San Diego Zoo was day two it's a large zoo and we had a great day, Californians were experiencing there week of winter and so both Seaworld and the zoo were very quite by their normal standards, lucky us this continued through for Disneyland as well. I think a lot of the animals were enjoying the cooler weather, but then others were huddling under their heat lamps. Cheetahs seem to have an eye for my children both these ones and the ones in Wellington get this look of interest in their eyes and start pacing trying to figure out how they could get them to fall into the enclosure.

We look around the historic San Diego plaza area and had a get Mexican lunch their before heading up the coast to LA, or more accurately Anaheim.

We had three days in Disneyland and went on every ride we cared to, there were hardly any ques so in some cases we went twice. Liam and Charles got trained as Jedi and Madeline got sound advice from Cinderella about not losing your shoe, as she tied her lace. Everyone was shattered by the end of day three.
Many tears were shed as we said good bye to the NZ based component of our party.
Our return trip took us back to Indio, where we did get the date shake this time and past the

Salton sea, more time below sea level to Organ Pipes National Monument. We had our first border check point on the way there. You would think we'd left the country the way they do the border checks just after you leave the national monument, they thought we should be carrying our passports but they didn't make us unpack our stuff to check for drugs and illegals.

We headed on to Tuscon and stayed in a nice campground near the city, visited Saguaro National Park and saw LOTS of the big cactus, and lots of other types of cactus too, Liam's becoming quite a cactus expert having done both these Junior ranger programmes.

One day to drive home for work the next day. We took a more direct route drove though a mountain pass rather than up the 'I' which would have been fine had Tuscon not received a snowfall, not common in the south of Arizona.

While we say a few sprinkles it wasn't till north of Globe that things got serious. We slowed for the conditions and traffic was OK. Thinks got worse and we followed a snow plow for a while. We saw several people unaccustomed or unable to drive in the snow, highlights being a rear wheel coupe seen 90 degrees to the centre line at times, and a Police SUV being towed out of a ditch by a passer by.

We passed many cars simply stopped going the other way but we crept on, now in very slow traffic. Our unconventional route took us away from the traffic and fortunately a drier road until we got to the familiar I40 just before the New Mexico boarder. A short stop for food brought darkness and more snow. Driving at night, in snow, on the interstate is not fun. It's not obvious where the road is but the other traffic seems to fly past at times.

That said we saw stranded Truck in the middle of the road and two cars on their roofs before we got home. A very long day in the car (14 hours) but we were safely home.

Tyres

So we had had some tyre excitement prior to entering Joshua Tree, I've never hear a tyre actually burst before. In fact the tyre "issues" started with a flat tyre in Williams, in the motel carpark. The local tire (sic) guy wasn't that keen to repair it becuase it was so worn, but did, so we left the brand new spare in it's place (tyre 1). Then on the way into Las Vegas a different tyre delaminated and made a strange thuking noise. So one new tyre in Las Vegas (tyre 2). At Indio, after Joshua tree we purchasing two more tyres(tyres 3 and 4). The intention was to replace the exploded tyre and the very worn spare but the final tyre on the car showed very serious cracks on the inside wall, the same area of failure of it's partner the exploded tyre. Tyre prices seem to get considereably cheaper the closer to the coast you are, these ones were $20 less per tyre than the one in Vegas, which we'd thought was a good price.

So we left Indio, Date capital without the requiste date shake, but with four shiny new tyres on the car, and the bodgy patched tyre from Williams still as a spare.

We were in the swing of camping after the past few nights so found a site near the Anza Borrego Sate Park, a camp fire and cards, the usual evenings entertainment. This campground was a step up from the others it had showers! We were glad of this with a hotel in San Diego being the destination for the next night.

So Bright lights and big city beconed and we headed down the 'I' to San Diego, took a look at the water and checked into the hotel. Apprently the coldest weather for some time.

We had tour guides for the next day, our itinerary featured Seaworld. We had a behind the scenes look, featuring flamingo, Manatees and the hospital area. We petted dolphins and saw the Shamu show. favourites were the manatees, especially feeding them, commersons dolphins which are really little and the beluga whales. I went on my first roller coaster here, Journey to Atlantis, I think it had the longest drop of all the rides we were to do over the next few days.

