juice

In addition to being surrounded by mostly younger individuals, I get to participate in rowdy "backyard" games where the boys get serious and the girls run around giggling a lot.  I think we all felt like kids again, in our parents' backyards or hometown parks on a summer Saturday night.  Ninja apparel was don, rules were set, and boundaries were established.  Capture the flag at it's finest. There is something lovely about being part of a team, striving for the same goal.  Even in track, I savored those relays, especially the 4 x 200.  Cheering your lungs out as your third leg flies toward you with pleaing, trustful eyes.  Then the warm relief of a perfect hand-off with the weight of holding your four-member family together in your hand.   It was a muddy mix of rugby and powder puff memories last night.  We started strong, scoring 2 or 3 consecutive goals, but ended at the bottom.  Still, everyone was smiling through the brown goop in...

Took a little hike down the river bank with our fishing poles yesterday (Sat. July 27)... No fish, but we did see some novel waterfowl, a seal (Ryan), and a man reel in a silvery morsel.  I managed to lose the screw cap that holds my reel handle on, almost along with the handle itself, that took a jump into the muck every time I casted.  Fortunately, we got a little motorized help from Venessa (one of our RAs), who brought us to Kmart, to get another cap, and then Blue Hole, where the river meets the ocean.  It was a bit windier at the mouth, but gave us some new scenery in which to explore...  A bit chilly and overcast compared to the sun we were blessed with all day yesterday... Matthew 13:47 Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds of fish. Psalm 27:5 For in the day of trouble  he will keep me safe in his dwelling;  he will hide me in the shelter of his s...

Week two of classes has come to an end... Wednesday.  My four day weekend got off to a good start last night with a tasty BBQ... But once again, I'm getting a bit ahead of myself. I began the in class portion of my Comparative Animal Physiology unit Wednesday morning.  This unit is offered exclusively online for Melbourne and Burwood campuses, but Warrnambool gets the chance to hear our professor lecture (about every other week) and get our hands wet with some more goldfish.  Dr. Paul Jones teaches this class, as well as Aquaculture and the Environment.  As a 300 level course, I'm anticipating the majority of my study time being devoted to Animal Phys.  Although I feel as if I'm re-learning topics from last year, I'm looking forward to gaining insight on the presence of aquatic pollution in "pristine" Antarctica and an Australian fish species (two paper topics I'll be writing on in the near future). When I think of aquaculture, I think primarily of hum...

I have arrived at the end of the first week of classes (or units, as they are called).  I have no pictures of my professors to share with you ;) ...but, will indulge you with some tidbits of my educational experience and thoughts thus far. Before I do so, you may be curious about the similarities and differences between my experiences at UWM/UWW and Deakin.  Although Deakin is a very small "uni", as they say, I don't think I could give you a tour without referencing a campus map yet.  With about 150 students, Deakin is a modest university where it seems everybody knows everybody... and yes, I would speculate that, in time, everybody calls you friend.  The staff are warm and there are fruit baskets on every corner... literally; stocked with apples, kiwis, and cuties, ripe for an afternoon pick-me-up. Some elementary school lessons are the sparks to ignite the fire to move in a better direction. I thought she was going to give us an overview, or maybe just read ...

Sunday morning fishing on the Hopkins River... Not much success yet, but the guys are hoping to catch dinner one of these days.  For some reason, I am always craving fish.  Not unusual, since this was my main source of protein back home.  I have been playing it cheap with sardines, tuna, and pre-prepped salmon, but long for the taste of a fresh catch; fulfilling and sustainable.  The buzzing guilt of purchasing commercial seafood is growing louder...  I will need to take a closer look at the frozen fish section and read some labels. I may also need to invest in a fishing pole... Fishing on the Hopkins River: http://www.dpi.vic.gov.au/fisheries/recreational-fishing/fishing-locations/family-fishing-lakes/hopkins-river-fishing-for-a-premier-experience Ezekiel 47:6-12 He asked me, "Son of man, do you see this?"  Then he led me back to the bank of the river.  When I arrived there, I saw a great number of trees o...

It has been a rainy and windy overcast day in Warrnambool.  Not much happening yet, except a game of footy.  What is footy? ...you may ask.  Great question.  I might describe is as a mix between soccer and rugby.  With a bit of aussie explanation, the game is generally easy to follow, but I decided to consult Wikipedia for more clarity... Australian football (aka football, footy, AFL... for Australian Football League) Organized in Melbourne in 1859 - two teams (18 players each) - Objective: Like football, the team wants to get the ball down-field and score by kicking it between goal posts.  I noticed a tall set (that extend to the ground) of posts flanked by a shorter set - I noticed players usually kick the ball (which looks like a rugby ball), but once in a while will "handball" or run with it.  Handballing is sort of how one may pass a volleyball.. by hitting it with a fist. - Players can't simply pass/throw the ball and must occasionally b...

The main Australian calving areas of the humpback seem to be off of Queensland (Great Barrier Reef) and Western Australia...  http://www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/sprat/public/publicspecies.pl?taxon_id=38

I should probably tell you a little bit 'bout my time in Lorne... The town/city reminds me of a quaint vacation spot.  Shops, big beach, bars, cafes, trails, a huge pier... We took the train from Deakin to Geelong; then the bus from Geelong to Lorne.  As we got closer to Lorne, the road reminded me of the road to Hana on Maui.  I also fell into flashbacks of our research observation site on Maui; the cliffs dropping off to the big blue... We stayed in a rather rugged hostel.  It was a few house/building accommodations with bunk beds.  Cute, but cold... We sort of passed around the space heater to heat the room before bed; closing the door to trap heat in for sleeping.  We were part of about 200 international students from all of Deakin (Melbourne, Warrnambool, and Geelong.. I may be forgetting a campus).  The first day we tried surfing, which was great fun and quite exhausting. Just like sledding, each run calls for another "hike" back into the wav...

It's 3:30 am and I am up because we have to catch the train by 5:30 am to Geelong. From there we are headed to Lorne for a couple days of yoga, hiking, and/or surfing with other Deakin students. I witnessed the beauty of God's creation yesterday as we took a hike along the ocean. We began at Logan's Beach, a nice big beach, crossed a footbridge over a lagoon type area, and made our way down the coast on walking paths. We "offroaded" a few times, my friends being more brave than myself, down the erosional cliffs. Powerful bright blue and aqua waves crashed on the massive orange rocks like scenes from Pirates of the Caribbean.. (You will have to picture this old-style because I forgot my camera this time). Visually novel plants spread under our feet and over our heads; green and lush. I will have to look up some of these... We made our way to Thunder Point, a common lookout area for hikers and bikers, and managed to get a group photo as the strong wind gr...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kz85nUpP4Xw

Before the flight out of Chicago... Psalm 121 A song of ascents. 1 I lift up my eyes to the mountains— where does my help come from? 2 My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. 3 He will not let your foot slip— he who watches over you will not slumber; 4 indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. 5 The Lord watches over you— the Lord is your shade at your right hand; 6 the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. 7 The Lord will keep you from all harm— he will watch over your life; 8 the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore. Thanks Kevin. It’s was a pretty good first day in Warrnambool, Australia.  I will rewind a bit… The flight from San Francisco to Auckland was quite hefty.  I can’t remember if it was 10 or 12 hours.  I managed to watch two movies, Hitchcock and the new Oz movie (although I fell asleep in the former).  I did ...