cPjGd3vn6bq10_Tk1PtwvzP0yMFktPPKOdgzu_gghNW1BEgg/s1600/CmasAfganistanBoy.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 297px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIifLNs8tfqbJKn9qFNrQFHMgiHcEn-kjtotCxKnfCoqJGB5o7r_PymodLtQwO9wrQlnalMSM5ByvHVw_5p1JmuXwsEf5cPjGd3vn6bq10_Tk1PtwvzP0yMFktPPKOdgzu_gghNW1BEgg/s400/CmasAfganistanBoy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5557458850445723186" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">We played Badminton:</span><br /><br /><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvoCaLtXgwO5GVw5Ub-VwM6pvRtxOXM3VY_7s9ZG1MSGOHv-g6N_MkoD1quLOIF5BxHul2aqssqYxj9YJhJzYmc6YnpvM65j4uk8s1qqkhAKgPFPROkHKC28LKQU6lVyYxTSz7jvqPF9U/s1600/CmasBadminton.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvoCaLtXgwO5GVw5Ub-VwM6pvRtxOXM3VY_7s9ZG1MSGOHv-g6N_MkoD1quLOIF5BxHul2aqssqYxj9YJhJzYmc6YnpvM65j4uk8s1qqkhAKgPFPROkHKC28LKQU6lVyYxTSz7jvqPF9U/s400/CmasBadminton.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5557458853929290242" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Amalia joined in with the nappers:</span><br /><br /><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYyXa5CVvXb7gmH8gk2JY2PZAgFmFl4SJXTuQ7LXKiIpzIFk5nN9RMadsAiKlMKqk2TLv1EX3zlnZi5bZwAaVF8eC1x0eYQ1t7RUirlGfb6BpO-gxHrX8uSSmFsqOtsilFcSabG66Jd54/s1600/CmasAmaSleeps.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYyXa5CVvXb7gmH8gk2JY2PZAgFmFl4SJXTuQ7LXKiIpzIFk5nN9RMadsAiKlMKqk2TLv1EX3zlnZi5bZwAaVF8eC1x0eYQ1t7RUirlGfb6BpO-gxHrX8uSSmFsqOtsilFcSabG66Jd54/s400/CmasAmaSleeps.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5557458854865923650" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">We played time challenge with the Quad Bike (4-wheeler...):</span><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ0Qic2EFDenGOBTj1l1eNGgZwAbopnWXHGZaMKvtP1uVqwbT6fH-V5RsAMFJJWmW4vYX4uBA_eJMfaihqmkXVDjlKp_9IdLSN5v6NvaYtwP4Qpcb-F8gFXImwSl3YFpR66TBDaHDknFo/s1600/MiniPony.jpg"><br /></a><br /><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG2SoGlXuGPzUgo5OJ-fet_jRqap7rXx-odAJTdSXnoJPuCu0mURH3rFGB1NrKJln1hjT5HJYRMuQ9EQvH_ayTskxwIzHZbwL4Ac0o93x8nuxvxJp9tcTrE0g_vdE3386gZelhfiiI5-w/s1600/CmasQuadBike.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG2SoGlXuGPzUgo5OJ-fet_jRqap7rXx-odAJTdSXnoJPuCu0mURH3rFGB1NrKJln1hjT5HJYRMuQ9EQvH_ayTskxwIzHZbwL4Ac0o93x8nuxvxJp9tcTrE0g_vdE3386gZelhfiiI5-w/s400/CmasQuadBike.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5557458440077619362" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">So yeah, that was Christmas for us. A big big thanks to everyone in Ary's family for letting us hang out for a couple days. </span>Ashley Mackayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12111748817174029795noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4404868606797545019.post-8665876036025522192011-01-01T16:08:00.000-08:002011-01-01T16:21:04.967-08:00Digital Postcards: Northland<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">On our way north, we stopped for church in Whangarei (pronounced faun-ga-rey). If you ever need anything, stop for church in Whangarei. Before Sacrament meeting ended we had an invite for Christmas and during Relief Society they passed a paper around and everyone wrote their names and numbers down in case we needed anything. They pretty much forced us to stay for their FHE the next day, found us a place to stay in Whangarei and further north in Kaitai. A big thank you to everyone in the Whangarei ward. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">In Kaitai we stayed with a guy named Daniel who lived in his family's house and keeps it nice for when people come during holidays. He also worked at a radio station. One night we walked to get fish and chips and he introduced me to a DJ that was going on the radio soon. They told us to call in, but instead what went down was Daniel had been texting and suddenly we hear on the radio, "Stop calling in! Clear up the lines for Miss USA!" And Daniel hands me the phone and everyone listening to that station think Miss USA from last year and this year are there in the station. Or at least that is what the DJ said. Since we haven't been trained in answering panel questions like a real Miss USA would have been, our answers weren't that great, but it was really really really fun. </span><br /><br /><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq-y-7aJjgZ5ZUy7_v_Hpm0l73tRRzRbeV58MST0Ffq2PMj6cTUbnSwXzptnAkGBBTzDXAP4I4rIg8EohEF6Jo57GH_E65pdUMIya42Mci4TgD1uaCuixx1h-Tb7_zbQ_Ebj9f8vw76ss/s1600/dp7_Radio.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq-y-7aJjgZ5ZUy7_v_Hpm0l73tRRzRbeV58MST0Ffq2PMj6cTUbnSwXzptnAkGBBTzDXAP4I4rIg8EohEF6Jo57GH_E65pdUMIya42Mci4TgD1uaCuixx1h-Tb7_zbQ_Ebj9f8vw76ss/s400/dp7_Radio.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5557374322355409282" border="0" /></a><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs9O1-tvSEOQP8u_BK6GiRkXUZUBQkoYtlkixCadMG9F29ZspBFttVGOrcLtqguwEZi77XjyD4SN4045f4yjWIjvJ_Khtbxdk18Jc75h4dMPB1qAmTw7Ri1U6d437A8C9w3HN3w-JTwu8/s1600/DJ.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs9O1-tvSEOQP8u_BK6GiRkXUZUBQkoYtlkixCadMG9F29ZspBFttVGOrcLtqguwEZi77XjyD4SN4045f4yjWIjvJ_Khtbxdk18Jc75h4dMPB1qAmTw7Ri1U6d437A8C9w3HN3w-JTwu8/s400/DJ.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5557374330056285874" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">We took a bus tour to the very top of the island where you see the two oceans meet, then we drove back on 90-mile beach, which is actually on the highway system. It is only like 67 miles, but it is impressive. There are supposed to be wild horses but we didn't see any so I had to add some in on the postcard. </span><br /><br /><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx-4f7DEoPMhU8WhN4xz_sWSBc2eEs-z6RS43ZFkXkiRWw1kwmerzyndZEASdK-Zl_3F3RVFzBZMXUfpI3E2iI2AtYN8cELI0sVV0zYP6gM7CSoGPc02oBbj4kPfVdMz8IdTAGG1VnTFM/s1600/dp8_CapeReinga.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx-4f7DEoPMhU8WhN4xz_sWSBc2eEs-z6RS43ZFkXkiRWw1kwmerzyndZEASdK-Zl_3F3RVFzBZMXUfpI3E2iI2AtYN8cELI0sVV0zYP6gM7CSoGPc02oBbj4kPfVdMz8IdTAGG1VnTFM/s400/dp8_CapeReinga.