It's Christmas.

At long last. Some time to myself to catch up on things.

Juliet, Kev, Emma and Hannah were due down for the weekend for our traditional mid-winter Xmas dinner (a little later than usual because of their sojourn to the UK). A saddle of lamb this time. On Thursday I had been to Taumaranui and popped into Helen and Phil's new (beautiful) house on the way home, so did not get in until after 7pm. Friday I was working, and though I took a few hours off, I managed to get very little done. I was thinking that J and K would probably collect the girls from school and be here around 4.30pm, but hoping they would be later! It was only when Alice started saying 'When will they be here' (in a whining tone!) and Eric said they have to wait for Kev to get home from work that I realised I had more time. Phew! I'd forgotten that Kev worked now!! Before unemployment he worked from home so they still got here a reasonable time. Anyway they arrived around 7.30pm and we ate around 8pm. When we went to bed, I thought it was around 11pm and got a huge shock when it was gone 1am!!!

Yesterday did not turn out as planned. We had a planned our meal for about 3pm, but the day was so nice we decided we did not want to spend it indoors cooking so we'd eat later. It was turning out to be busy anyway. Eric and Kev fetched the goosers in the morning, so we had to spend a few hours on that, getting them settled into their new home.




This is where they should be living.



No sooner had they had been settled in than they walked straight through the electric fencing and waddled around the paddocks! As long as they stay in our they'll be OK.

Juliet had to do some shopping in Matamata so saved me some time by taking Alice to and from netball (they beat arch rivals Waharoa). Harriette didn't have a match but was instructed to go the jewellers and get my watch and get me a replacement novel at the library. I have just finished Above Suspicion - an excellent read. Now H and A have for the last 3 years been trying to work out my PIN for my eftpos card (bank debit card). When I handed her the card and told her my number she couldn't believe it. I just forgot to give her clear instructions on how to use it. She typed in the number without first specifying which account to use and the card wouldn't work!! So she came home with the watch and a bill and 2 books I'd already read!!!

To add to the days activity Eric decided to build his smoker. He had made bacon and wanted to warm smoke it. I was not impressed at his timing but there you go.

On top of this Carol went and decided she would produce her baby. Now I have to say I was surprised at this as I was convinced Freckles would deliver weeks ahead of her. Anyway. We managed some canapes and a glass of wine, or 3, on the deck at around lunchtime.

It was now around 3pm and we were getting a little anxious about Carol. She had been at it for about 4 hours and did not seem to be progressing. We consulted the books (don't laugh R+R!) and decided she needed to be examined. Problem was Eric couldn't get near her, so we phoned Claire next door and asked if we could use the race (pen and cattle crush). We moved her into the crush and Eric examined her.

She was in an OK position but the hooves looked big and we decided she needed help. I phoned Warwick over the road but he was milking, so tried John next door. We were on the scrounge for some calving ropes (Eric had looked at some in the morning but not bought them!!!!). John came up with John jnr. John jnr took charge and the 3 of them pulled her out within a few contractions. Washed up and they were gone in 15 minutes!!!!


Xmas dinner was now destined to be an evening meal as it was now 5pm. Back to the house for some serious cooking. Camera battery died at this point so I'll have to wait for Kev to email me his photos.
I was exhausted by the time we went to bed. I woke totally disoriented and confused at 6am. The phone was ringing! It was Claire (in the UK). She was totally apologetic but once I'd actually woken I was OK about it. She is so busy, with 5 children, that she can be forgiven for getting the times mixed up. It was great to have a chat.

These were taken this morning...


..before we sat down to a breakfast of home produced: bacon (smoked and unsmoked), sausages, liver, black pudding and eggs (Juliet's. Cedar Lodge chooks don't know how to lay!!!). I haven't got as far as growing the wheat for the bread yet and the tomatoes and baked beans came out a tin.


R+R were meant to be coming round for tea sometime today but when I phoned they said they were having a busy and disasterous weekend and have lost 3 cows so would take a raicheck on the tea (they are in the depths of calving so it was always going to be a tenuous arrangement. So now, we are having a wonderful doss afternoon. It's been tipping down for hours so I lit the fire and got a jigsaw out. Early to bed tonight.

A beautiful baby boy

It required 3 men pulling on ropes but Carol (eventually) gave birth to a beautiful bouncing baby boy this evening around 5pm. Weight "kin heavy" according to Eric who carried her into the front paddock from the races. A 3pm dinner had to be postponed to 8pm to accomodate this. Piccies to follow when I have time to post them.

