Update from Paradise

Me and Star on 90 Mile Beach

The view from our back porch in the new house in Ahipara.

Finally our life is exactly the kind of adventure I was hoping for. Laid back, beautiful, warm, with nothing much in a small town but little things to explore. I have been horse back riding, surfing, gardening. I am taking a Maori language course. and I got roped into doing a half triathelon with a Maori health group in a month - 350 m swim, 10 km bike and 4.5 km walk/run. A bunch of people are going camping the night before then doing the triathelon. Everyone is out of shape and the point is to finish. As long as I don't die, it'll be great. I already can ride 30 km easy and walk lots farther. Its the swimming and doing it altogether that might be tough.

A couple of days ago I took a surf lesson yesterday with Steve. He can already surf, but after six months of boogie boarding, I decided to try it. I suck. But at the end of two hours, I did stand up and ride a couple of waves. It is hard though, but fun.

In other news, Sam made the senior cricket tournament team on the strength of his batting. His is totally psyched. He is in high school here so is with guys up to 18 and is so tiny compared to them. They are going to Whangerei for two days in a couple of weeks. Reuben has started soccer and Ethan is starting rugby in two weeks (the skinny little kid is going to get flattened.)

The only tiny bit of bitter sweetness is that Sam will be a Bar Mitzvah in five days and we are the only Jews we know. We are not doing anything formal to mark the occasion. We will do something later when we return to Portland, but he is growing up in so many fabulous ways. He is truly on his way to becoming a man.

Anyway, that's the news from Northland.