Deserts

Liam and Charles had an enormous sandpit in the dunes at Death valley. They climbed the sides of mosaic canyon.
We camped under a tree in Death Valley, in summer this would be essential I imagine, the tree had very long bent over branches which created lovely tunnels big enough for tents. Liam and Charles had a great time playing under there own tree as a secret fort.

We left Death Valley and stayed the nigh t in the Mojave Preserve. Heading for Joshua Tree National park. We camped at Jumbo Rocks where the boys again scaled the boulders.

More of the vacation meander

We had a great time in Moab, Merewyn and Josh's climbing sparked a theme for Liam and Charles which continued most of the trip. Arches National Park was spectacular and Junior Ranger badges were completed. While the weather was clear there was dfineately ice in the wind when we went for a short walk to view some of the arches. Mostly we looked from the warmth of the car.
We visited one of the areas of Canyonlands NP and viewed the canyon created by the Green River the climbing the day before was on the Colorado River, I've found this on the web which is of geological interest.
Many National Parks have campgounds and they are mostly in very scenic locations, Canyonlands one was nice, we had lunch there, in the snow.

Our initial plan was to camp in Valley of the Gods, but we revised this plan and found a motel in Bluff (mentioned in a book by Tony Hilleman I discovered in when I read that far in Tucson on the way home.) We used their hot tub and noticed that when the water splashed on the ground, as it does with small boys in a full hot tub, it froze.

We drove though Valley of the Gods the next day awand also saw Goosenecks state park and Monument Valley, another lunch picnic in snow provided the boys with a sledding oportunity on a found mirror. It was funny picnicing in snow in the campground which we had needed our mats because the ground was so hot.

Big drive to Williams foor Grand Canyon, we decided to walk down one of the paths into the Canyon, Cedar Ridge,which was excellent, and gave quite a different perspective. Liam walked all the way there and back, doing math squences with Aunty Mere on the way up.

Spent another night in Williams and went driving around back roads before managing our firsts night camping. We had a campfire and enormous steaks for dinner,then Josh managed two enthisiastic boys and prickly pear roasting, Madeline was very keen on eating the results, hard to describe really, kinda slimey not much flavour.

Next morning involved dropping Merewyn and Josh off for their return trip to the north. Madeline was not impressed about loosing her travelling companions, but slept most of the way to Las Vegas, waking at the Hoover dam.


We stayed on 'the strip' in Las Vegas and had two nights in the city before heading for Beatty on our way into Death Valley. our first stop in Death Valley was Scotty's Castle where the boys played in the spring and Liam managed to fall in!

Off on the Adventure

It sort feels like cheating to be writting this having arrived back in Santa Fe, but anyway on the 27 of December our troup set off for an adventure. Our first destiation was Durango and a steam train ride to return Santa to the north pole. We sang carols, had hot chocolate and nougat chocolates on the train and santa gave all the children a bell. There was plenty of snow on the ground in Durango but it was the next day, after finding a wonderful french bakery, an indestructable coffee pot and some hiking boots, that we encountered our first snow storm. We were driving down the hill from Mesa Verde where we'd had a picnic lunch (discovered just how good that bakery was) and visited the Spruce Treehouse for a Ranger talk when the snow hit, and the sunset, a slow drive down the hill. We were heading for Moab Utah that night so assumed we'd be later than we thought but we out drove the storm and found our house in Moab without any trouble.

So this was how Xmas happened

I know, its the end of January and Im finally writting about Christmas ! It was buzy! We had all our travellers arrive from their far flung residences with various amounts of complication. It seemed simplier to arrive from NZ rather than Canada.
Christmas Eve involved baking cookies at a friends place, and icing them which the children had a lot of fun with. Pierre created a feast involving Teriyaki pork and chicken after which we all went to Canyon Road for the Farolitto walk. We had hot chocolate and toasted marshmallows on a bonfire one of the places had. We returned home and some of us went to the neighbourhood party, a bonfire down the road.
Christmas day dawned with stockings for the kids, we had Breakfast then presents as we had others coming to join us fo lunch. The menu was prawn cocktails, raspberry glazed ham, stuffed turkey breast, passole and beans followed by christmas pudding. Passole is a New Mexican dish, a special type of corn is boiled with pork and green chilli is added, its very tasty.

