25 September 2020

~Hobbiton~

The Shire at Middle Earth...

This week will be a picture overload as we took 160+ pictures in the Shire. There won't be much commentary this week because there are no words. I wish I could bring every one of you over here to enjoy New Zealand. 

When we arrived at the farm, we took a bus to the movie set a few miles up the mountain.

The Shire is built on 12 acres of land and took two hours to walk the path. Thank you new hip. You worked just right. 

OK, I need to say a few things.  I have to have some commentary. The entrance into the shire.

There are 44 hobbit holes. Everything was so detailed and thought out. And each one was completely different. I'm quite sure Hobbits really live there when it's closed to tourists. 

  All the flowers and trees and grass are real. 

Except for this one. The one artificial tree. The only fake plant on the set. It took two years to build this tree. The tree is made of fiberglas and steel and the leaves are made of silk imported from Taiwan. The leaves were attached to the tree one by one. When they fade, they are hand painted individually. When a typical New Zealand  wind storm comes up it loses many leaves. It takes a crane to reach the very top. It looked sooooo real. 

A Garden

We went with the Schofields. Elder Schofield is the master of off the cuff one liners. He keeps us entertained. 

Every house had a clothes line and many had smoke coming out the chimneys.

Everyone needs a Sister Schofield in their life!

The mail boxes were so unique. 

This was the guy with three cameras and a phone that was continually where I wanted to take a picture! I must admit, I was a little jealous of his camera stash. Times like this makes me wish we had a real camera instead of a phone camera. 

Bread on the table

Clothes on the clothes lines!

Steps up to the clothes line of Bilbo Baggins Hobbit Hole. 

Steps up to Bilbo's door. I didn't get a picture of the sign that hung on the gate--"No admittance except on party business" (I'm sure camera guy was in front of it.) 

 

Bilbo Baggins residence.

He has the best mailbox

Bilbo's window that Gondalf was looking in. 

Fun Fact:

Gandalf's double was over 7 foot tall and he was a Kiwi policeman from Palmerston North which is near Wellington. 

Remember, it was still winter when we went. I can't even imagine how many flowers we would see in the spring or summer time. The temperature was so perfect. About 62. Just right for hiking. 

I still don't know this lovely ladies name. She told me 3 times and after 3 times of saying, "I'm sorry, what did you say?"  I just nodded my head, smiled and said, "Lovely".  She attached herself to Elder Clayton and I. She was from India and didn't speak English, but somehow we communicated and it was determined she has 3 grandchildren. At least I think that is what she was pointing and signing to me...She wanted a picture of us together, and then I took one of her by the hobbit hole and used my phone instead of hers. Meet my new friend, Bachchaadhiramehil or something like that. 

The details! I can't say it enough. 

A view of the Green Dragon Inn from the top of the Shire.

Here's camera guy again in front of the keg...

The Mill

The front of the Green Dragon Inn.

Sister O'Schofield drinking her "ale" we got at the end of the tour.

I had Ginger Beer. The tavern attendant kept repeating, "It is NOT alcoholic". Thanks, man, for keeping me on the straight path.

The fireplace at the Green Dragon Inn

A jetty

The Millwheel from the other side of the lake and the cobblestone bridge.

Those little hanging things on the hooks of the swing like thing are dried eels. 

There are over 13000 sheep on the property. It was sad to see it end. 

I have to send some lovely winter flower pictures.

And I will end with this. It rains practically every morning. And it's not a gentle shower. It pours buckets and is accompanied by hurricane force winds that make the rain fall sideways. Most Kiwi's have beautiful, thick, curly black hair that always looks GOOD IN THE RAIN!  Not this Euopean white girl with paperthin hair...My wonderful, kind, considerate companion knows my day will go better if I arrive at the office with dry hair. So this is his ritual--he opens the umbrella at our front door, walks me to the car, drives me to the office, gets out and gets soaking wet, opens the umbrella and covers me as I walk into the office as he holds it with both hands because the umbrella has a tendancy to hyper extend and fold up the wrong way in the wind.

I don't know how I found Elder Clayton, but I'm keeping him. Jesus loves me for sure. 

And he loves you too. Follow him. 

Love to you all, 

Elder and Sister Clayton