The Moon and The Mount

We have just taken Vicki round the Mount. Warm sunny evening, blue sky etc etc. Harriette took the sumit track and is in a strop because nobody believes she made it. She has to do it tomorrow anyway on a school trip. We did the base track, and it was as lovely as ever. Had fish and chips by the beach between the Mount and Bayfair. Perfect end to the evening. Beautiful full moon to boot. If we have a full moon do you have it up there in the north? (D-Man I am refering to the northern hemisphere not Auckland!).

Piccies tomorrow, it's bedtime.

D-Man - This Is For You.

PLEASE WELCOME NINJA TO THE BLOGGING WORLD.

Ninja was chosen for his fighting spirit (literally) and his facial battle scar.

More piccies of NINJA:
'With my family'






Spot me. After a hard day playing.
Is that enough photo's for you D-Man?

Another waif and stray, I mean visitor, for Cedar Lodge.

What a busy weekend. Saturday we were meant to go to Juliet and Kevs early to help Juliet who was doing a tea for her parents and some friends for their 40th wedding anniversary, but... we had 2 more loads of hay to get in and some sheep had flystrike. We warned them we'd be late and finally got there at 2.30pm! Harriette and Eric sorted out the sheep (yuk) and I helped with the hay. God those last few bales were heavy!

We really needed to move Olympia but ran out of time so hoped she'd keep her legs crossed until Sunday.

During Saturday morning I had a phone call from Vicki. I misunderstood Grrr (Stan's Paihia name) for Gail to start with and told her she had the wrong number. When she said Michelle and Eric I realised she didn't. Anyway the long and short was that Stan had suggested she might be able to stay with us. He had told Eric about Vicki but had Eric had forgot to tell me. We arranged to pick her up in Matamata next morning.

Had a nice afternoon with the Stokes and co. We would have stayed overnight but it got complicated so we didn't.

Sunday I was about to get dressed when Eric came dashing up from the pigs with that excited new dad look. Olympia had waited until Sunday but not late enough on Sunday! 8 more piglets. She had farrowed in a hollow under the tree and looked quite comfortable.


The other pigs were ignoring her and in fact one of the piglets had wandered into the crowd of big boys and girls. The boar gently lifted his leg to let the little one through, so cute.

Why can't I walk?!

We had a plan to go to the Small Block Expo in Hamilton on Sunday. I had said we would pick Vicki up and go afterwards. I was going to drop Alice off with the Scotts on the way in as she didn't want to come to Hamilton. The morning was passing and Alice was getting more and more impatient. Anyway I decided to take her through and Eric phoned as I was on my back to say Vicki had arrived so I went to pick her up. Vicki is a vet and on a 6 month holiday in Auz and NZ. She had been here for a week and done some diving, where she met Stan. She came through to Hamilton with us and is going to stay for a few days. Today she has been clearing the drive and building fires!!!!!!!!! Eric has been out and dug great trenches round each fire and doused them. I swear he will be up hourly during the night checking for 30 foot high flames. Vicki is totally unaware of the world of blog so we are educating her!

The Small Block Expo was good but very small. We were hoping to see more alternative energy stands. I wouldn't bother going again but was glad we went once.

I'm not concentrating as Eric and Vicki are chatting about a dead animals and Vicki's travel plans! Will post some more photo's and say goodnight.

Oh, and this is the finch nest in my runner beans

Competition.

This is Eric's Range Rover, viewed from on top of the bales. What are the odds on him getting it on the road in
a)1 year,
2)2 years,
3)5 years and
d)ever?????

More photo's.

Saturday morning and the last bale. I can't tell you how Eric struggled to lift this on!


Coming home.

At, last. We get our paddocks back!


Look at us, one day old.

Isn't this the best picture ever!?

The piglets were about 2 hours old and had wandered along way from Mom. Eric wanted to make sure they did not dib out on feed.

Photo's tomorrow

I promise (Michelle)

My version of events!

