Craig's Page

A great statesman, a rugby legend, and the future 'High Lord Dictator of the Universe'. Hey, my page, my fantasy! All right. Perhaps not. Grumpy old man in training might be a tad more accurate.

Since people tend to define themselves by what they do let me start by mentioning that I'm an aquatic ecologist by training, and a shellfish biologist by trade. I hold a Masters degree in Zoology with first class honours, from the University of Canterbury, and I am presently working for the Lummi Indian Nation, in northern Washington State, USA. My duties include testing Dungeness crab shell condition, Spot Prawn surveys, intertidal clam surveys, sea cucumber monitoring, and occasionally they let me play with juvenile salmon and smolt trap data.

However, I prefer to define myself by other means. I believe that you work in order to live, rather than living to work. Who I am has more to do with where I come from, and the people I care about, than how well I can measure the hardness of a crab's carapace, or my ability to count clams.

I was born in Christchurch, New Zealand, where I lived until the age of 29. My parents went their separate ways when I was four and my childhood was a fairly turbulent time in my life. 'Nuff said about that. My mother and father both live in New Zealand. I also have two younger sisters back in New Zealand. Kerry is a nurse by vocation and is married to...you guessed it...a doctor! :) She's also planning on begetting another generation sometime soon. Briley is in her final year of High School at Mairehau High (also my old high school).

I became a Christian at the age of 15 and since then have waxed and waned at times in my religious 'fervour'. Don't we all though? However, my faith continues to sustain me today and that's just as well. Presently I sporadically attend Custer Methodist Church in Custer, WA.

When I was in my early to mid-twenties I had to grow an awful lot as a person. Amongst the many life truths I learned was 'Never trust the French!' (Just kidding...well, sorta) Thankfully, the pain of that time was well worth it as it made me the person that my wife met and fell for. And to prove that I can be as modern as the next guy, my wife and I met on the internet!

The one problem with the internet is that instant communication still isn't as good as being together in person. So, Karen finally risked coming over to New Zealand to meet me and to see the country. And then she came back a year or so later. Well, needless to say we hit it off as well in person as on-line. But the parting at the end of the trips was just too hard. So, I proposed. She said yes. And the course of our lives took a massive but wonderful twist.

You can go here to see that twist in action. We were married in New Zealand on January 28, 2000, and again in the USA on March 24, 2000. The two ceremonies were held so that friends and families on both sides of the Pacific could attend without breaking the bank.

The only downside to this whole thing was, of course, having to leave the people and places that have made me who I am. The decision for me to move to the USA was a practical and logical one. But I still miss all things 'Kiwiana' more than I can say. Most of all, I wish I hadn't had to leave behind friends and family. There are some friends that are gems of the kind found only once or twice in a lifetime. I doubt I'll find their like again. Still, I'm not going to complain because the opportunity to spend a lifetime with Karen makes it all worthwhile. :)

Since I moved stateside, Karen and I have brought a house out in the county and any lack of projects that we might have had vanished for the next 50 years. 5 Acres and a big garden area make sure of that! Somehow though, my childhood dislike of gardening has evaporated through the years and I've begun to enjoy it. Weird. We can only figure it's some kind of disease!

In my spare time I do some website design, and also am in the process of setting up a 65 gallon marine/reef aquarium. So really, life is pretty good! If you have further questions then you probably need to get a life! ;) If that's too onerous, then I suggest you email me.

Cheers!

Craig Dolphin