February 16, 2002- A Day Off

It is a slow Saturday in Waimate. I decided to stay an extra day, just to rest and do practically nothing. I spent some time looking around the farm today, after getting a tour of the ostrich incubators, which are commercial refrigerator-sized boxes with racks that hold dozens of eggs at a time and automatically rotate them. I also saw some of the week old chicks, which are about the size of full size geese. At that stage they are almost cute with bodies that look sort of like hedgehogs but long necks and tails.

I also walked up to the top of the farm, which is part way up the hill and there were views all the way back to the ocean. Too bad it is still cloudy

Fred is an interesting case. Among his other pursuits, he is studying to be a naturopath. He is one of those proponents of vitamin C therapy for just about anything, but particularly heart disease. And is absolutely convinced of a conspiracy by the drug industry to discredit vitamin therapies in order to sell patented drugs. He was on Zocor for about 10 years and then needed a bypass and has been on Vitamin C, lysine and proline since.

A day off. The weather is supposed to improve, so on to Oamaru tomorrow.


Updated: 26 March 2002