Week 4

We had the "big wigs" with us on Monday.  Bros. Wayne Metcalf (from Salt Lake City who is responsible for all of the camera operations around the world) and Mark Kelly (our direct supervisor from Sydney, AU) spent the day looking over our location and what we are doing.  We learned that they negotiated a new project that will enable us to stay here in Hobart for the duration of our mission.

Here we are in our "office".

 We also got a new car, much to our surprise.  We are now driving a 2014 Toyota Corolla, of course, driving on the opposite side of the road.  That has taken some getting used to.  Usually Marvin is the driver and I tell him where to turn and which lane to get into.  He is doing really well.

 Tuesday, we were left alone at the Archive for most of the day, as the McDonalds were busy packing and making last minute visits.  Marvin drove them to the airport at 6:00am Wednesday,  and as chance would have it, we starting having trouble with the camera.  Marv worked on it all day, while I did metadata for the work which was done earlier.  Thursday was Holiday, a state vacation day, and "The Show" was on at the fair grounds.  It's like a state fair.  We opted not to attend as it looked like it was mostly for young families and besides it was cold, windy, and rainy. Why would they have a fair during the early spring when the weather is so unpredictable?

Just a few interesting facts about Tasmania.  It's COLD!!!!  People don't believe in central heating, so each room needs a space heater.  Our flat has no insulation, so we hear everything and feel the cold.  I thought I was getting out of winter, but we definitely have it now.  It snowed on Mt. Wellington (Hobart's famous mountain - tall hill) Thursday.  The Woffindens, the mission office couple, flew in Thursday morning for a few days vacation, and they said that all of Tasmania had snow on the mountain tops.

We have had one sunny, warm day since arriving.

 It's WINDY!!!!  We have had horrific winds which I thought would take off the roof.  Even the locals are complaining about it.  Hobart is a cute little city which we are learning to get around by foot.  We work downtown so it is easy to walk to shops, banks, phone stores, ect.  We work only a few blocks from the wharf and have been down there twice.  What a lovely view across the ocean.

It cost how much?

Prices here about 1/3 higher than the states.  You really get a sticker shock when you go to the market and look at the prices at the deli section.  Everything is in metrics and we never learned those in school.  But as we calculate it, we have realized it isn't as bad as it looks!

Our missionary badges are a bit different.  These are the ones we wear when we work at the Archive.  Marv was so glad to "get his name back".  We wear the traditional black ones on the weekend and after work.  People are interested when they ask about FamilySearch.  We are getting FamilySearch pass-along cards.

Collinsvale community

We had our first contact with Australian wildlife today.  We participated in a two ward service project where we cleaned a cemetery up in the hills near our home.  All of this area of Tasmania is hill formations.  I don't think there is anything level except at the wharf.  So, we decided to work on one of the graves at the highest point in the cemetery.  We began cleaning the top of the grave and worked our way to around the outside, cutting and pulling grass, shrubs, and anything that was growing.  Once I stepped into a hole near the grave site and didn't think much about it.  Later, Marv was hoeing in the same area and I hear him saying "Whoa", and backing up.  Out came a large snake!  Then while I was hoeing around the other side, I saw a small snake very upset about my digging his area.  Evidently there must have been a den there.  Needless to say, we moved on to another site.

Word of the Week:  Doona = Duvet