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.

Before Laura worked. . .

Those who know me will know that the scientist in me loves to experiment and finding answers for my curious mind. Since I have not been doing that lately in school or in a job; it has come to the surface in my cooking. Jesse jokes that I can never try a recipe for the first time without modifying it first. He is probably right but there has only been two meals that I have cooked I thought were awful, and both were lamb (lamb is hard to cook). We do not have a oven in the love shack so problem #1 was figuring out how to bake the things that I love to eat. We got a slow cooker a couple weeks after moving in. I was searching the web for slow cooker recipes. I found the blog of a woman that her New Year's resolution was to cook something in her slow cooker every day of the new year. Here is her year of adventure with her slow cooker: http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/. She set my head spinning with possibilities of what I could make in my slow cooker. The following weekend after our purchase we made bread, a delicious honey wheat recipe that Jesse had baked for me when we were dating. It turned out well just little crispy on the sides from the heat being in the sides of the pan.

We quickly found a solution to making bread in our crockpot. We bought a flexible silicone bread pan that fits perfectly in our crockpot. No more burnt edges on our bread. The next big adventure was making cheesecake without an electric mixer (perk of marrying a handsome strong man ;-)) and an oven. After an hour of preparation and 4 hours of baking our apple strudel cheesecake was finished! Boy was it delicious!

I was sure missing the homemade pizza that I grew up helping my sister make. So I whipped up some home made dough, put some topping on, and let her bake for 2 hours. It was good. Unfortunately since it is not oven the dough can not get crispy and get done the middle as well because of the heating on the sides. In any case I thought it was delicious bearing in mind with what I have to work with.

My crockpot creations have expanded to enchiladas, lasagna, eggplant parmesan, baked oatmeal, apple crisp, chocolate cake, and that is just to name a few. It is now strawberry season in New Zealand, and I am looking forward to trying shortcake in the crockpot to have strawberry shortcake! I also bet Jesse would sure appreciate me trying to bake a pie in there!

Coming soon. . .

How Laura's life has drastically now that she has started putting in an honest day's work.

Obvious observations of the Southern Hemisphere that caught me by surprise

Recently the Christmas supplies are pouring out onto New Zealand merchant's shelves. While Laura and I are breaking out our shorts and t-shirts, Christmas is drawing closer! So strange for me to grasp which leads me to my first observation:

Observation #1- Christmas in New Zealand will be snow-less!

People are putting their skis away and getting out their summer recreational gear. Laura is trying to talk me into getting a palm tree instead of a pine tree to decorate....she hasn't made much progress yet.

So you've probably picked up that we won't be home for Christmas this year which leaves Laura and I very, very sad. Lately we've been thinking about this season and all the rich traditions we have back home with our families and how we will soon be missing out on possibly one of the best holidays of all.....Thanksgiving!

Observation #2- Thanksgiving is a North American tradition (yes your maple leaf friends to the north also celebrate).

So, no paid leave to reminisce on the festive mood or delight in the delicacies or to celebrate history....just another Thursday at work. So Laura and I are helping to organize a Saturday Thanksgiving anyhow with some of our work friends. On the menu- Turkey, stuffing, green bean caserole (the official state casserole of Ohio btw), mashed potatoes, and a veggie/cheese platter. As we compiled our list of things we automatically started altering recipes because there are no french fried onions in a can....come to think of it, I haven't seen turkeys in the grocery store either!!!!

Next observation- The US is a consumer nation, New Zealand is a producer nation

With just over 4 million people, and a moderate GDP, NZ isn't the kind of market that multi-nationals rely on. The US on the other hand....well that one is a different story.

This year the New Zealand Dairy herd just made a huge step in technology when AgResearch (my colleague Vish) imported the equipment to sort semen for insemination. Some farmers won't be convinced at $60 additional per straw. But really! just now! Seems to me that this is long overdue. Last week Fonterra (the large dairy co-op here) raised their forecast payout and on that new the Kiwi dollar jumped 2 cents! (So you see why New Zealand is a producer nation)

Come to think of it, we even have to borrow our news from the US. Today, front page of the New Zealand Herald- Obama begging the Chinese to let their currency appreciate as market forces should do so that the US can export more.....perhaps he should be fixing our monetary problem instead of pleading for their help.