I have been told that I can, note that, CAN, write my version of our hay making escapades and events over the weekend. I came home from work on Friday having had a shouting match with a Council customer who objected to having to pay $300-00 + $150 registration for each of his three dogs. He repeated himself so many times that I eventually said, " Ok, I've heard all of this from you several times and, it is exactly what you said to me on the phone the other week. Has anything changed?" The answer was yet more senile ramblings along the same line and I'm sorry, I lost it. I shouted at the poor chap that he had had his turn and he was now going to listen to me. Not very correct perhaps but it did make me feel better. Anyway, I digress. I came in and saw as I drove up the drive that the contractors hadn't been to bale up the hay. I muttered oaths under my breath as I walked into the house and then the dogs ran out from the kitchen woofing and excited. The tractor must have been right up my backside as I turned into the drive and I hadn't noticed it. Oh well, all forgiven, I binned the boys up and wandered down to see what the score was. Ian our neighbour was doing his stint on the baler and after a quick word about the quantity and apologies for not having been able to come sooner he got to work and I decided to move Octavia as she was due to farrow any moment. I had noticed a bit of blood around her nether regions earlier and eventually got her apart and esconsed in the pen. Bridget texted me to ask if the baler had been just as I was going for my phonre to alert her. Blow me down if she wasn't there about half an hour later. Pushing it a bit I thought. No, she had been in Cambridge anyway. It was far too hot to pick up bales but as Ian finished, I took the Beast and the trailer down anyway. 333 Bales all dooted around the paddock and Ian giving me a wry smile. I asked him just how did these machines tie knots? Anyhow I got the run down on how they worked and I was very happy. Briggsy, do you know how they work? I wait for the girls to get in from school and wanted to move the sheep so as to have a clear run through the paddocks to bring the hay in. Ian agreed to me putting the sheep in the yards and I had a couple to treat for fly strike anyway. So with that done, we waited for Michelle to get home so we could start.

Right, now the trouble begins! Bridget and I went down towards the paddock and waited for M and the girls to follow. Well, we got bored with the wait and went down. As we went into the first paddock, I decided to check out the sow which had been nesting. Just as I was about to plough on, I noticed some movement at the far end beyond where she was laying. Closer inspection, revealed an ickle piggy snuffling about her ear trying to get a drink. A second then emerged and a third. Octavia took a break and Bridget and I wanted to press on. It wasn't to be, M and the girls turned up and we had to wait making all the right noises. Eventually, we managed to make the late comers see that there was an alteria motive for being in the vicinity, namely picking up hay.

Lots of slog loading up our small trailer and trying differnt combinations to get the most on. It was similar to the Krypton factor. I jumped into the boot and Bridget travelled in comfort up by Michelle. I can be a gentleman see. The journey around the paddock to get across the drive and thence to the barn is fraught with obstacles. Dead tree stumps the size of mountains etc deep ruts on the drive and adverse cambers in the paddocks. Michelle thought it best to drive at her usual speed. Flat out with me being thrown about and hay bales threatening to bbe dispersed to the four winds. "Slow down, steady on etc etc " Well, I got an ear bashing for trying to teach my grandmother to suck eggs. I don't usually make comments about Michelle's age but on this occassion, she deserved it! She was driving like an old wrinkly. By that I mean being totally oblivious to the conditions. Then there was the reversing of the trailer. Not too bad first time, more later. Bales secured and ship shape, we took off back to the paddock. Bridget took the wheel. I was concerned at this point. Bridget has a penchant for testing the suspension by putting growing trees on the boot and turning 360's for fun. Anyhow, loaded up and back to the barn. First off, the tight left around the stump. 9 out of 10. A bit of a wobble but nothing to write home about. Next the ruts. 10 out of ten. very slow but steady progress ensured that there was no way the bales were going to shift. Compliments to the driver from the back and a sulking wife. Bridget, you should have played your joker on that one. Now the adverse camber. Not a wobble. Michelle shouting at me that she isn't going to drive at all.