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5557374317368998802" border="0" /></a><br /><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQEh6RUJwgg0rU2l717RRjysNaIGI17WtEAu6Tvb3yjfMIQ6LoczcL4I6aZRtAL4rATFeau-gOuNkEtESJgJv4OIFdliWnikmKEMpNWAxLaBsYkpsuKA2CBQcySveucJ1gpaWWHFJvOEg/s1600/dp6_90Mile.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQEh6RUJwgg0rU2l717RRjysNaIGI17WtEAu6Tvb3yjfMIQ6LoczcL4I6aZRtAL4rATFeau-gOuNkEtESJgJv4OIFdliWnikmKEMpNWAxLaBsYkpsuKA2CBQcySveucJ1gpaWWHFJvOEg/s400/dp6_90Mile.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5557374310046535090" border="0" /></a><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuyKDalTUfK_0zzdx9OS7sXMW-H4ni_lNO6MW8Z4fQm7pA9cOH6y4fvplozunfHVSkNuDSTEJqpfdhqB_yEaMu4BDFRBSpE6flqnjcDkMK9EHH88VGMnp2BnpMtQhRYv4CLIP_oXcLanE/s1600/90Mile1.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuyKDalTUfK_0zzdx9OS7sXMW-H4ni_lNO6MW8Z4fQm7pA9cOH6y4fvplozunfHVSkNuDSTEJqpfdhqB_yEaMu4BDFRBSpE6flqnjcDkMK9EHH88VGMnp2BnpMtQhRYv4CLIP_oXcLanE/s400/90Mile1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5557374518635251314" border="0" /></a>Ashley Mackayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12111748817174029795noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4404868606797545019.post-61334007570224143792010-12-22T10:45:00.000-08:002010-12-22T10:51:42.637-08:00Digital Postcard: Hundertwasser Toilets<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjukZB0E5RkhU8fcoHgYRjJNNQTU5lp4v9hMLhpgU3ooKduFpX7vZQpLz5k6YdAqGEqci4fhECVUrMisLp7DKoMCDdvUhM9azEIA-CoG3rhLHBwmPzV-85Ru0N91Swc35IiMcRy-Yzp8yo/s1600/dp5_toilet.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjukZB0E5RkhU8fcoHgYRjJNNQTU5lp4v9hMLhpgU3ooKduFpX7vZQpLz5k6YdAqGEqci4fhECVUrMisLp7DKoMCDdvUhM9azEIA-CoG3rhLHBwmPzV-85Ru0N91Swc35IiMcRy-Yzp8yo/s400/dp5_toilet.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5553580735863871394" border="0" /></a><br />Our Rough Guide says "The only reason to stop [in Kawakawa] is to visit its celebrated toilets on the main road...These works of art were created in 1997 by the reclusive Austrian emigre Friedrich Hundertwasser. Painter, architect, ecologist and philosopher, Hundertwasser made Kawakawa his home from 1975 until his death in 2000." The pamphlet I read said Hundertwasser had offered to design things like flags and stamps for the city but then they commissioned him to design these bathrooms. It was his last work of art. So there you go.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ52F3T9ZgaHiZyWIHMmWqkqxnDoedDEms2a7bJnsmVeg0St7AAyJ2qn5EFdJ-zwCgVsUOlw0opxhjUCF-X5RQW0mdZTEviICiEqkhiRcthSA0A8xdBEwzyMGwGTKc1NnI3tpMPBNEmLc/s1600/BathroomWhale.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ52F3T9ZgaHiZyWIHMmWqkqxnDoedDEms2a7bJnsmVeg0St7AAyJ2qn5EFdJ-zwCgVsUOlw0opxhjUCF-X5RQW0mdZTEviICiEqkhiRcthSA0A8xdBEwzyMGwGTKc1NnI3tpMPBNEmLc/s400/BathroomWhale.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5553580491405092098" border="0" /></a><br />Here are some other pictures from our drive to Kaitaia:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjek8C7J1XM3rPb-FYckC5KB0MZynXq0cRCKlf7ytcnRIaxbdQUmYEUlySEuoBhCuxW6sWmPnDpKL8Q3zrDhkG-2xY9sONhvACmBvFlcZZje0xbFlyuObS6PouSY7AUiNLZEv9OXq0bMJs/s1600/penguin.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjek8C7J1XM3rPb-FYckC5KB0MZynXq0cRCKlf7ytcnRIaxbdQUmYEUlySEuoBhCuxW6sWmPnDpKL8Q3zrDhkG-2xY9sONhvACmBvFlcZZje0xbFlyuObS6PouSY7AUiNLZEv9OXq0bMJs/s400/penguin.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5553580485693344994" border="0" /></a><br />We think these are Dr. Seuss trees:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeoPbqn4EkjmCbma36URH7AHqr0wZcRH9e7VLR0WKCFbQJCYkXn07uCb9O-FciMJKR173ku4yReTbCuB17NdEFjprT71NkPxpa-r-RmbwYGsDhHbEsJvkiLD1iyB8PIE7YtGQUrAfbkRc/s1600/SeussTree.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeoPbqn4EkjmCbma36URH7AHqr0wZcRH9e7VLR0WKCFbQJCYkXn07uCb9O-FciMJKR173ku4yReTbCuB17NdEFjprT71NkPxpa-r-RmbwYGsDhHbEsJvkiLD1iyB8PIE7YtGQUrAfbkRc/s400/SeussTree.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5553580481817021506" border="0" /></a>We went to Shipwreck Bay. There is really a ship just sticking out of the sand. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmZkHRkiejANmkW8qKfI_Bvmg5exBnh5I6zZWJC4QoVmoK9hxTQSU5wt19ZxYdzQAM6AuevXe-qbRxifRLxFWLHTbS80556D-VK0H-utvYHwzsWenBSEghxYhn0aQeSdr7MAts7k6r-2k/s1600/ShipwreckWalking.jpg"><br /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkWNLxquIPJ5YO7QH01neFGZZyfsGDHl1fhL8d6is5L-1xAmXEVM7jTne9v3ZzxZmp073KYpWBxe1pUY9YHQxq_-kZ6fOl0MzcYLrhSvXC1Tkj2HFWl9ZHNASydwCvp8iRYPNPpfn4KMo/s1600/ShipwreckLooking.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkWNLxquIPJ5YO7QH01neFGZZyfsGDHl1fhL8d6is5L-1xAmXEVM7jTne9v3ZzxZmp073KYpWBxe1pUY9YHQxq_-kZ6fOl0MzcYLrhSvXC1Tkj2HFWl9ZHNASydwCvp8iRYPNPpfn4KMo/s400/ShipwreckLooking.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5553580477155187890" border="0" /></a>Ashley Mackayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12111748817174029795noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4404868606797545019.post-489847586564824212010-12-21T13:02:00.000-08:002010-12-21T13:09:08.181-08:00Mackay Family Christmas Card<a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmso6y4IJ0wDp_YQvyTiCno0FyS89WqoRAkshuWWJUgIaC_hhFtmFjzpe-KUkiUPgsroer5iDsMY3BjTVSZHEvkt10fvc7JxhT-fPN6fLxpRg0Ha3y-pH9YySeAzIEcTAxgBIny-VS3Zk/s1600/Mackay+christmas+card.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 202px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmso6y4IJ0wDp_YQvyTiCno0FyS89WqoRAkshuWWJUgIaC_hhFtmFjzpe-KUkiUPgsroer5iDsMY3BjTVSZHEvkt10fvc7JxhT-fPN6fLxpRg0Ha3y-pH9YySeAzIEcTAxgBIny-VS3Zk/s400/Mackay+christmas+card.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5553244117314412610" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">My mom used a picture I drew for her on our family Christmas card this year (I put us all in red and green just for Christmas). Just thought I would share it. </span>Ashley Mackayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12111748817174029795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4404868606797545019.post-41631850289098740272010-12-16T15:41:00.000-08:002010-12-19T14:44:18.668-08:00Auckland Climbing Gym<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Our plans were to hike the Tongariro Crossing (aka Mordor) but it has been raining and everyone suggested we wait for good weather so we could see the view. We decided to head north to be at 90-mile beach for Christmas.