Final observation- The atmosphere is thinner here!

The sun stings! A few brief moments outside in the full sun will leave its mark quickly on your skin. Nothing like I've experienced before. It actually stings your skin! I guess the hole in the Ozone is shrinking, but I growing fond of the warmpth, so keep using your aerosol cans in moderation.

Final, final observation- the shorts that Kiwi men wear are way, way too short!!!! enough said

more scraps of New Zealand vocab:

togs = swimming trunk

jumper = any outer layer shirt like a fleece or a sweater, men or women (I felt somewhat threatened when I received comments on my new jumper (merino wool, icebreaker, very nice)that Laura got me....glad I worked that one out).

Singlet = sleeveless shirt, undershirt (among white trash a.k.a. wife beaters)

Tank tops are something different. I'll have to ask Laura.

Well, I hope you don't mind the randomness and the un-p.c. statements, feel free to comment!

One last thing. I'm really concerned about America's future given the current monetary policy, rampant government spending and failed economic stimulus.

Winter in New Zealand: Part III

Karangahake Gorge:

It's time I finish my winter theme because it's spring here! Longer daylight hours, warmer days, birds singing, lambs growing...you get the picture.

Laura, myself and our French friend Nicolas headed over to the Karangahake gorge to explore the old mining boom town.

The mountains surrounding the Gorge were riddled with mines.

As you can see from the pictures, we saw some amazing scenery.

As we walked up through the gorge, it was hard for me to imagine the valley during the boom period. Somehow the hustle and bustle couldn't fit into the peaceful silence. Oh what a time it must've been. The cracking concrete slabs and the half buried rusted gears, shafts and pans told the story of the long ago gold rush. The vegetation would've been stripped away exposing the sheer rock faces striped with track and dotted with the mouths of hundreds of mining tunnels. When the mine was operating at capacity, there were more than 10 different levels of horizontal shafts, from three stories below the riverbed up to the lofty heights above us.

We treked up a trail called 'windows walk'. Much of the walk was actually inside a mining tunnel and the windows were shafts cut out to the gorge. The sunlight poured into the damp darkness.

A few miles up through the gorge led us to a good climb up to the level 7 trail that skirted the other side of the gorge on elevation with all the level 7 mine shafts. Occasional breaks in the radiata pine and temperate scrub showed us some panoramic scenery of the surrounding countryside. Breathtaking.

We finished back at our car by late afternoon and ate some lunch, and delicious french cheese that Nicolas shared, then back home.

Winter in New Zealand: Part II

Laura and I planned on hiking the Karangahake Gorge in the Kaimai mountain range but the raindrops on our roof told a different story. We crawled out of bed Saturday morning and debated what to do in the rain. The weather forecast showed that the Kaimai range was in clouds all day, but the west coast would get periods of sun, so we set off toward Raglan.

Stop 1: Bridal Veil Falls walk.

We reached the carpark shortly after the rain let up. There were a few Kiwi's and various tourist on the trail. Most of them were bundled up in their winter coats, hats and gloves.

The walk to the falls was very well maintained, and after only 20 minutes of walking we reached the top. The sun broke through just enough for us to see a rainbow that formed in the mist.

The path wound around to the bottom so we followed it down. Caught some great views midway and at the bottom.

After walking back to the car, we ate a brief lunch and headed in the direction of Te Toto Gorge. On the map, all the roads were marked out with the same road symbol, but Laura will tell you that they are not all equal. My adventurous spirit led our honda along a road around a montain, in hopes of seeing some good scenery.

In addition to some scenery we had to swerve around boulders in the road and drive slowly for fear that our car would break apart! Apparantly as you get away from the cities, all the roads are unpaved and rough. Laura captured this image of an escapee sheep that was on the road.

When we got to Te Toto Gorge, the wind amazed us. We wanted to hike down to the coastline, but one step against the wind made us change our minds. Te Toto gorge is along the coastline and it looks as if the whole area has just sunken into the ocean.

Stop #3- Raglan

We finally reached paved roads as we approached Raglan, but not before we forded a stream. The drive to Raglan from the Southwest takes you past some really beautiful coastline. If you google "the best left hand break in the world", many of the results will mention Raglan. Some surfers bobbed in the tide, waiting to catch the perfect wave, but our hunger drove us onward, toward town.

