Interesting couple in Di and Terry. Di teaches and Terry works at pulp mill. Very hospitable and laid back. I enjoyed spitting wood and going into town to get maps of the local trails of the area. It has rained a bunch so far during my stay here. I hope to be here until next weekend.
UPDATE:
So I unfortunatly had wallet stolen with absolutly everything in it: passport, debit card, drivers license, cell phone, and car key. Needless to say im a bit stuck at the moment. Staying positive dispite setback.
I have cut, split, and stacked tons of wood here which of course I greatly enjoy, now even more so because my wonderful sister sent me her IPOD. There is something about listening to good music while splitting firewood that just clicks with me.
At the moment my car will start with the turn of a screw driver. Had to take ignition switch in to get new key cut. As for my drivers license and passport, I take the bus to Auckland on thursday. I take the train back which I greatly look forward to. I should be another week or so until I recieve license and debit card in the mail so I will obviously be here until then.
Other than the woodwork, Di and Terry have not had too much other work for me. And since I currently have zero dollars to my name, I have gone to work. Typical work day goes as follow:
>Wake at 6:30
>At sheep farm by 7:20
>It usually takes around 30 minutes to set up everything and for the dogs and shepherds to round up sheep.
>Once sheep in what is called "the yards," the ewes(mothers) are seperated from young when they go down shoot with two-way directing gate at the end; the ewes are allowed back out into pasture while young divided into smaller pen. Once this small pen is full the process begins.
>Its pretty much a 6 step assembly line:
-"the lifter" picks lamb up and puts it on its back and pinned down on roller-belt-thing.
(lambs are pulled down by hand, 5 to 6 can fit on rollers at a time)
-lambs are then marked, males right ear and females left
-tight rubber-band-type thing put around base of testicles (they fall off in two to three months)
-then they injected in neck with a vitamin shot
-next they get a "scratch" which is a viral immunization done by dull needle being scratched roughly on upper hind leg.
-finally, their tails are cut off by clippers with blow torch attached.
-they then go kicking and screaming back to their mothers
This process is called "docking" and as of now I have docked 840 sheep. I work Tuesday and Wednesday of next week.
I dare say it has been quite the experience. Certainly something new, different, and enjoyable.
UPDATE:
Back in Auckland at the moment applying for new passport >> beautiful train ride back to Taihape to look forward to tomorrow >> funny stories from backpackers but they will have to wait >> met 4 Miss State grads who seem really nice and up for the hiking sceen >> things looking up . . .
