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Published: February 4th 2008
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If one would recall from our last blog, we were about to embark on finding a solution for our season, aka jobs. Saturday morning came and we went to seasonal solutions at 10 am. I might add here we knew it was 10 am because there is a large clock in the mountain range that overlooks Alexandra. Anyways we went, waited in a small line until we were next. This is when we met Ann. She was one of the people that hooks humans up with fruit. Upon talking to her, we were hoping to find picking jobs in a town about 30 kms away called Cromwell. However, Ann brought to our attention that there was a packing job available immediately just outside of Clyde, which was only 10 kms away from Alexandra. After weighting the some odds, fixed wage vs contract bucket pay, inside packing house vs outside incredibly intense UV solar radiation, and the fact they needed help right away, because the heat was ripening the fruit fast, we decided that we would give this 'Denny's Orchard' a shot. We could have started work instantly, but we opted to wait and go meet Denise after the lunch hour.
lil c viewing
Deciding to chill out instead of shopping at Warehouse In this time we went and purchased a cellphone had a quick bite, then went to met Denise; she looked us up and down, said "okay", and told us to be there at 7 am Sunday morning. We said we could work for two or three weeks . . . we wanted to keep it open just in case it did not work out. After the meet and greet, we continued down the road, to a sign that said "Lookout." We followed the arrow and climbed up a windy, narrow, 4x4 track until Tui politely reminded us that he was only a 4x2. There we stopped and took a glance over the valley. From the vantage point we could see Clyde, vineyards, orchards, as well as make out Alexandra in the distance, mostly because of the clock and river. It was great to have a birds eye view of the area, thanks to our Tui.
After snapping pictures and orienting ourselves with the with new location that we had just agreed to spend the next two or three weeks, we decided to go back to Alexandra and settle in for the night before an early start the next day.
At this point I will address the next habit or sickness we had for the next evenings. Upon arriving in Alex, the first night we cracked the seal on what would become a nightly ritual. To Kim Siddons and Dustin Sigglekow we are forever indebted, for through them we had acquired the third season of 'Lost', and it quickly became our nightly crack and motivation to get through work and find out what happens next. So again THANK YOU!
We arrived at work the next day at 7 am an before we knew it we were working. I was in charge of grading fruit as they came out of a large crate onto a conveyor belt, then onto a working rollers where the fruit does a 90° turn, then move onto a individual fruit weighing train that went around and around dropping the fruit off at its weight determined location. At this point the fruit would roll down a shoot where they would meet Christina. Christina would do a final inspection and pack them into 8 - 10 kg boxes. Once a box was full she would place it on a roller line and send it down to Steven,
See the Fish?
. . . and we did not bring a fishing rod or net our other partner of packing action where he would weigh the box and stack them on a pallet. This process was repeated .... indefinitely for five and half hours until we got our first break, lunch half hour. Then is was back to the same until the day was finished at 5:15 pm. We packed apricots and peaches. It was quite the first day, especially because I really do not have a clue how to grade fruit. I really only know how to eat and wreck fruit, however, I feel I rose to the task at hand, relying heavily on my thrashing setting skills on the combine, just inverting the principles. Denise kept me updated on the ones to look for and greatest help was . . . "Get rid of the loud ones." I then somehow got hypnotized by the noise of the fruit screaming and whispering to me, and before I knew it, I was and active apprentice in control management of the grading of produce for domestic and international markets. At the end of the day, I felt like it was Christmas and had just made puzzles for hours (I could not stand up straight, a little
hunched over). Other then length and a few bad luck throws at the rubbish bin that hit Denise, Christina said she had a good day. It was the job she was looking for . . . repetitive with no talking, minimal thinking, and a chance to hum and day dream.
That night we decided to go see if there was somewhere closer to stay, so we headed west to Clyde where we found a neat little nook to park at down by a hydroelectric dam (yes, we live in a van down by the river). At this location we are under 4 kms from work, near to complete isolation, a dock, garbage, picnic table, public restrooms walking distance away by a boat launch, and heaps of serenity. Being this close we were able to squeeze in about one more episode of Lost, and make it to work early rather than on time . . . Mornings are still slow going down here, just like home. We coined this spot our non-internet home.
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Amanda C
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Amazing!
It's so much fun reading about your adventures! I think even if I were on the same trip as you, my "stories" wouldn't be have as exciting!