We finally reached Raglan and after a coffee, we took a walk along the beach. Laura also mentioned to find a playground to bring out her inner child. (not sure if the springy horsey had a weight limit, but i didn't test it)

On our way out of town, we grabbed some greasy fish and chips for dinner, but given that we had spent the day in the blowing cool weather, it was a feast.

We vowed to return when better weather returns, maybe with some visitors (did I mention it has the best left hand break in the world Brian?)

Winter in New Zealand

Greetings faithful blog followers...it really must be frustrating trying to follow our blog since updates come sparsly and sporadically. Laura tried to blog about our few hiking trips, but lost the connection...and the unfinished blog, got frustrated and hasn't attempted since.

So here I am picking up the pieces. This post will be the first of a three part series about three of our weekend adventures during winter in the Waikato.

Trip #1- Wairere falls.

Laura and I were excited to get out of the shack for our first real tramping experience. We loaded up the car with lunch, fuel and directions to Wairere falls and the Matamata hots springs (you lord of the rings followers would know this as Hobbiton). Jorg and Jackie reccomended staying off the beaten track and instead following the twisty, windey Scottsman Valley Road. The views on the way were stunning, but the journey had Laura wishing for Dramamine.

When we arrived at the base of the trail, the sign said "4 hours to the summit". We were eager to get to it after the car ride. The trail first led us up a boulder strewn fan, that jutted out from the mountains. We were surrounded by large smooth boulders, some of them nearly perfect spheres. The treck got more and more difficult as we ascended to the first view point of the falls.

As we climbed, the trek got increasingly steep and difficult. Along the way I pointed out some of New Zealand's common flora. There were several different species of Ferns, including a few varieties of tree ferns. Also a few Nikau palm trees. Because the weather pattern in the area blows the warm moist air up the mountains, the area gets huge amounts of rain so it supports a temporate rain forest. The climate changes vastly just over the summit where the air draws the moisture like a wick. I think the term is rain shadow.

Anyhow, the trail turned from steep to steeper, till Laura and I were using our hands nearly as much as our feet. We arrived at the viewpoint with muscles twitching and sweat pouring off of us. A great opportunity to breath in the cool moist air and enjoy the fantastic view of the falls.

After a few failed attmpts at a timed camera shot to get us both in, we finally got one that was adequate. The break was just enough for us to forget how tough the journey up was, and it only took a little persuasion for me to convince Laura to do the hour side trip to the falls summit. We may regret it later, but we didn't come this far just to turn back.

The trail from the view point to the summit was every bit as difficult as the journey up...possibly more, with constant handholds and switchbacks. On the way up, we caught a few glimpses of the vast grasslands of the Waikato. It streatched out below us like a giant green carpet.

The pastures bordered by fenses and a lazy river flowing through. No wonder that this area is one of the best places in the world for Ryegrass.

The path wound up and around till we didn't know if we were going toward the summit, or across the range. Soon we spotted the river. The path followed it and when we could distinguish the roar of the falls ahead Laura pumped her arms in true Rocky style.

The view from the top was amazing. The Dept. of Conservation had built a platform that stretched nearly to the edge of the falls so that we could get a good view of the water plumeting over the cliff, disapearing in a dull roar somewhere below, well out of our sight.

We enjoyed the strong breeze, and it quickly cooled us off. The view from the top was cut short when the sky let loose with a few warning drops. Laura and I decided that it was time for our decent. We clamboured back down the mountain...at a rate that could be described more of a controlled fall than a decent.

Back at the car, we dove into our lunches. We were both over ready for it. The lunch Laura had packed really hit the spot, even if it was a mite too healthy for my taste.

We drove back to Matamata and quickly found the hot pools that Jorg and Jackie had reccomended to us. We quickly figured out why they were "rarely packed". The hot pools were quite run down and sketchy, but alas it was too late. We had come too far not to try a dip. Despite the terrible condition they were in, the water was relaxing. Rain drove us, once again, back to the car.

On the way out of town we snapped a photo for all you lord of the rings fans. As we drove home, it felt good to be back in the shire.

A few musings from a new Kiwi. . .

