Welcome, Dieter

Today’s ‘Positive and Optimistic Sunday’. Meet Dieter. He’s a sprightly 75-year-old German-Canadian. He lives in Ottawa. And he’s come all the way from there (with transit stops in Vancouver, Sydney and Melbourne) to stay with us in Mole Creek for three weeks. A retired precision toolmaker and then schoolteacher, he’s the father of Maya [1]. And with Maya and Mark he visited here in December 2006. He liked this part of the world – and maybe Sweetheart Vivienne and me too – so much that he’s returned for this visit. I met him at Launceston Airport last Friday afternoon. He came loaded with gifts – a Canadian fossil rock, an Ottawa Police t-shirt (as a tribute to how much I love all police [2, 3]), a bottle of home-made elderberry jelly and one of quince honey, and a giant carton of Lebkuchen-Schmidt delicacies [4]. He had quite a small suitcase and backpack, so minus these items he couldn’t have brought many clothes. But he says he has ‘three of everything but only two pairs of boots’. He adds that he’s come to work and help out. I doubt we’ll disappoint him. There’s plenty to do around here – especially as he’s handy with a chainsaw. Whilst the gifts are thoughtful and lovely, our biggest gift is having Dieter here. Welcome, mate.