Lots of Helpers

Our family's life in New Zealand

Classic Cars

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We had some different entertainment on our way to church this morning.  There was a classic car show in Kaikoura yesterday, and the cars were on their way home this morning.  We probably saw around a hundred of them–didn’t think to count till we were nearly there!  This post is mainly for my brothers who like old cars–we were thinking of you as we enjoyed the “parade”.

A few of the cars were not being driven!

We also saw a couple of railroad track-fixing-machines–made us think of our friend back in Michigan who used to build them!  These were built in Australia, though, it looked like.

We also saw this picture of spring.

Field Trip

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WARNING!  If you are squeamish you may want to skip this post!

We actually took a field trip last week!  We don’t often do that, but Gayle organized a tour for us of the place he works.  It is a small meatworks, although the largest employer in the district.  They process cattle, sheep and pigs, doing everything from slaughter to sausages, hams and bacons.  We found the tour very interesting!  Our children have grown up butchering and were totally fascinated.

Sheep carcasses

Sheep waiting to be skinned.

Sides of beef, and our friendly tour guide.

The best part of the tour–seeing Daddy at work! He was “tender-stretching”–rehanging the sides of beef to make them more tender.

Tender-hung beef

The boning room

Sausages

We had to wear plastic covers and hair nets for our tour.

He’s Crawling

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Baby is crawling already!  He’s been getting around for a few weeks already, pulling himself along on his tummy by his arms, but today he’s nearly given that up in favor of crawling the normal way.  This is the earliest we’ve had one crawling–he is 5 months and 22 days,  about 3 days earlier than our previous earliest.  Looks like a busy life ahead, if this is any indication.

This Past Week or Two in Pictures

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I keep thinking about things to blog about, but real life keeps getting in the way.  So, here are a bunch of pictures to give you a glimpse into the past couple of weeks.

Now that he can get around we have to be more diligent about cleaning up ashes!

Last Tuesday we had the biggest hail I have ever seen. When it hit a boogie board in front of the house it bounced up 3 meters (10 feet)!

After the storm passed, the cows finally made it to the trees for shelter–and when the sun hit them a cloud of steam went up!

Hail on the trampoline.

Almost crawling!Gayle and the boys built the framework for raised beds on Saturday.

On Sunday we stopped to explore some rock pools along the coast.

Starfish Sea anemone

Chicks in the House

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We were peacefully working on finishing school around noon today, when someone knocked on the door.  It was our next-door neighbor, and she had 8 chicks in a bucket.  Something had killed their mother this morning, probably a stoat, and she didn’t have time to raise them.  Did we want them, and two more that were running around in their paddock?  Sure–we’ll take any unwanted animal! (Except a dog.)  She took two of the boys with her to catch the last two chicks, and ran to town for me to pick up some feed for them, because I don’t have the van today.  I worked on fixing up a home for them.  We couldn’t find the hanging light socket we’ve used before for baby birds, so I improvised with a couple of hot water bottles.  The younger boys found wood chips and made a water and food dish out of peanut butter jars (plastic) and we are all set!  There is a cheerful cheeping sound in the living room now.

Music

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Last evening I came into the living room and found Gayle and the two youngest at the piano.  The second-youngest had told his daddy that he wanted to sing him “a beautiful song”.  Totally spontaneously, he was singing, “Jesus is on the cross” and playing the piano to accompany himself.  It was so sweet that I grabbed the camera to record the scene!  The blurry places in the video are just because the light was dim.

Shags

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After our hike around the Kaikoura Peninsula Sunday, when we were waiting for Gayle to bring the van back around to pick us up, the children who were with me, and I, were quite amused by the sounds of the shags going to bed in the tree above us.  A shag is a large bird that lives along the coast; I think they eat fish.  They sleep in trees, and when each one comes in for the night they apparently have to discuss the day!  The sounds they make are so funny that I tried to capture them in this video so you can enjoy it, too.

Kaikoura Peninsula

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We had an adventure Sunday!  It was such a lovely day that after leaving church at 2:00 we went to the Kaikoura Peninsula to walk on the rocks.  Gayle has been wanting to walk around the Peninsula again, but we weren’t sure what the tides were.  When we got there, however, it became apparent that the tide was going out, so we took off from the north side of the Peninsula, and walked around to South Bay at sea level.  It’s quite a long, strenuous walk, but beautiful!  We made it to the other end around 5:00.  Gayle went ahead of us the last little ways and then he and two of the boys hurried up the cliff to the trail on top and across to where we had left the van, then came back to get us.

Seagull at the north end, before we started out hiking.

Here we go! Just starting around the first point.

The tide was still high enough we had to be fairly close to the cliffs, and the seaweed on the rocks that were in shadow was extremely slick. We had to search for dry places to walk on. Lots of energy at the beginning!

Simon climbed halfway up that high cliff! He climbed several hills on the way, and at the end ran back across the top of the Peninsula to catch up to his dad, who was on the way back for our van. Incredible energy, there.

Some of the easiest walking on the whole trip.Some of the first seals we saw up-close that day–but not the last!

The game of “Pass the Baby” was popular with the one being passed–until one big brother fell down with him. Then, he wanted Mom.

See the boys most of the way up?

More seals, and a shag grooming. At the base of the cliff ahead of us is where we first came very close to seals–like, on the trail! Seals can be quite dangerous; if they bite you can get a very bad infection. Don’t go between a seal and the water, and don’t threaten them! Signs are posted saying to stay 10 meters (30 feet) from seals.Our protector going ahead to scout for seals.

Here we come, skirting as far around the seals as possible. Simon, behind me, very thoughtfully waited there for me, keeping a lookout while I watched my footing, then brought up the rear.

I had to stop to feed the baby, and while they were waiting, Gayle and some of the boys climbed up through a cave and came out on top, where they could watch us coming up!

We all ended up going through a branch of the cave to get to the other side, because the only other path had a big seal on it!

More seals–all over the path! We were very cautious.

At last! We have rounded the end of the Peninsula and can see the mountains again. Our destination is across the bay.

This fascinating layer of rocks, shells, and bones ran along the cliff for quite a long ways.

Simon found this whale’s vertebrae sticking out! He brought it home.

Seth found this fence post washed up, and carried it a LONG way along the beach. He fell down four times while carrying it across slick places, but persevered. He really wanted it!

South Bay–the end of our hike.

Google Earth map of the Kaikoura Peninsula