</span> <span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Amalia needs to get something notarized so we stopped in Auckland at the U.S. Consolate. Turns out you need an appointment to get in there, and there are only 6 appointments available on Fridays. They were all gone for this upcoming Friday and there aren't any for the next Friday so turns out we won't be getting anything notarized for awhile. We didn't know what to do so we went to the Auckland Climbing Gym. It was pretty huge. It used to be an airplane hangar. They had some sweet as stuff for kids like a black light bouldering room and really cool painted wood things with automatic belay things. Of course we tried both.</span><br /><br /><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgACoGVT8-ZvlPkK550DYRGKaNl807zw8VGiBgHIuF9xskMFHYqlFW4Ts6Sj9GyNKo73P9zN6XCzmV3gwneWbLPdyTreplUvvWzupYJ47PYNF8i_4Fm6jCxDNXRIJr6rJzxpmWnbllj6oM/s1600/AukClimbBlack.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgACoGVT8-ZvlPkK550DYRGKaNl807zw8VGiBgHIuF9xskMFHYqlFW4Ts6Sj9GyNKo73P9zN6XCzmV3gwneWbLPdyTreplUvvWzupYJ47PYNF8i_4Fm6jCxDNXRIJr6rJzxpmWnbllj6oM/s400/AukClimbBlack.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5552526994549152562" border="0" /></a> <a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCzeckNVA9cTzXFKHApBO8MpicjMGtceDIN-6ezssVMmeHtH9gwroGn3hcpDlW-kgRyE8zmjExEb7JOt2s-fdw1MDVPBSnPumHtu3R0wH1kAzJW9pBWQMoze_TkvPv9TupTgbnkMfdR2I/s1600/AukClimbAma.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCzeckNVA9cTzXFKHApBO8MpicjMGtceDIN-6ezssVMmeHtH9gwroGn3hcpDlW-kgRyE8zmjExEb7JOt2s-fdw1MDVPBSnPumHtu3R0wH1kAzJW9pBWQMoze_TkvPv9TupTgbnkMfdR2I/s400/AukClimbAma.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5552526991184209474" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">We had heard about their arch when we were climbing with some people in Wharapapa South. Apparently they made a big swing off it one day. They were not doing that the day we were there. I tried to climb it, but realized I had no idea how to clip while I was upside down. I couldn't quite get my feet solid plus hang on with only one arm, plus communicate to Amalia when I wanted slack all at the same time so I didn't get across but it was awesome none the less. I'll get it next time.</span><br /><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO_i6PvF8B3eRa5cQ4Ib7DzJUE893yeYaVzQ1RFjMgnEDNde9HuWT38eAyLXHtNVyk72bo3zI4Z0UfoO5R3w0YO1wAVYVkEwP9WS8W-FuV99YH38onZ_gCWiFSQaKiJWcfzl7wM6KMS-U/s1600/AukClimbArch.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO_i6PvF8B3eRa5cQ4Ib7DzJUE893yeYaVzQ1RFjMgnEDNde9HuWT38eAyLXHtNVyk72bo3zI4Z0UfoO5R3w0YO1wAVYVkEwP9WS8W-FuV99YH38onZ_gCWiFSQaKiJWcfzl7wM6KMS-U/s400/AukClimbArch.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5552526992080133026" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Their top rope stuff was tied to the floor. You just attached a carabeaner to your harness and the grigri was already there. It was weird not to be able to move while belaying.</span> <span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">We stopped at some hot pools one day because it was raining and just stayed all day and swam in the rain. There was no lightning, so it was safe I guess. There were like 5 different pools with different temps PLUS slides PLUS a movie pool where we sat and watched music videos and Leap Year. I liked that place.</span><br /><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh82c14yrnDmtqrhIgkfyczFu_U5oyKroUa3KxbblIuIqGv1wN4TBLEHpKR6vp4MpB1FGZgknWkxPz9ps2pcawAI0VAdyVDfZRQfwh-DOMNZ-8kb9cCKoGeXmLS6DJBhdm2Z7MjsE2pzpg/s1600/AmaPool.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh82c14yrnDmtqrhIgkfyczFu_U5oyKroUa3KxbblIuIqGv1wN4TBLEHpKR6vp4MpB1FGZgknWkxPz9ps2pcawAI0VAdyVDfZRQfwh-DOMNZ-8kb9cCKoGeXmLS6DJBhdm2Z7MjsE2pzpg/s400/AmaPool.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5552527003952438642" border="0" /></a> <a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbPyLZg_unBG6rk1_az4Pl5SWjuHeHrurZYJOYRdlfxrkp2Bb7U-PzIip9NF2zo5CxKVnWwAAgX9Qrdw8PVJwag7ANpPt7u_XXWEKWKyzoOTWf-yhe9hl6s1FXYivl6KfhazLKMCJaEmk/s1600/MoviePool.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbPyLZg_unBG6rk1_az4Pl5SWjuHeHrurZYJOYRdlfxrkp2Bb7U-PzIip9NF2zo5CxKVnWwAAgX9Qrdw8PVJwag7ANpPt7u_XXWEKWKyzoOTWf-yhe9hl6s1FXYivl6KfhazLKMCJaEmk/s400/MoviePool.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5552527003354724962" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br />Are these only in New Zealand?</span> <span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsTHF_CZPsiC43Gcx2MoB3trm5e39MkvthQowcRzy96l60VCwGpKOOG1WxfJ9xdhVPoB05nQm0-nMq3vqRt688hwn-eWXMKrFSxHhRutmJuanMrDmsQxaakvC_-uk2YPEIzTIM0rpYEqI/s1600/SnowBites.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsTHF_CZPsiC43Gcx2MoB3trm5e39MkvthQowcRzy96l60VCwGpKOOG1WxfJ9xdhVPoB05nQm0-nMq3vqRt688hwn-eWXMKrFSxHhRutmJuanMrDmsQxaakvC_-uk2YPEIzTIM0rpYEqI/s400/SnowBites.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5552527817297919458" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Cadbury Snow Bites, the Christmas version of the Mini Egg! I know so many people who say Mini Eggs are their favorite candy. Are these in the states now too or have we stumbled upon something great?</span>Ashley Mackayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12111748817174029795noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4404868606797545019.post-31568203546284466652010-12-13T17:20:00.000-08:002010-12-13T18:04:25.312-08:00Zorb....check. Bungee Jump....check.<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">We've been doing the big expensive tourist things this week. First stop: Zorbs. Yep. You get inside a big beach ball with water in it and roll down a hill. It was actually pretty hilarious and fun. Amalia really wanted the pictures. So I have plenty to share:</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">It isn't actually a huge hill, but that is us in the ball:</span><br /><br /><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgymZqj_ZTLQLd8evuNbIw08KlGLzoYZL9xBmnoPjNHJcnBJHSoeIZ6tv9gHHsm3Nhgx-uwlH7eDtK3TqFG9301TD970SaQYB58Y3_QkjAuVnfoIDD43vgWMiZ8xy98HYRHSBDJQR-s_Og/s1600/Zorb.