My first radio interview

February 27, 2010
Kapiti Island

Kapiti Island at dawn

Back in January, I was interviewed for a Kapiti Coast community access radio show. It ain’t Oprah, but it’s somethin’!

Thank goodness Rick offered to drive to the Kapiti Coast for the interview, because I hate mountain roads. After nearly two hours of twisting and turning through two difficult mountain passes, we finally found ourselves looking straight out across the Tasman Sea from on high. The long, lovely shape of the Kapiti Island bird sanctuary lay the foreground.

You can listen to the radio interview at the end of this post.

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Shovel and axe

February 20, 2010
Light on the far hills

Light on the far hills

I had just hopped back over the fence after visiting Kiwi Bronwyn and Jim when I saw Rick walking towards the chicken coop. He had a shovel in one hand and an axe in the other.

The evening light was bright on the far hills, but the paddock we were in was drenched in shadows.

I knew what Rick wanted to do. In fact, I’d agreed to it a couple of weeks earlier, but all of a sudden I had reservations. I certainly hadn’t expected to be doing it now, on a peaceful Monday evening after visiting the neighbors. I wasn’t prepared.

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The sweet taste of chicken feed

February 13, 2010
Petting newly shorn Sweetie

Petting newly shorn Sweetie

Podcast available.

We have a new sheep at our place. We call her Sweetie because she really is sweet. But she has a little problem.

She arrived about three months ago when Hamish, the stock agent, brought about 20 new sheep to graze in our paddocks. “One’s a pet sheep,” he said. “Belongs to my sister. That one’s never going to the butcher.”

At first the new sheep were down in the paddock beyond the driveway and the row of gum trees. I didn’t see them much. But after a while Hamish moved them into the paddock where the chicken run is. That’s when I got to know them.

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Not in Lake Michigan anymore

February 6, 2010
Stingray

Stingray (image from Wikipedia)

Holly and Mia put their feet in the water and screamed. “Freeeeezing!”

It was hot in the Wairarapa that summer, and we were at a tiny beach along Palliser Bay, not far from Ngawi.

Unlike my most recent drive to the coast, this was a gorgeous day. The sky was perfectly blue, and the heat intense. It didn’t seem like danger could be that close.

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Interview with a Martinborough runner

February 3, 2010
Running down Te Muna Road

Running down Te Muna Road (click to enlarge)

When the folks over at RunAbroad.com read my recent post, Running up Te Muna Road, they asked me if I wouldn’t mind being interviewed for their monthly ‘Interview with a runner’ feature.

I said, “Huh?”

I’m no serious runner. I mean, I love running but I’m a wimpy hobby runner.

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