Kiwis and Koalas

Hello friends and family!  

Our new adventure began today.  New Zealand!  The land down under. The land of Middle Earth, Hobbits, Fairies and Dwarfs. The land of waterfalls, glaciers, penguins, and sheep.  Lots and lots of sheep!  Then Sydney, Australia, with its lovely harbor and opera house. We can't wait to see what awaits us. 

The day has finally arrived!  We have been looking forward to this for quite some time.  Of course, in typical Boy Scout fashion, David spent much of the fire season compiling lists of things that must be packed.  First aid kit, flashlight, extra batteries, new hiking shoes, extra glasses, etc, etc. David started laying things out for the trip at least two weeks in advance. He began the actual packing process three days ago, carefully assembling everything just so. Weighing bottles of after shave to be sure to get the lightest one, combining vitamins to eliminate any extra bottles, weighing cargo pants to see which pair to wear and which to pack.  Finally, last night, after many days of weighing, combining and decision making, he zipped the bags closed and made the final weigh in!

Karen started packing Sunday morning, and twenty minutes later called out "I'm all packed!"  Of course, her bag weighed in at exactly 49.5 pounds, with 50 being the max. How does she do that?!?

We are currently winging our way from Portland to LAX. The drive this morning from Hood River to Portland was nothing short of spectacular. Oregon is currently in full autumn splendor mode. I really don't know why we ever go on vacation. Can anything really beat the Pacific Northwest?  

Of course, I have never seen the waterfalls of New Zealand, and therefore I must go. Wanderlust can be all-consuming. Fortunately, my partner suffers from the same addiction!

Wishing everyone a wonderful evening,

David and Karen