Yes. . . Finally Laura has made her first post. It has been quite the whirlwind that brings me to the present: Jesse's homecoming, my graduation, our wedding, and the move to New Zealand. It was all great fun and a great adventure! I am glad to have it all behind us and to be able to finally settle down into some normalacy after months of planning for our wedding and Jesse being gone in New Zealand. I am really enjoying being married, and New Zealand thus far has been great. Jesse and I are still meeting people and getting adjusted to the culture. I have still have a hard time understanding some of their sayings or even following a conversation between two Kiwis. One of example is that people here call clothes' pins: pegs. In a conversation it sounds like they are saying pigs. Jesse and I were so confused, why were they hanging pigs on the line? We had to ask what they were saying. It is so interesting that even though we theoretically we both speak English; I really feel like we speak two different languages.

I am still getting used to the food here. Their dairy is a little different here which makes my breakfast eating habits to a different level. I am not used to the taste of their milk, cottage cheese, butter, ice cream, and cream cheese. Everything is a little a creamier and maybe a bit richer. It makes for a different aftertaste than what I am used to. It is not a bad thing just a little different. Sandwich meat here is more expensive especially turkey which is what I am used to eating. Turkey is just too expensive to buy, $20 US dollars per kilogram. Hence my bird food, as my family and friends lovingly call it, has taken on a different variety then in the States. Don’t worry I am still getting my daily intake of popcorn ;-).

I have been trying some of the food that is known to New Zealand. Wikipedia calls “certain items and icons from New Zealand's cultural heritage” kiwiana. There are some things that I have eaten and have that are kiwiana. The list includes chocolate fish, L&P, kiwifruit (both green and yellow), marmite (I thought it tasted terrible. I will take Nutella over marmite any day.) and ginger beer. I have eaten a Kiwiburger which is a hamburger but with a beetroot. Jesse owns a pair of gumboots. I have a pair of Paua earrings. If you want a more extensive list of kiwianas look at the website: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kiwiana.

The New Zealand scenery is gorgeous. It is the middle of winter and everything is so green. I like the green all year round, but I am not sure that I like that it rains all the time. I can never get my laundry dry (we do not have a dryer so everything has to be lined dried). The other cool thing about all the rain is that everyone in New Zealand uses for their water. We get enough rainfall to supply all the water (the other reason is there is not many people here either). This flatlander is not used to getting to see mountains in the background of her backyard. I am also not used to the winding roads that go up and down hills/mountains, neither is my stomach. Why can’t people just have square miles like the smart people in Northwest Ohio?

Jesse and I have been on a few winter excursions. We will be sure to blog about them soon with a few pictures! Till next time. . . Cheers!

The journey across the pacific

It's long time that Laura and I take a short break from the honeymoon to bring an update to Agrizeal.

I've been trying to bring Laura in on the blogging so we've agreed that if I blog about the trip, she will make dinner! Plus as an added bonus, she will blog about our first weekend in NZ later.

So here's the story....

The sounds of a Favorite House Monday morning woke us up. We stretched, yawned and slowly willed ourselves out of bed, though we both wanted a few more hours. Time flew by as we finished the last little bit of packing. Before we knew it, Dan and Jo joined us from Wauseon to see us off. We had a scrumptious "last meal" at cap city diner, and topped it off with some strawberry shortcake dessert.

Laden down with four suitcases, a boxed up Wall-mount Grandfather Clock (assembled with love by the Bruners) and two carry on items each, we headed to the airport. We still weren't ready to say goodbye, so we all sat down for a final cup of coffee in the terminal.

Saying goodbye to the world that Laura and I had know was very difficult. Leaving all of our friends and family behind had taken it's toll on both of us in the days leading up to the departure. I'm not sure if we would've been able to manage without each other, and we certainly wouldn't have been able to without God. So after a hard goodbye, we walked through security.

When we went through security we had to get the clock weights out because the security lady "couldn't see through them" on the x-ray. After a brief consultation with her superior, they unwrapped one just to be sure, then sent us on our way. In the airport we ran into Adam Johns, flying to Uganda for a three week missions trip. We passed the time quickly talking with him even though our plan required a front tire change. We were only a little late getting into Phoenix. The desert heat was 107 and we felt it in the jet way. After a quick bite we boarded the flight to LAX and within an hour we landed.

