Are we there yet? Said the hippo.

The other day, someone asked me to tell them about my life in Vietnam. I thought my brain was going to seize up on the spot. Vietnam? Wait..do you mean Tahilla Farm? Where am I?

Catching the morning sun at Tahilla Farm.
I have learned over time that it is best for me to process one life at a time. When in the USA it is all USA and when in Vietnam it is all Vietnam. As was the case for Australia, New Zealand and England. My heart travels better that way.
I have been out of touch.. off the blogging radar screen, as they say, in an effort to get ready for some big changes at Tahilla Farm.

Back to storage... "Collage of Life"
There was packing to be done and farewells to be said. The greatest farewell of all was to "Martha" our large maple tree. If my New Hampshire friends are reading this, they will be shrugging at this moment and thinking.. "There she goes again" they heard it all..again and again.
For reasons too many to recount, we had to make the call and we did and she is gone.

Adieu Martha...
But... She left us a gift..a view we had not anticipated. For we could never see the view through her frail branches and all of a sudden we could.

Mrs. H gets an idea...
The moment I saw the expanded view, I immediately messaged Mr. H and our architect, Sheldon, suggesting we might want to rethink our current renovation plans. And we did. We have added an extension to the master wing so that we can wake up to the mountain and the morning sun. Thank you Martha.

Farewell Tahilla...one last look.
With that, I packed my bags, took my last look and made my way from Boston to Saigon by way of Tokyo.

and while I was sleeping across the miles... construction at Tahilla Farm started with a mighty roar.

As was to be expected, my arrival into Saigon was not without a surprise or two. After all...Mr. H was home on his own for four months. Just as he was two years ago when he selected the colour for our house. I said beige, he said mango and "SURPRISE". Chateau Mango was born.

As we drove into Chateau Mango last week, I knew something was up when I spotted the large backside of an enormous animal at our front door. Not your everyday welcome.

Guess what? Mr. H looked at me and said.. "SURPRISE" "Meet Henrietta Hippo" (I really have to stop creating names for animals) He fell in love with a similar hippo in a hotel lobby in South Africa this summer. When he returned to Vietnam, he commissioned one to be made...for us. I thought..great, if we were in the hotel busines, which we are not.
What would you say?

So..we have an enormous wooden hippo that required a crane to be lifted off the truck that it arrived on. Mr. H thinks it will be great for the front porch at Tahilla Farm. I think not. Tika agrees. After all Henrietta is all posture and no action. I think Tika thought she had a new playmate.

Never a dull moment with Mr. H...that's for sure! Wait..maybe I am dreaming this. Pinched myself...not.
So...how are thing's going with you? :)
PS..if on reflection, you are thinking that Henrietta's head looks more like a dragon, you would be correct. She is a Vietnamese interpretation of a hippo. Care for a seat?