Alice then bold as brass announces that she is going to drive this time. A heap of bales went on whilst Michelle of all people tried to explain the rudiments of driving to Alice. Now Alice, much as I love her as my daughter is a bit, how shall we say, daft, dumb, blonde! Michelle thought she was teaching herself. No mention of the brake. Remember that one in a mo'. Bridget climbed onto the second or third layer of bales and as I bent to pick up about number fifty bale, YeeeeeeeHa! The Dukes of Hazard could not do better. She took off and Bridget looked like Ben Hur the way she rode the trailer. Alice was looking panicky and screaming from the window with her face drawn by the G force upon it. The truck leapt over the hay bales but as luck would have it didn't burst the strings. Alice eventually trod on the right pedal and stopped the truck dead and stalled it. The tears started and Bridget calmly jumped down and picked up the squashed bale. Michelle looked in shock and then jumped in with Alice as she started the motor again. I'll give Alice that, she does at least try. With a reminder as to which one the brake pedal was, Alice continued on round whilst the last of the load was put on. Then M took over again. Full speeed aheeeaad. Two bales off just after the tree stump, not a good trip this one. No joker was played and more mutterings came from the back. The reversing was awful and to be fair, M doesn't like doing it. Next time round, it was Bridgets turn and she did remarkably well. The comments then became more akin to goading galley slaves to row faster toward ramming speed. That was definately it, Michelle was not driving again (she did). Richard and Robyn and the girls turned up to help later and I played an evil trick on Robyn. Sorry Robyn, I couldn't resist it. We have a very steep bank behind the house and as Robyn got in, she was obviously worried as to how we were going to get down. I drove straight for the drop and bless her, there was a hint of panic as she lept from the vehicle saying that she would really rather walk. I then completed the turn and headed down the gentle slope toward the gate at the bottom. I'd best stop here but my deepest thanks go to Bridget, the whole Scott family and of course my own wife and, grudgingly, children. It made the work much easier with you guys around. I'm sorry that you didn't enjoy the Thai curry, I did. Anyway, If I go on any longer, no-one will read this epic. Take care all, off to watch Billy Connelly. Night night.

Hay and piglets

We made hay! 3 days with no rain, sunshine and a light breeze perfect. Shame what was actually cut was so old. Anyway. We also had piglets!!! Octavia had 10, right as we were about to start loading bales.


Let me start at the beginning. Yesterday I had a meeting in Hamilton. We were swapping cars so I got up early, cleaned, polished and hovered mine. Don’t know why I bothered as no-one else seemed to, apart from Shirley, who I swapped with. I got a text from Eric saying ‘Ian’s baling now, please bring beers’. We had not a bottle in the fridge.

Got home about 4pm to find a stroopy Harriette, indignant that Daddy had cancelled her piano lesson. (This was deliberate as we did not have time to do the piano run. Piano teacher is a farmer so fully understands). I told her we needed all hands on deck and she was to get back to the paddocks. Turns out they hadn’t started loading as they (Bridget was here) were working on the sheep! 3 had signs of flystrike and one was proper poorly. If she is not significantly better this morning she will be slotted. All were treated and left in the races as all the paddock gates would be left open as we got the hay in. This morning they will get a shot of multi vits before being released.

E and B then arrived and after rehydration we all headed down to the paddocks. Eric had separated Octavia afternoon thinking she looked imminent. He checked on her to see piglets no 2 and 3 arrive. Of course we couldn’t go off then! We watched the next few come. In my next life I am going to be a pig. The only condition being, I live with someone as soft as Eric. You know pigs farrow in their sleep. Well if she wasn’t asleep she did a good impression of it. Piglet No. 1 was up by her ear and climbing all round her face sucking at various bits of her ear. No’s 2 and 3 headed round her back and were trying to find something to suck on. Eric kept saying he would put them in the right place but I told him to leave them. Finally he climbed in and repositioned them!!! Anyway we then went to the job in hand.