A thigh

Madeline and Charles compare themselves to a Brontasauanrus leg, probably more than we need for dinner. At New Mexico Museum of natural history.

Working on the Christmas feeling

It's very strange you know this winter Christmas thing. My normal resistances to snowflake decorations are gone. Santa Fe definately does Christmas, lights and decorations all over the place. Liam and I have made snowflakes from beads, and 3-d paper snowflakes. But I don't get Cuisine magazine here so I haven't been thinking about the food, till yesterday when I finally thought I really should. So now I have fruit soaking for the cake and a recipe for the pudding, but I haven't make a ham or turkey decision. I am also aware that I don't have a 26cm cake tin or a pudding bowl. I think we have enough plates for 10 for Christmas but I know I broke another wine glass, three doesn't seem like enough of those.

Gone now

These icicles were on the spout at the front of our house. Liam and I were watching them grow. We discussed stalactites But today was warmer so now our icicles are tiny stubs again. 

Snow Day

Today the schools were closed for a snowday so we went with friends sleding at a park in Santa Fe, it was crisp and clear and COLD but the sleding was a blast. Madeline's interest was limited by her feeling cold. So we headed foor hot chocolate after which was enjoyed by all.
I felt not crashing the car was one of my biggest achievements for the day especially consideering how often the ABS felt the need to come on. It was fine, everyone was driving in slow motion on the iced snowy roads. Corners were when I had to remember to turn slow aand wide. 

We woke up to this today. So encouraging getting dressed and coats on wasn't as hard as it can be some days.
The whole town is transformed from a brown dusty desert to a lumionously clean puffy white place. There's no wind so snow balances on the wires and sits on the tops of the abode buildings like icing.

Once of the activities at school was dye droppers into roasting pans of snow.

It's snowing on and off and as Madeline and I walked out of school she was bothered by the snowflakes on her eyelashes.

Preparation

Since sunday the weather forecasters have been telling us that we might get snow on tuesday night and wednesday. I thought getting some warm coats for the kids would be a good idea. Liam especially needed a new coat. Now thwy just need the snow! 

It's definately getting colder

This weekend we finally ventured south. We went down the turquoise trail to just south of Alberquerque, and the salt missions trail there were little old Spanish style villages and lots of ruined houses. We headed into the Manzano Mountains and did a short walk on the 4th of July trail. The campgrounds are closed now, 'for resource protection'. We found another campsite and pitched our tent. The boys collected firewood and then I lit the fire. We cooked our dinner on the fire. I was cold going to bed until I realised my mat was flat, once I moved onto the inflated mat we all spent a pleasant night. Sunday we drove on to mountainair and the Salinas pueblo mission National monument.

So we spent several days in Fort Collins, it's a very pretty town. I enjoyed the bungalow style houses, it unusually, has a train track running down the middle of the main road, not the most convinent thing for traffic planning I would have thought, but my children enjoyed seeing the trains.
our first day was spent at the discovery center where we looked at and played with all sorts of science things one of which was building a stegosaus skeleton about 2 metres long and 1 metre high. We spent a day at the park, museum and library and our last day we drove to Estes Park and visited the Rocky Mountain National Park, it was just a quick look and drive through, but we managed to complete the junior ranger program and get the badge.

We drove down to Denver for the weekend and visited with several of Richard's collegues who live there. We also visited Joseph and his family. We'd meet Joseph when had came to New Zealand to do some GIS workshops with mum. It was lovely to meet his family, and our kids enjoyed playing with his girls mostly unraking the leaves in the yard.
We had a look at red rocks and some dinosaur tracks. But to soon our time was up and we drove back to Santa Fe.

Local customs must be observed

Richard felt the need to try on Liams costume. I think it looks better on Liam.

