Weekend in Vegas

Another weekend away, another long drive on both Friday and Sunday (5 hours each way), but another whole suitcase full of memories as well. Good to be getting away after being homebodies for a month or two. Mind you, being at home for a weekend is looking pretty appealing now.

So, we drove up to Roto'vegas' on Friday, amidst lots of rain and bad kebabs and stayed with Mark and Rachel for the weekend. They were on call for the entire weekend, so our visit was complete with great vet stories about delivering calves with arms up the cow's backside up to Mark's shoulder, and about twisting uterus' around to deliver twin calves. It is always great to reflect on your own job and how the problems of unruly teenagers are still always preferable to me than putting my entire arm up the backside of a bovine. Although, we are looking at alterior discipline strategies at the school....maybe I should pass on the suggestion....I'm sure the threat of it would cause some behaviour changes!

Anyway, I digress. The most amusing vet story/situation I encountered this weekend was when Mark and Rachel were both busying around getting their vehicles ready for their next call-outs and they were discussing how they need to go back to the clinic for some lube. Silly of me to picture a small, toothpaste size tube of lube for delivering a cow. Instead, I was shocked to see that the amount of lube they use in these deliveries is carried in a plastic milk-type carton, that must hold about 10L of the stuff. Ewwww......so impressed with them though. MArk and Rachel I mean, not the lube jars.


So we had a rainy weekend, AGAIN. But we at least were in Rotorua, so we had great sulphur stench all weekend, along with a fun ride for Rod and Bryce, an AllBlacks vs Australia game to watch at the pub, great cooking from MArk and Rachel, lots of cafe visits with Rod and Donal and a visit to see that Maureen's tree is looking strong and healthy once again. Oh, and I also ran a half marathon.


The race started in lots of rain. Cold. I was wearing mitts. Didn't want to get out of the car. But finished in 2 hours 13 minutes. Same time I did at this race last year, with not as bad weather and surely a more severe headwind on the last 5Km that we had last year.


On the drive home, we came across some flooding on the highway. With my fancy new phone I captured some of the water shots from the car. This country has gone from drought in some areas, to serious erosion, mud slips and floods in the same areas, all in one year! Blessed to not have had those problems with our town. And our house. Our main house problem right now is that only 5 out of 6 of our cauliflower seedlings have started growing. Life is good!

Oh and I got to meet (over Skype) my new niece Zoe the other morning. Big baby, but still soooo tiny!