Maybe it's crazy, maybe not. We were in New Zealand only 7 or 8 weeks after our Christmas visit to home when something told us it was time to make a return trip to home. Can I pinpoint one reason why? No, not really. It's hard to say why homesickness strikes or what sets it off. The timing of it is even more unpredictable. Maybe it's akin to grieving in that regard. But strike it did and in particular, the tug of home hit Melody hard a few weeks ago. She tells me that next time she gets to feeling that way, don't let her get near a computer connected to the internet where she can start searching for cheap flights. It's too easy to hit "purchase".

I cannot say that we don't like New Zealand - we do. Love it, in fact and if we did not have so many family ties back to the United States, I think we might seriously consider living there. Yet as wet as it can often be, spring back home can be a pretty sweet time of year. Often home gets a nice streak of weather in April: sort of a summer head-fake. Then in May and/or June, the rains return and close the place down. This trip home is us rolling the dice on seeing some nice spring weather.

Another reason to return home: ski season is still in full swing. Many skiers don't care for the snow conditions of spring skiing, but we love it. Skiing in fleece or a light jacket can be pretty awesome - a T-shirt even, as long as you don't fall. Personally, I find early morning spring corduroy turning to an afternoon skin of slushy corn snow fun stuff. We got a bit ripped off by the lack of early season skiing this year - and then the snow proceeded to dump when we returned to New Zealand. Coming home now for a few weeks is partly a bet on some good spring skiing. Fingers are crossed. So far, we've had at least one good trip to the slopes.



There's also the issue of spring break for the schools our grandkids attend and that is happening this week. School breaks are great opportunities for us to steal them from their working parents and spend time with them. I'm kidding about theft of course, but you get the idea.

Most grandparents cherish the time they get to spend with their grandchildren, although I can imagine that if you are a grandparent who is actually raising them day-to-day (for whatever reason) these might be the times of year you yourself might desire something of a break. We don't have that problem and should use this post to shout out to our daughter and son-in-law: Hey! You are doing a fabulous job raising these kids! They are a delight to spend time with and that is in no small way a result of your excellent parenting skills and strategies. Thank you!



For many long-distance cruisers, their boat is their home. Often this is a matter of finance, but for us older retired-types, it's more often a choice made to minimize the hassle of owning a property you're not living in. Many that do have a home often rent it out while they're away and enjoy the income that a good rental can produce.

We've made the choice to keep our home and not rent it. Unfortunately, this home is also a player in the homesick game. We love the place. It's a unique structure that we like living in and from time-to-time, we find ourselves missing it. Seeing the yard and garden in spring bloom is a bonus. We haven't seen spring in two years, having been away sailing and missed the last two springs.



So here we are, home in Kirkland, while our freshly waxed and painted boat is tied to a dock in New Zealand, just about in perfect condition to begin another leg in our sailing journey. On the other hand... it was shorts and T-shirts out on the deck here in Kirkland today while the grandkids frolicked in the hot tub for the afternoon. We opened the French doors to let the warm breeze in and the constant squeal of kids enjoying themselves in the sunshine filled the house. Yes, we did leave some fabulous fall weather in New Zealand, but if today is any indication, perhaps we bet well on some good spring weather here in Kirkland.