Madeline had some practical additions to her fairy costume given the almost freezing temperatures. Our neighbourhood is supposed to be 'good' for trick or treating but we had arranged to go with friends in their neighbourhood. Now we have too much candy, and we only did about 1/2 hours trick or treating. Madeline thanked everyone, thou she didn't manage the trick or treat bit. Liam enjoyed going with his friends, and the other adults made for an interesting walk.
We left straight after for Fort Collins, 7 1/2 hours north

Hide and hide?

The problems with playing hide and seek with your two year old sister seem to be, you need to hide fast, since she doesn't count, and you need to hide often, since she only seeks. If your happy with these constrains the resulting games brings much squeeling and lots of running around the house.

Almost a month ago now we drove up to Canyon de Chelly. We left as usually on friday night and headed up to El Morro National monument, which has camping and related to it being in the Navajo Reservation the camping is free. El Morro is a Large rock outcrop with a pool that is not big, but about 12 foot deep when completely full. It's feed by runoff from the rock and is the only water source for about 30 miles. So in the early days everyone stopped here for a drink. While they were here they left their mark on the rock so it has inscriptions from indian petroglyphs and Spanish commanders some in very elaborate script, so I guess they remembered to bring the stone carver with them. Madeline was our guide. From there we headed to Gallup and on through Window Rock along some BLM roads to Canyon de Chelly, we got a flat tyre which ment we were back onto the space saver tyre, this didn't slow us down any since the roads weren't up to more than 50 miles anyway. Our first lookout on the canyon rim was spider rock, in Navajo legend this place is home to spider woman who taught them to weave.
The guard rails on lots of the outlooks in National Parks don't really seem designed for safety all Liam and Madeline want to do is climb on them. So Madeline spent most of the time getting in and out of the backpack. Liam was really good about holding hands and keeping safe.
We camped at the campgrounds of the National Monument which we nice the weather however was not. We had thunder, rain and hail just after we got the tents up. There had been weather like this the previous day as well so we decided it would be better not to do the walk down into the canyon to the white house ruins. We viewed the north rim view sites and headed for Shiprock in hopes of finding a tyre repairer for our flat tyre. There are plenty of tyre repair places in and around Shiprock, we were lucky thou to find one who was open so with new second hand tyre on the car we headed on to Farmington and cottonwood campground on Navajo dam.
We were the only tenters but there were plenty of others in their RV's. Liam helped some ladies who were fishing in the river and enjoyed playing in the sandy arroyo at the back of our campsite. We had a campfire which we cooked our New Zealand lamb chops on, very tasty.
We had our first frost while tenting in America. I biggest problem was getting the tents dry in the morning. We looked around at the lake at Navajo Dam and saw house boats out on the lake befor edrrivinng back to Santa Fe for dinner at Tomasitas

hoi poli

Richard and I ventured out the other night to one of his collegues from works place for a fundraiser function for Bill Richardson the New Mexican Govenor. It was an interesting evening they have a lovely house and there was a good mariachi band playing and the food was good. Some of Richard's other collegues were there and it was good to meet them too. We didn't go and shake the govn'rs hand, he can speak well (as you'd hope really) and it was a crowd of old friends and public service people so the speech was directed at what they had achieved in the last term and the goal for the current election. Richard's suit got an airing which it hasn't had since we've been here.

Oh for a quite life.

Why do I do this to myself. We have had teacher problems at school. Our new teacher and our old one don't seem able to communicate with each other. So muggins is trying to mediate and see if they can work together or if we should let the new teacher resign after less than a month.
It's very frustrating because I feel like the children are missing out on the talents avaliable in the new teacher because they can't figure out how to work together.

Up, up and away

There were plenty of beautiful balloon options avaliable at the Special Shapes Rodeo Mass accention which we went to this morning. It involved a 5am start so that we could drive to Alburquerque by dawn but it was fanatastic to see the Dawn patrol balloons going up as the sky started to light up.
By about 8am an amazing array of shapes had lifted off and floated by. Highlights were the cow, the horse and chillis, the space shuttle was pretty spectacular too.
The weather today was perfect, clear blue sky and almost no wind, so the balloons lifted up flew around the park and landed, some back in the place they started from. Following the rodeo event was a prize grab where the ballonists flew from a mile away to collect a tag from the ground and fly off. Great to watch as the huge array of colours flew in dropped and lifted and landed near by. There were balloons all over Albuquereque.

