This was a wonderful weekend. We had today (Monday) off, because it is the Queen of England's birthday, and Kiwis are thinking about taking the Union Jack off their flag, but there is no way that they're giving up a public holiday just because the Queen is on the other side of the world. This is why I like Kiwis.
Anyway, lots of good stuff this weekend, starting with lovely weather for being outside. J and I went hiking on Mount Taranaki on Sunday, but I'll save those pictures for another post. For the moment, I am most excited to show/tell you that Holly and I made very good use of our new bike trailer today.
Here we are, heading out of the driveway. You might have to zoom in on the picture to be able to tell, but Holly is perched quite charmingly in her trailer. I clip the seat belt to her collar, because otherwise she sits very nicely for a while and then randomly jumps out in the middle of the road. Anyway, with her collar fastened in, she can move around in it a bit, but she can't get out. For the most part, as soon as she figured out that staying in that position gives her a similar sensation to sticking her head out the window of the car, she decided that that was just the right spot.
New Plymouth is quite hilly, so it's a workout getting all that extra weight up and down hills, but its completely worth it! And it is only about a 7 minute ride to the beach, so there's only so tiring it can be.
I parked the bike and trailer in a little parking lot, and then we walked down the hill. The plank of wood you see is the first of a set of stairs that leads the last little way to the beach. I know that it is a public pathway, but it still feels like Holly's and my secret path.
Just in case you weren't already sick of beach pictures.
Well, here it is. I took this picture of a snow-capped mountain with my feet in the ocean. Amazing. Unfortunately, the mountain looks a lot smaller and further away in the picture. Remember, it is only a 20 minute drive from me and my oceany feet.
After Holly and I took our walk, we sat and relaxed on a big piece of driftwood. I was watching the ocean, and I noticed that something about the way the sun was hitting the waves was lighting them up greenish-yellow! Perhaps this is a common phenomenon that I have just missed or forgotten, but I was surprised and amazed! It was so beautiful!
Here is a zoomed out view of the illuminated waves. I was delighted each time it happened - I always thought, "No, this one has gone to far, it missed its chance," - and then it would light up, just for a moment, and be stunning!
What a lovely day. I can't believe how warm it was, either. Even though it is almost winter, it was 16C (61F), and it felt much warmer than that with the sun beating down on me! That being said, I can't wait for spring/summer when it stays light later, so I can go to the beach on weekdays, too.
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