Blue Starfish and taking down the Computers

Well BIG day today.  Nancy and I are now the official, hopefully temporary, Mission Office couple.  The current couple left for home today.  The Mission President has previously asked us to step in until the next OFFICIAL Mission Office couple arrives the first part of June.  We have been doing training on a part time basis for the past month.  And this is the last week of the month.  Nice time to make the change.  Turned on the office computer today and it said there are '2 Days to get the missionary support funding finalized'.  That is a big deal here because some missionaries are paid through the BofA card while those on  outer islands are paid by check to a variety of accounts including tribal councils.  So I have to know where every missionary is going to be May 1st and get funding to the proper accounts.  It took me all morning to sort out just the 44 missionaries on Majuro.  There are 81 in the Kiribati side.  That's for tomorrow.
In doing so I only had to turn off the computer twice because it was going in circles and not doing anything.  Not too bad for the first day I guess.

Now for the FUN.  Anyone every seen a BLUE starfish???  We keep hearing from people about seeing blue starfish.  Go this island.  Go to that pool at low tide.  Go up by the bridge.  And so we have been out looking for blue starfish.  Last Saturday we, at my suggestion, went looking once again because even the Judge Winchester said go to this pool at low tide.  So we did:  Nancy and I and E/S Doig.  Here are some pictures.

The search for BLUE starfish is on.

We looked high. As high as we could. That's tall for this island,

We solicited help from off shore.

With standing ferocious rip tides.  Try standing in this on slippery moss.

We found eels.

And crabs.  Lots of small ones.

And didn't find one starfish, let alone a Blue starfish.

 The natives on the shore must of had a good time pointing fingers at those weird Americans wandering though the water.  Looking in this pool.  Looking in that pool.  Seeing how close to the edge they would come to some pretty good drop offs.

Any one for a Snipe hunt?   I am now convinced that the search for BLUE starfish is the Marshallese version of going on a Snipe Hunt.

In thinking about it I don't recall anyone saying they saw a BLUE starfish.  Only going LOOKING for a BLUE starfish.    But it did get us out in the water.  I had a good time walking around.  Nancy tried climbing the light pole (Majuro light house) at the ocean entrance to lagoon.  And it did give us something to do on a P Day.  So all was not lost.

Your Marshallese BLUE starfish search guide and tour director.