We had thought of going down on sunday and started out early but it was spittling and the rain got heavier so it was cancelled. I'm glad really 'cause I'd forgotten my camera. Today I took 235 picutres ( I won't bee posting them all) so should you NEED a picture of hot air balloons I might have just what you're after.

A picture

From hat

Madeline got a new hat in a parcel from Canada

These boots ...

Madeline got a parcel of clothes from friends here and we shopped for the boots - we think Aunty Megan might like to be allocated this gift. They are very popular. 

Sprinkles?

Madeline and her firends shared a jar of sprinkles at her party. The main activity was icing cupcakes with tubes of icing and decorating with sprinkles. 

Language Lessons

Liam's friend has decided he's going to teach us "English" it's making for some amusing conversations. Last night he started with "dinner" I happened to have said tea is ready. This morning trousers are "pants". I know he and Liam have had some other conversations related to this.

A Day trip

Last weekend we stayed in Santa Fe because Richard was leaving for a work trip in Sunday morning (before the crack of dawn). So we went with friends four adults, three fve year olds and two almost two's, to Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks which is about an hours drive south from here.

It was a spectacular day after the grey weather and storms of the week, and being south of here the temperature was warmer. (Almost as soon as you leave Santa Fe you drop down off the Plateau and loose a thousand feet) We took Mac 'n' cheese to make for lunch on the hike and tea. Since we were taking the stove. We rather flabergassted the rest of the group with this one pair had a 'cliff bar' and the others a couple of sandwiches. We had planned on enough for everyone, and all enjoyed.

Tent Rocks is dramatic landscape, like the pinicles in the Wairarapa in style but larger, some of the peaks have HUGE boulders perched on top of them. The walk is gentle and we did the loop to the cave dwelling and about 2/3rd's of the canyon trail. It's one of those slot canyons which wind through the rock. There is a lookout at the far end which we didn't get to. Only one of the two year olds had a backpack to be carried in, so we were taking turns, but they had got to the point where they both needed to sleep.

Our seven seater car got a test, and it worked well From the front seat you can hardly hear the loudness of two boys in the boot.

Another Monumental Weekend

The weekend after the fair we went to Chaco Culture National Monument. It's in the North West of New Mexico and there isn't much else out there. We left here after school and got to Chaco about 6.30pm. Having eaten a homemade pie on the way.

Friday night there was a ranger talk at the visitor center which we attended, it was interesting, he showed other areas where there are pueblo ruins near Chaco. The children got a little restless but we were mostly there because after the talk had four large telescopes out. With the remote location and a moonless night the view of the stars and planets was very clear. I haven't really looked at the stars in Santa Fe but we saw Jupiter and scorpio and the operators (astoronomers I suppose) were interested in showing clusters so we saw tight clusters and loose clusters, and a binary star. Liam really enjoyed the telescopes. Especially the very large one which they have set in obsevatory.

We spent saturday looking at the great house and great kiva ruins and completeing the junior ranger program. This one was a bit advanced for Liam but he was able to answer the questions when the ranger went through it with him. There was a what don't we stand on question which he came up with ' criptobiotic' for, thy were after 'walls' but knew what he was talking about.

It's a lovely place and the buildings are dramatic. It got very cold at night, the kids had plenty of stuff but I had only 1 jearsy each for Richard and I, still coats kept out the wind and we got into the tent early.

Sunday we drove home via a scenic route, had lunch in the Santa Fe National Forest by Cuba and drove back past the Caldera and Los Alamos.

The old woman in the shoe

Here's a link to the La Casita pictures from the pet parade.

Time for singlets

In our family as many of you know, when there is snow on the Tararuas you have to wear your singlet.

Today as I drove Liam to school I looked at the mountain in front of us ( I think Murray may have walked up it) and there glistening in the sun was a heavy icing sugar dusting of snow. The nights have definately cooled off, in fact I think we've had a frost or two, but the days have still been warm. Today there is a slight nip to the air despite the glorious sunshine.

