Lucky Number 23

Hi folks. Two posts ago I blogged about our big news of moving back stateside and well, we have arrived. Laura first, then me, but we are both back home.

Over the last few weeks Laura has been busy trying to figure out her class schedule and I have been busy trying to nail down a job. This week we are in Lincoln. Hopefully this weekend we will find some wonderful place to live.

Now that we have a phone with a +1 country code, there is really no reason that I need to keep up the blog. Frankly with it has been a struggle for me, and I see that I've averaged a little under two a month...so this post, lucky number 23 will be the last.

I hope you all have enjoyed reading some brief stories on our 'oversees experience'. I will admit that I have enjoyed the rare moment of typing where I could allow some creative writing to sneak into the sentences. The other million pages that I wrote in New Zealand were dull, drab and boring in comparison.

Thanks for all your support. If you are swinging though Nebraska after late July, look us up....perhaps while your in town watching the buckeyes flog the latest addition to the big10.

The Coromandel Cruise

Laura and I have been wanting to explore the Coromandel Peninsula for several months, but never seem to find the time. So with Laura only two weeks from departure, and a ‘sick’ day looming in my calendar, we couldn’t pass the opportunity.

Friday morning found us on the first road north, destination Hahai. The plan was to arrive on the coast with enough time to hike to Cathedral Cove, spend the night at the cheapest accommodation possible, then have an early morning low tide at Hot Water Beach.

We breezed into town just after one; both of our heads spinning from the winding road that led us up and over the Kamai Mountain Range. The Coromandel is a popular destination for Kiwi’s on summer break, but with fall closing in, the only bustle around town was a flock of sea gulls looking for an easy meal.

We packed our lunch in our day pack and hit the trail. Since we started from the south end of town we had a slightly longer hike ahead of us than if we had used the car park at the north end. The trail marker read ‘one hour and a half’, but after having walked for three minutes on the beach, it read only ‘one hour and ten minutes’. That was the shortest twenty minute hike Laura and I have ever done!

The walk was breathtaking. It wound around the coast, dipping to the ocean where the topography would allow, otherwise a few hundred feet above the crashing waves. At one point a male pheasant crossed our path, but I was too slow to shoot catch him in my shutter….that wouldn’t have been the case if I were instead holding my Mossberg.

After walking through some stunning forests and a short side track to Gemstone bay we descended to Mare’s Leg Bay. The beach was white, in harmony with the rock faces around us, and powdery on our feet, the ocean was shades of translucent blue. The archway to Cathedral cove was much larger than we had imagined from pictures we had seen. After a light lunch, in a cloud of sea gulls, Laura became quite an expert of rocketing her sandals at the closest group, but none got the satisfaction of anything good. I did however manage to coax a few into gulping down some spicy chili peppers that we discarded. I’m glad we left before they did their damage, but it was nothing in comparison to what my poor balancing skills would do later.

We were attempting a timed photo in order for the camera to capture us both in the archway when the camera toppled from it’s perch to meet it’s demise in the sand below. This is the last picture that it would ever take. I think it went out on a good note.

After we returned to our car, we calculated that we had just enough time to check into the Fern Bird Backpackers and find the hot spots on Hot Water Beach before the sun set. We scurried around, and made it in plenty of time. We carried our shovels and flashlights down the beach to a group of six tourists. They had obviously found a warm spot, but before we got to them we felt our feet burning!!! Right at the water’s edge, the sand was so hot, you couldn’t stand on it too long. Apparently water was heated below the surface and forced upwards. As the tide gradually decreased we dug in the sand to form a pool of sorts, but the tide kept crashing over our sand barrier and filled it in much quicker than we could dig it out. In total we maybe got 10 minutes of quality time soaking in the hot water before the tide turned against us and we gave up. Cool phenomenon, but not as relaxing as we had hoped for. In the end we settled for a warm shower and a piecemeal dinner back at the hostel.

….We woke up slowly on Saturday and contemplated the day ahead of us. We decided to see the rest of the Peninsula and hit the road. Our drive along the coast led us past some interesting and breathtaking country. Kiwifruit orchards flew past us and eventually yielded to the native vegetation of the mountains. Laura expertly maneuvered our Honda around hairpin curves and up frighteningly steep slopes. When we arrived in the town of Coromandel, we were both ready to stretch our legs and grab a bowl of latte at the local coffee shop. After a short walk down the main drag we began our journey home. The flat Waikato countryside was a huge contrast to the mountains of the weekend, but was nonetheless welcome to us. Our arrival home gave us a sense of accomplishment and a reason to start looking for another camera.

