Dining in Rotorua

Had an excellent dinner of bluenose with kumera at this new-ish restaurant in Rotorua... very nice. 

Excellent boiling mud!

Boiling mud pools are probably my most favorite feature of Rotorua (the smell of sulphur being probably the most distinctive feature of that locality). The other thing I like about Rotorua is, that like La Brea in Los Angeles, these geothermal events crop up everywhere. So in LA near the tar pits, tar oozes into parking garager, and in Rotorua you have sulphuric steam seeping out of sewer grates and even from cracks in the pavement. 

Intriguing water features...

I also like that the lakes around Rotorua have forboding, fairly noxious mists swirling at their surface virtually 24 hours a day. Sometimes, as in this photo, mini tornadoes are created when the thermal heat mixes with cold air. The effect is especially eerie on moonlit nights. 

Prince's Gate Hotel, Rotorua

Arrived in Rotorua yesterday evening, very pleased at the state of my accommodation... very pleasant to look at on the outside, and only slightly cold and damp on the inside. Read a hysterical report on the woeful state of NZ housing, particularly with respect to insulation. In one house in Dunedin (on the South Island), the inside of the house was actually colder than the interior of their refrigerator. Ah, I understood this concept all too well, having lived in NZ for three cold, damp years... 

Off on another trip!

Am off to Rotorua today! Looking forward to seeing friends in New Zealand... Seems like I've been on a flight every week for the last three months! 

Gromit anxious to help

Well, finished the two conference talks (one on driving, one on anxiety), early in my book (meaning more than 24 hours until I leave for the conference) so this is good! Gromit has been helpful as usual, supplying a good Latin quote for the talk: Post equitem sedet atra Cura (At the rider's back sits dark Anxiety) - Homer, 65 B.C. 

Arty Angel

Have been messing around with Photoshop today.... here is the Angel of Death as a watercolor.... 

Arty Darwin

And here is Darwin in pastels.... 

Sedulous...

It has been a busy week of catching up with paperwork, fielding student enquiries, working on papers, chairing teleconferences and working on course outlines. Next week am off to Rotorua, New Zealand, for a geropsychiatry conference (I'm giving two talks). As per usual, talks will be prepared no more than 48 hours before the flight out (Gladiator in arena consilium capit. ~ The gladiator is making his plan in the arena (i.e., too late).----Seneca).... 

Feles mala!

As long as we are on a theme of Latin quotes: Feles mala! cur cista non uteris? stramentum novum in ea posui ~ Bad kitty! Why don't you use the cat box? I put new litter in it! 

Another Fine Day in Brisbane

Today was another fine day in Brisbane... and for once I was out and about rather than stuck inside my office all day. Had a great sushi lunch after some meetings downtown, then drove back to the University along the Brisbane River. There are lots of nice parks along the river, and just to the right (out of the frame of the photo here) is a public climbing wall which is illuminated at night. There are also lots of great markets along the river on weekends, with interesting crafts and great food..... 

Young Man at Ease

Here Michael William Somerville takes his ease of an afternoon, contemplating the mysteries of the universe in the snug comfort of his dashing jumpsuit from Down Under. 

Grandmother & Grandson

Grandma Evelyn holds Michael William Somerville in his blanket, knitted by Aunt Nancy! 

Easter Saturday Garage Sale

Today we had a garage sale with our neighbors Ann and Paul. They are great neighbors and friends, and certainly know all of the ins and outs of holding a profitable garage sale. We had a lot of fun, sharing stories and hot crossed buns while the public looked over our wares.... What did the public buy, you ask?

1 ice shaver
1 metre of fish tank filter fluff
1 lava lamp (orange with gold sparkles)
1 Indian sari (turquoise)
1 dress (mine) from a trip to Greece nearly 20 years ago

 

Audubon Being Cute

Audubon did not help AT ALL with the garage sale. Was tempted, as I usually am, to put them on display to at least attract customers.... sigh - they will probably never earn a decent living, even if they do somehow manage to finish their latest project, building a Foucault Pendulum (view details at Tim's Blog). 

Little Creatures Brewery, Freemantle WA

Here is the GREAT Little Creatures Brewery in Freemantle, WA. Although the beers (particularly the pale ale) are excellent, the food is great as well (had marinated kangaroo skewers, among other things, on this visit...).  

Indiana Teahouse - Another View

The seaside dining in Perth is always dramatic... 

Dramatic Seaside Dining

Am in Perth this week again, and yet again my Perthian (?!) friends have taken me to another picturesque seaside eatery - the Indiana Teahouse. 

Wallet to Match Pink Purse

An impulse purchase at the Brisbane airport - matches the infamous Pink Purse! Quite the find... 

Dramatic shot of Perth

Am off to Perth again today for a few days for meetings, etc. Perth is perched right at the southwestern edge of Australia, and sometimes gets spectacular lightning storms.... 

Lazy Sundays....

Today was a beautiful, lazy day of repotting plants, washing sheets (which the cats are always keen to help with), and reading the paper. Although Australia's weather, and particularly Brisbane's weather, is pretty moderate all year long, you can start to feel the change of the seasons in subtle ways. Like today, there is a persistent breeze blowing, just a bit cooler than the usual summer breezes. Fall is just around the corner...  

Zamboni guards purse...

Today I gave a talk to a local community group about how to keep your memory healthy later in life. I always stress that being organized and trying to make things to be remembered more "memorable" are two important strategies later in life. So today I used a new visual aid; the purse Tim gave me for Christmas this year. I said, "This is a purse that is hard to forget - literally." They all laughed, and they'll probably remember the purse long after they forget the actual talk... 

Here's to Great Friends (unfortunately, at great distances...)

Today am happily remembering the great time I had in Hawaii with our friends Monique and Ken, who just recently got hitched. We're looking forward to seeing them in Seattle this coming July when we head to the States, along with... 

Tim's Parents Arlene & Rod

...Tim's parents Rod and Arlene Kastelle, who live in Aberdeen, Washington (although here they're just about to embark on a tour of the Sydney Opera House with us)... 

Evelyn Pachana!

...Nancy's mom Evelyn, who lives in Barnegat, New Jersey (although here she is contemplating downtown Auckland from the Sky Tower while on a visit to New Zealand)...