LA airport is always a challenge and this time was no exception. The many terminals are laid out in a giant U shape, but with no secure pathways connecting them, so we were required to leave the terminal and pass back through security, again with the lengthy explanation about the clock weights. Also, nothing is clearly market and since Quantas is partners with American, we had to enter the American terminal, but were unsure that we were at the right one until we got to the gate. This lag of the trip had Laura and I initially sitting apart, but the gate agents put us in a row of three seats with the third one empty. You can imagine how relieved we were when we found out that we sitting together and that we could stretch out.

Once out of LA, it was smooth sailing. Neither of us slept soundly, but we slept nonetheless. We arrived in Auckland a few minutes earlier than expected and began the process of going through customs, and the agricultural and bio security check stations. Customs went well, then we got our bags and box. The ag agents were interested in the type of wood that the clock was made from, but they were more interested in the bag of lavender that Mom D. sent with us. After a few moments hesitation we assured them that they could keep the lavender, with the trade off being that we got through with no other problems!!!

Nicholas (our ride) was only a few minutes late, and the drive to Hamilton was a good one. Sunny and cool day helped show the best of New Zealand to Laura. The Love Shack met Laura's approval after a brief inspection!!! so we spent the day unpacking, and shopping for some necessities and groceries. That night we even could take the time to cook up a proper meal of spaghetti. After dinner, we wandered over to meet the landlords and deliver Jorg's new macbook smuggled from the cheaper consumer markets in the US. We were both surprised when they loaded us down with wedding gifts of a duvet cover set and also a few bedside stands!

After briefly talking with them we went back 'home'. The fleeting sleep we caught on the airplane wasn't enough to carry us through the days activities, so we crashed into bed for some much needed sleep.

Goodbye, Farewell & our address

Wanted to drop a quick goodbye to all. It's been a really wonderful few weeks and there are so, so many people that Laura and I would love to thank. After the whilwind subsides, we will catch up on the many other follow-up details.

We had a wonderful, brief honeymoon at the Belemere Suits in Perrysburg, the Lakehouse Inn in Geneva-on-the-lake, and the Burr House in Wauseon. We followed it up with some wonderful stays with the Bruners and the Dotterers.

Tomorrow we fly out of Columbus at 5:45pm to layover in Pheonix and L.A. then off to Auckland to arrive Wednesday morning.

But for tonight we are in Columbus with all of Laura's roomates, plus the new addition to Favorite House. We promised to post our address to several people so here it is:

Jesse & Laura Dotterer
86A Windmill Rd.
RD 3
Hamilton 3283, New Zealand

Love and Prayers to all our friends and family. Thank you all.

Also was able to add it to our sidebar so it will always be at the top and won't disapear down the page when this post does. I'm still learning.

Tomorrow!!

well folks....agrizeal has been the neglected product of an international move and a wedding, yet in the mist of the chaos, we have found a few spare moments to record a few of our thoughts.

I left New Zealand on the horizon only last friday, and so much has happened since then. The trip was excrucuating, but after a sleepless 23 hour trip, I arrived in Columbus and was literally jumped by Laura!!! We had been waiting for that moment for two months...which was two months too long.

Laura's graduation went well. The Dotterer and Bruner families joined us in Columbus for the afternoon. John Glen spoke about having a "why not" attitude, and was able to work in some good humor. Laura's name took up three lines in the program.

Laura Jo Bruner, Wauseon

Magna Cum Laude

with Honors Research Distinction

in Plant Health Management

Before leaving New Zealand, my co-workers saw me off with a "stag and doe do" instead of the traditinal "stag do" (bachelor party) they throw. Everyone in my work complex called it an early day and joined up in the tea room for snacks, beer and wine. I found it a little strange that I was drinking on the job only two months after starting. I think I'll fit in well.

This week has flown by. Laura and I spent a few days in Mansfield and now we are back in Wauseon taking care of last minute details. The Bruner's took me out for a round of golf yesterday. I think Grandpa Strayer got the worst team and he quickly found out how terrible I was at golf, but we managed to finish without throwing out our arms and we had a little fun too!

Well I gotta run Aaron to get his haircut so that's all for now. Thanks to everyone who has made this week a great week for Laura and I. We'll catch up with the blog when things settle down a little.

Climbing Mount TeAroha

Firstly, I must apologize for not keeping up with the blog. I can't believe I've let it slide for three weeks! Also, I know some of you are following it regularly and I've let you down this month.

