Happy 87th Birthday Great-Grandpa!

Dear Great-Grandpa,

We were so busy with Grams and Grandpop that our Birthday cards to you will be a wee bit late. Our cards are in the mail to you so you can keep them forever, but we wanted you to see them on your birthday so we posted them on the blog.

We hope you have an awesome birthday. We wish we were all together like in Las Vegas. We miss you!

Love,

Liam and Colin

Hike to Lake Sylvan

Our visit with the Grams and Grandpop was busy and we haven't had time to edit and upload many pictures. Now that the house is quiet (and a little lonely) without grandparents and with both boys back in school, we have some photos ready to share. Hopefully we will entice a few more friends and family to visit!

Out beyond Glenorchy, right near the Routeburn Track, we hiked through a beech forest to Lake Sylvan. The day was cool, but once we disappeared into the forest we were sheltered from the wind. After about 45 minutes of meandering through the dense moss covered trees and over a series of footbridges, we emerged from the forest onto a rock outcrop overlooking Lake Sylvan. The lake glistened in the midday sun, especially to our eyes adjusted to the dark forest. Layers of mountains in the distance faded from greens to blues.

I first drove out to Glenorchy August 2006 and immediately called Doug to tell him that I wanted to move to Glenorchy. Doug had learned not to get too excited, because I had called him almost every night of my reconnaissance trip to say I wanted to move to that night’s locale. However, I was truly taken with Glenorchy and, in the end, we moved just thirty minutes away. I now have a map of the area and am planning many more adventures into the wilds of this area.

Good-bye Grams and Grandpop

We said good-bye to Grams and Grandpop at the Queenstown Airport this afternoon. All of us were teary eyed and sad, but laughing hard as we sang


Ooo eee, ooo ah ah ting tang
Walla walla bing bang
Ooo eee, ooo ah ah ting tang
Walla walla bing bang...

Grams taught this song to Colin and Liam. Now all of us have it stuck in our heads! Here's a version, in case you don't have this song stuck in your head yet.

As we get ready for bed, we are thinking of you, Grams and Grandpop. You should be in Auckland, getting on the flight to Los Angeles. Sleep tight and we'll talk to you on your Tuesday.

Lots of love,

Carolyn, Colin, Doug and Liam

Photo: overnight cruise on the Fiordland Navigator, Doubtful Sound, 25 April

Wakatipu Moonrise

photo by Doug, evening, 20 April

Matt - Way to go!

This weekend my baby bro, Matthew Parker Reed, receives his Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing from University of Alaska Anchorage. We have yet to read his thesis and Matt, ever the modest guy, tells us nothing. Through his girlfriend Jamie and Mom, however, we keep reading the impressive comments by reviewers including the dean of the UAA graduate school and author Ron Carlson. Matthew also just received an award for the best thesis of the year.

We all worried, especially Mom, because Matthew didn't speak until he was two years old. He seems to have complete mastery of the English language now!

Today on the far side of the world, we celebrate your accomplishments Matt!

Much Love,

Carolyn, Colin, Doug and Liam

p.s. Message to Uncle Matt from Colin and Liam: The snow started this weekend, so get your skiing bum down here right now!

The Waterfall Hike

After almost a full year without winter, we can sense that it is approaching. We are experiencing all the classic signs: fiery colored leaves, pumpkins, cool frosty mornings, and darkness arriving earlier each day. The weird part is that these signs are appearing in April, not October. The male Kirkpatricks are doing snow dances and counting the days until ski season. I am not as anxious for cold weather. I just want to be outside hiking or riding every free moment.

The photos are from a recent hike up to the waterfall above our house. At first the boys decided it was too cold to swim. Then, at the last minute, they jumped into the icy pool, screaming and laughing. Doug and I had already tested these glacial waters on my birthday so we watched with amusement remembering the bone aching cold.

Vermin count update:
Mice: 16
Rats: 0
Possum: 3
Hedgehog: 1

Liam, Grams and Carolyn make the news

Yesterday Liam, Grams and I were interviewed at the Anzac Day service in Queenstown. Today we were in the Otago Daily Times. Despite the fact Liam and I were identified as Texans, seeing ourselves in the paper was fun!