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgymZqj_ZTLQLd8evuNbIw08KlGLzoYZL9xBmnoPjNHJcnBJHSoeIZ6tv9gHHsm3Nhgx-uwlH7eDtK3TqFG9301TD970SaQYB58Y3_QkjAuVnfoIDD43vgWMiZ8xy98HYRHSBDJQR-s_Og/s400/Zorb.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5550348128281805266" border="0" /></a><br /><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnG8liIGudtfzUE3qcTga3VahsCR-o2rnJwfFmv4uKUCYGDxqIB8P-TbQl8YDgHVgCIwi95uNkp3fbP6dHJsVPqNIYldxBXkluPeDvYz_waRB99I_dZE5F3GZp2L4pbtQLV0q6ejdu0kY/s1600/ZorbThumbsUp.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnG8liIGudtfzUE3qcTga3VahsCR-o2rnJwfFmv4uKUCYGDxqIB8P-TbQl8YDgHVgCIwi95uNkp3fbP6dHJsVPqNIYldxBXkluPeDvYz_waRB99I_dZE5F3GZp2L4pbtQLV0q6ejdu0kY/s400/ZorbThumbsUp.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5550347720519133250" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Here is Amalia's graceful exit of the Zorb:</span><br /><br /><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVeWvT2BguF26RQ5WTY8-0i9IjiwgqIVA1ye1J4ICtPfYRGVvW52GFYy8R2eaJsktui35DKUJ0nXTkdnqNUomeqmH9Nfd9iJwZNCP6ynsAZRUpZeoTeB0J3rDU4AzX2bpmx1Md9V5Qseg/s1600/ZorbAmaExit.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVeWvT2BguF26RQ5WTY8-0i9IjiwgqIVA1ye1J4ICtPfYRGVvW52GFYy8R2eaJsktui35DKUJ0nXTkdnqNUomeqmH9Nfd9iJwZNCP6ynsAZRUpZeoTeB0J3rDU4AzX2bpmx1Md9V5Qseg/s400/ZorbAmaExit.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5550347718545846834" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Then me:</span><br /><br /><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggVUsgmHVLolI9hDBpuFuMf-2pzpMQdfYNP5QxvaEHrWFmL-6HbEUztLyWnWeBxTT2YIXc1Bf5Lt1jqCORid1slmwWxblnSlUgTwnxHCLQ8Vq3CuzN8kM4rFRl7FQmzzQZW9c-axa1c_Y/s1600/ZorbAshExit.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggVUsgmHVLolI9hDBpuFuMf-2pzpMQdfYNP5QxvaEHrWFmL-6HbEUztLyWnWeBxTT2YIXc1Bf5Lt1jqCORid1slmwWxblnSlUgTwnxHCLQ8Vq3CuzN8kM4rFRl7FQmzzQZW9c-axa1c_Y/s400/ZorbAshExit.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5550347712606899186" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Then had us jump for the picture but we didn't quite get it together. I could photoshop it but we are sitting in our car using free internet at a petrol station right now and I just don't have the gumption. Nor can I see my screen very well.</span><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi62h9c1iXu8SyjWvtV_7VitG_LDyAfbdsOyiGKg5Zjn_YnC2oYYkJciA3KgxP1PMRR2R4zWe9X6J6Ze4MnUOb3ifTEQaNbnsQo3bqTu-6ekFuJ3k_VdEmlWEme7n_SbHGwqnH-gPWUR9Q/s1600/ZorbJump1.jpg"><br /></a><br /><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWurLfLlUxUbP_NmBnQLQTiMp2RH8wEevLkTLMWibblyVzjEFEyd9cysae7uNmUPN-SEu6czh0-tsPmkuDf-2UhtR95hw0Bbqm_ec0_cEyEIJWCSjrfOwMEztI5HSwQEYQb9Zn06j1yxQ/s1600/ZorbJump2.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWurLfLlUxUbP_NmBnQLQTiMp2RH8wEevLkTLMWibblyVzjEFEyd9cysae7uNmUPN-SEu6czh0-tsPmkuDf-2UhtR95hw0Bbqm_ec0_cEyEIJWCSjrfOwMEztI5HSwQEYQb9Zn06j1yxQ/s400/ZorbJump2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5550347705948652802" border="0" /></a><br /><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi62h9c1iXu8SyjWvtV_7VitG_LDyAfbdsOyiGKg5Zjn_YnC2oYYkJciA3KgxP1PMRR2R4zWe9X6J6Ze4MnUOb3ifTEQaNbnsQo3bqTu-6ekFuJ3k_VdEmlWEme7n_SbHGwqnH-gPWUR9Q/s1600/ZorbJump1.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi62h9c1iXu8SyjWvtV_7VitG_LDyAfbdsOyiGKg5Zjn_YnC2oYYkJciA3KgxP1PMRR2R4zWe9X6J6Ze4MnUOb3ifTEQaNbnsQo3bqTu-6ekFuJ3k_VdEmlWEme7n_SbHGwqnH-gPWUR9Q/s400/ZorbJump1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5550347708071495634" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Today we did Bungee Jumping! We ended up buying the pictures for that too. They were too funny. We couldn't pass them up. And it came with a video! We were at Taupo Bungee. It looked really legit compared to the crane on the side of the road with a bungee that we saw earlier.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">So here I am, ready to jump. It was scary as right on that ledge ("as" is NZ slang. Everything is sweet as, cool as, scary as, whatever). I went into the water about to my waist. As you can see, my hair is all nappy and sweaty because I had been on a run, but I counted the river dip as my shower. A very expensive shower. </span><br /><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggiypJH_Ex_ajJtYD8Z7U_RrdW52-mM31WpzpZjh86SgxLZ9wLzazCQzxXiEnPvmeBcdDw0Lo3oZmG7h-gnGAGBz2C74iX4_PJ94aeMmSFvrsoV3b7kHj584P_jKiFhTukwwvp0jxW5sg/s1600/amaliaBungee1.jpg"><br /></a><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiemYCKoD82ojUSLmLmVKMTZ_qVTWexK2TRKWhHpQObmufovsCFNS7hoIaKCko4KosQ6xBtoVruLdJR60-MtcB8O3gicy_5xlw1cpUegc1SqaBbTCaL62NweIRRUHgLBEQ9Z4mHyOO06Xo/s1600/ashleyBungee1.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiemYCKoD82ojUSLmLmVKMTZ_qVTWexK2TRKWhHpQObmufovsCFNS7hoIaKCko4KosQ6xBtoVruLdJR60-MtcB8O3gicy_5xlw1cpUegc1SqaBbTCaL62NweIRRUHgLBEQ9Z4mHyOO06Xo/s400/ashleyBungee1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5550345436081304418" border="0" /></a><br /><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhiYiCuBIyR2RHYTIoVpUOjtWSA5JBYHy_6VhWppGYG-W-rM7Qp1wD9_dPUIW8g83No7W2kpRidaq93ucbnkCCmECtr-llwWsiImvMBNHE07vNg9AohH6BdwNTByLaDCJr8WeAfR4bHr4/s1600/ashleyBungee2.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhiYiCuBIyR2RHYTIoVpUOjtWSA5JBYHy_6VhWppGYG-W-rM7Qp1wD9_dPUIW8g83No7W2kpRidaq93ucbnkCCmECtr-llwWsiImvMBNHE07vNg9AohH6BdwNTByLaDCJr8WeAfR4bHr4/s400/ashleyBungee2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5550345433729565618" border="0" /></a><br /><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8DDGw0vBEodmN6vR_CJ09_S4GguX-m5kRUcqElYsaYXyhwLoEkvpwk0J9HPGqmR6VXZvb-NoS7sKDXUX6_Q1QhXgEdrbPBBlJSAe_a0U3DXFD8zqySsv4kSWCwPOe5DALi9G03uKNryw/s1600/ashleyBungee3.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 268px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8DDGw0vBEodmN6vR_CJ09_S4GguX-m5kRUcqElYsaYXyhwLoEkvpwk0J9HPGqmR6VXZvb-NoS7sKDXUX6_Q1QhXgEdrbPBBlJSAe_a0U3DXFD8zqySsv4kSWCwPOe5DALi9G03uKNryw/s400/ashleyBungee3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5550345423554648210" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Here is my video. Let it be noted that we were not aware that we were being filmed.