me being goofey inside Jewel cave
A picture from inside Lake Cave.
The shark I accidentally caught. Yikes!
Dear Vava, > > >Hello from Down Under! I am writing to you at this moment from the >wonderful, exciting and sometimes strange country of Australia. I am on >vacation here with for three weeks and I am spending my time exploring, >surfing, fishing and sitting in the sun getting a sunburn. >I have also just heard from Elizabeth that you are going through a >difficult and scary time right now and wanted to write to you and let >you know that even though I am thousand of miles away in a foreign >country I am thinking about you and sending my prayers and my good >thoughts up through the clouds and stars to you. I have never been >through anything like you are going through and I cannot imagine how >overwhelming, frightening, and painful it must be. But I also remember >and know that you are very brave, courageous and you have the kind of >spirit it takes to face this kind of challenge and overcome it. I can >remember the times we were all at Priest Lake in Idaho and playing >around the campground, you were always so excited for new adventure, >trying new things and taking new risks and always laughing through it >all. Be strong Vava, I know you will make it through this. > >I don't want my entire email to you to be all serious and heavy, so >I'll tell you about some of my adventures in Australia and maybe it >will help take your mind away from all the doctors wanting to poke and >prod at you. Yesterday, I went surfing in at a place called Grunters >near a town called Margaret River which is on the west coast of >Australia. Surfing is very fun but super difficult especially when you >are just learning like I am. I have a friend here named Simon that is a >really good surfer and he was teaching me how to do it and be careful. >But I still got smashed by the waves and tossed around like a stuffed >animal, if you saw me you would have laughed really hard because when I >got finished I was so tired that I looked like I was a cat that someone >threw into a bathtub. A very wet, sad cat covered in sand and salt >water. Afterwards we decided to go fishing to try and catch some dinner >to eat later. The Australians we know call barbecues "barbies" and >whenever they talk about fixing dinner they say things like "Oy, mate, >we're gonna throw a fish on the barbie!" Which always makes me laugh >because I just picture them throwing a fish at a Barbie doll and think, >wow, that's going to taste weird. > I fished and fished but no fish were biting. Most of fishing is >standing around and waiting for a fish to get hungry enough to decide >to eat your bait. I was getting kind of bored when suddenly I had huge >strike on my line. BANG! Whatever had just grabbed my lure pulled so >hard and fast that I almost had my pole pulled from my hands. I fought >and fought and hung on for dear life, as much because I didn't want to >lose the pole or get pulled into the water and after about ten minutes >I reeled in a small shark! It was a baby shark but still about a foot >and half long. I instantly felt really guilty because you can't really >eat sharks and I just caused this poor animal a bunch of stress and >panic, plus, I am so scared of sharks I didn't know how to touch it and >get the hook out. Thankfully, the hook only went in near the shark's >lower lip and my friend Mark helped me hold the shark down so I could >pull the hook free without getting bitten. Then I told the shark I was >really sorry for disturbing it and hurting it and to tell the other >sharks that I am really a nice guy and please don't bite me if I am >ever swimming in the ocean and then I released it back into the sea. I >fished awhile longer but I didn't catch anything else at all. The shark >must have told everyone down there that I was fishing and to leave my >squid bait alone. I hope it told the other sharks about my nice deed >because I am still planning on swimming some more down here and it >would be horrible if the baby shark's mom or dad came to find to me. > >This morning, I woke up and we went spelunking in some caves just south >of Margaret River. These caves we went inside were HUGE. I have never >seen anything like them in my life. There were so many stalactites and >stalagmites and very odd cave formations and growths it was hard to >believe they were actually real. In this one cave called, Jewel Cave, >there were these calcium growths from the ceilings called "straws." >Straws are basically like a straw you use to drink milkshakes but they >are made from hard calcium so they are hard like a rock, but still very >fragile. Straws grow down from the ceilings of caves at a rate of about >two inches every fifty years and the longest one we saw was about ten >feet long! If you do the math you can figure out how old that straw is >and how long it has been growing. Actually, I am really bad at math, so >if you do figure out how old that straw is please tell me. Another cave >we visited called Lake Cave actually had a lake inside in it! Instead >of fish, it was full of blind albino shrimp. They are blind because >they live in total darkness so they don't need eyes, and they are >albino because there is no light to give them color. They look kind of >scary and we nicknamed them "Ghost Shrimp" because they looked like the >ghosts of all the shrimp I have ate over the years coming back to haunt >me. >Mmmmm, shrimp, so delicious, maybe I'll have some for dinner. Maybe >I'll throw a shrimp on the barbie! > >Well, those are just a few of my adventures down here in Australia and >I have attached some photos for you to look at so you can get a better >idea of what I am talking about. I will continue to pray for you Vava >and wish that everything turns out for the best during your coming >adventure. It might not be a fun, exciting adventure, but it is >different kind of adventure that sometimes life throws our way. I know >you will be brave and move through this dark patch with a strength like >no one else. And remember you have people all around you who love you >very much and will help you in any way they can. > >All my best, >Nick > >PS: When I was in the hospital one of my favorite things to eat in the >whole world was a little cup of crushed ice flavored with just a touch >of orange soda. It was like a little snowcone and tasted so delicious. >See if a nurse will make you one. Trust me, they are awesome. >PPS: I can't wait to hear about your adventures too, I bet already you >have some good stories to share.
