Oh the HUMANITY!

The rain is coming down at a 45 degree angle with enough power and might to blow the house down, the big bad wolf should take notes.  I am officially done with school and exams and oh by golly was that a tough two weeks.  People have started leaving and its strange saying goodbye to people you may never see again.  Declan and I are renting a car and leaving at 3:30 Tuesday morning for the Auckland airport, as long as the ash cloud doesn't get any worse and I don't get arrested during the weekend I have ahead of me.  I was able to sell my Chemistry book back and I plan on going for one final hurrah in New Zealand. I'm going to let them send me off kicking and screaming if that's how it must happen.  I have met the greatest people in the world over the last four months.  Declan, Renee, Louise and Sabrina have been the greatest flatmates.  I know they aren't my original flatmates, but I consider this house home and am probably here more often than in Orchard Park.  They say once you buy toilet paper and dish soap, then you are pretty much living here so I'll go with it :)
   My weekend up in Paihia at the Bay of Islands was very relaxing and the sun even stopped in for a visit!  Elizabeth and I went for a killer hike and out in the bay we got to see dolphins and the elusive penguins.  The winds were so bad beyond the bay that we couldn't make it out to the hole in the rock, but with 2-3 meter swells, I wouldn't want to risk it.  Plus that just gave us more time to watch the dolphins hijack our current and goof off in the wake.  I probably should have spent more time studying for Chemistry, but by that point I think I had decided it was a lost cause.  Enjoy the photos!  I will be home in less than a week and up at the lake surrounded by a loving family quicker than I can believe, and I've never been more excited!  I love you all very much, enjoy :)

Joe, the giant mutt from next door that likes to come stink up the front porch :)

Our first morning in Pahia, the sun was still rising at 9 in the morning

The view from our boat, "The dolphin Seeker," a boat that sticks by its name!

We found them at feeding time, and there must have been about 20 in total swimming around the bay looking for fish.

This is on the island of Russell, where we had a small hike and fancy Thai for lunch :)

As you might have noticed, I've gotten pretty good at climbing things :)

This is at the top of the mountain we hiked!  My legs were sore for two or three days from this.

The sun came out to play, we couldn't have been luckier!

Declan cooked me dinner when I got back :)  Banana pancakes and melted chocolate with toffee on top!  That''s a heart attack I would accept with open arms. YUMMMMM