Breaking News

Hi Folks- This post is long overdue. First the breaking news, then the excuses for not blogging.

Laura has been awarded a USDA National Needs Fellowship to study at the University of Nebraska - Lincoln. Her plan is to enrol this comming autumn in the Doctor of Plant Health program.

The plan: Laura will be returning to the US on May 21 for a wedding in KS. She will then fly to Ohio in early June. I will join her in Ohio in mid June after I wrap up things down under.

The fellowship was our cue to set in motion our return to the states, but we have been preparing for a few months.

Now as promised, excuses. I've been extremely busy at work, and the last thing I want to do at home is log onto a computer!

Looking forward to catching up with you all again in June!

What Laura is made of. . .

Jesse always tells me that I eat so much ice cream that I must be made of it, therefore he needs to make sure that I eat a certain quota of it to keep living. With the onset of warm summer days that quota increases. It was an exciting day in my life when I saw the first ever container of cookie dough ice cream in the grocery. Yes, yes friends I have some how managed to survive without cookie dough ice cream here, until now. Well I am off to enjoy my delicious treat. . .

Christmas Down Under

I don't know what woke us up Christmas morning. Perhaps it was the sun streaming through our blinds warming our feet, or maybe it was the magpies in the hedgerow. Either way, the sounds and warmth held the promise of a beautiful summer day.

We were slow to get crawl out of bed, but our hunger finally got the best of us around 7:00am. The first thing that caught my attention was our stockings. It wouldn't be Christmas without stockings! Laura directed me to my stocking which was packed with caramel chocolates and pistachios, and both of ours had peppermint nougats and dove chocolates that had slipped through the border security. (thanks Mom & Dad D!)

Then we traded the gifts that were wrapped and waiting under our tree. If the tree looks a little sparse, that's because it is. Laura and I never really got into the festive mood because all around us it didn't feel like Christmas. I think that Kiwis try to imitate the hype, but just can't quite compete with the Northern hemisphere mood. Anyway, we just never took the time to get a proper tree, though Laura did manage to decorate a pine sapling which was gifted to us by Laura's friend Nicole.

I got some amazing merino wool socks, chewing gum, and some hand tied streamers for the fly rod which I had been wanting for a long time. They should work wonders on the trout here.

Laura got a big coffee mug for slow mornings, a thermos travel mug for quick mornings on the go, some sock liners for hiking (so I can get mine back), and the promise of a day shopping with the condition that we have coffee together, and buy a hat to keep the sun off her face.

Also we bought each other the early gifts of running shoes for Laura, and a merino wool icebreaker for me.

Laura busied herself with putting together some super delicious parfaits with fresh picked blueberries and strawberries (at her internship she is in an enviable location with research blueberries just waiting to be commandeered, and every roadside stand in the Waikato is peddling strawberries). In the meantime I tried to help her put together some sticky sweet monkey bread, fresh ground coffee and freshly brewed tea.

When the dust settled, we were pleasantly satisfied and ready for some family time. Thank goodness for Skype!

A package had been sitting (customs declaration form down) on our shelf for nearly three weeks since the Bruners had made us adhere strickly to the season tried rule 'not till Christmas', with an extension of their own 'till we are on Skype with you!'

After some good conversation with the Bruners and Dotterers, and the opening of some wonderful gifts, we were on our way to the Cox family Christmas. This family from church were first, but not alone, with their Christmas day invitation.

Our second meal of the day was more mouthwatering dishes....there was even some American cuisine. Steve and Robin spent several years in Atlanta so they were excellent hosts! After our food settled, we dove into a Pavlova dessert, then after that settled, we hit the mini golf course behind their house. Competition was fierce, but lighthearted since it was the holiday. In the end, Stephanie, their youngest won bragging rights.

While Christmas 2009 was new, exciting and warm, we couldn't help but miss our friends and family back home in the snow. Laura and I decided that we'll have to begin some of our own holiday traditions that fit our situation. Maybe next year will be the inaugural Christmas Corn Roast?!?

Thank you all for your love, prayers and Christmas greetings!

2010

As Laura and I have been enjoying the holiday break, you all will have noticed that we haven't incorporated agrizeal into our enjoyment.

I won't offer you much this time since I am nodding off....just trying to stay awake to watch the new year come in. Just a short note on how Laura and I have been spending our break.

The wintry weather has nothing on us down under! We have been having sunny and 70's for a few weeks now, interrupted only occasionally by a brief island shower that disappears as soon as it begins and leaves things fresh and slightly humid.