I must say looking at 333 bales spread over 3 paddocks knowing we only had a little stock trailer, looked quite daunting. The advantage was it was a perfect afternoon, warm but not scorching hot, a slight breeze (cooling but blew hay into your face) and not a cloud a sky. Anyway we got started.

Bridget and I alternated the driving initially. For some reason Eric moaned at mine and not Bridgets. In fact they got into a ‘who can insult Michelle the most’ competition between them – so childish!, by the end I refused to drive. For those of you who don’t know Cedar Lodge, the house is on a hill in the centre of the block. The hay paddocks are to the south and the barn on the north side. So when we load the trailer we drive anticlockwise, past the pigs, over the drive, through the front paddock to the side paddock which houses the barn and my veg plot. At one point Alice asked if she could drive. So as those 2 loaded I gave Alice a lesson. I made 2 errors. Firstly I stood beside her, outside the vehicle, and secondly I didn’t tell her where the brake was!!!! Yes, you’ve guessed it. She took off. She was doing brilliantly but for some reason pushed her foot down hard on the accelerator. In retrospect it probably wasn’t so hard but she still took off. Bridget wouldn’t agree - she was on the back. Anyway she obviously, by reflex, hit anything and eventually the brake, and promptly burst into tears. Poor Alice. Give her her dues though I asked if she wanted to get out and she said she would try again. I know Mom and Daddy, you are now having a heart attack, and I hope no-one from CYF’s are reading this. Anyway, when she carried on, now knowing where the brake was, and with me in the passenger seat, she did brilliantly. Harriette on the other hand, kangeroo’d around the place.

Richard had said he would come and help after milking. I texted to say Octavia was farrowing, which I thought would bring Robyn running, (she was so busy with calving when the last litters arrived Robyn didn’t get round for a week), (reply, ‘Who is Octavia’ – how many other animals ‘farrow’ Richard?!?!?). Alice later said someone had phoned and said that Robyn could not come (grandma had been admitted to hospital). We carried on slowly, loading about 20- 24 bales per load. Bridget had the stacking job in the barn. Reversing in became a competition between Bridget and I, who could do it with the least gear changes. I did really well with the first ‘ did it in one’ and generally less shunting, until one trip in which I had to straighten up 6 times and pulled my average up way above Bridgets. We took a break and went up to the house for a drink and nibble, we had got to the stage were we were noticeably flagging, not lifting as well or as quickly. That was when the cavalry arrived, R,R, Sarah and Katherine. They also had Katherine and Alice’s friend Sam with them. The little ones went off and played with Bratz dolls after checking out the piglets. While all this had been going on Harriette had been watching Octavia, apart from a bit of driving. I think she kicked 3 bales from a corner in towards the others, while sulking! Alice had been trying to help but obviously had not been able to do much.

Of course you don’t just move 330 bales once, you load them, then sling them off the trailer in the barn and then they have to be carted higher and higher to stack them. The last job was Bridgets, well when it got up high it was hers. So we shifted a bale about 1000 times between us!

With R+R here we made good progress. Sarah, who had never driven anything other than a farm bike, was allowed to have a go driving the ute, and did really well. Harriette stopped sulking with the arrival of the Scotts and at one point we had Sarah and Harriette driving with the 5 of us loading. We could have had a, girls vs. boys competition but none of us females could lift a bale over head level. I once again mused on the positives about living in NZ. How many UK kids learn to drive in a hay paddock in a 4x4 pulling a trailer of hay? I love it here!

The darkness beat us and we had to leave about 2 loads for today. Up to the house to eat the thai curry that Eric had cooked earlier, drink some much needed beers and have a wonderfully refreshing shower. A good days work, and thank you guys for your help. (Where were you Bloo?)

