Sometimes We Visit Your Country and Stay in Your Home

Once we promised ourselves that if anyone had the courage to cross the big water and fight off the sea monsters and sirens, we would give them a shout out in a post.

In addition to the Kendalls last year, we have had 2 more sets of company.




A few months back, an old deadhead buddy, Mike Colette and his brother, Jim pulled up New Zealand's largest campervan. There were just 2 guys, but there was room in the thing for dancing. I guess they did not want to seem like "partners" so they rented a 2 bedroom.

But they still looked like partners.

Either way, it was very impressive to see them get it up the hill to the house.

Those guys stayed a couple hours and took off to see the country. Mike left his hiking boots behind somehow. I kept the socks, but the shoes are even too small for Kimberly. Did I mention that Mike is vertically challanged? And Jim is a giant.

Brothers?


They drove like fools all over the South Island, ate alligator meat and kangaroo testicles at the Wild Foods Festival, saw glaciers and Milford Sound, and lots more. Mike took excellent photos...and all while barefoot!




Last week, old friends from Tucson, The Ganslines, showed up for a week. In addition to being the world's greatest squash player, Bill is an archetect, as you can see from his "look". Nancy is, and always has been, simply georgeous. They have 2 great kids, Max, a Colorado University Buff, and Sam, still in High School.






These are lucky kids, who get to travel the world with their folks and never need to go into the pocket unless they are mining for lint.







But there is something very wrong with Bill. He must have been born with 4 times the normal amount of adrelinin. The man cannot sit still. He's a friggin' Tasmanian Devil. If Bill stops moving, like a shark, he will die. I bet he sleeps with his eyes open.


His kids have inherited a bit of that, but they are youth with all those puberty chemicals. And I saw them dozing a few times.








Nancy is normal and I think she is going with the flow, but would be quite happy with a glass of wine and a cozy lounge chair at sunset.








In one week, those guys crewed on a racing yacht, did 2 hot yoga classes, kayaked, went 4-wheeling, bungee jumped, jogged and hiked.













Every chance he got, Bill stood on his head.

We cooked, bar-hopped, dined on Thai and Italian. Bill got addicted to meat pie and fish and chips. The weather was divine. They went back to the sweltering desert with big smiles and aching bones.

We are off on a road trip for a few days to a nearby hot springs resort.

After all the guests, somebody thinks it's time for some pampering.