</span><br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyD48vTkX5X24IkO5I-yNJDP6-ex56SbHngQuIYvBr48qL07L0xjbdT2u8cJu8H9RcSf1zhgzLXSMLzdLNkiA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><img style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" src="file:///Users/ashley/Pictures/Taupo%20Bungee/Amalia%20Bungee/TBNZ_TBNZ_2010_12_14_C3015_6400.jpg" alt="" /><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">So fun right! Here is Amalia's game face:</span><br /><br /><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggiypJH_Ex_ajJtYD8Z7U_RrdW52-mM31WpzpZjh86SgxLZ9wLzazCQzxXiEnPvmeBcdDw0Lo3oZmG7h-gnGAGBz2C74iX4_PJ94aeMmSFvrsoV3b7kHj584P_jKiFhTukwwvp0jxW5sg/s1600/amaliaBungee1.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggiypJH_Ex_ajJtYD8Z7U_RrdW52-mM31WpzpZjh86SgxLZ9wLzazCQzxXiEnPvmeBcdDw0Lo3oZmG7h-gnGAGBz2C74iX4_PJ94aeMmSFvrsoV3b7kHj584P_jKiFhTukwwvp0jxW5sg/s400/amaliaBungee1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5550346459342222722" border="0" /></a><br /><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO6uHHHfNaK0cnJdz5ezv1rvm6ZLlob2oZk1Rcz1oHt0M-WqKDtCQ4yTjW1jult1ahhhOUBIq8AP68vIWFowvsfxKosP_RlyLAnLnJ9HxoqqUG2G_sQP3kdUxhBhaV4f-OOIxaMAUJoZs/s1600/amaliaBungee2.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO6uHHHfNaK0cnJdz5ezv1rvm6ZLlob2oZk1Rcz1oHt0M-WqKDtCQ4yTjW1jult1ahhhOUBIq8AP68vIWFowvsfxKosP_RlyLAnLnJ9HxoqqUG2G_sQP3kdUxhBhaV4f-OOIxaMAUJoZs/s400/amaliaBungee2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5550346453253391394" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Just got the top of her head got wet.</span><br /><br /><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPxnlCRux5f45cvmQc-Fd3h2xqZtKC3VDQZyPdmmRHEqGYqgFYHK3YX6FmzU2t4DeimNl-BOPkE6WDtTm53MBv3h7b57eEfyW_AMDub9OCkh5rr0j_0cIp3VxGSxLoF1nD3dPzze1zxPY/s1600/amaliaBungee3.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 268px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPxnlCRux5f45cvmQc-Fd3h2xqZtKC3VDQZyPdmmRHEqGYqgFYHK3YX6FmzU2t4DeimNl-BOPkE6WDtTm53MBv3h7b57eEfyW_AMDub9OCkh5rr0j_0cIp3VxGSxLoF1nD3dPzze1zxPY/s400/amaliaBungee3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5550346447407539778" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">video!</span><br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyRE55J1cphM15q-67jqgSPslp7W2QIx3AbZ8QIfyF1NFV0ZElywvzZpeKHdnUEWgVKIeDmM_SwqrfQmm2YKw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">It was really pretty great. Fast, but great. We actually HAD to buy the pictures because I don't remember a whole lot of the falling part.</span>Ashley Mackayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12111748817174029795noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4404868606797545019.post-47812015922845466902010-12-12T22:40:00.000-08:002010-12-12T23:44:15.735-08:00Some stuffThe bus stop in Rotorua has a foot pool where you can hang out until your bus comes.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkAQ75qBbHldxvAT5kb12XuvIO6aLG4n0KmKUXZCt4hJDoKNXF1QPYM87vNKC6G7kW-RwsvKZ8GnGA3P9kAleVK26i0EIlGu3kuN1VVV77i-rAD58CXqlEhYTHSWQXsosst2WsH8HJdK0/s1600/AmaFootPool.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkAQ75qBbHldxvAT5kb12XuvIO6aLG4n0KmKUXZCt4hJDoKNXF1QPYM87vNKC6G7kW-RwsvKZ8GnGA3P9kAleVK26i0EIlGu3kuN1VVV77i-rAD58CXqlEhYTHSWQXsosst2WsH8HJdK0/s400/AmaFootPool.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5550063511700830898" border="0" /></a><br />We went to an outdoor Christmas Carol Concert on Sunday. It was a crazy mix of 4th of July carnival with hot dogs and games and songs about the birth of Christ. Not very reverent but fun.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVsHGuYhBqSw-0k2Jn212JfTeDGU1dYV1Z1TWcwsgX9C-Vat1W97_QyKkvNxdUhlEB0OWgp7oOWRqEKUmgBSyJPIVwylJnbE5GlMQ0O8Bo6BgHu0htyEQb4QVosiHU1SM-In97lVdGv4U/s1600/ChristmasConcert.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVsHGuYhBqSw-0k2Jn212JfTeDGU1dYV1Z1TWcwsgX9C-Vat1W97_QyKkvNxdUhlEB0OWgp7oOWRqEKUmgBSyJPIVwylJnbE5GlMQ0O8Bo6BgHu0htyEQb4QVosiHU1SM-In97lVdGv4U/s400/ChristmasConcert.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5550063508276516514" border="0" /></a><br />I had a Christmas Pasty full of turkey and stuffing at an outdoor market:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiCyvhrmeQLOeumTYgurfVrJB4b44VCRef6VgMIh0Zt1ZoUmsTpOvB5p78GPsiUZnrxiRX43PSYsCCAkobn6Gxq2ZZk86R-LqB9EDBH8DbgbdtgeK-VFsYVhafYcjOfqWX2-iH7Qr-bq4/s1600/ChristmasPasty.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiCyvhrmeQLOeumTYgurfVrJB4b44VCRef6VgMIh0Zt1ZoUmsTpOvB5p78GPsiUZnrxiRX43PSYsCCAkobn6Gxq2ZZk86R-LqB9EDBH8DbgbdtgeK-VFsYVhafYcjOfqWX2-iH7Qr-bq4/s400/ChristmasPasty.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5550063499946779666" border="0" /></a><br />We did the Tamaki Brothers Maori Village experience thing. It was really fun. Not unlike the Polynesian Cultural Center in Hawaii. They were all dressed up, we saw some cool houses, they taught us about their culture, they sang and danced, and we had a huge buffet of deliciousness, my favorite part being Pavlova. Pavlova! I want some right now. Best thing ever. Everyone was so nice and fun. On the drive home the bus driver had us singing songs and then she started singing about the wheels on the bus going 'round and 'round and she drove around and around the round about. A lot. It was hilarious. And fun.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6cls4P6moImey235wPgyb48JKQwRHS7bpp-n00j0Wa8Nr2lC8E0FdsgHe1KfI-Vifgq4xQxTnUjueEmwwKnlkxeA_uDHwTxb2uIZaElbkQ3e4WwbOgkOPVAlBu-eD8aoaRlwa_mGX-rs/s1600/Tamaki.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6cls4P6moImey235wPgyb48JKQwRHS7bpp-n00j0Wa8Nr2lC8E0FdsgHe1KfI-Vifgq4xQxTnUjueEmwwKnlkxeA_uDHwTxb2uIZaElbkQ3e4WwbOgkOPVAlBu-eD8aoaRlwa_mGX-rs/s400/Tamaki.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5550058265538084978" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHsYq_r-I4akIERy_YN_h8efID54h4Ssa7y3nlN8JNSkd2qHtU_tE90hfcxViSo_QpHgv5LDdKHy9xmiAM8eSVGIC0fcuEo1Dw048NzyS4u_Si1JJbPXL0x5orxyC4JTJ2xKTZfinnsCk/s1600/hukaFalls.jpg"><br /></a>Huka Falls. My new favorite waterfall. This picture does it no justice. The water is moving really fast in a tiny place so it gets churned up until it is icy blue. It looks like an Ice Breakers Gum commercial or something. My new favorite waterfall. It was crazy.