Lost blog

I blogged last night and the computer locked up and wouldn't unlock, so even though I had copied some of it that wasn't saved either!! If I don't blog tonight it's because we are bringing in hay bales. We will see if it is baled today. If I do, I will tell you about my celeriac find. Busy weekend ahead, out all day Sat and plan to go to the Lifestyle Block Expo in Hamilton on Sun. Have to go and wash and hoover my car now as I am swapping it with a colleague today who does much less mileage than me.

Shaun Plunket (on the rasio) has just accused an interviewee of doing things 'Ar5e about face'. So kiwi!

Promises and Miracles!

I don't think I promised to blog every other day Helen, I think it was more a will try to. I hope that is the case as I am usually quite careful about not making promises I might not be able to keep. Having kids teaches you that! H will often say, when an alluded to treat doesn't come off, "but you promised". We then go into what a definition of what a promise is and that "we might.... at the weekend" does not constitute a promise. They'll learn. Anyway, I have an excuse, well for the last few days anyway. I got a cyber dose of whatever Carol had, well nearly anyway. I got sick. Don't know what it was but I woke up on Tuesday morning aching (is that how you spell ache-ing?), nothing unusual, just like I'd overdone the gardening (except I hadn't!), went to the loo and felt acutely ill. Crawled back to bed and within the hour felt like I'd done too many rounds with Mike Tyson. I slept most of the morning and moped around for the next day or 2. It was weird, like flu but from the neck down. I did manage to migrate out to the pool deck and die in the sun, just for a change in scenery you understand! Anyway I don't know what it was, some virus I guess, and come to think of it, I used to get this once every 2 years or so in the UK but I think it's the first time it's hit me here. Anyway, it's gone, and apart from feeling a bit precious, I'm fine.

And, miracle of miracles OUR HAY HAS BEEN CUT!!!!!! Poor Eric had given up on the idea of the contractors ever coming and in fact was moaning about it when he came in from work yesterday lunchtime, when the dogs suddenly shot out the house barking like mad and there was the cutter coming up the drive. What a relief. I don't think it will be the best quality stuff but at least, please God it doesn't rain, we will have hay. It is sooo much easier than silage to mangage. We had just made plans to sell off all the stock apart from this years calves as we would not have enough feed to over-winter them and Eric had started strip grazing the hay paddock. What a relief! Only problem now is it means some serious work for us shifting god knows how many bales of the stuff at the end of the week (Oh and I am at a meeting all day Friday!!). And I guess we are lucky they didn't come in the preceeding 2 weeks as Eric has been working full time covering for Steve (the other ACO in the area) who was on leave. Actually a couple of amazing things have happened this week. Eric applied for a job advertised as a junior solicitor, yes I know he's not one but it doesn't stop one asking, anyway, he had a letter of acknowledgement. And.......? I hear you say. Well that doesn't happen here, not in our experience (and Kevin's) anyway. NZ is a WONDERFUL country with a thousand great things about it but they do not respond to enquiries and they don't turn up when they say they will (you know, plummers, tree fellers that sort of thing). It's just a fact, if a very annoying one. Well to recieve a 'thank you for your application it will be considered with the rest' letter was just so, well, nice! The other thing was, Eric applied for his return to uni courses once he'd finally be given the right form, and they also sent a letter of acknowledgement!!!! Mind you after a letter of complaint to the Dean the admin department there will probably treat Eric with kid gloves from now on. So with hay cutting and letters I am beginning to think wonders will never cease. You never know, one day the girls might come home from school, empty their lunchboxes and hang up their swimwear without being told - one day!!

Alice has blogged!

No news.

Doesn't that inspire you to read on?!?!?!? lack of blog this week is totally due to lack of news - sorry! I will take some piccies otday to compensate for lack of words.

My bedside table is disgustingly organised Helen so warrants no inclusion - sorry. It is dominated by a huge, portable (!) music centre as clock alarms don't have tape players and we go to sleep listening to audio tapes.

Carol, I should never have voiced my dependance on my sunglasses. i forgot them the next 2 days and spent the day driving round squinting!

Who did win the worst Xmas tree competition?

