Drinking Deeply

I first off apologize for any typos or mistakes in advance. Charlie recently spilled apple juice on the keyboard, and after drying out in pieces, still has resulted in sticky or simply non performing keys.

What an interesting weekend this has been thus far. I received a call last weekend from an old friend of mine, Adam, whom I met here in New Zealand through our common work back in 2000. Adam and I connected from our very first meeting, and we have ever since, even though Adam is far younger than I am. I always find his company interesting, the discussions lively, and we always seem to be laughing. He moved to Ireland six years ago to pursue his first passion, which is Irish music. Adam is a classically trained violinist, yet his love is the "fiddle". So to hear from him and find out he is in Aotearoa for a period was fantastic news. He came up from Wellington last evening and it was a fine reunion. Charlie loved him, and we were treated to a lovely "concert". Adam's playing has gotten so much richer and resonant, his voice deeper and stereo sounding. I was blown away, he was pretty good before he left. I hope Tara and I can hook up with him for St. Patrick's weekend as he is in demand by the Wellington area Irish music folk. What a small world!

In any case Adam expressed a desire to, finally, come and see the Ruahines with me and we have planned a trip to Top Maropea in the next few weeks. He has always known of my love for the mountains so the opportunity to share some of that with him is very cool. How I look forward to that! I may even carry Adam's fiddle - after all its only an over nighter! I generally rely on the lovely natural symphony of the mountains for my "soundtrack" while there, but the thought of hearing the lovely classical or Irish strains of Adam's violin at Top Maropea has a certain charm and appeal to it.

This afternoon Tara and I, being child free for a rare moment, took a drive to Shannon, a tiny little village about 30 minutes south of here. In Shannon there is located a second hand book store we have grown very fond of - and gathered some excellent and inexpensive books for our burgeoning collection. We found a few as usual. Then Tara walked into the shop next door, which I was not really interested in, but eventually, and reluctantly, followed her into. Almost immediately I spotted an original camp oven, a heavy duty iron pot with lid and handle so as to hang over a fire. They can be used as a boiler, fryer, or even to simmer a soup or stew. And best of all to make camp oven bread - something I have always wanted to try and now I will! Plus, they just look cool and rustic, a relic of the Ruahines. At one time common in all Ruahine huts, and the main method of preparing dinner back in the days of deer culling when men lived in the huts for months at a time. They have slowly disappeared, or been stolen such as the one at Maropea Forks, which went missing last year sometime - most likely by helicopter parties as no tramper or walk in hunter would care to load a rather large and unyielding iron pot into his, or hers, pack. Unless very keen to have a camp oven. The proprietor mentioned a few folks had cast their eyes upon it. Well, I knew what I was looking at and bought it for 25 bucks! A bargain, as for me it is a treasure. I am going to use it and relish it, and eventually I am going to take it to Maropea Forks and gift it back to that special place and the Ruahine Ranges. It is only a small gesture.

Me kimi i te ao nei

he waahi hei rite

ki toou kaainga tupu

e matea nuitea nei

Hei aha oona kino

hei aha ona here

ka taawhai te ngaakau

ko reira noho ai

Seek in this world

wherever you may

a place with home to compare

Whatever its ups

whatever its downs

the Heart will yearn

to be there

Sir Apirana Ngata

Aroha