Some gum to play with, but "not for eat."

I have purchased four more large pieces of gum since I published my Kauri Gum Collection post. These are rougher pieces than those that make up my regular collection. Two of these show some evidence of having been in a marine environment for a while. One has a clam shell of some sort adhering to it and both have what appear to be tube worms attached. Amazing. Apparently, these pieces of gum were at some time washed out of the soil they lay buried in and into a stream or river. From there, they were carried out to sea before being deposited on a beach for present-day Kiwis to pick up during their rambles down the seashore. (Can you imagine the time that took and the thrill of finding such a treasure? I plan to scrutinise all beaches I visit even more closely in the future.) Three of the pieces are quite hard, indicating to me that they are fairly old and are well on their way toward becoming amber. These are definitely what is called copal. The last one is completely covered in crust which is so uniform in texture that I hate to start chipping it up to see what lies beneath. It looks as if it just came out of the ground. Well, actually it did. The guy I bought it from said he found it while excavating for a building foundation in 2018. Since this is the first one I've seen that has not been worked on, I plan to keep it as it is. 

And, like the pieces that make up my regular collection, I got each of them for a song, compared to the prices I have often times seen paid for similar items on Trade Me. 

It's funny. I bought my first chunk of gum from a 2nd-hand store in Henderson in January of 2018. I started watching the auctions on Trade Me shortly thereafter but didn't purchase anything for months. The prices were too high. (Not unreasonable for how old these items are, but more than I wanted to spend) Then suddenly, there was a period of time when the  auction seller's 'start price' was low and there were few other bidders to compete with me. I've already told the story of how fortunate I was during those months. More recently, it seemed that the tide had turned. Most everything I saw listed significant starting bids and there was plenty of competition. Until that is, I got lucky again. Boy, it pays to watch.

Gum diggers

I've read that Auckland was 'built' on Kauri gum. 

A seller offered a full kilo of gum and it turned out that there was only one other bidder besides me. I discovered that the other bidder had set up an auto-bid process, but it was set at a low maximum, and I quickly discovered that after several $1 increases, I was actually leading the bidding. The other person was apparently not watching the auction as it closed, maybe figuring his auto-bid would protect his lead and so did not respond when I bid. As it turned out, I won the auction and received one large piece that weighed 424 grams, three medium pieces of 173, 143 and 97 grams respectively, and 5 smaller pieces that together weighed 146 grams, all for $23.00. Amazing. Okay, if you do the math, that doesn't quite make a kilo but there were enough chips and dust to make up the kilo advertised. I was very satisfied.

I've said it before; it's almost as if I was meant to have the pieces I do. I'm grateful for that. 

Today, I want to show you these new pieces. Since these are rough, since they show what's called crust on them, I have had the opportunity to play with them. I'm removing the outer layers, revealing the copal inside and then polishing it to a fairly high level of luster. As I understand it, the ability to get a good shine is one indication of the age of kauri gum. 

About 640 grams. A nice-sized piece. 

I thought that I could sand this piece down to be completely smooth. What I found was there are little cracks, spaces, openings or whatever you want to call them, inside this piece of copal. They opened up as I sanded off the layer above them. While I was hoping, as I began to work on this one, to get a completely smooth surface so the shine would be uninterrupted, discovering the internal cracks/pockets is exciting too. They are air spaces. Very small ones it's true, but that air must be as old as the piece is. There is ancient air in there that I have released. How wonderful is that?

Here is the other end of it, all shined up. This area was smoother and really feels glass-like. 

Here is the second one.  Again, somewhere around 600+ grams. 

This is a good 'crusty' one. It'll weigh less as I remove crust of course. 

The copal in this one is much darker than the last one. Does that mean it might be older? I don't know. While the crust is easily sanded away, the copal beneath is very hard. That may be another hint of it's relative age. 

Here's a closer look at the same spot. The lighter colored crust is still filling the grooves in its surface.

A side view. I rotated the piece 90 degrees from the last shot to show you the depth of the copal. All the way through.  If you follow the line of my thumb in this picture, you'll notice what looks like a lighter colored area inside the piece. I can see it even better of course when I look closely and wonder if it could be a large air pocket? Again, wow!

This is a piece of what I think is some kind of marine worm's habitat. It was taken from this crusty one. 

This is the largest piece of the three. About 740 grams.  It's very similar in color to the first one. I've probably done more sanding/polishing on this one than I have on the others.  Maybe that's obvious.  

The shell is in the center. 

A close-up of the shell

There they are, my 'hands-on' collection. Starting on the left and moving clockwise, I call them, 'The Turtle', 'Mr Crusty', and 'The Foot.'

Will I remove all the crust and shine them up completely? No, I don't think so. I want some of what they were to remain.    

And here is the most recent purchase, minus the five small pieces.

We had a family naming contest** for the largest piece. All the proposed names were put in a basket and the name, one of the five submitted by Amiri, of 'Gumball' was chosen by random draw.  

**I have always liked naming things. I named my deer-hunting blinds. It made sense. If I wanted to tell McKenzie that Fred was going to be hunting out 'at the blind situated at the indentation along the western edge of the Y-shaped field on Miller's 40, It would take me all day to say and she'd say, "Huh?," when I got through. How much better to tell her that, "He'll be at The Notch, or The Door, or The Butchershop today. 