It's been hot, up to 30 degrees. I am having a quieter week at work and have spent most lunchtimes tanning by the pool. Quite a lot of cloud this week and one downpour on Wed night. Hay still not cut and Eric is worrying as it is rapidly getting to a useless stage. We are awaiting the contractors and guess we just have to wait our turn. Ideally it should have been cut when we were away but as the bales need stacking and bringing into the barn we could not book it for then. As sure as eggs is eggs it'll pour down when they cut it.

Bridget came for supper on Wed night. She's a bit down/frustrated at the moment. Some people need to come to their senses and talk.

Harriette has school swimming day today, I will try and time my viewing to co-incide with her races as I can't spend all day there.

On Tuesday I did our last evening MeNZB teaching session. It was at the eduation centre at Waikato Hospital. Jude and I do these between us with her doing all the technical stuff about the disease, the vaccine and trials and me doing the rest. I have only done the technical stuff once before and that was last Nov. Anyway when I got there Jude looked terrible, she is 28 weeks preganant now and said her midwife had put ther off for the rest of the week. I asked her why she was there and sent her home. She registered the 50 odd GP's and nurses and went leaving me to teach a difficult, session totally unprepared! It actually went very well apart from the odd pause to scan my old notes and I was complimented on the presentation. Well that's it!

Another quiet weekend planned. Hopefully I can get the next bit of the veg plot planted up. I may even treat you to a piccie - bet you can't wait! I also want to sort out the bank behind the pool. Carol remember we ran out of weed mat under the gravel and we said it would be OK? Well it isn't! I want to scrape back the gravel and put the rest down and weed the bank itself.

Off to cut fruit for breakfast. H and A have just left for school and Eric is feeding pigs. If we don't sell them soon we will go bankrupt feeding them!

Green Fingers

Not because of being good in the garden I have to say, but because of stains from hours pulling enormous weeds. Why do they grow better than anything else in my veg plot?! Actually it is looking quite respectable down there at the moment, partly due to me spending almost all today working on it. I have lots of things on the go but only spinach, silverbeet, tomatoes and runner beans that we can harvest at the moment. One pumpkin plant has self seeded and is going bananas in amongst the sweetcorn. I was picking runners a few days ago and bashing the cane wigwam around searching for them when I spotted a nest in the top. On tip toes I was able to see that it had 4 eggs in. I wanted to touch them to see if they were warm but did not and today as I was working near there I saw mom, a pretty finch of some description, flying off. I will watch as carefully as Carol did her nest on the cottage deck 2 years ago and keep you posted.

Eric and I cleared an area to day to plant some more pumpkins but I am going to cover the whole thing with black plastic and plant them in holes in it, not very aesthetic but I can't spend all summer weeding at this rate! We have been eating the strawberries whilst gardening as there have not been enough to make a meal of, but if I keep on top of things (!!!), next year should be great as I reckon I'll have 120-ish plants with all the babies growing at the moment.

We let the cows into the paddock where the veg plot is while I was working as I can keep an eye on the calves to make sure they don't break through the electric fence. Being the curious creatures they are they hang around watching and waiting for 'titbits'. I throw them any brassicas I'm clearing, lettuce, spinch, whatever else is coming to an end. The brassica leaves are eaten by the cows then Rust and Inca spend hours chewing on the woody stems! It was funny watching Inca today, he was chewing on said stem at the front of the barn when Carol (the bovine version) approached. Now long time readers will remember what a wuss Inca is when it comes to cows. Well he held his ground, chewing seriously and watching Carol out of the corner of his eye, barking at her if she came too close. He eventually got cold feet and retreated behind the Mistral (parked in the paddock us we were unloading camping gear into the barn) where he couldn't see Carol and so she obviously no longer existed. Rust was very brave later. He was laying on the slope watching me when Lance (the school steer) approached him. He laid perfectly still while Lance had a good sniff for quite awhile.