After one such shower, Laura and I decided that a little exercise was long overdue. We jumped in the honda and headed South. The road through Cambridge, past Lake Kairapiro led us to our destination of choice. Mount Maungatautari reserve.

I won't explain here, but basically it is an entire mountain that the Dept. of Conservation has fenced

in with a pest proof fence so tight that even mice can't get in. We hiked several trails that led us

through the bush, over a rocky outcropping where we had our lunch, and finally to the top of a tall

peak.

Today we decided for a more vacation oriented destination. We drove the hour and a half to

Tongariro in the Bay of Plenty. First we hiked "the Mount" as the locals say. Basically an old

volcano cone sticking out of the sea. Then we hit the beach. Now I'm not much of a beach person,

but I would say that the expanse of white sand, surf and seashells would rival any beach I've been to!

Absolutely beautiful!

Anyhow, we are back at home reading, and relaxing in our first New Years Eve together.

Since we are among the first to see the sun rise on a new day, we are also among the first to usher

in the New Year! So as you wake up, you can begin your celebration early.... after all, it's 2010

somewhere!

We wish you all a safe, happy and fulfilling 2010

Happy New Year everyone!

Lee E. Oswalt: the Pillar

When I think about the twenty-six years that God has granted me life on this planet and consider the people that have shaped me; the people that made me who I am, there are a few that really stand out in my mind.

We all have these people in our lives. Maybe most of us would point to our loving family or the love of our lives; celebrities, historical figures. Most of us recognize the significant impact of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. None of us are truly self-made.

Well, one of these figures in my life was Lee Oswalt....and I daresay that there is a whole multitude who would say the same.

Lee E. Oswalt passed from this life on Sunday afternoon at the age of 87. He once quoted that, “there are a lot of people alive who aren’t really living”, but I don’t think he was ever in danger of this paradox.

I had the great opportunity to work side by side with Lee, in wet weather and dry weather. There are a few things about him that will always stick in my mind.

The way he regarded his fellow man:

Lee would strike up a conversation with anyone. As he said, he “never met a stranger, but [he] met a few strange ones.” To me, it always seemed that he would talk with the strangest people, like the day he talked with the scrap man at the dairy bar. He would never judge someone by their appearance alone, he was always friendly and he waved to anyone that he crossed paths with.

His character, quotes, quips and colloquialisms:

On the farm, you would rarely find him wearing anything other than his ‘prison stripped’ bib overalls. He always had handy a pocket knife, a combination nine-sixteenths, half inch wrench, pliers, and handkerchief. He always drove a dodge with ample amounts of candy and gum for the kids, and farm bureau paraphernalia for the adults. One of my earliest memories of Lee was running out to the road, as he drove by on a tractor, to catch a packet of gum that he tossed to us. Sometimes gum would turn up in our mailbox, and I even remember finding a pack in the lawn, long after he threw it there. Lee read a lot of books, and he always found a way of picking up quotes that cut to the chase.

His never-ending optimism and positive attitude:

Lee maintained a positive attitude, no matter what. And he encouraged those around him to do the same. He always looked for the good in everyone, and often made it shine through. I remember visiting him at University East Hospital in Columbus after his leg got amputated. I wondered how I would find him, but as soon as I got through the door, he said “Jess, now I only have one foot to get cold this winter!”

“Every day is a good day...if you don’t believe me, try missing one” was a favorite quote.

His patience:

You know in all the years I worked with him, I never seen him get angry. Not one cross word...ever. I gave him plenty of reason, but he was always patient. He was the first to find a solution and last to criticize. Many times I would overlook something or forget some critical maintenance and I would have to call on him to bail me out.

Those two-way radios were great. “....[static]...WXA 855 Mobile three to mobile one, are you there Lee?” I would say. “Go ahead Jess” he would reply. “Yeah.....uhhhh, could you come to the field? I got a problem.....” Then when he arrived on scene, he would just be thankful that no one was hurt.

Lee Oswalt was a mentor, a role model and a friend.

There is no equal in New Zealand, nor in Brazil, not in Europe; no, not in the world over. Lee was one-of-a-kind. I’ll never forget the time I got to share with him; whether underneath that old Gleaner, Model ‘K’ combine, or out in the field, or over a burger and fries at the dairy bar.

Lee, I won’t be there to see you off, but I want to thank you for the life you gave me. You changed me, you changed us all. The world is a better place because of you.

May you find your everlasting home where you can shed your physical ailments and rest from your trials; where bull thistles, giant ragweed and foxtail don’t exist; where the rain comes regularly....just enough, and never on your freshly mown hay; where the conditions are always perfect. Enjoy your heaven.