I have several things to post, so I'll start with a tramp that I went on with some co-workers on May, 16th.

A few people in my complex at work are avid hikers, ready to drive to a nearby trek at a moments notice. I was included in their latest adventure. We ended up gathering a group of seven together for a visit to the Kaimai (pronounced CAr-my) Mountain Range. The plan was to hike Mt. TeAroha (950 meters) for a spectacular view of the Waikato plains, Coromandel Peninsula and Tauranga Harbour. On our decent we planned to take a few side trails to the Tui Mine ruins, which were old silver and copper mines.

That morning Kumar picked me up and we drove west from Hamilton, through the highly productive dairy pastures that makes the Waikato some of the most productive dairy land in the world. The low-lying pastures was once a huge swamp, until the European settlers introduced it to modern drainage. Now, lush green rye grass produces thousands of kilograms of dry matter with the help from a little fertilizer and several meters of amazingly fertile volcanic ash that was spewn across the region around 100 ad. Kumar, Bob, Erin, Andrew, Andrea and I met at the base of the Mountain, in a town of the same name. Kumar, Bob and Andrew shuttled two vehicles to the other end of the trek while the rest of us grabbed some coffee from a nearby restaurant.

Above is a view of the town TeAroha from about a third of the way up the mountain. The trek soon led us into a rain forest full of ferns and other plants that I had never seen. There were ferns of every shape and size. Even several varieties of tree ferns that were up to 15 or so feet tall. The only one that I was able to identify was the silver fern. It is a tree fern species with a striking silver color on the underside of it's leaves.

We stopped occasionally to learn the name of a native plant from Bob, who was an expert. I also used these stops to catch my breath. About half way to the top we ascended into the clouds. The wind picked up and soon the mist saturated our clothes. So much for the wonderful view from the top. On the way up we passed a couple, and the lady said "apparently there is an amazing view from the top, but I have been here 6 times and all I've seen are clouds". At about 1:00 we finally arrived at the top. My stomach and my legs both told me that it was time for a rest. We took time to eat our lunch on the top and enjoy the solitude that the mountain offered.

On the way back down, we descended from the clouds and began hiking though the old mining ruins. They are long abandoned and for the most part overgrown. Along the trail we would occasionally find a fenced off mineshaft that descended into the mountain. Occasionally we would also notice rails jutting out of the side of the mountain and rusty old abandoned equipment. It must've been amazing to see the mines in full operation.

Near the end of the trek, we came upon a huge dammed area with a mud bottom. Apparently it was common to extract the minerals from the rocks using cyanide. The dam now served the purpose of keeping the cyanide enriched sludge from sliding down the mountain and landing in the town. Now I've never been a huge fan of the EPA, but now I believe that they certainly may play a somewhat vital role in protecting our environment. If only they could come up with better ways to do it.

At the end of the hike, we changed out of our moist muddy clothes and headed back to town for a well deserved early dinner, then back to Hamilton to start the week all over again.

It wasn't until the next day that I learned of a good trout stream only 20 minutes from where we had hiked....next destination: Karanghake Gorge, armed with my fly rod.

Saltwater Snapper Shindig

Saturday I went fishing with a retired AgResearch Employee.

Bruce Binnie is probably in his late 60's and a severe type 1 diabetic. He's a decent bloke (I'm picking up the lingo) full of information, well traveled and just fun to be around. He hunted me up as soon as he heard that a new AgResearch employee liked to fish!

We went out on a charter out of Kawhia (pronounced KA-fi-a). We finally got to the harbor at 7:00am after a faulty alarm (not mine) and two wrong turns forced us to zip speedily through the twisty road leading us through the hills of New Zealand.

The sun was just breaking over the Eastern sky as we pulled into the harbor casting a beautiful scene of a sea town waking up in front of us. Unfortunately we would only see the sun once more that day as it slipped below the clouds in the West briefly before it dove into the salty abyss. The Dove left the dock behind with "14 pob" (persons on board) as the Maori skipper reported to the coast guard. The usual Captain was away hunting feathered foul since it was opening weekend of duck season, but he left his trusty deckhand to man ropes with his son acting as the first mate.