Yesterday, Saturday, Mandy phoned to invite us to an improptu BBQ that evening. We went and had a pleasant time. There were several other couples there and quite a few children. Eric and I managed to see some for the World Sevens that has been played in Wellington this weekend. The atmosphere there looked fantastic and you'd have thought that fancy dress was compulsory looking at the crowd. And of course everyone was very happy as the All Blacks (are the sevens called All Blacks? I'm not sure), anyway, they won! The living area of Mandy's house is on the first floor and a small deck overlooks the pool. The kids, aged from 8 - 16 spent hours diving in the pool and having a great time. They then made a whirlpool in the pool by all running round as fast as they could. Now I know that the momentum of the water will carry you a bit once it gets going but I don't think I have ever seen Alice run so fast for so long!!! Yet again we said how summer evenings in the UK would not be spent this way and aren't we lucky to live here. Actually the girls had spent much of the day in the water as, after shopping in the morning we popped into R+R's so I could get some lemons (I had planned to make lemonade) and they ended up staying there for the afternoon. Needless to say they were in the pool within 2 minutes of arriving. Richard is just waiting for the guy to come and tile round the top of the pool and it will be finished. Needless to say they are all pleased to see it recommissioned. We are waiting for the official opening now!!!

Well I'm off to phone Cheryl now. Night night all.

Bloo's blog's gone blank and black.

Can anyone else read it?

Feb already!

I so love Friday night. The whole weekend ahead, and nothing planned!!!! It should be a long weekend but because Waitangi Day falls on a Sunday in NZ they don't give you Monday off. Yes Stan I'm one of the oiks complaining about it!! I bet Richard won't be, he being an employer and me being a mere employee!

It's still hot here and very humid. We have had a little rain but we need a serious downpour. I pursuaded Eric to come and help me in the veg plot early this evening and the rain came 10 mins later, after we had covered ourselves from top to toe in insect repellant, not my usual one and very greasy!! Typical.

I haven't blogged properly for awhile but have very little to report. We had a long, busy and enjoyable weekend last w/e. It was the first time we have spent some time with Juliet and Kev with no-one else around for ages. They arrived on Thursday and Emma and Hannah arrived on Friday when Ann and Mike delivered them having taken them to New Plymouth for the week. Kev still hasn't got a job yet but it was obvious that nothing would happen over the Xmas/summer hols. The adverts are coming thick and fast now and we hope something will come his way soon. On Sunday Helen and Phil came over as well. They have 2 boys George 6 yrs and Tom 15. Tom has just got his first car and I can imagine his UK mates will be seriously jealous as they have another 2 yeasr to wait before they hit the road! The boys were the centre of attention for 4 young girls all day!!!!!

Workwise I have had a much quieter week and have been able to catch up on 2 months of paperwork. I went into Hamilton twice. The girls are back to school. Harriette's new teacher is Harry Potter mad and they have the same house names as Hogwarts. They seem to have spent the week planning their med winter medieval ball which they put on for the parents!! School camps are coming up this term. You may recall that Alice wanted me to come on hers but failed to bring me home the form. She was most put out. I have actually now got meetings in Auckland booked while she is away so wouldn't have been able to go anyway. Harriette will have 2 camps, school and music.

Did you hear the news that a ship has managed to sail further south than any other vessel before. Apparently the ice in the Ross Sea had melted back several miles more than is usual. Most exciting for those on the eco-tourism vessel. And still on the subject of weather can you see anything down there in Wellington yet Trish? The airport has been closed on and off for days now due to fog and is causing chaos, particulary with the World Sevens rugby on this weekend.

Well I think that sums it up really. Hope you've had a good week and have a great weekend.

Still Hot..

...but humid as well now so quite uncomfortable. The weathermen keep promising thunder storms but they haven't happened. We really need them and my veg plot is thirsty but we want to cut hay so I am torn. The ideal situation would be big thunderstorms for the next 24 hrs, hot, sunny days and wet nights over the w/e then it can stop raining for a week so we can cut the hay. So of course it will be muggy and keep raining on and off for a fortnight now!!!! I did have a hose pipe in the veg plot but someone keeps pinching it to top up the pool!!! Going to retreat to the bedroom as that is where the fan is (the other 2 being in H and A's bedrooms).

