 |
| An outdoor lawn ornament store in Campanario. |
We still haven’t pinned down a booking in New Zealand, although we may be close. We don’t post details about a possible booking until it is confirmed and the deposit has been received.
 |
| Whether this flower was wilted or grows this way, we’ll never know. |
In a way, I’m getting worried that as we continue to inquire, many owners or managers either don’t respond or don’t like our long term rental of 89 days.
 |
| The hillside scenery is always captivating. |
When we first started looking we were hopeful when we noticed many affordable possibilities, but our hopes were soon dashed when we continued to be unable to pin something down.
 |
| Lilies, perhaps? |
We wait for a final response on one on which that I’m trying to hold my enthusiasm at bay. We agreed on price and terms, but we had to drop six days from 89 to 83 when we found a possible cruise we’ll take after living in New Zealand.
 |
| The purest shade of blue, the sea. |
We wrote back late yesterday when it was the middle of the night in New Zealand. With the 11 hour time difference, it’s tricky trying to communicate. By the time I went to bed at 10 pm here, it was 9 am there. I assumed I’d find an email in my inbox this morning when I awoke early this morning dashing downstairs to check my computer. Alas, there was none.
 |
| Thank you ocean, for providing such views! |
Disappointed, I wrote back once more verifying that my prior message was received. I know I’m persistent. Some would let it lie and patiently await a response. Not I. I dig and I dig deep. It’s my nature, always has been, always will be.
 |
| We find a certain charm in laundry hanging off the railings of houses. We do the same when we hang our sheets and use the rack for the smaller items. |
In reality, it takes at least one of us to be persistent and somewhat pushy when traveling the world. Í will admit that my pushiness always includes a high level of diplomacy and kindness. Tom, on the other hand, is either too nice or gets frustrated deferring to me to handle uncomfortable situations.
 |
| The effort that homeowners make in preparing a picturesque garden astounds us. |
When it comes to our safety or well being, Tom is as persistent and pushy as anyone can be. Perhaps, it may be stereotyping male and female roles.
After spending three months in South Africa observing animal behavior, I’ve come to accept that the female and male of any species have specific roles ingrained in their DNA and, strengths and weaknesses that should be treasured for their uniqueness and contribution in a working relationship.
 |
| Some blooming flowers remain as the season winds down as in the case of this pretty hibiscus. |
As a result, I wait, albeit not patiently, to hear back from the property owner or if not by tonight, we’ll go back to the drawing board to return to the search once again. We have the remainder of this month to get this accomplished and off of our minds.
 |
| This branch was in the way of my shot, but I took it anyway. |
By the time that we’ll be situated in our next vacation rental with time for searching, it will be October in Hawaii. For some goofy reason, I don’t think we’ll want to be sitting inside staring at our computers looking for a place in New Zealand when we arrive in Hawaii. Makes sense, doesn’t it?
Photo from one year ago, July 2, 2013:
 |
| The long, narrow roads between the houses in Boveglio, Italy were too narrow for cars On occasion, we’d see a tiny car manage to squeeze through. The roads were very steep and a walk was a huge feat of endurance, as is the case in Madeira. For details from that day, please click here. |