Sunday morning and this will be a short entry, the sun is shining at 7.15am and I am keen to get outside. I have made tea and returned to bed. This is the first morning I have been able to open all the doors and let the sun in so early. It is very spring-like here and I just hope it stays that way.
This is the first weekend that we have not had people over or needed to go somewhere and with good weather I have been able to concentrate on the garden/outdoor jobs. I have made a list as long as my arm and spent all of yesterday in the veg plot. Tilled almost all of it. It now looks very bare but has lots of seedlings and seeds in. Planted potatoes, carrots, onions, spring onions and broccoli. The chooks are eating the weeds but have not learnt yet to scratch. Freckles likes watching me in the veg plot when she is in that paddock as the weeds are usually big and I feed them to her but she is missing out now as there are hardly any weeds and I am in planting mode now. She looks most disgruntled! She and Carol are separated from the other cows at the moment as Nelson is still ‘intact’ and it’s that time of year, and of course they are still feeding. It is great working with them around, the calves are so curious and of course they play around and keep me amused. Eric was testing my tiller yesterday (I thought the tines were on the wrong way round) and found the electric 3-phase cables that have been eluding us since we moved in. Ian and Claire told us where they were, roughly, but we have never been able to find them. In theory this means we can now get electricity supplied to the barn. The only problem is the cable is right in the middle of the veg!!! A job for the winter I think.
The best thing about the variety how…. was when it finished!!! However, although it was not very good I have nothing but admiration for the kids getting up there and performing in front of hundreds of parents in a packed hall and would go again and again to support them. The funniest bit was a child doing the hamster dance (some country and western sort of thing) with her mother. Well I say funny, it was incredibly embarrassing. They had to do a series of vigorous jumps from the back to the front of the stage. I will just say that this lady could have done with a better supporting bra, and leave the rest to your imagination!! Alice’s groups performance was quite good and she seemed to stand out because she moved a little (many of the child stood like scared rabbits), was near the middle, smiled and had bright clothes on. There were some displays of superb talent, a piano rendition if Beethovens 5th etc. At the end I saw Di who came and spoke to me very briefly as she was whisked away. I didn’t get much of an update on Rob but I don’t think there is any improvement.
Well the tea is finished and my garden is calling!!
Sunday, September 24, 2006
Wednesday, September 20, 2006
Spring - well almost!
I feel that I am making a bit of headway in the veg plot. After the sheep got in and decimated it when I was in Auckland I have taken the opportunity to rethink and plan. I have consulted my companion planting bible and planned the whole thing. I am moving away from sowing seeds into the bed and towards buying seedlings or growing in seed trays first. I have real problems getting seeds to germinate. So far I have planted; lettuce, cauliflower, pak choy, cabbage, spinach, silverbeet and coriander.
Last night we went up to Ian and Shirleys and bought down the chook house they said we could have. I was going to put it in the orchard and leave them free range but decided to use the chooks to eat away the last of the weeds in the veg plot first. I do not feel guilty at leaving them confined to a chook house as they have come from a battery hen house so what they have now is a thousand times better than were they were 3 days ago. Until now our chooks have been in wendy house sized accommodation close to the house with an ajoining run. Demolishing this is now on the, very long, 'to do' list. I am focused on the veg plot and Eric on fencing at the moment so it may have to wait a wee while.
Whilst our life is plodding along, no better than that, our life if very good at the moment, that of a local familys has been devestasted by an accident. Rob, a local vet was kicked in the head/face by a sedated horse while it was being AI'd. He has been in am induced coma for several days and transferred to Auckland. I am not sure why he was transferred as Waikato Hospital has recently opened it's long called for neurosurgical unit. Anyway, years of working in ICU means I fully appreciate what Di and the rest of the family must be going through. The thought of this is stuck in my head, dominating my quiet moments and makes me feel quite tearful talking or writing about it. I have written to Di and just pray he recovers well. although I've never seen anyone come out of induced coma totally unchanged.
Richard and Robyn have been in hiding for about 6 weeks aka calving. I've missed them and haven't seen them for 2-3 weeks. They came for supper last night and we had a good catch up, well as much as you can with one overgrown teenage daughter hanging around! Why can't she hang about with the other girls. It was nice earlier in the evening when, on going into her room to see the seriously gross, new duvet cover Robyn and I found Sarah and Harri laying on their tummies on the bed pouring over magazines listening to loud music. Soooo teenage-ish!! It's just a shame that Harriette finds the company of adults so appealing and hangs around so much when we are trying to talk. Even at her age some conversation is not for her ears.