Carol's in labour.

Sat 11.12am. Contractions every 4 minutes. Carol looking very confused. Geese arrived this morning and promtly escaped, recaptured and last seen where they are supposed to be - down by the pond. Mid-winter Christmas dinner today and I'm supposed to be peeling spuds!! Will repost back asap.

Hunting In The Raw

This would never have happened if we lived in England!

We went to bed last night. I was reading Above Suspicion, Linda La Plante, it's unputdownable. Eric, who had finally got his hands on the Harry Potter book now we've all read it, suddenly went rigid and gave me that 'don't tell me you didn't hear it' look I am becoming very familiar with (I hadn't heard a thing). I listened intently then heard the possum. Now for those of you outside Australasia, take a deep breath, pull a grimace while gritting you teeth together, push your tongue onto the roof of your mouth, now force the air out hard. That's what it sounds like. This could only mean I had to put my unputdowmable book down. Eric lept up, dashed to the gun cabinet and pulled out his rifle. I found the torch and scanned the trees outside the bedroom windows. I located the bugger, not difficult you just look for red eyes. Eric couldn't get a clear shot and I realised there was a curled up bundle in the Y of the tree closest to us. Eric shot at it, it jumped up, he fired again but it turn and he hit it across the nose, it shrieked out and moved, Eric fired again and click, nothing happened, same again. He then realised he was out of ammo. Now despite his apparent love of killing things Eric is always careful that animals don't suffer. He realised he had to dash to his ute and grab the job rifle in the gun cabinet he has in there. Worried that the animal was in pain he did not waste time dressing. As I tried to keep a light on the animal, I was desperate not to loose it, the torch faded. I grabbed Eric's head torch and as he prowled around outside the window I threw it to him so he could get a light on the creature from where he stood. Another shot and there was a loud thud as the possum fell out the tree. Hurray. Once I reaslised it was no longer suffering I then took in the hilarity of the sight before us (Harriette had got up at all the drama). Sorry Eric, I couldn't resist it!!!!

Huka Jet and Birthdays

3 blog entries posted today.

Yesterday we went on the HukaJet and it was fabulous. I had arranged to go down to Taupo to met up with Fiona, a new colleague. I mentioned before that Fiona has a daughter Harri's age. Well when we spoke in the morning she had to shoot off somewhere for work but said we should call into Hukajet (her husband is one of the managers there), where her daughter was and we may be able to go out!!!! The Hukajet a jet boat(!) that goes up to the Huka Falls one way and down to Aratiatia Dam on the Waikato river the other. I can't do posh links but if you go to www.hukajet.co.nz you'll see what it's all about. It was absolutely brilliant. We have got/will have photo's on their website (for 22 July) but they haven't been posted yet. We have previously done the Camjet up to Karapiro Dam but this was MUCH better.




I was soaked (thank heavens Fiona had said to take a spare set of clothing) and when your face is wet and you're flying over the river at 80kph it's like pins sticking in your face, but it was fabulous, and the driver incredibly skilled, and very amusing. Poor Eric, Uni (doing an exam) am and working pm was so jealous when he got in and read my note saying where we were. I walked into the kitchen on our return to a cry of "I'm jealous, I'd have gone off sick if you had waited for me" (we left about 10 mins before he got home from uni!!). He sulked looking at the photo's. Poor Eric, maybe another time!! When we got to Taupo we were not able to get on a jetboat for an hour or so so we took Meg and went for a walk at 'Craters on the Moon' a thermal walk nearby.



We had coffee at Fiona's, awaiting her return, which she did as we left to go back to the Hukajet. She came and watched and then we went back to there place afterwards to change into dry clothes and have warm drinks. They are a lovely family and we hope that they can come here for a meal in a few weeks. We can't compete with jetboats but hopefully they will enjoy a day in the country!
Mount Ruapehu and Taupo Lake. Fiona lives close to where this photo was taken.


Both H and A have had birthdays this month. Harriette went swimming with some friends adamant that she didn't want Alice to come. That was fine, I told her she couldn't go with Alice on her birthday. Harriette was happy with that until A. said she wanted to go bowling!! Mandy, Adam, Oliver and Hannah came over Saturday night for a meal and stayed over. As usual we had a good evening with them, they are a real laugh. When I mentioned bowling Mandy said she had some 'buy one game get one free' vouchers for Tauranga. We decided we'd go there and take Hannah with us.