Liam and I discussed the tree leaves and how they were starting to turn yellow, he had been finding some trees at school yesterday and matchingthem with pictures, we talked about evergreens and deciduous trees too. He probably didn't need to go to school after that.

Both days our new teacher has been visiting she's had Liam engaged in an activity of some kind. Today they were labeling the new recycle bins and putting "TRASH" labels on the rubbish bins. Liam helped write labels and stick them on and then at meeting he stood up the front and did a presentation on the new system - it was delightful, very detailed and showed ALL the bins.

Madeline had been playing with three other little girls who are only slightly older than her. She initiated several of the activities they did, they all had flowers and crowns on from the dress up area and they feed Coco the rabbit carrot tops. She losses interest during meeting time, thou she's initally keen to sit up with everyone, just then she started taking her clothes off!

You need this at the fair.

Last week the state fair was on in Albuquerque so Richard took thursday off and we all went down. It's like a really good A&P show but we happened to be there on law enforcement day so there were armoured vechiles, tanks and officers of various sorts all over the place.

There was an Indian Pueblo village where we watched some Aztec dancers. Their costumes were bright with fabulous feathers.

We looked at animals and the kids did a McDonalds Farm activity in which they were farmers who havested, drove tractors collected eggs, milked a cow, sold their wares and got an ice block for their rewards. 

Who started school?

Some how school seems to have taken over MY life, not just Liams. I've been helping out with the after care as our after care teacher is doing the main sessions since our new teacher resigned before school started. The board seems to be raising lots of issues in emails and we are trying to find, interview and appoint a new teacher which adds a few more emails. Our ideal person will partner with Lynn and have a desire to become the director of the school over the next couple of years, allowing Lynn to retire. Obviously they'll maintain the schools missions and philosphy but bring their own strengths and talents. Oh and we're a non profit so they won't want much money for this either! We have someone to interview tomorrow so hopefully they fit.

Today I participated (as well) and made scones from memory, and trying to make allowances for altitude. Several of the children helped, it was good. The scones were slightly soda-y but not too bad. They all got eaten anyway but maybe that was the jam.

I did my clean up and left as soon after 12.30 as I could knowing I need to be back for 2.30

Desfile de Los Ninos (Pet Parade)

Yesterday was Pet Parade in the Santa Fe Fiestas. La Casita had a float which was the Old woman who lived in the shoe (she had so many childern but she KNEW what to do) Several of the dads and some others built a fabulous shoe which Lynn, our teacher rode in and the children and parents pulled along. Liam was a very enthusiasitc puller. He also wanted to tie his rope onto himself and all sorts of other things.
There were heaps of people watching the parade and many of them called out to Lynn, one mother called out saying this was (I can't remember the boys name) and he went to La Casita and now he's second year in college. Lynn was delighted. Hopefully we'll get some photos but I left my camera behind.

Banishing old man gloom

It's Festas here this weekend. It kicks off tonight with Zozobra.
We thought about going.
Most people said we should.
But its pouring with rain so standing (or sitting) around outside to watch the burning of old man gloom doesn't fill me with enthusiasm.
The Santa Feans wouldn't be gloomy though they have to comment on how good the weather has been lately, all this rain!

In fact today they are putting rainbow trout in the Santa Fe River, they have been releasing water from the reservoir so that the dam's don't fail. Usually there is no water in the Santa Fe river so I hope all the trout get caught before they get to the end of the river, or it dries up again.

Tested

This morning Liam had a check up at the pediatric center here so they could look at him and say it was/ is OK for him to go to school. I booked this about three weeks ago and today was the first appointment I could get. So we headed over there for our 8.30 appointment, arriving early because it was his first visit and we needed to do paperwork first. I got there early with insurance cards but I'd forgotten his plunket book, with his immunisation record in it and the form the school wants signed, still I know know he is 38 pounds ( Madeline is 30) and 40 3/4 inches tall. His eye sight is 20/30 in both eyes and his hearing is perfect. He's had a couple of extra vacines which are standard here but not in NZ.

So when he's loud he really is just shouting at you! He can hear a pin drop.

