During our trip to Vanuatu, I was happy to see World Cup fever, with many people flying the flag of their chosen team on their trucks, buses, and attached to bamboo high above their houses. Here’s a truck for France crossing the Yasur ash plain on Tanna.
One photo from our evening atop Yasur volcano on Tanna Island in the Republic of Vanuatu. If things ever settle down at home (major plumbing and water problems!), I’ll write about the trip and all we did.
Brought pair of shoes (black Frye oxfords) to Man Muir Shoe Repair in Raleigh, saw worker carrying stack of trucker hats on which they’ve just sewn Cleveland Browns patches. Intersections.
Home again. Our grand family adventure in Vanuatu is complete.
Final day of our South Pacific adventure. We’re in Sydney, headed to the Glebe Markets, a dance performance st the Sydney Oper House, shopping for souvenirs, dinner in Newtown or Camperdown, and packing for the long flight home to the U.S.A. Much to blog about time in Vanuatu.
Vanuatu, here we come!
The Zuiker Family epic adventure begins.
Box turtle near car wheel.
Beside myself with anxiety, stress, excitement, exhaustion: moved into our newly renovated old house, World Cup starts tomorrow, big family trip to Australia and Vanuatu soon, and a new boss at work.
Pileated woodpecker climbing the big pine above.
First relatively calm Saturday morning at the new house, coffee on the front porch to enjoy the tranquility of this corner of Chapel Hill. Last night used the BioLite FirePit for first time, with friends who dropped in for s’mores.
A phrase of clarity in this NPR interview with Atlantic reporter McKay Coppins on White House staffer Stephen Miller: Miller (& his boss) act for ’calibrated for agitation’ = they are playing us for fools.
Moving day yesterday was rainy but the crew was efficient and steady. We slept in the new house and it felt great to wake up in Chapel Hill. Some straggler boxes items to retrieve from the rental, but by the weekend we will be settled. Whew. Wow.
Super stressed. Last days of major house renovation and then moving. Someday soon I hope to return to blogging and a microcast.
The box turtles are on the move today across the Triangle. Found this one in my neighborhood, and just passed over another 5 on way to work. Take care not to crunch them!
Today’s tasks: figure out who can make a 5-foot by 18-inch damper for the fireplace, get a second quote on trimming the big oak trees of dangerous, dead limbs, and find contractors for the front and side walkways. And find the septic tank hatch before the deck gets installed.
Sour cherries at our new home. I will srill drive the 3 hours to Levering Orchard foe the annual summer haul, bit how cool to have cherry trees here on our Chapel Hill property.
I like working at Duke University. We were doing a photo shoot with a couple of our internal medicine residents today, and Eric Schoomaker, a past surgeon general of the Army - and former medical resident in our program - walked up and chatted with us.
The picture of the green-and-purple leaf I posted earlier is of violet wood sorrel, Oxalis violacea. My friend Bora asked his online community to help us identify it.
Was worried about that turtle and the ant, but should have been focused on what might be clamped on me. In the shower tonight, found a lone start tick on my hip. Must be vigilant this summer, and spray liberally.