Ornithology Anyone?

Not that I've taken up bird watching or anything, but New Zealand has some beautiful birds. This creature has been visiting the pond visible from our kitchen window. I've had trouble getting a good look at him, as he departs the scene at the slightest movement, whether indoors or outdoors. My curiosity as to what it was began to heighten with each visit. He is often accompanied by a companion. He gingerly walks around the perimeter of the pond looking for food. His movement is quiet and very slow. I began to desire a good photo, that I might be able to recognize his marking and coloring. And, of course I searched for his identity online. I discovered that he is a white faced heron. Cool, huh?

Loinne's Visit

Happy New Year! We trust you reflected upon the goodness and grace of God to you throughout 2011. We have certainly been blessed by doing so!

Greg's mum, Loinne, has been here for a visit since Dec. 27 and we've been having a wonderful time. We enjoyed a couple of nights in Taupo (picture of Micah and Grandma is taken above Huka Falls). And, of course, we've shown her around the beautiful Hawkes Bay. So Thursday (Jan. 5), we had a couple of extra hours, so we decided a drive up to Te Mata Peak was in order. Micah was at an all day birthday party/sleepover, and we had plans to eat in town. It was a beautiful sunny day, of which we have had few during Loinne's visit. Just yards from the top of the peak, the car died...as in stopped running. Ugh, here we are climbing the hill toward Te Mata Peak...and the car dies. Fortunately, there was enough of a shoulder to pull over and get off of the roadway, to enable cars to get by us. We waited a few minutes, tried to re-start the car. Nope! Dead! On the phone to AA (that's the Auto Club here...not Alcoholics Anonymous)! Well, we were near the top of Te Mata Peak, so we had to wait for AA to arrive. At least we had a beautiful view and it was a warm day. Greg didn't have a sun hat, so I convinced him wear mine! He was a good sport, but he sure didn't fancy people going by seeing him wear a sun hat with a bow on it. I told him that the hat looked far better than more scars on his face would (from removal of skin cancer)! I assured him he just looked like a Southern California gardener! Turns out we were low enough on fuel that with climbing the hill, the fuel couldn't make it to the motor to do its job. Once AA brought us some fuel, then we also needed help starting the car as we had worn the battery down trying to start the car. So much for Te Mata Peak.

Oh, the other photo is having lunch with the Hohnecks.