Huntington Horseback Horror

Kip, my mom and I went for what was supposed to be a peaceful one hour trail ride in the mountains around Huntington Lake.  Little did we know what was in store.........

Kip mounted Cocoa, a sweet brown mare.  My mom was given Dandy and was told that she might start acting weird because she really likes to stay with her sister Sandy.  Mom had concerns about the tightness of the cinch as the saddle seemed to be slipping a bit from side to side.  She was assured that it was OK.  Dandy was fine for the first 15 minutes or so, but then she decided to try to scrape my mom off.  That was unsuccessful, so she tried trotting to jog her off.  No good.  So, she sucked in her belly, the saddle slid sideways and mom leapt/slid off barely missing a large rock on one side and a steep drop off on the other (this may be a slight exaggeration, but it is truly amazing she seemed not to be hurt).  Mom was amazing with her calm ability to both stay on the horse, and get off the horse when the going was as good as it was going to get.  After tightening cinches, and switching horses, we were off again for a mostly uneventful ride.

It wasn't until later that afternoon that my mom saw the enormous bruise, squishy lump and scrape on her wrist.  She's not quite sure what part of sliding/jumping off the horse, or landing in the dirt and bushes on her butt caused the wound.  Guess it could have been a lot worse.

No photos were taken of the fated rider or her horse.

Day 2 & 3 Huntington Lake

Kip, my mom and I drove up to Mono Hot Springs. The road is 16 miles of gorgeous and sometimes very hairy one lane driving to get there. We didn't really have a plan for when we got there, but we wanted to go. Kip did great on the drive except for a few complaints about how long it took. We saw beautiful Sierra meadows, incredible vistas, colorful wildflowers, and only a few other cars (thankfully). Once we got there, we explored the creek a bit, but didn't seek out the hot springs. We ended up having lunch-a really, really tasty lunch at the River Rock Cafe. They heavily advertised their buffalo specialties, so we took a chance. Kip was really excited to have a buffalo burger, which was huge. He ate the whole thing.


Yesterday, it was my sister-in-law's birthday so we rented a "party boat" and checked out parts of the lake we'd never explored before. We beached the boat on a little island and had a picnic lunch and swam. It was a beautiful temperature and we probably could have relaxed out there all day. However, the kids were eager to take turns driving the boat so we tooled around the lake for a couple of hours. We spotted a bald eagle and some osprey.

Huntington Lake Day 1

Kip and I flew to California in order to join my family at the annual get together at Huntington Lake in the Sierra Nevadas (it's near Yosemite National Park). http://www.huntingtonlake.com/
We've been coming up here for about 40 years. Hard to believe! What's even harder to believe is how little the place has changed in that time. We arrived yesterday late afternoon and after unpacking, went straight down to the lake for a wade and explore mission. Today we hiked along a beautiful stream and went back to the lake for a romp. Kip is having a great time, but he's really looking forward to the arrival of his cousins tomorrow.

Things I miss

Although I am really happy to be living in New Zealand again, I have to admit that there are things that I miss about America.

I miss.....

Cheap gas.  Seriously, you think you have it bad?!  Try $2.20 per liter!  That's over $8.00 per gallon.  Yup.  Americans are spoiled even with the "high" gas prices.

Knowing where to find things in the grocery store.

Instinctively walking past a person the the correct side (Kiwis drive on the other side of the road, and they walk on the other side as well).  I find myself swimming against the tide in malls, on stairs in the grocery aisles.

Central heating.  I've learned to layer even inside and wear slippers (Richard's because mine are still on a ship somewhere in the middle of the Pacific Ocean).

Being the one without an accent.  Sometimes I hesitate to speak (yeah, big surprise, I know) because I don't want to have to answer the same old questions about where I'm from, why I'm here etc.   Also, even though they speak English in New Zealand, the terminology is different.

Understanding the health system.  As messed up as it is, the US health system is easier to navigate than the system here where public and private health cover different situations and different doctors.  

Reid and Quinn Celebrate 6

Reid and Quinn had a really great birthday. They seemed to be very happy with their presents. They have been asking for a monster cake for weeks and I tried to oblige-making it look as much like the picture in their favorite Charlie and Lola book. We had lots of family over for lunch and the party lasted late into the afternoon. We left the house before all of the guests because we wanted to get to the beach before dark.

Our New House

We have decided to move to Matakana and live on a "farm".  Here is the description from the real estate web site:  "Superb family living.  Large house with four bedrooms, great indoor/outdoor flow, north facing, warm and sunny.  Plenty of lawn for children, lovely garden, outside decks and barbecue area, private on a 1.08ha section (3 acres) with room for a pony to graze.  Great amenities in this rural area and on a quiet cul de sac.  Terrific beaches, parks, golf courses, wineries and sports facilities handy."

The kids will be going to a country school:  www.matakana.school.nz

The dream is becoming reality.

An Afternoon at the Beach

We have had really wonderful weather since we arrived.  Today is the first gloomy day.  Not bad for a New Zealand winter.  So, we've been to the beach at least 4 times.  Here are some shots of the family at Long Bay, which is near Richard's parents' house.

The Simpson Grandsons

Reid in front of MERC, the Marine Education and Resource Centre.
Quinn on his first night in New Zealand.  Cozy in his pj's and new robe (dressing gown).

Kip fulfilling a "life long" dream of having a lemonade stand.  The lemonade was made from backyard lemons and was excellent!  His profits were minimal even though he sold every last drop.

Cousin Jack being subjected to the sort of photo shoot posing that 10 week old babies tend to be subjected to.
 

We're Leaving On A Jet Plane

Waiting to board and looking at our plane.
Our Boeing 777

Plugged in to the entertainment system and very happy about having their own remote controls.  Quinn didn't understand that you have to push one button at a time and then wait before pressing the next one.  The flight crew had to reset his system 2 times until I hid his remote.
We left San Francisco on Thursday 29 May and arrived in Auckland on Saturday 31 May.  The boys were amazing on the plane.  I think they were all so excited that they didn't realise what was actually happening.  They had their own personal entertainment systems with movies, TV shows, games and music.  The best part was not so much WHAT they got to watch, but that they had total control over their OWN remote.   They also slept a fair amount.  Which meant that I actually got a few hours of sleep myself.  Makes for a less fuzzy experience with customs, immigration, baggage claim, sniffing drug dogs.  It was weird for me to arrive in New Zealand with my family who are all citizens.  Made me feel a bit second-class.

Monkeys

Reid mastered the monkey bars at the park the other day.  He was so determined to make it work; he kept trying until he made it all the way across.  I was SO proud!