Critters in the road and Change of plans

(photo taken from Maternity Centre parking lot)

Unusual things you see when you live rurally:  It is common to come across a sign by the road with a sheep or cow on it.  If it is orange you slow down--as it means they are moving stock to another paddock at that time. The farmers most often ride on these 4-wheelers or walk along with a few dogs, shepherding them to where they want them to go.  One day--as the girls were with me--someone was moving cattle--and we were pleased to see that the real-live cow dogs were doing their cow doggy-thing.  Some of the smart cows went on the road, but three took another route and the dog chased them over the hill.  The hill was made of limestone with a picturesque, rolling green carpet if you went up and over it politely.  If you chose to go the "short-cut," it was a high cliff that was cut through for the road.  Two cattle made it down the hill but one panicked and jumped over the cliff.  It was as if in slow-motion, as the large steer somersaulted through the air landing with a loud thud on the cement road.  It all took place about 30 feet from the front of our car.  That poor animal was still alive--impossibly struggling to stand, but quieted down quickly.  I hope it was shot soon--because it was awful to see.  The girls were very, very quiet and whenever we go by that cliff--we have to talk about the cow that jumped over the wrong side.  I thought about making some parenting analogy about friends, jumping over a cliff...but frankly the moral of the story is that if you take the path less traveled--you might end up dead. Not very comforting.  Plus I had just read the book about the expedition of finding Mallory from the Everest expedition--it made me think of Mallory and Irvine's last lonely hours, injured--well, we know that about Mallory. Anyway--I am feeling pretty glum right now.

So this stock on the road story--is quite common--I love an excuse to slow down and watch.  I have also seen beautiful hawks enjoying a bit of roadkill.  Lost sheep, sometimes lost lambs trying to get back in their paddock--the momma baaaaaing hysterically trying to give some lessons on how to get back to the inside of the fence.  My strangest observation was the random peacock I found strutting his stuff like some rapper dude with all  his bling on.  He was just sauntering down the road, refusing to move...hey, just like Selby Avenue in St. Paul!  My investigations since then have uncovered a farm in that vicinity with a whole bunch of peacocks, peahens AND turkeys.  Since turkeys are not farmed here--I was warned it would be nearly impossible to get one for Thanksgiving--and expensive too.  Maybe I will stop by and see if they sell theirs? But when I really think about it they look so pretty--I may not have the heart.  I like my meat shrink-wrapped and found in the frozen food aisle, as far removed from the original beast or fowl state it once lived in.  Maybe I should just become a vegetarian--since I am such a hypocrite and want my formerly-breathing protein source to be packaged?

The great news: My sister Kelley comes next week and will be with us for three weeks. We plan to explore Stewart Island and the Catlins Coast. We will also go to Dunedin (again) for a longer visit.  I will attend a breastfeeding workshop for midwives one day--while they go off to a museum.

Azule and 33 are growing by leaps and bounds.  The still bleat to be fed whenever they hear us, or see us in the kitchen window, but we are cutting back on their formula so that they start eating more grass.  They are absolutely the cutest things and we will miss them when we give them back to their owners.

Tuatapere Maternity continues to have steady growth, and we are actually seeing patients who will birth after I leave.  We are moving forward, slowly with the makeover plans.  Recruiting has gone well and we have a few applicants for my midwife replacement--all USA midwives.   The Board seems determined to get another American because they believe that our training is more in-depth and that it has been the hiring of Americans these past four years that have helped grow the practice due to trust in the community for safe maternity care.

Bad news: The girls are going back home early.  I have tried to find an au pair to live-in, especially for December and January, with no such luck.  Young women who want to live in a foreign country do not necessarily want to live remote, rural--far from the amenities of a town, let alone a city.  NZ immigration does not make this job category specific as the US does.  Many interested applicants would not meet the criteria established by NZ immigration.  My work visa for here was a big deal to complete with a chest x-ray to confirm that I did not have TB, etc.  Just one of the many of the PIA steps I had to take to get permission to enter the country.  I found that I bit ironic, since I was filling one of the most desired critical occupational shortages they listed.

As a midwife who is on-call 24/7 all but 8 days a month, it would be too much time away from my girls and a assortment of babysitters nights and days.   Last week when the girls were off for term break, and I had not one, but two births--and lots of appointments, I could only get a sitter for two days! That meant hauling the kids to the maternity centre where they were bored or leaving them home alone.  Part of this overseas job opportunity was because I wanted to share it with my darlin' daughters.  Once they go back home, no matter how wonderful the people here--I will be counting down the days until I get back to my family. 

Oh woe is me, and I would love to drown my sorrows with an ice-cold coca cola---but I gave them up when I got to NZ.  So now I don't have anything to make me feel better. I am homesick.