And when Jeanne and I bought our first couple of new cars many years ago, they had to be named appropriately to honor the occasion. I was always proud of our Shirley Tempo and Clark Sable. 

Over the years, I have heard about several interesting naming events that took place on-line. What seemed like a good idea, that is, to publicise a new Antarctic Research Vessel, or a city department, didn't always work out as the organisers had hoped. They found that when they invited the public to suggest names and then to vote on the proposals, anything could happen. (And did) 

A couple of examples:

When the U.K. Natural Environment Research Council wanted to name its new 287 million dollar polar research ship, they asked the public, online, to suggest names and vote. Well, it went viral and the winning name turned out to be Boaty McBoatface. The council then decided they just couldn't live with that name for their pride and joy and gave the name instead to the tiny submersible submarine carried aboard their ship which is now called the RRS Sir David Attenborough. What a bunch of stuffed shirts. 

Apparently the Transport Minister for Sidney, Australia, didn't like what the council decided and thought he ought to make that clear to everyone. He did so by naming Sidney's brand new ferry, Ferry McFerryface. 

And I have heard, but not researched, that there were plans to name a new Swedish train, not surprisingly, Trainy McTrainface. 

And what about the plan in Austin, Texas, to enlist the public's aid in renaming their department of Solid Waste Services? They were hoping that an updated department name could 'present a new image to the public.'  Well, what they got certainly presented some new images...

One suggestion was for Fostering Ecological Conservation and Ecological Sanitation, or FECES for short. Then there was Austin Sustainability Services, ASS. The first place entry was The Fred Durst Society of the Humanities and Arts. For those of you who don't know, Fred Durst was the frontsman for the band Limp Bizkit. On that band's first major tour, Fred climbed out of a giant toilet bowl on stage to start the show. 

Even Green Peace has had some problems. When they asked the public to name a pod of humpbacked whales they had tagged in the south Pacific, they expected names like Aurora, Libertad, or Aiko to win. Instead, winning with 78% of the vote was Mr. Splashy Pants.  

Apparently, a New Zealand firm, Westfield Newmarket, has had a little more luck in getting some of their tower cranes named. They chose local school kids, some of them as young as year 1 (our kindergarten) to suggest and decide on names. The most recent crane to be named, Westfield Newmarket's old Number 4 Tower Crane, is now known as Jeff.  

I was blessed with an excellent list of possible names for the contest to name my piece of copal. Toad, Lumpy, Dusty, My Pet Rock, Asteroid, Amber, Cory the Kauri, and Living Rock were just some of the excellent suggestions that remained unused in the basket. (Gummy McGumface was not among them) 

So, you got anything that needs naming? Go for it, but I suggest you keep it in the family. Going to the public might take you places you don't really want to go.                      -djf

Richard III at the Pop-Up Globe Theatre

I start most of my posts enthusiastically. I think many times that I might annoy some of my readers because I seem too enthusiastic. But it's hard not to be when things turn out so well. 

This is one of those times when my expectations of enjoyment for an afternoon's outing were met and far exceeded. 

Allie got us tickets to see Richard III. The Pop-Up Globe Theatre is built using what looks like to me are scaffolding units but is billed as being faithful to the dimensions of the Second Globe Theatre in London. It is currently installed at the Ellerslie Racecourse. 

I expected it to be enjoyable and I hoped that the boys would enjoy it as much as possible. Jeanne and I had box seats. We were right up on the level of the stage and we could have touched actors as they sometimes passed by us. I loved the location. Allie and the boys were 'groundlings.' This term, used in Shakespear's time, meant those spectators who stood right in front of the stage. Those folks paid the lowest price to see the performance, were probably commoners and were not provided with seats. One benefit of being a groundling was that actors often used the groundling area as part of the stage. The action was very up close and personal. 

Allie had not decided to buy groundling tickets as a matter of saving money. Ours was a matinee performance and the tickets were true bargains anyway. She wanted instead to immerse the boys in as much of the flavor of a real Shakespearean event as she could. As it turned out, being a groundling at Richard III had some rather unusual benefits that impressed the boys. 

This was an excellent day, I can't say enough. Come and take a look.

We arriveth. 

We walk through a tent...I hear music in the distance.

There is a gate covered in greenery leading down an incline. 

We are delighted, and glad that we're early. Look at this place. A trumpet and two trombones play period music, people sit or mill about with glasses of wine or some ice cream. 

The place is so friendly in a literary way.

I buy a package of Shakespeare insult buttons and outfit our crew. 

(Insults written by Shakespeare, not insulting to the Bard.)

The sons of King Edward, who came to a bad end.

Looking over my shoulder toward the hallway in our box. 

Jeanne and I were alone in our box that seated six. We enjoyed some wine. 

Looking over to the groundlings...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FpIpX01IiGw&feature=youtu.be

Some scenes from the production

Thoroughly engrossed

The head of Hastings 

Intermission has been announced. 

During the intermission, Jeanne and I get a look at the groundling area.