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHsYq_r-I4akIERy_YN_h8efID54h4Ssa7y3nlN8JNSkd2qHtU_tE90hfcxViSo_QpHgv5LDdKHy9xmiAM8eSVGIC0fcuEo1Dw048NzyS4u_Si1JJbPXL0x5orxyC4JTJ2xKTZfinnsCk/s1600/hukaFalls.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHsYq_r-I4akIERy_YN_h8efID54h4Ssa7y3nlN8JNSkd2qHtU_tE90hfcxViSo_QpHgv5LDdKHy9xmiAM8eSVGIC0fcuEo1Dw048NzyS4u_Si1JJbPXL0x5orxyC4JTJ2xKTZfinnsCk/s400/hukaFalls.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5550062706366437266" border="0" /></a><br />Rotorua is the Yellowstone Park of New Zealand. We hiked and saw steam stuff and a geyser. Someone told us about these free to see mudpots and they were way cooler than expected. Boiling mud. Awesome.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiWv1pXNmj8ELcgrl7jMjCIbGfwF6lADl4oB6OKu48S_EpmeeGWZ7LJwXwVmCaS1K55S7HksrGapOWM4ZMFQhq_tEdIxg_PTyFGnBsPtqo3fXMEJ6FsfWXxHcRYlkRslHW8vnsRqMhufI/s1600/mudPot.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiWv1pXNmj8ELcgrl7jMjCIbGfwF6lADl4oB6OKu48S_EpmeeGWZ7LJwXwVmCaS1K55S7HksrGapOWM4ZMFQhq_tEdIxg_PTyFGnBsPtqo3fXMEJ6FsfWXxHcRYlkRslHW8vnsRqMhufI/s400/mudPot.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5550062708341191410" border="0" /></a><br />Redwood forest. Of course New Zealand has one of those too.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVNJi3g16gbtTzL45QqZxUiljPxZca8zkJuuIuwpKOugGzdjOGgO2VPCBMTt1ZmqKYMywbuGzSwJLnS0xt05vd25R_hZS0Zn_21d-4CbschuIFEYmR7sfAfrOqIpYF2pVTbj0QxCDam3o/s1600/Redwoods.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVNJi3g16gbtTzL45QqZxUiljPxZca8zkJuuIuwpKOugGzdjOGgO2VPCBMTt1ZmqKYMywbuGzSwJLnS0xt05vd25R_hZS0Zn_21d-4CbschuIFEYmR7sfAfrOqIpYF2pVTbj0QxCDam3o/s400/Redwoods.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5550060422433263122" border="0" /></a><br />The museum in Rotorua is in the old bath house where people with arthritis or whatever would come to soak and be healed in the sulfuric water. It looks kinda creepy now.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjicK2m_4narC6PMe5Y0n-CKvdgk0CobvJWrm2r9IgRKVlHb70wYaqING_80VkEFfVqz7RL0VKJPEoJL8LcipcO0p8wYzsFyT4viCYyUv6b6i_qIEmWpHvTgp6dW4xqtADferY23WxV0qE/s1600/RotoruaPool.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjicK2m_4narC6PMe5Y0n-CKvdgk0CobvJWrm2r9IgRKVlHb70wYaqING_80VkEFfVqz7RL0VKJPEoJL8LcipcO0p8wYzsFyT4viCYyUv6b6i_qIEmWpHvTgp6dW4xqtADferY23WxV0qE/s400/RotoruaPool.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5550060098001622050" border="0" /></a><br />All the locals told us to check out Kerosene Creek. It is free to go to and has hot water. We got directions and followed them to this lake that smelled of sulfur and was very very warm. It was really beautiful. We had a ton of fun swimming and wondered why it was more of a lake and less of a creek. I didn't want to get out so we ate our dinner floating on our cooler lid. Then a local stopped by and told us we were swimming in the gross lake and that Kerosene Creek was further down. Apparently the mozzies lay their eggs on that lake (we think that means mosquitoes). So yeah, that was REALLY nice of her to go out of her way to help us. We jumped out fast and went to the proper Kerosene Creek which was a real creek with a waterfall into a swimming hole that was full of hot hot sulfur water. Amazing. But we couldn't get any good pictures because there was too much steam. We might also have ingested some mozzie eggs. I don't regret it.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgokTu8uhuJy435sS3tWY9XeSKfdR2CQEvG-zA569vHQDjBv3gaZZGorR_-SHEW1gCl2MJFJrp5f_lp8m0z3lnavYqWJr0xmdUB0Gb2LztAWV9FYENj8TQVgFM9fVE4ha3_OOSgaGsyCnM/s1600/amaEatingMozzie.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgokTu8uhuJy435sS3tWY9XeSKfdR2CQEvG-zA569vHQDjBv3gaZZGorR_-SHEW1gCl2MJFJrp5f_lp8m0z3lnavYqWJr0xmdUB0Gb2LztAWV9FYENj8TQVgFM9fVE4ha3_OOSgaGsyCnM/s400/amaEatingMozzie.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5550064705154836034" border="0" /></a><br />This is my new favorite picture of Amalia. New Zealand has a TON of birds, and all of them seem to know that tourists have food. Amalia had to defend our cereal from an entire family of ducks.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis3q_15zw9ZAS2y1HIamY44Lzv4xm7k0de-yjZGH_oycDiOSD89MfzsJyfyAbJ3KGldbpf7QbDkRktcOME8XjWNQcszpX8qQb8Z5wkumefK1gAOWJSfJG-drR2QrhCcs5N0Sx2CLprN00/s1600/amaDucks.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis3q_15zw9ZAS2y1HIamY44Lzv4xm7k0de-yjZGH_oycDiOSD89MfzsJyfyAbJ3KGldbpf7QbDkRktcOME8XjWNQcszpX8qQb8Z5wkumefK1gAOWJSfJG-drR2QrhCcs5N0Sx2CLprN00/s400/amaDucks.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5550064706857647874" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6cls4P6moImey235wPgyb48JKQwRHS7bpp-n00j0Wa8Nr2lC8E0FdsgHe1KfI-Vifgq4xQxTnUjueEmwwKnlkxeA_uDHwTxb2uIZaElbkQ3e4WwbOgkOPVAlBu-eD8aoaRlwa_mGX-rs/s1600/Tamaki.jpg"><br /></a>Ashley Mackayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12111748817174029795noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4404868606797545019.post-47998960897166028882010-12-12T22:07:00.000-08:002010-12-12T22:40:03.028-08:00Glow worms!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO2Cx82CVE-Pcq1HK9XoThk7NZBbD7zL7Ne6lKz5fjvwPqYr5Tuv0CcDgr4dWfCxMphghvqd64mgbKiB9dCnlxdPLWZdzBOpUtvHiJ-NiUVKW7nAjs6CuDmRSzgTh3p6Tw_cPo7Ttivek/s1600/WeddingCakeFormation.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO2Cx82CVE-Pcq1HK9XoThk7NZBbD7zL7Ne6lKz5fjvwPqYr5Tuv0CcDgr4dWfCxMphghvqd64mgbKiB9dCnlxdPLWZdzBOpUtvHiJ-NiUVKW7nAjs6CuDmRSzgTh3p6Tw_cPo7Ttivek/s400/WeddingCakeFormation.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5550052643353259490" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj95CarN4Tw-Knx2QDlsdCVurqsLu3nvqqBtH7TUJUYUdalEsHmpIdOD-oGChGNb_UEC3SNvNtNbjcSjZkM2gQvHstQUGMqtY-mHpsXtaEoZSSkM9My9Ujt7iS-oJ9Xm6cczPnLT5fyv-s/s1600/oompaLoompa1.