11 Months until Christmas!

Now, I'm not a great exponent of the countdown to Christmas stuff, Richard happened to say it yesterday when we went to their farm for lunch. However, it is quite true. A whole month has slipped past, nay, shot past. Right, what has happened since M filed her last copy? Saturday we had Juliet and Kev here with their two and Helen and Phil came with their two boys. Generally, it was a relaxed day and evening. I cooked a large joint of pork on the BBQ which turned out surprisingly well. The kids made good use of the pool,but George Phil and Helens youngest was a tad embarrassed about getting in a pool with 4 girls. Eventually, he overcame his reticence and jumped in they all seemed to get on really well. Before we ate, I got out the clay launcher and took Tom the eldest boy down into the bottom paddock. George bless him seemed to get my words twisted and thought I was going to slot one of the cows that evening. As if I would do that infront of a six year old. My name isn't Michael J! What I wanted to do first was to move the cows into another paddock to keep them safe! Tom wants to come and help when I do the next beast for the freezer, I hope he knows what he's letting himself in for!

Juliet and Kev left on Sunday Morning, OK, about noon. They had a 40th party to go to that day and wanted to get home. I had taken a large rib of beef out of the freezer in anticipation of a large number of us for lunch! It was beautiful. I wanted to take a picture of it but didn't. I actually overcooked it a bit but it didn't suffer too much. The Scotts wanted a day at home by themselves so the eating of it was down to us. The compromise being that we would take it round to them for lunch on Monday cold. As it was so hot, we spent the day in the pool, beside the pool and in the shade! This was to be M's downfall.

Monday morning we had decided to start work outside early to beat the sun. M worked in her vege plot and I was busy emptying the barn so that WHEN we get the hay in, I will have space to get it in. The Range Rover started first time even with a flat battery! Na na de na na M. Seeing as I have stripped the front down to the engine and radiator and all of the panels are safely tucked away, it did look bizarre. Anyway, I digress. When we came up for a cup of tea, it was already getting hot. I suppose it was around 9am! Michelle started to get a pain in the back. This got steadily worse and when we went round to the Scott's, it was similar to loading up the geriatrics from the old peoples home. Still, the girls managed to wait without fighting in the back and when we arrived, they were almost in the pool straight away. The pool looks good. A few wrinkles in the liner but they are a pig to put in. I think Richard did really well getting it in, draining it and rearranging it.

The lunch went well, I don't think that my 'rotten' beef went down well. It seems that the colonials are not used to hanging their beef and like it fresh off the carcass! Oh, I tell a lie, they attach it to a portable elecric fence unit and shock the poor beast once it is down for about ten minutes. This, they claim, is the equivalent of a weeks hanging. I think that all it does is to more effectively bleed the freshly downed animal much in the same way as trying to revive someone with a defibrillator. I hope that that isn't what they try to do as the poor beast has a .22 bullet in the brain and smile across it's throat that nigh on severs the spinal cord. Anyway, we came home and Michelle popped some pain killers and we spent the rest of the day reading under the fans till bed time.

Today, Tuesday, M is much better. She has been chair bound in the office and it seems to have worked wonders. Alice was off to school and missed the bus this morning. What is new there? I went to work and was covering for Steve as he is on A/L for a fortnight. I had to come back home and pick H up so that she could get her school dress, a new one! She also needed a stationary pack from school, so I dropped her in town and then after work, we whizzed around town and back home. M has had a bad hair day today and it is really only because she had such a bad night and was coming down off the drugs! Sounds better than it is really. However, a simple supper of cous cous and chicken with corn on the cob rounded the day off. I had best stop M from drifting off into the land of nod and move her toward the bedroom. So I wish you all a good night.