So, late on his first day at school Madeline and I dropped him off with not a backward look. Getting Madeline to leave is harder.

Now they work on cornering

Liam currently looks at things and runs into them. today he did this to his sister as well (she's OK but is avoiding himon his bike).

Today he got much better on corners 

This is a boy whose pleased with himself!

Richard and Liam have been riding around the block for a week or two and yesterday they took Liam's training wheels of and went for a ride at the school. Liam was off by himself from the first run. 

Eat peaches!

We have a lovely peach tree in our yard it has been covered with peaches since we moved into the house. We had moments of concern when the thunderstorms lead to large hail stones, and people mentioned previously lossing tomato crops to golf ball sized hail. Over the last few weeks they have ALL become ripe so we are eating a lot of peaches. It's hard to complain about peaches which are ripe and sweet and warm from the sun. But if your nearby do pop in for a bag as there are still more on the tree and the fridge and freezer are full. It was peach muffins today. I'm thinking of peach salsa with pork for tomorrow. Getting peaches into the main meal is something I haven't achieved so far.

Humm...and Rambings

So recently we decided to rebuild my PC, it was not performing as well as it could and it was full of old stuff of Richard's. So first we went for reloading it with win2k that it was already running, seemed better but there were a few things I wanted which would be better with XP. Since it was all backed up already we decided to go ahead and move it on up.

It was all going quite nicely until yesterday when my hard disk died!

Not sure where we'll go from here - today I've stollen Richard's machine since he's out (in pouring rain and thunderstorms) playing with those new carbonfibre shafts he purchased last week.
Last weekend we went away again, our current plan is to keep heading northward's while it's warm and as it cools we'll go to some places to the south. So we went to Capulin Volcano National Moument. There has been so much rain lately that the place looks more like Taranaki than a desert, especially around Capulin where it's a volcano field. We walked around the rim, Liam and Richard went into the crater, I didn't feel like walking up again so I skipped it. It's much like most of the Auckland volcanoes craters so I don't feel I missed much. We did the junior ranger program, so Liam has another badge for his hat.

We camped by a very pretty lake, yet again there was a canyon so 'they' had to dam it. It's reputed to be very good fishing, we weren't fishing, and there are dinosaur tracks which were exposed after they dug the spillway for the dam.
Unfortunately for us a group of loud teenagers turned up about 11 and decided to camp next to us. Liam and Madeline slept on fine and I think Richard slept most of the time but I was awake a lot. I'm pretty convinced NZ and US teenagers are much the same, I recognised the music there were no astonishing conversation topics, they threw stones at things, all I noticed as different was the size of their vechiles. Even kids have enormous pick up trucks.

We were backtracking to head home on sunday so I saw less of the plains but I woke up before we got to Kiowa National Grassland in Harding county. We visited the Canadian River Canyon which has some interesting history. I had fun with two cameras taking pictures of the ruins of the buildings. The new camera came with an 18 - 55mm lens so when I put it onto my old camera it give a really wide angle - quite fun. I have black and white film in it currently, hopefully I'll get some arty results. It is nice to have the instant results of the digital, thou I haven't downloaded it yet( thankfully with the hard disk having died ) so you can't see any pic's.

We had our own car back for the trip which was nice it's taken about two weeks to chevy to get the parts and panel work done after someone drove into the rear wheel when Richard was driving round town. We've been driving a red ford explorer, Liam really likes cars with extra seats in the rear, he sat in the very back and got into the car through the boot.

Liam's excitement for the weekend was a yard sale across the road had bunk beds for sale, we saw them as we went to LLL on friday and they were still there when we came back, we had to run over because someone else was aproaching the yard sale and Liam was concerned they'd get the beds before us. Charles needs to be aware the bottom bed has been alocated as his. (too bad if Madeline decides she wants her own bed before then). The people were really nice to and delivered and set the beds up. So now Liam sleeps all night in his own bed. Except tonight when he's staying at Alex's place.

He went to play this morning and so Madeline and I went to the outlet mall, we returned successfully with underwear, shoes and books.

So apparently WE needed these!