On Sunday H,A and I went up to the Stokes to catch up on all their travel news. They had had house sitters in for the 4 weeks they were away and apparently they left the house looking like a hovel. No windows had been opened all the time and the condensation had left mould everywhere, the hoover had not been used, the washing up had been left, the cookers work tops and every thing was filthy. Washing had been left in a machine and gone mouldy etc etc etc. Poor J and K, they came in from a long haul flight and had to spend 2 days cleaning. How inconsiderate can people be. Apart from that they'd had a fabulous holiday!

We bought Emma back with us for a few days. Alice then phoned her friends Sam and Katherine to advise them of the details of her birthday to find that Sam had gone away to her grandparents. Leaving a spare booking, Alice decided to invite Harriette as she felt mean not inviting her!! More than Harriette would have done! We had a good few hours at the bowling alley after birthday cake at Mandy's when we picked up Hannah. I decided to take the cake over there as after a birthday tea the last thing kids want is cake!

On Thursday Juliet came down with Hannah to collect Emma and stayed overnight. So, we've had a busy week. Today we actually got the children outside doing some work. It was a beautiful day and, with the log pile down to a few days supply we needed to chop and restack. The area at the top of the drive by the kennels was a mess with wood all over the place. By the end of the day, and several refuellings of the chainsaw it was clear and tidy and we had a replenished woodpile.

Oh. One depressing bit of news. The bill for the Mistral. It came to about $7,000!!! which equates to about 2 and a half months of my salary!!!!! But what option did we have?

So, apologies to those of you who have been leaving comments about lack of blog. I hope the photo's make up for things!

School Hols

Gosh it's ages since I blogged.

Steve and Charlotte (friends of Bloos's an Old Boy from Dukes who stayed here a year or 2 ago) are here, arrived on Monday evening. The are gadding around Auz and NZ for 6 months, doing this leg in a camper van. They have no specific plans so can stay for as long, or as little, as they want.

The girls are on holiday for 2 weeks. Eric's on leave from work AND uni this week and I am off next week. Nothing planned for this week but next week we hope to spend a few days with Juliet and Kev. I also plan to visit a colleague who lives in Taupo. She has a daughter the same age as the girls. J and K are currently in Disneyland on their way home from the UK after Juliets brothers wedding. I am really looking forward to spending some time with them. Eric is back to work and Uni next week so I'll leave him behind to study.

Let's get the rugby out the way! There is no doubt that the All Blacks are a far superior team (who I will now be backing to the hilt in the Tri-Nations) and, I reckon, are unbeatable at the moment. With regards to the tour itself, it was a huge sucess. The fans conducted themselves admirably and NZ hopes it has proven it is capable of hosting major tours, with it's eye on the 2011 Rugby World Cup.

We have started lambing. We had a single lamb followed by our first ever triplets. Unfortunately we lost all of them. Nancy (our first born here 3 years ago, remember, with Frank), had twins and since we had a single, and triplets again today, two stillborn this time. Luckily the weather is very mild at the moment though we have had a lot of rain.


We also reckon Freckles is pregnant, correction she definately is and we think Carol is as well. I have actually been feeding out with Eric this last few mornings, with them all on leave the mornings are quite relaxed at the moment. Sarah, David's dog a Weimaraner, is boarding here at the moment, for a month. It is such a pleasure to see the 3 of them charging around the paddocks. Generally they are locked up at the moment because of lambing, we don't want Rust retrieving them as playthings!

The Making of Roast Pork and Black Pudding

This was the boar Napoleon. Was being the operative word!

The last supper (well breakfast)

The following day

....and later

This was several days later, you're lucky I don't have photo's of the making of the black pud (mainly 'cos I couldn't watch!!)

As you can see, life at Cedar Lodge goes on as usual!

Mistral

I knew I'd forgotten something. The Mistral is back on the road!!!! That you know. Trouble was on Saturday when I took Alice to the doctors it wouldn't start when we came out the chemist. Luckily Eric and Richard were in town watching the netball so a jump start was on hand. No idea why, I'm parking with the bonnet accessible but it has been OK since. Driving it is a dream though compared to Erics truck the Safari. Eric said to enjoy it before the bill comes in!! We also needed to pay for diesel miles, registration and diesel. When we arrived in NZ diesel was 45c/l, it's now 93c/l!!!!! I couldn't believe the price of filling up after just 16 weeks. The microwave of 18 years has also died. You know those phases in your life when money seems to heamorrhage out? Well it feels like we're in one at the moment. All things pas though - don't they?!