Spring keeps putting it's toe through the door... then retreating!! Some lovely days have been followed by somw very chilly ones. Everybodies grass eems to be growing except ours! (I can here Richard says 'put some fert on it'!) The problem has been fencing, another job that has been neglected this last year or 2. That's not getting at Eric either, he just hasn't had the time. Consequently, the stock cannot be confined to paddcks and so we cannot manage the pasture as we should. It also means we have not been able to break feed throguh the winter. We are hoping that the grass comes on soon as we are almost out of silage and don't want to be buying in at this stage.
We are just off to Intermediate Schools Variety Show. Alice and 3 of her friends are performing a song along to the actual record playing. She singing is not perfect and I am intrigued to see how this goes!! 2 of her friends have come home with her and are currently dressing up, straightenoing hair etc.
Last night we went up to Ian and Shirleys and bought down the chook house they said we could have. I was going to put it in the orchard and leave them free range but decided to use the chooks to eat away the last of the weeds in the veg plot first. I do not feel guilty at leaving them confined to a chook house as they have come from a battery hen house so what they have now is a thousand times better than were they were 3 days ago. Until now our chooks have been in wendy house sized accommodation close to the house with an ajoining run. Demolishing this is now on the, very long, 'to do' list. I am focused on the veg plot and Eric on fencing at the moment so it may have to wait a wee while.
Whilst our life is plodding along, no better than that, our life if very good at the moment, that of a local familys has been devestasted by an accident. Rob, a local vet was kicked in the head/face by a sedated horse while it was being AI'd. He has been in am induced coma for several days and transferred to Auckland. I am not sure why he was transferred as Waikato Hospital has recently opened it's long called for neurosurgical unit. Anyway, years of working in ICU means I fully appreciate what Di and the rest of the family must be going through. The thought of this is stuck in my head, dominating my quiet moments and makes me feel quite tearful talking or writing about it. I have written to Di and just pray he recovers well. although I've never seen anyone come out of induced coma totally unchanged.
Richard and Robyn have been in hiding for about 6 weeks aka calving. I've missed them and haven't seen them for 2-3 weeks. They came for supper last night and we had a good catch up, well as much as you can with one overgrown teenage daughter hanging around! Why can't she hang about with the other girls. It was nice earlier in the evening when, on going into her room to see the seriously gross, new duvet cover Robyn and I found Sarah and Harri laying on their tummies on the bed pouring over magazines listening to loud music. Soooo teenage-ish!! It's just a shame that Harriette finds the company of adults so appealing and hangs around so much when we are trying to talk. Even at her age some conversation is not for her ears.
Spring keeps putting it's toe through the door... then retreating!! Some lovely days have been followed by somw very chilly ones. Everybodies grass eems to be growing except ours! (I can here Richard says 'put some fert on it'!) The problem has been fencing, another job that has been neglected this last year or 2. That's not getting at Eric either, he just hasn't had the time. Consequently, the stock cannot be confined to paddcks and so we cannot manage the pasture as we should. It also means we have not been able to break feed throguh the winter. We are hoping that the grass comes on soon as we are almost out of silage and don't want to be buying in at this stage.
We are just off to Intermediate Schools Variety Show. Alice and 3 of her friends are performing a song along to the actual record playing. She singing is not perfect and I am intrigued to see how this goes!! 2 of her friends have come home with her and are currently dressing up, straightenoing hair etc.
Tuesday, September 12, 2006
Just a general catch up
Very run of the mill Tuesday evening, except I have managed to find time to blog. Eric's 3rd week in the job but only the first one when I have been at home every night. Quite organised at the moment, preparing supper (sorry tea as they call it here) in the morning so it's not a big rush in the evening. I was so organised today I even managed to get the orchard sprayed and do a little bit in the veg plot after work and before it got dark (around 6.30pm). The veg plot - what a disaster. While I was away last week the sheep got in, during the day when no-one was home! They ate everything, except the broad beans and leeks. Sounds disaterous but actually there wasn't a lot in there. The 3 celeriac plants I have been nurturing so carefully where eaten but luckily they could dig up the root so I dug them up and we had them yesterday. I have saved some for Robyn and must take it up to her tomorrow as she has never had any. