Seeds of Thought Grow Well when Watered

oh me oh my, it's been a while.
here's what i'm thinkin: abbreviated version of the past few weeks and then maybe, maybe i'll be mostly caught up! this whole bloggin thing is fantastic but terribly time consuming and requiring of that crazy internet dealy bobber!

so, a recap of ahunui farm (means 'sacred mound'...quite nice eh?)
while melissa and francesca left for a horse riding competition (and someone at TAI please tell Gary that yes, dressage is the main type of riding here...and i hope Tucker is minding his manners ;) I stayed at the farm and took care of the animals and plant life (as previously noted). Lucky for me, Burton was around much of the time as well. And so, I had most excellent company and a tour guide to the area's most fantastic offerrings! And what might these include i'm certain you're asking yourself in this moment...

For starters, we toured (with another couple) the valley's local glow worm caves. The best i can describe them is to say it was like staring at your ceiling at the age of 8 or 9 after randomly sticking glow in the dark stars all over the place...only they were a blue hue (not glow in the dark green). It actually reminded me tons of walking back from campfire the last night of the week at Kitaki and seeing the forest plants painting with ...let's just say magic (b/c magic is way more environmentally friendly that whatever the hell they actually used).

Also, we walked through the river up the limestone chasm and explored little crevices and saw amazing rock formations include stalagtites and mites and Andy Goldsworthy formations (google that one as well ;) During the course of the walk I was also chased by a river eel, which bared its gnarly teeth at me. But I was brave and shreiked like a little pansy girl...and that seemed to frighten it a bit!

Also (yeah again i'm gonna use the word), Burton and I got to discussing some of his books and writing and symbolism in relationships which was quite fun! When i'm back, ask me about some of the 'little tests' he's created, they can be quite telling and interesting.

Ok, cutting myself off, moving on. So the girls arrived back and with smashing success! Frankie won 6th in one division and her entire group did superbly! Good on ya mate! That week was full of good fun and hard work and swimmin in da riva!

And, fantastically, for my birthday, Melissa took me vino tasting at Ata Rangi winery and we very daintily sipped from lovely glasses and played the posh role ;) flippin fantastico! And that evening we made a lovely dinner with the new WOOFers who had arrived, quite memorable. thanks melissa, couldn't have been better (granted i could have won the lottery, but i gotta save something for next year right?)

Anyhow, since the gals were headed north for another horsey competition in taupo and i was headin north toward tongariro national park, I hitched a ride with them! perfecto~
We spent the morning...whole day...speaking with our 'o-so-practiced' italian accents and listening to the radio speak of the 'gloomy' economic situation and how it is "engulfing the world"
That's right yall, engulfing! Run for your lives, the economic black hole consumes all!
Anyhow, it was a great trip north and an amazing WOOFing experience once again. What can I say, I am damn near the luckiest person i know...(touch wood!)

Ok, so that was not a bad synopsis but hang on folks, there's more...but first, some tea ;)