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj95CarN4Tw-Knx2QDlsdCVurqsLu3nvqqBtH7TUJUYUdalEsHmpIdOD-oGChGNb_UEC3SNvNtNbjcSjZkM2gQvHstQUGMqtY-mHpsXtaEoZSSkM9My9Ujt7iS-oJ9Xm6cczPnLT5fyv-s/s400/oompaLoompa1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5550052242285558434" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2xYz8ru1K9Z909fgnd_WftwPtDdKc8sevD6p7NWG3FvLgKO8sep55BLAY8XrPXVdX3-KC6UYyIGSDyvL9mP52_GovoIUtYwnzKOKKeXDUefra3CB_6KzO7lrEXikSYSKUSiuYNjNBN0k/s1600/oompaLoompa.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2xYz8ru1K9Z909fgnd_WftwPtDdKc8sevD6p7NWG3FvLgKO8sep55BLAY8XrPXVdX3-KC6UYyIGSDyvL9mP52_GovoIUtYwnzKOKKeXDUefra3CB_6KzO7lrEXikSYSKUSiuYNjNBN0k/s400/oompaLoompa.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5550047169875643218" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">There are some famous touristy glow worm caves called Waitomo. We really wanted to see the glow worms but didn't totally want to pay $150 each. THEN we camped in the back yard of the Connelly's and Brother Connelly was taking some people on a tour of a glow worm cave close to his house and he let us come! We went with him with another guide to scout out the cave (he hadn't been there before) and it was very cool. Afterward, the other guy he was with asked if we could help them with the tour, like bring up the rear and carry their gear. Of course we said yes and we became cave guides. People were asking us questions like "how many times a day do you do this?" and I would answer things like, "uhhhh twice today....." It was super fun. And we saw glow worms! I was grossed out by the idea of them hanging on a little string web and glowing until I remembered that I learned everything there was to know about glow worms in James and the Giant Peach. Glow worms make silk like spiders. That is how the Glow Worm helped the Spider make enough string to catch the seagulls and make the peach float. Right. They look like little green stars on the cave roof. Pretty awesome. I love them. And I like how I look like an Oompa Loompa in those blue coveralls. </span>Ashley Mackayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12111748817174029795noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4404868606797545019.post-79186289820886214002010-12-07T23:56:00.000-08:002010-12-08T00:02:39.903-08:00Connelly home part deux<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Here are just two more pictures of this cool house, including the wooden sink:</span><br /><br /><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtFlrFb5K6J9duUeaR-yWgZAGaK_m1pdvDOfmjU6AJ89agr7KjHRmI5oQzU5CtYoubuyuO_9ewnQT3TeeiOODXZKCEcXhmOXRhcNgZ8HBApkesuqSJibzYBZ5mb09s3S4RCRJOOc-HU9w/s1600/woodenSink.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtFlrFb5K6J9duUeaR-yWgZAGaK_m1pdvDOfmjU6AJ89agr7KjHRmI5oQzU5CtYoubuyuO_9ewnQT3TeeiOODXZKCEcXhmOXRhcNgZ8HBApkesuqSJibzYBZ5mb09s3S4RCRJOOc-HU9w/s400/woodenSink.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5548217923309314786" border="0" /></a><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgZOhl53sqyU-QIf-dBIz8ybVq7Edq-FDiYkzj9snWkS2iU4xkUwvFlCh4ZQnaEd2Frdcuc2ttbuUakpGHUCkCFRfVbCwERt8y9nGkzCo0T0iUJVAxUWrJ522-SPazMASkDFVedh_Zhr8/s1600/workspace.jpg"><br /></a><br /><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj41lqpxD7ZotltEVA5Q6DXiae9vXt-lfcGIOn_6BlZn0OTIH0BvA6223KSMkwDoHXWHv0BP2TSQ0ehuvl6C7JiOpeGHQduGoCYzV_GA2SZ3NZr6FH0pbqehHeFOy5_qRg6qZqfjnwdgbg/s1600/connelly3.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj41lqpxD7ZotltEVA5Q6DXiae9vXt-lfcGIOn_6BlZn0OTIH0BvA6223KSMkwDoHXWHv0BP2TSQ0ehuvl6C7JiOpeGHQduGoCYzV_GA2SZ3NZr6FH0pbqehHeFOy5_qRg6qZqfjnwdgbg/s400/connelly3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5548217906778046274" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">For Christmas Amalia and I bought ourselves the internet! Or maybe just a mobile phone internet stick we can use wherever you get mobile service. It is amazing. And we like to joke about how we bought the internet and keep it in our glove box. I am very happy to have it. It also came with a usb splitter cable so we can use it at the same time. Genius!</span> <br /><br /><br /><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgZOhl53sqyU-QIf-dBIz8ybVq7Edq-FDiYkzj9snWkS2iU4xkUwvFlCh4ZQnaEd2Frdcuc2ttbuUakpGHUCkCFRfVbCwERt8y9nGkzCo0T0iUJVAxUWrJ522-SPazMASkDFVedh_Zhr8/s1600/workspace.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgZOhl53sqyU-QIf-dBIz8ybVq7Edq-FDiYkzj9snWkS2iU4xkUwvFlCh4ZQnaEd2Frdcuc2ttbuUakpGHUCkCFRfVbCwERt8y9nGkzCo0T0iUJVAxUWrJ522-SPazMASkDFVedh_Zhr8/s400/workspace.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5548217917244576322" border="0" /></a>Ashley Mackayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12111748817174029795noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4404868606797545019.post-88064397408655131922010-12-06T18:13:00.000-08:002010-12-06T18:19:18.669-08:00Connelly home<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">We are currently camping in the back yard of the most awesome house of all time:<br /><br /></span><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW4BTVopjHTJA7bdVSbJiC-pvPQbVwHYWRQLfXmtQ_cn0JyOebgJLl02-f49ZCzKSkh5i4IxXS3L_HoMfvZWuRkopCBoTVHktTRr4CNMBh7yEhDiuH84V84Q_dHEoP2glQKIzlTSkbc5o/s1600/connelly3.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW4BTVopjHTJA7bdVSbJiC-pvPQbVwHYWRQLfXmtQ_cn0JyOebgJLl02-f49ZCzKSkh5i4IxXS3L_HoMfvZWuRkopCBoTVHktTRr4CNMBh7yEhDiuH84V84Q_dHEoP2glQKIzlTSkbc5o/s400/connelly3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5547758394021033874" border="0" /></a><br /><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG9NU3eDixGUs3CyPoPnFjWAX4JQxm6jXhTIlUKbBlJ_N65wyaa-KuOAMbL6rrEZnJtX1QIT0G5JF4VARdIYenFYNgyOMB7VCF9dF9HBeUjT_JPKYtqNpPAtw4EiRW0rZHKyX5R3HOHw4/s1600/connelly2.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG9NU3eDixGUs3CyPoPnFjWAX4JQxm6jXhTIlUKbBlJ_N65wyaa-KuOAMbL6rrEZnJtX1QIT0G5JF4VARdIYenFYNgyOMB7VCF9dF9HBeUjT_JPKYtqNpPAtw4EiRW0rZHKyX5R3HOHw4/s400/connelly2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5547758114369881250" border="0" /></a><br /><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioqEk7sEUCEzqnAdQEFWnRk4c6x3ffcbS0doYuVyqu0w_kYy0ofher8gY_VuCxBFgOmROfjQj9jikO_eLnDah5t7V8snxdmfYsTor-qX4XRrHD_nbhRXKn5ggPaXPxI0C2YCZ6iURCylU/s1600/amaconn.