Kiwis & New Zealand

I am in the land of Kiwis. I have begun picking kiwis, eating kiwis (which are high in fiber & recommended to "clean-out" your system), purchasing in "kiwis" , and talking to Kiwis. This is most definitely an accurate description of life here on the North Island of New Zealand. I live in a house on a kiwi farm and run by them in the morning and on my bike in the afternoon. I know this up-date is quite short, but the picking has worn me out for the day and I have not much to say. I just wanted to send a quick "hello" and...

Tell you I am alive and well. Oh... also wanted to share what have I learned so far about the season and the kiwi fruit. I have learned that weather dictates our work schedule. If the air is humid and there is an inversion than there is no work. An inversion is basically hot air trapped by a cold layer in other words .. we're to wait until it lifts and the fruit is able to dry before we begin to pick. The fruit needs sunshine and/or wind after a nice rainshower, of which there have been many. As well as a once-every-50-year hail storm, damaging 85 % of some farmer's crop. I have this photo documented and I will learn as I pick...I'm sure..

I have also been to the packhouse where the kiwis are sent after being picked.

Oh, also grandpa wanted to know if the kiwis are green when we pick them. He is correct. The kiwis stay firm when on the vine. After being picked their skin is less taught (spell) becuase there is less pressure without the connection between the fruit and the stem on the tree. Kiwis grown on a vine-like bush, not a tree or little vine, there are perhaps 100-200 bushes in a section of an orchard. We are picking about 100 bins per section. We get paid by the bin, so this has been an interesting twist when considering one's purpose and work ethic. Our goal is usually 200 bins / day for a crew of about 20 people. We are an international group representing Argentina, Germany, Australia, Thailand, England, USA (me), and France.

Hope you are all doing well at home. I am tired and must apologize if this email has been difficult to read. I have been itchin' to get some news to you all! I would love to get some news from you as well and I will be writing to you al again soon.

Love and peace.....from the island of New Zealand,
Hannah

However mean your life is, meet it and live it, do not shun it and call it hard names. It is not as bad as you are. It looks poorest when you are richest. The fault finder will find faults even in paradise. Love your life as poor as it is. H.D. Thoreau