As we snuck out of the harbor and slipped over the dangerous sandbar a pod of dolphins joined our trek to the fishing grounds. They leapt through the water closing the gap between them and us till they were all around the boat. Several swam directly in front of the bow, only a few feet from the boat. Occasionally they would break water with a gasp shooting mist in our faces.

When we got to the fishing grounds we baited our hooks and dropped the tasty looking muscles and chopped up fish into 30 meters of the bluest water I had ever seen. Immediately we started pulling in fish. The action was great! The fist Kahawai hit the deck behind me with the first mate scooping it up to skillfully take the fight out of it and dump it into a bucket of saltwater for the purpose. The pole jumped in my hands soon after and the fight ensued with me winning in the end. I had landed my first ever saltwater keeper. A 16" Terakihi, and good eating I was told. The action continued with more Kahawai and the occasional, highly prized, Snapper. Bruce and I both also landed a Red Gurnard which grunted in disgust at being caught. Bruce said because of the noise they make, the are often called pigfish. They were also said to be delicious, so we put them in the chilly-bin.

After a while we headed farther out to the reef where there was supposed to be more snapper. On the way there a few people let out some lines behind the boat and we caught two species of Tuna this way, Albacore (one that reeled in) and Skipjack (a beautiful shinny swimming machine). When we got to the reef we started catching more Snapper, and a few yellowtail (that we used for bait). Then the Barracouta started hitting. The water was so clear that you could see them circling 30 feet below us, waiting on a chance to take chase at our passing gear. Occasionally a blue shark would slide by, barely noticeable until it flashed into action as we would land a fish. I ended up landing a barracouta, but the skipper took it off. They are pretty dangerous in the boat according to the seasoned fisherwoman next to us....and she had the scar to prove it. The barracouta were tons of fun to bring in, but the were also death to our rigs so after a failed attempt to drive them away by sacrificing one of them to Davy Jones, we moved again.

Other people on the boat caught carpet shark, blue shark (which we kept), a fish they called grandpa fish, which looked a lot like Nemo! (I suspect it was some clownfish species) We also landed another species of junk fish which the skipper called by a french name, not repeatable on this blog.

Even from 13 miles out, Mount Taranaki loomed in the distance like a slumbering giant, and as the sun sank lower, it guided us back to the land. As we pulled in the cove, a last ditch effort by the sun shone brightly off the light tan cliff faces in front of us. The end to a great day on the water. As we drove back to Hamilton, I couldn't help but think, what a blast it would've been with Grandpa and all the other Dotterer walleye warriors. Nonetheless it was a great day, just the thing to get my mind back from the preceding crazy three weeks.

Settling In

Amazing! It's been two and a half weeks and I think I'm settled in. I thought I would take some time to reflect on everything.

The (not so) perfect car:

My rental car agreement was set to end Friday, so feeling the pressure I set out to find acceptable transportation. I looked high and low on trademe (kiwi version of ebay, craigslist and autotrader all wrapped into one), I searched dealers stock online, I even went to a used car lot. The salesman there seemed more interested in getting me financed, than finding a suitable car (unless an early model, high mileage, nissan bluebird is your thing). Then I found out about the auction yards. It's a format of buying and selling that is common here in NZ. Basically when a reputable private party wants to sell their car, they ship it to an auction yard. The auctioneers, shine them up, advertise them and print an estimate of what they should sell for given the condition of the car and the current market. After the car sits on the lot for a week, it goes up for live auction. If it doesn't meet the 'expected value' it is open for bids, or outright purchase. It's really an ideal format for both the buyers, sellers, and even the auctioneers. The buyers are assured of a clean title (no debt), current registration (NZ road tax) and recent WOF (warrant of fitness, required every 6 months on all vehicles). The seller is assured of high visibility and doesn't actually have to do any of the work. And the auctioneers can lay off the high pressure sales tactics and be honest with you. Thus is the story of our '86 honda accord. It is a very tidy, well cared for car, with about 87,000 miles on it. I paid a song and a dance for it, didn't have to worry about financing, and drove off with wheels that will get me from point a to point b, paid for in full.

