“'Have health and enthusiasm - will travel!” – Rory and Pete

We are so very grateful that the Dunn Family has been publishing the Gazette all these years! You hung in there with us and we hung in there with you for over 12 years of subscriptions, starting in Wyoming and finally, after Postmaster's Pete's retirement last March from the US Postal Service with over 31 years, 7 months and 14 days of faithful service, we did it! We jumped in there and applied for our very first caretaking position via The Caretaker Gazette. Here is our story:

Billy in New Zealand wanted to take a much-needed vacation to France for the Rugby World Cup in France, Wales and Scotland, so he placed his ad online with The Caretaker Gazette and, as is this bibliophile's habit, I read your newsletter from cover to cover and told my husband, “Pete, it's time you see New Zealand - in fact, for 42 days!” (I had been there twice already in my youth.)  Knowing the Kiwi's spring weather “down under” equates to our Southeast Alaska autumns, we discussed the possibility, prayed for guidance and Pete said, “Yes, email Billy!”

With four now-grown children, all home-educated for the past twenty-five years, we could have sat around our new, hand-built fishing cabin on Chichagof Island, Alaska waiting and hoping for grandchildren, but no! Sitting around isn't realistic. Instead, we found ourselves staring at each other over a cup of Japanese sencha tea and agreed that if we didn't meet this interesting challenge now, we never would! No excuses! We went for it. It was reminiscent of our decision to move from Colorado and Wyoming to the southeastern Alaska Inside Passage (The Panhandle), which has been our home since I (Rory) retired in 1995.

Thankfully, we made the cut! Our resumes and references were checked, e-messages and photos began flowing back and forth with our new friend, Billy in New Zealand, and his major concern was for his two male pets, Jeep and Villie, elderly Border Terriers. Billy's property was a gated private residence full of orange trees and flowers and even a potato patch. His lively pet dogs, Villie and Jeep, had room to run and we took them everywhere with us, with the exception of the neighborhood library, in Billy's Subaru green Outback. The geographic highlights were many as you can well imagine, however, Billy's place in Raglan, on the coast of the Tasmanian Sea was a wonder. He and his brothers had outfitted it in close proximity to a large workshop/garage, so my hands-on hubby really enjoyed that experience. And the views! Breathtaking! Pete loves to golf and the greens fees were much less than those back in the USA, so daily outings to the three golf courses in the area were a welcomed activity on sunny days of which there were many during our 40 days in Hamilton, NZ.

Among the New Zealand locals, fitness is a national goal. The walking and hiking clubs of the northern island are numerous and Pete was invited out for hikes and excursions from day one. I generally stayed on the city property to play with the dogs, clean, cook and visit the friendly neighbors.  Billy left us an ample amount of fish he had caught from his outings, so we ate well and thought of our cabin home on the Pacific in Southeast Alaska. Their comfort and safe-keeping were Billy's priorities and soon became ours. We had fishing and travel in common with our new 'boss' and he graciously offered us his 'bach' (in New Zealand lingo, this means separate 'bachelor pad') on the Tasmanian Sea in Raglan, North Island, just about 40 km from his main house and property. His dogs were comfortable here at the coast, also, so while this haus-frau stayed to clean, cook, and read to the pets, Pete, the outdoorsman, found the sheep-grazed golf links and best fishing spots via kayak. Off we ventured on the weekends in Billy's faithful Subaru Forester and with Jeep and Villie, our new ‘grandchildren’ in tow.

Now, the Caicos Islands, Ireland and Belize beckon...one day at a time. Life is good, however, life is short! Borrowing a line from an old Broadway musical, “We've got a lot of livin' to do!” Many Thanks to all of you at The Caretaker Gazette for hanging in there with us and personally answering each and every time we had questions.     As retirees and short-term overseas missionaries the past twelve years, we knew our hearts were into people and travel, learning new cultures and volunteering to build orphanages, dorms, homes, hospitals, etc., and The Caretaker Gazette has helped our vision enlarge in a simple, uncomplicated way - the desire of our remaining time together.

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