The birds are out and about these cooler autumn weeks. I've been noticing fantails and tui birds in our yard, which I haven't seen before. We've been busy doing one thing after another, but it has all been wonderful--realizing that we won't be here much longer.
It has been raining sheets and sheets after a fairly nice sunny dry spell, which is now officially over.
I have been working on a Welcome Guide to New Zealand for senior missionaries in the Hamilton mission that we give the newer couples arriving here. This includes information I wish I had known when we arrived.
Sis. Charlene Welsh wrote up this guide to activities, shopping and vocabulary in
Senior Missionary Hints and Hacks
We learned that the best-tasting tap water in New Zealand comes from Rotorua's own Karamu Takina Springs in Hamurana.
I've fallen in love with the New Zealand fantail, so I got this small poster to take home to Idaho to hang on my kitchen wall
The Saturday morning before Mother's Day, the Fairy Springs and Tarawera Wards put on a breakfast for all the women, prepared by a chef and served by all the men and boys. Elder Rooks joined the ladies because, he is Elder Rooks. Plus he wouldn't have gotten much of a breakfast otherwise.
You can see Bishop Webber in the background playing guitar music while we ate our breakfast. He is an excellent guitarist.
We had a mission tour by Elder Taniela Wakolo, a counselor in the Pacific Area presidency, and his wife Sister Wakolo at our Zone Conference. You can see Sis. Wakolo wearing the black sweater in the back row with all the sister missionaries in the Te Moana a Toi and Gisborne zones. Four of the dozen young sister missionaries are in Rotorua.
Elder and Sister Wakolo are from Fiji. They did wonderful training for our zones.
Rangimarie came over to do sewing on clothes that needed altering. We had to do it all by hand, but she was pleased with the results.
We visited Sister K., and Elder Rooks sprayed down her garage with an anti-fungicidal. It is supposed to take several weeks to actually do the job, so we may not be here to see if it works. Sis. K. thinks we should extend our mission and is somewhat miffed that we actually intend to go home. We wish we could take her with us, but she likes her home and yard in Rotorua. We don't blame her. It is one of the nicest yards we have seen here.
We made another visit to Leigh to make sure she had her temple recommend sorted out.
On one of our walks we saw these two little ones hoping to get out onto the street with their tricycles.
I finally finished one of my harakeke ketes, baskets. This one I formed while it was damp, into a low basket with sides to hold stuff in. I don't think I'll have much time to do any more weaving while we are here, sadly.
I also made another purini, steamed pudding. This is the best one yet. It all came out of the pan in one piece.
Now that it is colder, I finally finished my hat knitted from possum-merino yarn. It is very warm and I have been wearing it.
One of my recipes called for Jaffa Biscuits. They are based on a cake famous in England, orange-flavored after the Jaffa orange.
These weren't spectacular, even if they were dipped in chocolate. Elder Rooks has been helping me out by eating them in a glass with milk.
We were walking along Tarewa Rd and heard a Tui bird in a neighbor's camellia tree. You can see the little white feather ruff under its chin.
You can hear it singing in this video, along with the noise of the cars on the road. I include this because you can actually see the Tui bird as it sings its clackety twangy songs. Try watching it full-screen.
Another day, another fantail
Just enjoying zooming around
On the rugby field is a pair of paradise shelducks, the white-headed female on the left and the male on the right with the black body with bars of color.
At the Saturday market we talked to an elderly man about religion and bought an iwi rewena, Maori bread made with potato, from a member of the Fairy Springs ward.
We visited Margaret, who is leaving next week for Rarotonga. On the walk to her house we were stopped in the street by an elderly lady driving a little blue car, who asked if we were lost. Perhaps because this is a Maori village and everyone was related to everyone else. She told us her Scottish grandfather had helped lay out the town of Ohinemutu. He had married a Maori of the Ngāti Whakaue hapū.
We asked if we looked like we were lost, and she said it looked like we were in love.
Here Elder Rooks is walking to the side of the two-way street leading to Lake Road. You can see why Kiwis are such good drivers.
Ms. Lonelyhearts seems to have moved into our yard. I saw her during the pouring rain, standing in puddles for hours in front of our house. It didn't bother her a bit.
Mr. and Miss Pukeko are avoiding her. She still hangs around regardless.
She looks better from a distance, I think.