Don't Mention The Rugby!

We don't need to mention the rugby so I won't!

Harriette has just gone off to Matamata Girls Rallies. She has a school friend who goes and wants to give it a go. It seems to be a bit like Guides but with a religious slant. I'm not sure about it but I trust Harriette to make a sensible decision about it. Don't get me wrong I don't have a problem with religion and indeed feel children should have some understanding of it. We used to take the children to church regularly when they were very young. But I am a bit anti the evangelical approach. You may recall a year or so ago we went to a concert in Matamata put on by the Bible Church that started all pop music like and and ended with a 'come to us and be saved' mantra. Alice got sucked and frigtened by the whole thing. Anyway, I'll shall be interested to hear what Harri has to say about it.

It was her birthday on Sunday and I was trying to persuade Alice to let Harriette take her 2 friends to the Aquatic Centre without her. I think she was about to agree but she got an infection which put paid to her swimming anyway. Off to the doctors again at the weekend (Alice has only ever once managed an urgent doctors appointment during the week - don't forget we pay here, 3 times as much at the weekend) and more antibiotics! She was all shivery and nauseaus on Saturday so I have given her today off school to be sure she is over the worst. We have just had her parent teacher interview. Doing very well but capable of more was the verdict, and destined for the accelerate class when she goes to Intermediate in January.

Harriette's birthday was more successful than the disater of last year (you remember the sleepover with too many girls and they all argued etc). She just has Sarah and Kylie here for tea after a swim. We bought her(them) a netball stand (which H and A got awhile ago) some CD's and a alarm clock radio. She has got a significant amount of money thanks to Mom and Daddy and Cheryl (who is far too generous!). I am trying to persuade her to save it and will take her to open a Kiwi Bank account this week.

Eric is playing on the other computer and journeying down memory lane care of a CD mix from Stan of 'school days' songs. No not studying for a change.

Did Harriette survive her readathon. Yes, of course, care of the loan of a blanket from Kylie and a pillowcase stuffed with clothes from Britany. She had no sleep of course.

Nil else to report, but feel I have forgotten something. Night, night.

A Mother's Dilema

Harriette (foulest child on earth at present - well in my presence anyway, she gets on fine with her father!) has just gone to school for a readathon (overnight stay in the library) with her class. 3 weeks ago she dug out the sleeping mat and bag and they have been kicking around her bedroom floor, along with every other possession she has, since. Today she announces that she needs to go to the library before (apparently it's open until 7pm, I didn't know that!). Why she needs to go to the town library when she is sleeping in the school one overnight I don't know. Now this child takes almost nothing for lunch these days and thinks I'm going to let her out for the night with no supper! We compromise and she has some cheese and biscuits instead of the thai curry (mainly because I can't bare the thought of eating with her glaring at evryone across the table). So we go off to school. Harriette has a plastic carrier bag with a few books, paracetamol (she had her 3rd MeNZB jab today) and some lollies (sorry sweets) in and that's it. 'Harriette' I say, 'you are staying overnight. Where's your overnight bag?' Big strop. 'I'm fine in this' (shrugs meaning a t shirt and 3/4 pants (it's about minus 3 degrees at night at the moment). I insist she takes a fleece (another strop). Anyway we load up, go to the library (have you got your card - no!, manages to wangle 10 books out anyway!) then go off to the school. Parents decanting children all over the place, children with... overnight bags, pillows, sleeping bags etc. 'Harriette, where's your sleeping bag' 'Oh, I forgot it - I'll be fine'!!!!!! AAARRRGGGGGG!!!!!!!!

So my dilema. Do I come home (14km each way) and get stuff or do I let her suffer? We've been here before haven't we (Feb-ish, school camp). Anyway I have opted for suffering. Problem is it'll be me. She'll find some mug who'll give up their spare blanket and I'll be fretting all night she's going to suffer hypothermia. Still she's 12 on Sunday only 6 years to go! Trouble is, with the concert last night, readathon tonight, rugby at The Scott's tomorrow she'll be even more foul on Sunday and the birthday will be spent feeling guilty for yelling at her because she will be mega-stroppy and I will loose my temper. Roll on Monday.

PS Eric, Alice and I played scrabble and pigged out on chocolate - in peace!

PPS I do love both my daughters passionately -honest!