{Karlton Bontrager}

Yesterday was such a change of pace. Three friends of Karlton’s took Choy-Lang and me on an excursion. We went to a beach that was like a scene directly out of a movie set. The approach to the beach was from a high hill. As we approached, we had a bird’s eye view of the beach, two huge rock formations in the water, and the thundering waves of the aquamarine ocean. The hill was actually an enormous sand dune, and we slid our way down to the water’s edge. The wind was cold and strong as we hiked about half a mile across the beach to where we saw sea lions, seals, and one lonely yellow-eyed penguin. The penguins are nearly extinct, probably because they stand in just one limited area during their molting time. That’s what this little guy was doing, and that is why we were able to see him from fairly close up. The climb back up the steep, shifting sand was arduous, but we returned to the hospital so refreshed.

Karlton, too, seemed to benefit from our time away. He seemed brighter and more alert, and he was certainly more interactive. A friend from Queenstown had driven down and was visiting him when we arrived back. We learned that he greeted her orally with, “It’s good to have you here.” His written messages too were easier to decipher. At the end of the day, after all his company had gone, and when we too were planning to leave, he wrote using ABC letters to spell out the Japanese words for “Thanks for helping me.”

It was truly a good day for all of us.