and then there was THE pig

All that time in college finally paid off, I am a professional pig-poop-scooper...and some of you questioned what I was doing!! Might I add that we aren't talking about just any pig, oh no....this is Devina....one of the largest pigs I have ever seen, ruler of the farm, maker of the vital ingredients in the compost, she is a force all in her own right. You should see it when she runs, it just the cutest thing I have ever seen. This massive pig bouncing, like a ballerina, ears flopping, tail wagging, its just precious. She likes me, although I know its only because I bring her sweet, delicious apples everyday. I suppose I am jumping headed in this story, because I have not written in so long, my location has changed, in fact it has changed a few times.

Let me take you back to the crazy, but oh so beautiful Stewart Island...the anchor.......

I was in need of more than my usual coffee on this particularly damp and cold morning and so I headed off down the hill side to this welcoming and cozy coffee house in the heart of "downtown" Stewart Island. I was sipping on a delightful long black, (americano) when I began to slip into a longing for home, a desire to be around people I knew, I was just wanting a little familiarity. I just wanted something to remind me of home, a place that I cherish so dear to my heart, a place filled with all of these incredible people that I love and have been blessed with through out my life. As the long black warmed my mouth and flowed down my throat I heard a familiar accent, because in fact it wasn't an accent to me at all. Within minutes I was chatting with two sisters from California, perfect I thought, a little bit of what I needed. As our conversation grew it was evident that we got along well and that they were heading in the direction I desired to sail in. At that moment it was decided...I would get off the island and ride with these two ladies to the Catlins, (where my friend Ruth was staying\working) I remember feeling so good about this choice and thinking, this is superb because they had a rental car!!!! No more buses, shuttles, trains, etc etc.....I could just ride and relax and enjoy the new conversations and landscapes that we would come across. I didn't have a place to stay for the night, but thought whatever...I will be ok...if anything I could pop my tent outside of the sleep out that Ruth was in...so what if its FREEZING outside and RAINING...I knew it would work out one way or another. We agreed that I would meet back up them on the ferry in a few days....what a relief!!!
I have my last cup of coffee on Stewart Island before I make my way onto the ferry, I think to myself, oh yes another ride on the crazy ferry. The weather in the days before had been wild, there were times I thought the roof was going to blow right off or the house would just collapse all around me, leaving only Coral, Pushkin (the cat) myself and the scrabble board. My ferry ride couldn't have been any more perfect, it was beautiful and quite calm...in fact I stayed outside the whole time...it was a beautiful day. As the ferry was pulling out of Half Moon Bay, I couldn't help but go over in my head the various dramas and precious moments that I encountered in those last couple of weeks....Stewart Island was supposed to have been quite different then what it was, but what it ended up being was far better than it what I had expected, (just for record I am not expecting anything, anymore!). As I look upon the island and I look to the right, to that red roof I wonder what happened there? I move right along to look over at dear Coral's house where everyone was getting haircuts that day...they are such sweet people, they mentioned something about adoption and then I promised I would be back. I will go back to Stewart Island someday to visit a magical place with some very magical people.

The Catlins is a remarkable place with a petrified forest and it is home to the very rare yellow eyed penguins. I was able to see some of these special creatures on a horribly cold day, (actually night), one where the cold pierces your skin and the rain feels like bullets or little shards of glass all over your body. I am so glad that I actually did find a warm, nice place to sleep that night, in a hostel right on the beach...too bad the weather never changed and my stay there was only for a couple of days. I was able to catch up with silly Ruth, it was great! We laughed and laughed and chatted for hours...(we are planning to meet up in the future, maybe Ireland where she is from...who knows). To my surprise Diana and Fran (the sisters) were yet again heading in the direction I needed to be and so they offered to have me join them for another day on the road....everything will always work out....I believe that whole heatedly!

Dunedin, home of the Otago University, green rolling hills, and the HUGE Albatrosses! When we arrived in Dunedin it was as if we had crashed a party, and we did. It was orientation week for the University and the place was nuts!!!!! Togas, eggs, beer......it was everywhere....very different from the places I had just been staying at and this proved to be a little over whelming. I still hadn't gotten to a farm and I had been in New Zealand for about three weeks, I wasn't wanting to stay in a city, but I knew that I could take advantage of the conveniences of it. The next day I got a lot of things done, but I wasn't having any luck on securing my next place to stay. I was fortunate enough to contact a couple that had some friends who might need some help. I ended up staying with Eli and Dorothy, a sweet, fun-loving, hilarious couple that always fed me excellent food, gave me a comfortable bed to sleep in and among many other wonderful things, introduced me to Les Barker. For those of you not familiar with Les Barker I suggest you check him out, he is quite funny and I find his little poems so very clever.

I managed to get lucky again and hitched a ride to the farmer's market with Eli and Dorothy to meet up with my next host, Maia. Maia and her fabulous dog named Brambel....are just great and they live in an old school house built in 1903...its beautiful. The high ceilings and massive windows made the place ideal for dancing and great conversations. Maia was the first farmer I stayed with and I loved it!! I loved it!!!! I was baking, preserving, harvesting, painting, dancing, reading...just loving my time on her land....which over looks the water. Maia lives in Sea Cliff, a small artist community just outside of Dunedin, the village consists of maybe 50 houses, maybe. It was great....her gardens are beautiful and she lives next to a park, actually more of a nature reserve....lots of walking trails, but I got to say that by the end of a farming day, you don't want to walk on trails. I now know why she take Brambel out of the long walk in the morning :).

Rather quickly I have caught up to where I am now, in Mosgiel at Dennis and Annie's place, and yes another farm. Dennis has been growing organic since 1990, so he has a lot to teach and share with everyone. He is very passionate about the environment and loves coffee....we get along just great!! Our conversations are just fantastic...consumerism, environment, eating, drinking, composting, (which he loves, in fact right now I am waiting for him to return so we can do some composting this evening) the power of money and greed....and lots of other topics...never a dull moment here! Did I mention that I am playing mother to baby ducks? As cute as it sounds...they are diry- poopy little things and since I have been here we have lost three of them! Does that say something about my parenting skills!!?! No!! They are just so young, (some of them) that they didn't get vital nutrients from their mother....its tough keeping them alive. There are three older ones and they seem to be doing just fine, especially since I started bringing them worms! They go crazy when they see the dish....they know what that means. This farm has ducks, geese, hens, rooster, two cats and a dog...and of course the coolest pig in town....Devina!!!!! I am enjoying it here, but I long for a nice warm place with a big bath where I may rest for however long I desire.....I'm just putting it out there...that is to be the next place I go to......