Happy Thanksgiving

It's Thursday here, but doesn't feel like Thanksgiving at all. We're back in Auckland for one day and heading back to the boat soon. The trip to Rotorua had something for everyone and we all enjoyed being tourists. Ellie and Carter like different things than each other, so each one took turns complaining, but all in all we feel that we've seen a bit of NZ culture and nature. The geothermal park was a bit small, but contained a nice variety of hot pools, colored rocks, bubbling mud and an impressive geyser. Ellie wanted to know why we had to look at mud all day, but Carter enjoyed collecting the yellow sulfur stained rocks.

We all feel a bit tired now, so a quiet night on the boat will be appreciated. Willi and Lou want to see one more area before they join us, so we'll meet up with them again tomorrow for a Thanksgiving dinner. Lou brought canned pumpkin and cranberry sauce with her, so it should be fairly authentic.

Yesterday on the drive back north, we stopped at a beautiful botanical garden. After paying exorbitant fees at most of the tourist attractions, the free admission was a welcome sight. Acres of flowers and trails gave us both a desire to get our hands in the dirt again. We really enjoy gardening, Pete with his vegies and me with my flowers, so we took pictures and dreamed of having a yard again.

The rolling farmland and green hills here, make Pete want to be a farmer even more. We're looking forward to checking out the job and real estate options in Whatcom County in January and seeing what we will do when we grow up. The future is still a bit uncertain, but we've agreed to sell the boat sometime between now and the end of next summer, probably in Australia and then continue with life at home. Being home for a bit will give us some perspective on what we really want to do.

Have a lovely turkey day, and we'll see you soon, Kellie