Richard came home for lunch today because the FedEx track that he was watching said these were sitting on the front door step. He had with him a crochet set and kids golf bag and clubs ( 2) that he'd found at the goodwill this morning. 

Food and Friends

We stayed around Santa Fe this week-end and started the week-end with some unsuccessful yard sale-ing. We tried a local cafe for breakfast which was a most successful find. The area we are in had a street party event so we had a look but we were there a bit early really as we left at about 12 and I think most of the live acts were in the afternoon. We however were off to the party we'd been invited to. It was from 3pm and a storyteller was arranged for the kids from about 4ish. "Dave" is well known in Santa Fe and apparently used to tell stories at Borders in town before they rearranged, he was very well received by the children and we didn't see them for several hours.

I only know a handful of people in Santa Fe but one of the other league leaders arrived at the party with her children and husband too - Santa Fe is a small town. It was realy good to meet some more people. Everyone was very well travelled and doing lots of exploring around New Mexico so we have some good recommendations for further weekend (and longer) trips.

Tuesday night we had our friends from the hotel over for dinner. Liam and George haven't seen each other for about a month so they had a great time at the school next door, and making a mountain of gravel of the back. I attempted to make a pavlova in the oven here, without an electric beater with an Australian recipe = pavlova slice! It was tasty but I've since brought a $15 electric egg beater and found my trusty Vegetarian Adventure for a better recipe next time I'll have to blame altitude and gas stoves for failure. I made a tasty meal from New Zealand Food, Wine and Art, and even found a bottle of New Zealand Chardonnay to go with it, not the recommended Gladstone Wairarapa Chardonnay but a very nice wine none the less.

Ice cream

Liam had school three days last week and Madeline and I participated on the final one, it's the end of summer school so it was a party week. The pool party from tuesday got posponed due to inclement weather so thursday, when we were there was pool and ice cream party.

Making the ice cream was the activity that I and the other participating parent were involved in. Lynn (one of the teachers) gave us a list of purchases to bring with us I had 4 quarts half and half, vanilla and cones, the other list was rock salt, crushed ice and sprinkles ( there was already sugar at school).

The plan was that you have small empty cans (like tuna or slamon cans) in the freezer and you put 1 part rock salt and 4 parts crushed ice into a container, about an inch bigger than the can all round, and into the can you put 1/4 cup half and half 2 t sugar and a 1/4 teaspoon vanilla and stir. After about 5 -6 minutes you should get ice cream.
One of the dad's who was there (like many of the parents) works at Los Alamos he said they super cooled water in class using rock salt, ice and acohol so the theory should work. Our problems were, most of the kids wanted to mix all the ingredients in one container, they wanted to eat the ingredients, they lost patience with the stirring.

We did have one girl who stirred and stirred but the containers we had the ice and rock salt in were to small and there wasn't enough ice up the sides of the cans. I tried one later in a larger container of ice and after initally thinking the whole thing was a faf I left it on the table and came back to ice cream. We had a plan B anyway which was fold frozen raspberries into whipped cream fold and fold its just like ice cream and was defineately popular for snack. (plan C stayed in the freezer)

Some people get stamps at post offices

While we had overseas visitors we went to the Post Office. Liam and Grandma went in, they got stamps but while there Liam managed to make a new Friend. I gave his mother our contact details and she called a few days later.

We visited with them late last week it's really good 'cause there are two five year olds and two almost two's, so the older two play and the younger two ignore each other or follow the older ones around. Liam stayed for the afternoon at their house while Madeline had her sleep.
We did the oposite yesterday except in the morning we went swimming at the indoor pool (and Ice ring!) as it looked like rain, outside pools close if it rains, they don't want you out there in a thunderstorm, and Alex came over for the afternoon. Madeline slept all afternoon so the two boys played unsiblinged all afternoon.

They have invited us to a housewarming at their place on saturday -our first party!

So I was sitting here at the computer fully intending to use this time while Liam is at school and Madeline is sleeping to tell you what has happened here, but instead I've read your blog's and some other peoples and looked at the new photo's I just got (but haven't put up anywhere yet) and now it's time to get Liam from school again! How did that happen.

So this is/was Garden of the Gods we were there two weeks ago.