(Continued from June 08, 2010)
“He is extremely happy here. In the Dakotas, there was not much that could be done in winter and he used to get bored. Our mild winters allow him to putter around outside on the farm as well as work in the greenhouse.”
“Does he have relatives who live in the North West?”
“No, his children and grandchildren live in North and South Dakota, but they visit periodically. He is fond of saying: ‘Since I am able to bank pretty well all my pension money, I can show my children and grandchildren a really good time when they visit me.’ Last Christmas, they all came west for a week.”
“Did they stay at the farm?”
“No, the old gentleman had made arrangements with a nearby hotel. He had rented three luxury suites. I couldn’t believe my ears when he mentioned the bargain price that he had been able to obtain. He has an interesting way of haggling. That talent also benefits my organization. He gets seeds, plants and tools at very low prices.”
“He appears to be a really interesting gentleman. Therefore, I venture to guess that pretty well all the volunteers are his friends.”
“That is correct. At lunchtime, he usually consumes his meal in the company of a few volunteers; and, when he wants to go into town, one of them will drive him there and arrange for his pick-up later.”
“I take it that he does not have a driver’s license.”
“His Dakota license has expired and he does not want to go through the bother of obtaining one here. Also, he does not consider himself capable of driving in the dark. Apparently, his night vision is poor.”
“I am assuming that his relatives drive back and forth in their vehicles.”
“Yes, with whole families, that usually turns out to be a lot more convenient and more reasonable than flying, especially at Christmas time.”
“In that respect, your field manager has a bit better set-up than I have with my children and grandchildren in Japan.”
“On the other hand, you have the opportunity to experience and learn about an interesting culture when you go to visit them. I am looking forward to accompanying you on your next trip there.”
(To be continued)