Pukeko (the real national bird)

The first night in the 'love shack' introduced me to the Pukeko. I had just turned off the lights and curled up in bed when I hear an awful screeching outside the window. I flicked on the outside light and 'poof!' birds went scattering. These bird, were like none I've seen before though. They are big, about the size of a laying hen, with bright red heads and sleek, blue bodies. Since then they have became commonplace around 'the shack'. I nearly get one every time I come flying into the driveway. I tried to snap a picture of a few, but the kept running away from me. Here's the wikipedia article so you'll get the idea. The more they keep me awake, the closer I get to having pukeko for dinner, but as the article states, they are supposed to be pretty gross. I've heard this tale told about a boot and an axe head too. My curiosity may get the best of me......I'll keep you updated on this one. It's opening weekend of duck season here, and these plentiful birds fall neatly into this category.

Still haven't seen a kiwi though. I guess their nocturnal

Driving

Kiwi drivers are rumored to be the worst in the world. I'm not convinced, because I've been to Jamaica. Nonetheless, I've pretty much became accustomed to driving the kiwi way. Round-abouts no longer scare me, in fact I find myself getting frustrated with the car in front of me for not entering when they clearly could've fit their car in between those other two that were coming from the right. I actually prefer them to a 4 way stop, because everyone can go at the same time, and no one can get a ticket for a rolling stop! One thing I have noticed is that nz drivers tend to ride the edge of the road. Often driving in the bike lanes....I'll have to watch out for this if I get a bike.

Work

I'm settling in at work just fine. The office is still not decorated, but I find myself knowing the way things work around the Ruakura Research Campus. Morning tea is at 10, and is actually coffee for most. Your feijoa rinds and kiwi peels go into the worm farm compost bin and afternoon tea is at 3. But beyond that, I've learned a bit about New Zealand agriculture.

New Zealand is basically one big farm and a great place to visit. This is evident through their economy. About 75% of New Zealand revenue is from agriculture, horticulture and forestry products, about 15% is from tourism, and the remaining 10% is manufacturing and industry.

The agricultural sector is predominately dairy, 95% of which gets exported, mostly as milk powder, followed by beef, destined to be mixed with high fat USA beef and served in McDonald's. Sheep production for meat markets are also a big part of the agricultural sector, with sheep for wool steadily declining. Deer are also commercially raised for European markets, primarily Germany. Kiwifruit are also big in the country as are apples.

New words and Phrases

mate (friend)

bloke (acquaintance)

g'dday (greeting, good day)

keen (interested)

chilly bin (cooler)

flask (thermos)

Check back later in the week for a post on saltwater fishing

The Love Shack

Tonight I signed the lease on a place for Laura and I. Our landlords are Jorg and Jackie. Jorg is from Berlin, Germany and Jackie is originally from Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe). They are an older couple who likes to travel. Laura and I will look after their place while they are gone and in return we have very cheap rent!

The place is pretty small, but has plenty of space outdoors. A firepit in the back yard, and lots of room for a garden (and maybe a hive of bees).

note: by popular demand, I've changed the name of this post (your welcome Jo and Elizabeth)

New Zealand Driving

This subject has been the topic of such a large portion of my thoughts I thought I would Blog about it. Here is my rental car.....your probably thinking, sweet car.

Well that's what I thought till I tried to get in on the wrong side....for the 30th or 40th time. Why? Because the controls are on the wrong side of the car!

Thankfully when I arrived at Auckland International Airport, there was a Minibus Express Agent waiting for me to drive me (safely) to Hamilton. Upon arival at my hotel in Hamilton I got handed the keys to my rental by the Avis lady. I was thinking, good luck ever seeing this car again because by that time I had learned that my car was in for a "crash course" in having an American driver.

My first day, I only drove a few blocks away to ease myself into the transition. Everything went ok untill I came upon one of the many roundabouts in town. Trafic goes clockwise in a roundabout down under, so it was a bit of a challenge. The car and I made it through, thankfully unscratched, and then promptly back to the hotel where we both sat for a few hours. The next time I ventured out, it was on foot.

After several days here, I learned another very important rule. When you are making a left turn, you must yield to any traffic turning from the right (even though they are crossing your traffic lane to do so). I think I have the rule down now, but I wonder what everyone else thought of me before I knew this rule?

Now after being in the country for four days, I feel pretty confident on the road. So it isn't impossible, just a little challenging.

Check back soon for photos of the 'cottage' Laura and I will spend out first year in.