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioqEk7sEUCEzqnAdQEFWnRk4c6x3ffcbS0doYuVyqu0w_kYy0ofher8gY_VuCxBFgOmROfjQj9jikO_eLnDah5t7V8snxdmfYsTor-qX4XRrHD_nbhRXKn5ggPaXPxI0C2YCZ6iURCylU/s400/amaconn.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5547758111358409314" border="0" /></a><br /><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAkLRcbwFjKY0yUFj15bLjHXH7dzP4B7VzN6zGVOrVOwAmOwbkmDDrGEDD5iCKp6dmCLbiul3Rumv_5dDVMnhxAgRNfrpg_TNHJIs_ipXauWOPahoBN3blr9xjngGzVdPJqcFNDRgRQ2Y/s1600/amaDog.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAkLRcbwFjKY0yUFj15bLjHXH7dzP4B7VzN6zGVOrVOwAmOwbkmDDrGEDD5iCKp6dmCLbiul3Rumv_5dDVMnhxAgRNfrpg_TNHJIs_ipXauWOPahoBN3blr9xjngGzVdPJqcFNDRgRQ2Y/s400/amaDog.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5547758103664236866" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">I still need to get pictures of the wooden bathroom sink. They are in a rural area that only has dial up internet and since they are in a drought they run out of water in the summers. They really take baths in the swimming hole down the hill, although they did let us use the showers today since it is still cold.</span>Ashley Mackayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12111748817174029795noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4404868606797545019.post-3738662806521007272010-12-06T17:41:00.000-08:002010-12-06T18:12:43.417-08:00Wharepapa South: Bryce's Rockclimbing Cafe & Lodge<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">We stayed in a hostel run "by climbers for climbers." And yes, it WAS that cool.</span> <a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrwK4LIVAomJRbxDLvm1Mdtag-wyP9fVrHj8tJd0LBOqX6_VLdMPyJdQskDbKTy6WoPwmQBI4AJTD3KyfyFhvd5DGkCUcVRN-upz1ny3D9BSxCWdUfQMIMpTlnZi8Nx0M4ZvZ2gMtqYNI/s1600/amaClimbHostel.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrwK4LIVAomJRbxDLvm1Mdtag-wyP9fVrHj8tJd0LBOqX6_VLdMPyJdQskDbKTy6WoPwmQBI4AJTD3KyfyFhvd5DGkCUcVRN-upz1ny3D9BSxCWdUfQMIMpTlnZi8Nx0M4ZvZ2gMtqYNI/s400/amaClimbHostel.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5547753373128724466" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">He even had his own bouldering cave where we played Add-On with some other campers. It was really fun. And cool. If someone could please figure out the logistics and funding for Amalia and I to open one in Moab, we'd jump right on that when we get back.</span> <a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQE73qYHTVkLOf8bP2p7r8sYyChhh985Iyd84JNHJlULuBh5sTHjsb8rcOtVaHGsbecJQOoZCzzKwHtS72w4PH-jTX5YsyRHXzrMhscILpl2lpbq6uwW-baQSF8M1vVih2ZwoN9Kyx9qc/s1600/AddOn.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQE73qYHTVkLOf8bP2p7r8sYyChhh985Iyd84JNHJlULuBh5sTHjsb8rcOtVaHGsbecJQOoZCzzKwHtS72w4PH-jTX5YsyRHXzrMhscILpl2lpbq6uwW-baQSF8M1vVih2ZwoN9Kyx9qc/s400/AddOn.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5547752238664590386" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">We went climbing at a place called Froggart Edge. The rock was Pocketed Ignimbrite, for those who might care.<br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJAFNf9BcP0tDPhyphenhyphenkOAuVNJvVexD0o1Hc6uocLK3E_7MQA4AgRinBU6zvmEtxDzCQ4s2nT9VA2JOHa93u9fprkJJ70_RLgeSJbTeOjgk2KnlOj8rtyLXg_e_MkvwNn9GgQbf8KaESv5Dg/s1600/amaMain.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJAFNf9BcP0tDPhyphenhyphenkOAuVNJvVexD0o1Hc6uocLK3E_7MQA4AgRinBU6zvmEtxDzCQ4s2nT9VA2JOHa93u9fprkJJ70_RLgeSJbTeOjgk2KnlOj8rtyLXg_e_MkvwNn9GgQbf8KaESv5Dg/s400/amaMain.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5547757365176302082" border="0" /></a><br /><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhah6EZoXOgarWxIu-L0pYu8eKdutCIM9pjqVBLyTKRaknjJjvsZvvENjZGoMsa_5NGQ_PFup28nuLcecP5g1ZjBTBlGF6wfx_JuLOZ1y1f5eGJOUWhu2GkkteIGwme36hJqfHMQlbzVoI/s1600/RockView.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhah6EZoXOgarWxIu-L0pYu8eKdutCIM9pjqVBLyTKRaknjJjvsZvvENjZGoMsa_5NGQ_PFup28nuLcecP5g1ZjBTBlGF6wfx_JuLOZ1y1f5eGJOUWhu2GkkteIGwme36hJqfHMQlbzVoI/s400/RockView.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5547753748685291666" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">The tall peak in the middle of the picture above is the longest climb we did. It was graded an 18 (supposedly a 5.10). I lead it. Well, the first day we tried to climb it I didn't take up enough draws but then the SECOND day I totally lead it. Here is a dark picture of me on the top. I am glad I've been carrying that super long rope around:<br /></span> <a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghUxONmjYJN0SaH6Gxj8AFMYZDA6gT-gYRVnAHMc1vSvoJS5j29s5W3DPTlqcrWZw5KOqMktSf7v09Q8I7HvKzd705Nv158BvkCIEYt4-U9h81Hlw9cXUFzcENh2QXHfjCF-J8g7lJIoQ/s1600/TerrorIncognitoAsh.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghUxONmjYJN0SaH6Gxj8AFMYZDA6gT-gYRVnAHMc1vSvoJS5j29s5W3DPTlqcrWZw5KOqMktSf7v09Q8I7HvKzd705Nv158BvkCIEYt4-U9h81Hlw9cXUFzcENh2QXHfjCF-J8g7lJIoQ/s400/TerrorIncognitoAsh.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5547753760635390866" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">It was a fun day. And then we saw the old Windows background:<br /></span> <a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO_3FxtB3g9OmjskWBkoIVemIHhks-ba8NPjsi2KdV-tkVqMTyIRavqGwgNzqaD5q-7FetJzVEl8TvCRrbGt2Rpcs0r4KvaCis04oKtUphln5eBFEaY4u86zaqIwkl1RrrSRY0LV95jMc/s1600/Windows.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO_3FxtB3g9OmjskWBkoIVemIHhks-ba8NPjsi2KdV-tkVqMTyIRavqGwgNzqaD5q-7FetJzVEl8TvCRrbGt2Rpcs0r4KvaCis04oKtUphln5eBFEaY4u86zaqIwkl1RrrSRY0LV95jMc/s400/Windows.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5547756288027211266" border="0" /></a> <a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBR1raHAE2twJBOYqHyixiNStthmDVyqPqMOAfA_eBnCzZkxLVd-8MyndCwEwOsQA3o99Mw0RrfOZbB7O3EkbHPjtvUWgbLtj2JIJHkFq_WFQQLYw1TofLEpXAgvQ97EPDMzqvIHcUwb0/s1600/amaTreeNap.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBR1raHAE2twJBOYqHyixiNStthmDVyqPqMOAfA_eBnCzZkxLVd-8MyndCwEwOsQA3o99Mw0RrfOZbB7O3EkbHPjtvUWgbLtj2JIJHkFq_WFQQLYw1TofLEpXAgvQ97EPDMzqvIHcUwb0/s400/amaTreeNap.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5547754025290328626" border="0" /></a>Ashley Mackayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12111748817174029795noreply@blogger.com2