It's been about a month since I last posted a blog..... I just didn't have the energy after Amber died. But things are starting to smooth out for Matt and me.
My tour to Hawaii was really good, though very sad with Amber's passing, and lonely because this year I didn't have any of my bandmates with me. But I made a lot of contacts and new friends. I had about 9 gigs, including the 33rd Annual Hawaiian Scottish Festival, the 20th anniversary of the North Shore Country Market, and St. Patrick's Day at Kelly O'Neil's Irish Pub. So all in all, a great tour. When I wasn't performing, I communed with the turtles in Haleiwa and spent as much time in the water as I could, asking the Pacific to wash away my sorrow.
When I got back to New Zealand, Matt and I moved down to Tauranga, Bay of Plenty, which is 3 hours southeast of Auckland. We are renting a house on the bay from a lovely family that we met through Airbnb. They are fantastic people and we are so lucky to know them.
The house backs to a park area where tons of birds can be seen from the window. I was lucky enough to get shots of white faced herons, oystercatchers, and even a sacred kingfisher. It's a bird lover's dream!
White faced heron
White faced heron in flight
Matt loves his job with the dental engineering company. He rewarded himself by getting a new Breville espresso machine which is AMAZING, and a surfboard (long board).
As the Starks say, "Winter is coming" - even in New Zealand - so there are precious few beach weeks left.
We hope that our friends and family will plan to come visit us this Christmas break. December will be here before you know it, and it's summer in NZ in December! Start planning (and saving) now to come visit us down under! We miss everyone so much!
More blogging to come.... until then,
Love,
Melissa and Matt