At the end of February, Jeanine and I will be leaving for a 5-week New Zealand and Australia vacation. I spent the entire day and a good part of yesterday securing reservations for air, car, and ferry travel and lodging for 18 different accommodations ranging from an overnight voyage into the Milford Sound on a small cruise ship to a tiny hut previously used for sheep shearing. The array of housing also includes a small cottage on a llama farm and an off-the-grid tiny house. Even though we will be traveling during the shoulder season and we are booking almost 2 months in advance, it is crazy how many places are already fully reserved. On a positive note, we finally received a check for the energy credits earned by our geothermal system. The Massachusetts Clean Energy Center calculated the projected output of our system over the next ten years and provided a one-time payment based on the greenhouse gas emissions savings our system will deliver. The amount will cover the cost for our entire vacation. Even though it is money that came out of our pocket to pay for geothermal in the first place, it was still a welcome psychological treat.