November 24 - Our first Salt Lake City visitors!! Anne and Vic came to town and we immediately went to The Heaphy Track and mountain biked up to the Perry Saddle Hut before the rain deluge! Mark and Vic rode the next day to the James MacKay hut and back while Anne and I walked to Gouland Downs donning and shedding our rain jackets many times along the way. Three days later the four of us tramped the Able Tasman Coastal Walk from Marahau to Separation Point. The rain tried to dampen our spirits, but we were not to be taken! Thankful for amazing wet weather gear, including a borrowed tent (our shipping crate has NOT arrived!), sleeping bags, pad, backpacks, etc! Today is Thanksgiving. We are thankful for our family. We miss them and can't wait to see some of them soon. We wouldn't be able to have this adventure were it not for our fabulously responsible kids, Sam and Kelsey, and son-in-law, Konstantin. Brining a turkey today and will be sending lots of love across the Pacific to all of you.
November 6 - These adventures happened at the end of October. Time is flying by! Spring is here and New Zealand is lovely! Mark went to Christchurch with his partners for an Infectious Disease Conference that brought together ID physicians, microbiologists, and others. He presented a case that happened in Utah on tularemia (a microbiologist nailed it). Caroline and Karen went to the Queen Charlotte Sound, took an EKO Tour boat from Picton to the nature island reserve, Motuara. Dolphin pods, gannets, shags, fur seals, terns, blue penguin, karakiki (small green parrot), and more on the trip. We explored a new mountain biking area, Codgers Trails, near Nelson.