We like walking along the beach for you never know what is going to show up. This time we found several washed up logs covered in strange shell fish. Turns out they are goose barnacles. They have a long foot that atttaches to the log and a shelled part that the mouth parts come out of the filter the water. The whole colony on this log will probably die because they are right on the high water mark and the log was too big to carry down to the water. Sad really, must have been washed up by the storm.
The last pic shows Chantelle and I scrubbed up and in our finest for the Kaitaia college 2011 Cabaret. This is the social night of the year for our senior students. A NZ version of an American prom. The girls spend weeks choosing ball gowns and the boys make an effort too. They all look lovely and have a very civilised evening. The senior council of Year 13 students do all the organisation and turn the school hall into a very different space from what it is normally. This year they suspended satin fabric from the ceiling to completely cover it. Very glamorous.
There was a 3 course sit down meal with a pretty good band from Whangarei playing. Folllowed by a bit of a dance. Prom king and queen. photos in various studios. All very lovely. Chantelle and I went along to be an adult presence, but I saw nothing unpleasant all evening.
Most school cabarets pass like this. The trouble normally happens at the after-cab - a private ticket only party put on by a brave parent. Everyone - well most of the youngsters - get changed into something more relaxed and then go to the after-cab. The cab itself is strictly alcohol and drug-free. The after-cab operates by whatever rules the organisers decide on. An Auckland after cab resulted in the death of a pupil earlier this year. By all accounts our after-cab passed off without major incident.