A picture from inside Lake Cave.
The shark I accidentally caught. Yikes!
Dear Vava, > > >Hello from Down Under! I am writing to you at this moment from the >wonderful, exciting and sometimes strange country of Australia. I am on >vacation here with for three weeks and I am spending my time exploring, >surfing, fishing and sitting in the sun getting a sunburn. >I have also just heard from Elizabeth that you are going through a >difficult and scary time right now and wanted to write to you and let >you know that even though I am thousand of miles away in a foreign >country I am thinking about you and sending my prayers and my good >thoughts up through the clouds and stars to you. I have never been >through anything like you are going through and I cannot imagine how >overwhelming, frightening, and painful it must be. But I also remember >and know that you are very brave, courageous and you have the kind of >spirit it takes to face this kind of challenge and overcome it. I can >remember the times we were all at Priest Lake in Idaho and playing >around the campground, you were always so excited for new adventure, >trying new things and taking new risks and always laughing through it >all. Be strong Vava, I know you will make it through this. > >I don't want my entire email to you to be all serious and heavy, so >I'll tell you about some of my adventures in Australia and maybe it >will help take your mind away from all the doctors wanting to poke and >prod at you. Yesterday, I went surfing in at a place called Grunters >near a town called Margaret River which is on the west coast of >Australia. Surfing is very fun but super difficult especially when you >are just learning like I am. I have a friend here named Simon that is a >really good surfer and he was teaching me how to do it and be careful. >But I still got smashed by the waves and tossed around like a stuffed >animal, if you saw me you would have laughed really hard because when I >got finished I was so tired that I looked like I was a cat that someone >threw into a bathtub. A very wet, sad cat covered in sand and salt >water. Afterwards we decided to go fishing to try and catch some dinner >to eat later. The Australians we know call barbecues "barbies" and >whenever they talk about fixing dinner they say things like "Oy, mate, >we're gonna throw a fish on the barbie!" Which always makes me laugh >because I just picture them throwing a fish at a Barbie doll and think, >wow, that's going to taste weird. > I fished and fished but no fish were biting. Most of fishing is >standing around and waiting for a fish to get hungry enough to decide >to eat your bait. I was getting kind of bored when suddenly I had huge >strike on my line. BANG! Whatever had just grabbed my lure pulled so >hard and fast that I almost had my pole pulled from my hands. I fought >and fought and hung on for dear life, as much because I didn't want to >lose the pole or get pulled into the water and after about ten minutes >I reeled in a small shark! It was a baby shark but still about a foot >and half long. I instantly felt really guilty because you can't really >eat sharks and I just caused this poor animal a bunch of stress and >panic, plus, I am so scared of sharks I didn't know how to touch it and >get the hook out. Thankfully, the hook only went in near the shark's >lower lip and my friend Mark helped me hold the shark down so I could >pull the hook free without getting bitten. Then I told the shark I was >really sorry for disturbing it and hurting it and to tell the other >sharks that I am really a nice guy and please don't bite me if I am >ever swimming in the ocean and then I released it back into the sea. I >fished awhile longer but I didn't catch anything else at all. The shark >must have told everyone down there that I was fishing and to leave my >squid bait alone. I hope it told the other sharks about my nice deed >because I am still planning on swimming some more down here and it >would be horrible if the baby shark's mom or dad came to find to me. > >This morning, I woke up and we went spelunking in some caves just south >of Margaret River. These caves we went inside were HUGE. I have never >seen anything like them in my life. There were so many stalactites and >stalagmites and very odd cave formations and growths it was hard to >believe they were actually real. In this one cave called, Jewel Cave, >there were these calcium growths from the ceilings called "straws." >Straws are basically like a straw you use to drink milkshakes but they >are made from hard calcium so they are hard like a rock, but still very >fragile. Straws grow down from the ceilings of caves at a rate of about >two inches every fifty years and the longest one we saw was about ten >feet long! If you do the math you can figure out how old that straw is >and how long it has been growing. Actually, I am really bad at math, so >if you do figure out how old that straw is please tell me. Another cave >we visited called Lake Cave actually had a lake inside in it! Instead >of fish, it was full of blind albino shrimp. They are blind because >they live in total darkness so they don't need eyes, and they are >albino because there is no light to give them color. They look kind of >scary and we nicknamed them "Ghost Shrimp" because they looked like the >ghosts of all the shrimp I have ate over the years coming back to haunt >me. >Mmmmm, shrimp, so delicious, maybe I'll have some for dinner. Maybe >I'll throw a shrimp on the barbie! > >Well, those are just a few of my adventures down here in Australia and >I have attached some photos for you to look at so you can get a better >idea of what I am talking about. I will continue to pray for you Vava >and wish that everything turns out for the best during your coming >adventure. It might not be a fun, exciting adventure, but it is >different kind of adventure that sometimes life throws our way. I know >you will be brave and move through this dark patch with a strength like >no one else. And remember you have people all around you who love you >very much and will help you in any way they can. > >All my best, >Nick > >PS: When I was in the hospital one of my favorite things to eat in the >whole world was a little cup of crushed ice flavored with just a touch >of orange soda. It was like a little snowcone and tasted so delicious. >See if a nurse will make you one. Trust me, they are awesome. >PPS: I can't wait to hear about your adventures too, I bet already you >have some good stories to share.
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