Toadstools and Such

I've admired these mushrooms in several places around New Zealand. Finally I was able to capture a few images of these magical fungal creatures during a walk through Queens Park the other day.

It's been a fun, full week. I've embarked on a few new creative pursuits (voice lessons and a writing class), I had a successful outing to a country village an hour away to spend a day facilitating leadership activities with six 12 year old boys, and we've enjoyed entertaining some passing visitors.

This morning we said goodbye to Sara and Trevor, our new Canadian friends who are returning to Canada after spending two years in NZ. Though we didn't have too long to get to know them, we hope that our paths will cross again. We've really enjoyed meeting them.

It was especially fun to share in a farewell party for them yesterday that was held by a Maori family that Trevor worked with here. For me it was a great cultural experience to learn a bit about Maori music, family life, and to taste some fabulous food! They created a massive feast that included paua (abalone) fritters, fry bread, fish, meat, and boil up (a kind of stew).