My final three weeks in Prescott, AZ: My mother came to spend two weeks with us. Unfortunately, my pneumonia kept me in bed almost the whole time. I managed to explore a lake with her. It is just 15 minutes away from Joyce's house, set in a pine forest. A small lake, but beautiful and so out of place in Arizona. We met many people enjoying the lake and surrounds and chatted with a few. People drive all the way from Phoenix to spend a day at the lake. Basically, while I was laid up watching the Twins win the World Series, my mom and Joyce where off shopping, cooking, eating or playing cards. We made a trip to the Nevada border and spent the night in a casino at Laughlin. Well, Joyce and I blew our bankrolls and had an early night - my mom was right in her element and did well. Next day we visited several other casinos, using the ferry boats to go from one to another along the Colorado River.

The day my mom was fly home there was a storm dumping 25" of snow in Minnesota, so she was quite worried about it all. We got her onto a plane and found out later that hers was the last to land in Mpls, before it was closed down. She had to spend the night in the airport. So it was an adventure for her. My own flight back was routine. Auckland was closed due to rain and winds. So we diverted to Fiji for a couple hours on the tarmac and an extra movie. That made my arrival four hours late, but no big deal.

My first impressions on getting back to "God's Own" was that of claustrophobia. I had been used to the wide open spaces and nothing but blue sky in Arizona. I came back to dark rain clouds and in the two months I had been away (and not pruning every tree and bush in our yard had exploded into a mass of green. I felt closed-in going outside into our yard. That feeling still lingers and I am thinking about doing some heavy pruning to open up the yard to a little more sky.

Anyway, as it is for anyone - it was great to be back home. The family and friends had many posters (each very humorous) up an the house and almost everyone I know seemed to dropped in those first two days I was back. The pneumonia hung in for a couple more weeks so I wasn't all that great company.

The first weekend I was back we stayed at a "bach", NZ term for a second home at the beach (90%). Just like a lake home in Minnesota. Anyway, this one was at Maraetai Beach and is owned by a neighbor of the Aldersons, who were spending a week there. So we went along and spent time at the beach during the day and in the evening had a birthday party for Doug. Doug is 42 and has been losing hair for many years. I made a "Pin the Rug on Doug" poster by enlarging a photo and cutting away the hair. Then I made cardboard cutouts of various hairstyles, which we would then attempt to pin onto the baldie. I bet Doug is glad to have me back in NZ.... I was glad to be back, as a tooth cracked and broke off and my buddy Doug fixed it straight away - at no cost. Always good to have a dentist for a friend.

Two weekends later we went to a hot springs pool about an hour's drive from Papakura. Spent afternoon soaking and then had a barbeque with out Fiji friends, the Whites. Just as we were leaving we ran into another family from our Fiji days, the Atmores; so we had an impromptu reunion. Just to put things into perspective: Whites own our former car and we bought Atmore's car.

David completed his Sixth Form year with distinction and the prize for first in Computer Studies. Renee just squeaked thru 4th Form. And Gail concluded her first year as a "real" teacher since she last taught full-time in 1973 (pre-kids days).