Thanksgiving

This Thanksgiving will be long remember by me. I am here on Abemama at the Search for One base camp. Joy is in Tarawa getting supplies and a motorbike for our work here. She had hoped to return today but there was not time to get everything done. So, for lunch today, I am having 4 day old 14 bean soup with rice. Garnished with dry crackers. For desert me, myself and I will have cold Chocolate soy milk! I am very grateful for what I do have and as Dad Riederer would say, "my lot in life." I was able to call on Skype and talk with family and managed to catch most of them as they were just sitting down to eat! I am very blessed and know I am where I belong for now. Happy Thanksgiving to all!!

This Wise Man Built His House on the Sand

Meet Rute. Her grandfather was very skilled in I-Kiribati navigation. First of all, building your house on the sand here is wise because if you don't, you will not have a house! It is the only option. When Rute was a young girl, her Grandfather came one day and advised the family that a "big wind" was coming in one month--get ready! He told then to prepare by cutting any trees that could fall on the house. He also told them to brace the inside with ropes and long, strong sticks. Then he came and told them the storm was coming in one week. Then in one day. All the preparations were made. The neighbors were very curious what Rute's family was doing. Many others saw and made preparations, many just watched! Then he came and said, "the "big wind" will come today." He advised two Taiwan fishing boats to leave and get out to sea and away from the Lagoon. They declined, saying they had weather reports to listen to and there were no bad reports they were aware of. The day was calm with light winds and blue sky. Then in late afternoon, the wind suddenly shifted and became very strong. Hundreds of trees were fallen, homes destroyed and the two fishing boats destroyed on the reef with loss of life. There has not been a storm of strong winds here for over 30 years now. When will it come again? How did he know one month ahead it was coming? It is not known. He has passed on with much his knowledge. Rute has a book which her grandfather hand wrote that details many, but not all, of the special navigation skills.

Best Laid Plans of Mice and Men

I always thought I would take Joy on a European River Cruise for our 25th Wedding Anniversary. That has been my "plan A" for a long time. Then there is plan B, Kiribati style. When I knew we would be here for our big 25th day, I started to develop a new plan in my mind. Gary Morgan had told me of a uninhabited Island with a good deep water approach (very rare) that he used to take his family to. Spending a couple of days on the sailboat, anchored next to a small deserted island in the Central Pacific Ocean with my Bride Beautiful, sounded romantic and doable. Sure seemed to fit with my passion for boats and water and our current situation.

Now we all know things out here can be unpredictable. It just so happens that the sailboat has not been working and I have zero hours running the boat as of 2 weeks prior to the big day. I know for a fact that Joy would not even get on the boat unless she was confident of it and me as the skipper.  Zero hours would not cut it!

What to do?  On to Plan C:  I had an idea to take Joy to the main island and go to the north part that is very remote. The tyranny of the urgent kept me from serious planning. (Things like trying to get our composting toilet to compost and 12 volt power system running and other such mundane things.) I am now only eight days away and need to finalize a plan!
Now comes Plan D.  No plan. Heres how it works. Hit me with a first time ever bladder infection. Then two days later knock me flat on my back for five days with Swine Flu (or its equal), then add in acute Erythema Nodosum and Erythema Multiforme Hypersensitivity reaction with associated arthralgia's and fever and HA and then add a GI bug and you just arrived at your 25th Wedding Anniversary with no Plan!

But God is good! He gave me an understanding wife. A family came to visit us at 6AM on our big day to give us gifts and to eat with us. Then, word had gotten out about our anniversary and a cake was purchased for us by the Kauma SDA High School faculty and hand carried on the plane from Tarawa to the school where a small celebration was held in our honor.  Joy made a delicious spaghetti with homemade sauce, a staff member brought 'cabbage' for a salad, and we had guests for dinner.  Joy ate the last remains of our Hershey chocolate bar.  Notice the smile on the photo!

By the way, the mice here don't need to plan. The local people believe if they kill one, many more will come and eat way more food and chew way more holes! I understand the cats here think differently than the humans on this issue. If I were a cat,  I think I would eat some mice and blame some humans and see what happens!

Local Gas Station

We have our deposit in on a motorbike, but occasionally borrow one to do take care of various needs on the island. The photo shows the places available to get petrol for the bikes. The cost is currently A$1.40/Liter. That's Australian dollars. Almost all of the motorbikes are Hondas which are imported from Australia after their postal carriers use them for several years. They provide basic transportation for those who can afford it. One often sees families packed onto them, with little children standing on the back, arms around a parent's neck, or on the front between an adult's legs. Don't forget to drive on the left side of the road!

A Peek inside our Home, Sweet Home

Welcome inside our humble abode! Sometimes we sleep inside, most of the time we sleep outside on the raised platform porch called a kia kia. Mosquito nets are in order. Currently our composting toilet is giving us troubles.....ugh. We cook in a separate building as well. Our basic needs are met. We continue to greatly enjoy the country's friendly, loving people. And did I mention: beachside living is swell!

Progress, Slow but Sure

We are making slow but sure progress here at Base Camp for Search for One. All of the broken water lines have been restored and some improvements made. The Kitchen Hut roof is almost done! I have found a local source for a deep cycle battery, so I won't need to wait until January or February of next year to get the 12 volt system  to work. The food safe will get new screen this week. We will be able to get the "Sugar Blues" running this week possibly.

The boat needs a lot of TLC! It seems to have "good bones." I have not been able really check out the systems well. Everywhere I look on the boat I see the definition of BOAT--bring out another thousand!
It will be a challenge to bring the systems up to par, but I am reminded that Rome was not built in a day either!

Joy has been busy planting a garden this week and really having fun with it!

This past week we enjoyed a 5 day stretch of steady SE winds that kept us cool and we did not notice the humidity as much with things able to dry out. I really savor the breezes! For you SE Alaskans reading this, Here the rain tends to come from the NW and clear sky from the SE.

I have been so busy with repair work that I have not been doing medical clinics. I see the occasional patient that comes to visit at the "Oceanside." The nurse will also refer a patient at times. We recently had a 19 y/o that was short of breath, no cough and had NO breath sounds on the left side of his chest. He was sent to Tarawa and I do not know what the final diagnosis was yet.

Whenever I think of "Oceanside" I fondly recall of the our old 32 Nordic Tug "Makai." Makai means "oceanside" in Hawaii. I always liked the name Makai, but even more so now!