Visitors arrive

We have had a grand week of visitors... Ruth our neice from Westray was graduating from her time at the YWAM DTS in Auckland and we got to go in loco parentis to her party and had a lovely meal in a cool basement restuarant. She was clearly a star among her team and although sad to leave them all she came back to us for a quiet weekend before heading off to skydive and tour Australia - next stop Zimbabwe.

Four days later Brian and Heather from Orkney arrived and again we were treated to a lovely meal out along with Anne & Ewan Taylor. Needless to say there was much hilarity and Brian kept us laughing over the next 4 days while Heather looked after us all buying treats and rescuing insects before we swatted them. They left yesterday for Wellington and the South Island. So far that is visitors from all 3 Baptist Kirks in Orkney -well done!

Uphill Struggle

Sorry it has been so quiet on the blogging front - I was waiting to get the first three assignments handed in but it is an uphill struggle. This is only a 7 week term and we have to study all four gospels, as well as Church Planting and Interpersonal relationships. I can not get through the work although Les is reading books and writing assignments well before they are due. Thought you would like to see this photo indicating that on the steepest street in the world (Baldwin Street, Dunedin) Les has time to relax and watch the view whil I am at the bottom wondering which way is up! Obviously the house is on the flat but Dougie took the shot with the camera tilted.

Paeroa Games

Paeroa is a farming town 45 minuts from here and home to the Highland Games and Tattoo. We spent several happy hours watching them judge Scottie Dogs and tossing cabers, chopping trees and finally wearing a kilt while pitchforking a 10lb dummy sheaf over a rugby goal poal set at 9 meters high. A new world record was set by a Maori girl of 15 who pitched it over to a heart rending cheer.

The other claim to fame for Paeroa is that it gives its name to their other National Drink , well maybe it is their only National Drink - a kind of pleenky lemon flavoured spoot.
In amidst all the pipes and drums we met lots of Scottish folk who were drawn to our dulcet tones and met folk from near Larbert who had worked in the same office as Les and I in Central Region. We let for home just before the Scottish rain started

Dieting for beginners..

It is simple really don't choose the fried breakfast and don't pour all the double cream on the porridge. (Leave a bit in the jug for your coffee)If you are really serious just opt for the guava, pawpaw, mango, passion and starfruit if you lose as much weight as Les has you deserve a star! Meanwhile, back in the real world a slice of toast is fine by me!

Ra-ra-Raratonga

What a glorious way to be shipwrecked in the south seas. If you haven't read Tom Neal's book

An Island to Oneself you can now read it online. Les has always wanted to visit the Cook Islands so this was his big chance and we got a good deal. I can't tell you how nice it was, how warm the sea or how tropical the breakfast . But I can show you the beach right outside our room where the sea was calm thanks to the coral reef which surrounds the island. Great swimming and snorkelling, canoeing or whatever you wanted to do. I wanted to sleep in the hammock so I made that a priority while Les cycled round the island (35Kms). This was nearly the best destination ever and comes second only to Westray. We reckon we have been to over 30 islands between us but this one was such a special and friendly experience. The missionaries who visited the Cooks in the 1800s did a great job and are well remembered. There were loads of Cowans here and many in the phone book we may have to come back and check out the rellies. There are two Missionary Colleges here and we visited them both - the leader at the YWAM training centre had met Ruthie in Auckland. Sadly we couldn't arrange a swop so we had to come back to Gordonton. Now here is a funny thing we had two Tuesdays last week but haven't had a Saturday yet and now it is Tuesday again - how does that work. I reckon it would be better to cross the dateline and do without a Monday instead.

We were amused at some of the Island customs such as cocktails being served in jam jars on the beach, sure they don't fall over but they are almost a full half pint. Even in the hotel they said grace before meals (in Maori) and somebody swept the sand before breakfast. The only down side is you get taxed to leave the island at $50 each. They say it is to raise money fora a better airport - at present the check in has a roof thatched with banana leaves, but you know I would rather have left the old building kept the $50 and just stayed on. Back to the hammock..

Get this you Groundhog!

Groundhog day is today (Watch the film if you haven't - it is so funny). Well just to let you know we are having a Groundhog moment and crossing the international dateline today so when we get there it will be yesterday. If that is not clear, we leave Auckland tomorrow evening and arrive later tonight. Hope that helps. And unlike the Groundhog we can't predict the weather, but in the past 48 hours we had 26 hours of continuous rain as a cyclone passed southwards! Sweet as!

Ants, Pants and the Praying Mantis

Folk's I am sorry if this is turning into Countrywoman's Diary. Bessie I am NOT. However there is a lot to see and comment on in the field of nature, this month has seen a huge increase in the number of Matlos sitting on my knee. (If French is your mother tongue I am not complaining about having a Matelot on my knee that is quite different...) They fly in through the window and sit on your knee never going any higher or lower - funny that so if you know what they like let us know and we will stop them. Now ants are another thing entirely they go up and up and up until you have to remove clothing - honestly!

This leads me on to another gripe - do not buy Marks and Spencer's invisible pants. They look good feel great and never show any VPL. But have you ever tried hunting for them in a laundry full of young male missionary students? Not good.

"G'dai mate what have you lost?" Mumble mumble invisible knickers... A design flaw I think.

And then the final gablo of the day - my first praying mantis it was only a young one and already it was 3" long eek - dropped the paintbrush and ran - I'd prefer a horny gollick anyday. Espeially a praying one.