3 March: Today we went to Palmerston North to have lunch with Helen and Bob Chong. We last saw them in 2010 when they visited us at home. Lunch was lovely, conversation lively, and afterward Buzz, Helen, and I went for a walk in the Dittmer Drive Reserve. There is an excellent walking track that goes along the Manawatu River. We had noticed that there is a berm about 12 feet high at the edge of the reserve nearest the street. Helen told us that in 2004 the river flooded over this berm and into the neighborhood below. Today, the river was well within its banks.

4 March: Happy Homeowning to Heather and Kevin. This morning I treated myself to a haircut and pedicure...delightful. When I returned to the car, I noticed a chip in the windscreen (windshield). Since it is the renters responsibility to fix these issues, we went to the local,glass place, left the car for an hour, walked around town, and it was all fixed when we came back. In the evening, Cathy and Max hosted dinner for our mutual friends Lloyd and Krista Evans. The dinner and the company were excellent. I never tire of telling anyone who will listen that Lloyd was the first man I met in NZ, when we were living here, who engaged me in conversation about something other than my children. We have, over the last 42 years had some very lively discussions.

5 March: Today's connection was with Roger and Doris Berry and Howard and Jackie Williamson. Roger was one of the two senior veterinarians at the Feilding Vet Club when Buzz worked there. He and Doris were so welcoming to us when we arrived in 1972 and continue to welcome us into their home each time we return. The Williamsons are great friends of the Berrys and were clients in our Feilding days. The six of us had lunch together and sat around the Berry's dining room table for almost five hours enjoying one another. As we left, I told Buzz that I hope we are as active and interested in life when we are in our mid-eighties as these dear friends are. The rain, which has caused terrible flooding in the Christchurch area, has come to Feilding without the ferocity, and we are snug at home for the evening.


6 March: Buzz and Max left this morning about 9:30 to walk the Manawatu Gorge Track. It is a 10 km walk that took them just over three and a half hours. Cathy and I drove to meet them at the end of their trek. We had lunch at the Bridge Cafe and drove the boys back to Max's car that was parked at the trailhead. I was the cook for dinner. Lori-Nan's Pasta was enjoyed by everyone.


7 March: We drove over to Palmerston North to have lunch with our favorite bookseller, Bruce McKenzie. We went to a bistro down the street from his shop and had a great time catching up. He has a wonderful bookshop in George Street and is one of the few remaining independent booksellers in NZ. We bought some books for our grands and left Bruce having planted the seed for a visit from him in 2015. On we went to Te Manawa the wonderful museum of art, science, and history which is the outgrowth of the Manawatu Museum spearheaded by Bruce's late wife, Mina. She was a driving force in the establishment of the museum. Mina was the only Jewish Maori person we ever knew, and she worked tirelessly for causes connected to both aspects of her heritage. She is greatly missed.

In the evening we went to dinner at the home of David and Lyn Broad. They are Francophiles, and Lyn served a marvelous French dinner. We sat at the table until well after 11PM. We left them with the reminder that it is their turn to come to,visit us!

8 March: We drove up to Kimbolton to attend the Kimbolton school 125th jubilee celebration. (Thanks for suggesting it, Lyn). There were antique tractors, steam engines and cars, stalls with crafts and plants, a rugby game, pony rides, and food. We made our way around and then continued north to Apiti and then east and south through the Pohongina Valley, the territory Buzz covered when he worked in Feilding. On the way home, we stopped at the North End fish shop in Feilding to get some lunch. When we lived here (1972-4), fish was ten cents a piece and the same for a scoop of chips. Yesterday it was $6.80 for two pieces of fish and a scoop of chips. We took our feast to Menzies Ford on the Orua River for a picnic. This was a favorite spot to take the kids when we were young! In the evening we had dinner at Essence..the one nice, quiet restaurant n Feilding. The food and service were very good


9 March: I slept in this morning while Buzz went trap shooting at the Feilding Gun Club. I did a bit of reorganizing of our baggage, and late this afternoon we went to Himitangi beach with Cathy and Max for a sunset picnic. It was windy at the beach, but the water was warm. We waded in the shallows (known as "having a paddle" here) and were very surprised to come upon a sea lion on the beach. They are not usually seen in this area. I got a couple of photos before (s)he returned to the sea. The picnic was delicious and the sunset beautiful. A perfect ending to our week " at home." Tomorrow we head north with just over a week left before we head for Australia.