Strawberries?!?!?!?!?!

A handful of Sundays ago I went to the Portobello Farmer's market only to be blown away by the generosity and kindness of yet again, another Kiwi. Thelma Elmslie, ( a local artist and art teacher) invited me to stay with her and her husband Colin for a few days so that I may learn how to weave native flax. It was as if this woman read my mind, she had somehow felt my burning desire to understand this beautiful and respected Maori tradition that not only weaves the fibers of the flax plant, but the fibers of their people. After I finished my stay with Dennis and Annie I was once again swapped at the Otago Farmer's Market to go on to my next adventure.
I began my first weaving lesson that afternoon. In order to be able to weave, I had to learn the importance of flax and how flax is cherished and held high in the Maori culture. Thelma is not of Maori descent, but she creates and teaches focusing on all aspects and rituals of the Maori people. I feel blessed to have studied with beautiful and deep rooted pieces of the Maori culture and people and I am especially grateful for the time Thelma spent with me, showing me the way of flax weaving.
The Otago Peninsula is known as the wildlife capital of New Zealand, and rightfully so. Here you can find yellow-eyed and blue penguins, fur seals, sea lions and of course the famous albatross birds. Colin had arranged for me to get a guided tour at the albatross center, and although this particular day it was cloudy and grey, we set off to see the albatrosses. Unfortunately all that was to be seen were a couple of white puffs clutching to their nests awaiting food from their parents. I still marveled in the life of these creatures, they are so massive and yet they glide through the air with the greatest of ease and powerful grace. I had hoped, (like most) to see one flying, but with the thick fog and virtually no wind, that wasn't going to happen.
My time with Colin and Thelma was just fantastic. One night I attempted to make dahl soup, but I mistakenly put in small red beans instead of red lentils...which doesn't work at all! Thelma, being the amazing chef she is was able to salvage the "soup" I had created.
A few days turned into almost a weeks and then I headed back into Dunedin where I was to meet up with Dennis and Annie again in time to help with their Autumn Equinox Harvest Festival.
This time I was one of three wwoofers, the other two Ronan from France and Elizza from Germany. We had a blast!! Although looking back, all we did was eat and laugh and eat and laugh and eat some more and have massive fits of uncontrollable laughter.
You know when you meet somebody, and you just click, you don't have to wade waist high through all of the monotonous "stuff" to get to the real person? Well, that's how I felt with Elizza. We would just laugh like little school girls and we had so much fun. Real genuine fun highlighted with belly bursting laughter. I soon came to the realization that although there are only eight years between us, those eight years change your body....and I had to STOP EATING!!!
The Harvest Festival was a smashing success!! Of course we ended up with lots and lots of food left over, but we could handle it!
It was so refreshing to be around someone like Annie who took the time to really celebrate the seasons. So much of who we are, what we have, and who we are to become is written within the changing of the seasons, the changing of the world, and the changing of the time. It is vital to celebrate and share with others during these moments of change because it is then that we can create a strong community and a sense of humanity in this sometimes dark world. What better way to come together and give thanks for each other, our Earth, and the bounty that lies with in the soil and with in our souls. It was glorious!! Thank you!
I was in for another treat...Dennis had planned a day at the albatross center and this time I saw everything I wanted to! I was able to watch as these magnificent birds flewabove us with their 3 meter wingspan, I saw them gather on the hill side and chat, and one just about walked right up to us.....perfect day, such a perfect time to yet again, give thanks. After our adventure here we went to Sandfly Beach....another breath taking gem of New Zealand.
(Oh, and by the way there are now only two ducklings left out of the original nine....I didn't have anything to do with this....I swear!)

I had my last good-byes with Dennis and Annie...but we all know that I will return for another visit.....
Maia needed someone to house/dog sit for her while she went off to the Catlins and I thought, perfect....I wanted some time alone before I headed into central Otago and this would give me that. I wonder now if Maia regrets asking me to handle this task.....
See, everything was going great, better then great. Brambel, (her dog) had stopped sulking in the bedroom and the sun was shining so brightly through out the morning that I thought, what a excellent day to get the weeding done. I headed over to the area which I would be working in and I pondered my task at hand. They sure looked like strawberries, but then what was I to weed? Well, I looked around at the other compost piles and noticed that the same plants had been pulled out....so, ok their are to be pulled out, they are not strawberries (and most certainly not RARE strawberries that Maia had been cultivating and taking care of for the last couple of yeas). I kept thinking, "man, they sure look like strawberries, but then why would there be a massive pile of them by the compost. She must want them to be removed?!". I was so proud of myself cleaning these beds up, oh they looked just great.....not a "weed" to be found. I still had a couple of days before Maia returned home and so I spent the rest of my time tending to other chores and not thinking at all of the "strawberry or not a strawberry" dilemma I had the day before.
Luckily, my time alone didn't last long, as Ronan surprised me with a visit, (which Maia had offered to him earlier when we all met up downtown Dunedin) and I say luckily because on the night Maia arrived home Ronan would play a big part in helping me redeem myself and bring the STRAWBERRIES back to life. Yep, they were bloody strawberries! Maia, the gracious sweet heart that she is, didn't appear to be too terribly mad when I told her about all of my finished tasks...including the weeding of those three beds.....the strawberry patch to be more accurate.By this time it was about 9 at night, dark and cold. I had to do something, I couldn't just leave all of those strawberries in their newly formed piles....I had to re plant them, no matter what time it was. I grabbed my head lamp, a shovel, a hose and I headed outside...but the credit lies with Ronan. With out his help, (which was done with minimal laughter) I wouldn't have been able to complete my SAVE THE STRAWBERRIES mission....so thank you Ronan! I need to call Maia and see if any of them survived....oh I hope some did......and yes I know I shouldn't have strawberries or farm animals.....EVER!!

Alright college education...I cant make soup and I apparently don't know what a bloody strawberry is, but I can SCOOP POOP!!


At this point, I knew it and Dunedin knew it...it was time for me to leave and head into Central Otago, there I would be staying with Bob and his truly magical forest. Bob has been on his land for about thirty years and his main objective is to offer a space for ALL people to come visit and enjoy. Its a very special place and this time of year is filled with all kinds of color and delite. Ronan came with me to Bob's place and its a good thing too, because Bob needed some help with his computer and Ronan knows a thing or two computers. Its funny, I cant seem to get away from computers.....hmmmm......
The stay with Bob didn't last as long as I had thought it would, but he has offered to have me back as he says I am a great book but, he only got to read one chapter.... I may return but now I am facing the challenge of getting to all of these other places and my time here is running out. I may have to rethink my time here....maybe stay longer....

Now I am in TeAnau.....home of the Fiordland National Park...the Milford Sound is one of the most precious spots in New Zealand....words can't describe the massive fiords and mountains that surround this place. Its.....its.......its somewhere everyone should go. I have been here for awhile now, but I am going to be leaving probably Tuesday or Wednesday...not sure just yet. I have not been wwoofing, which is a good thing for my sanity but not for my pocket book.....I was just starting to think, "I need a job...and probably soon" when I got an email from a hotel on the west coast...and hey, I have a job now. I will be working in Haast at the World Heritage Hotel, and from what I hear its, (you guessed it) AMAZING!! Of course it is, I mean we are talking about New Zealand.