A detail of the ceiling

What doth thee maketh of that?  Maybe we will findeth out. 

It continues...

Taking their bows.

They spareth not the pseudo, non-toxic blood in the battle scene. The boys thought it was very well done. The slashing and stabbing was realistic they thought.

A selfie of splatter
All three of our groundings needed cleanup. Jeanne had wet-wipes in her purse and blood was removed from faces and arms.

 Amiri's shirt shows evidence that went home with him. 

Driving home, we all shared comments on what we especially liked about the performance. The boys stated that they'd be ready to go again, anytime. There are other plays coming up. 

I suggested that I would be happy to fund another outing, and if the others would like, I'd get box seats for all of us the next time. Well, Arram stated that he would consider no other position in the theatre than that of groundling. Wow, he must have been impressed. 

We plan to do it again but this time, we'll arrive significantly early and buy lunch and a bottle of wine to enjoy beneath the tree. 

End of the school year

I am proud of my grandsons. I tell them that sometimes, but I think I should probably tell them that even more often. (And I'm proud of Allie for teaching them.)

I'm proud because they are both genuinely nice guys. I've seen the kindness they show to other kids. I've experienced the patience they show toward their ageing grandparents. They demonstrate the love they feel for their mom.  My pride is in who they are. 

The fact that they also excel in academics and sports is icing on the cake.

I can't show you pictures of their kindness or patience or loving nature; you'll have to take my word on that, but I do have some shots of them in other sorts of action. This is my end-of-the-school-year pat on the back to two great guys who are growing into fine young men. 

Look at that arm full of award bars on his school jacket. He wasted no time in this, his first year of middle school. 

He was involved in Lit Quiz, (competition involving knowledge of literature) Mathex, (competition involving knowledge of math) Fencing, (competition involving poking with pointed metal things) ICAS testing, (International competition and assessment) and Spec classes (South Pacific educational courses.)  

Amiri is in white. Allie took these two pictures during a fencing match.  

He scored a point. 

Note: they are actually using 'epees'. *

Okay, maybe this IS a way to show the boys' kind natures. Amiri fasted 40 hours and raised money from sponsors for this appeal. Arram is too young for this fast, but he did his part too. He fasted from furniture. In other words, he did not sit on a chair or couch, or sleep in his bed, for the 40 hour period. 

Amiri is always ready to try new things. Here he is in the mall in front of this 'Jandalball' game they just installed. He was giving it all he was worth.  

Exciting times with his team at the Mathex competition in Auckland.

The top math students at GEIS with their coach. 

Arram had a great year too. 

  Here he is finishing the 800 metre race for nine year olds in 1st place. This was at Summerland's Sports Day, held a couple of weeks ago at the local arena.
Because of this win, he was invited to compete in the Henderson Area 'Cluster,' race. I think  10 schools sent competitors. 

Here he is finishing third in the 800 yard Cluster. Wow. 

He was very pleased, to say the least. 

I wish that I had that race on video. The runners blasted off the starting line. Arram was probably 4th from last place during the first hundred meters, but he knew the race was a long one. As that initial explosion of adrenalin that fueled each kid at the start of the race subsided, Arram started picking off runners ahead of him one by one. A few fought back, he said later, but he was able to wear them down and go by. He was still steadily gaining at the end of the race on the guy who finished 2nd. If the race had been just a little longer, I'm convinced that Arram would have beaten him too. 

He won the Galbraith Award.  (best player of the year)

He played 'Burt Winkleman' in the school production. 

At this year's 'Celebration of Excellence' for Summerland Primary, he won the academic award for his class. This picture was taken moments before his name was called. He was really hoping for it. He deserved it. 

For example: One day, out of the blue, he presented his mom with a story he had written at home for fun about a character he named 'Sticky Joe.' We all loved it and told him he HAD to show it to his teacher. Well, she loved it too and had him read it aloud to the class. It was such a hit that he wrote two more stories about Sticky Joe.

He and his close friend Sina who won the effort and improvement award.  

I almost forgot about yet another activity. They are both orange belts in karate and do some volunteer work for their sensei (teacher). They come in an hour before their class starts and demonstrate the positions to the rookie class members who are working toward their white belt. 

We've had a wonderful year.  In addition to everything else they do, there is the keyboard. Arram is actively taking classes, and although Amiri no longer studies it, he often sits down and shows he hasn't lost much of this ability. 

The boys now get to rest up; well, mostly anyway. Grandpa school starts whenever regular school isn't running. They fuss a bit about my lessons, but they don't really mind. The classes are really very easy and take only about 10 minutes. The more they know about the U.S. and the world after all, the better off they'll be. My first class is a video on primitive copper smelting. Two guys actually produce a copper hatchet using no machinery; nothing but ingenuity and effort. It's fascinating. 

The boys start their new year on January 30th.                                  -djf

*  Something I didn't know: There are three kinds of fencing swords.

A foil is the lightest fencing sword. For thrusting. Rectangular blade. About 350 grams in weight.

An epee is the heaviest fencing sword Also for thrusting. Triangular blade.  About 770 grams.

A sabre can slash or thrust. Flat blade.  About 500 grams.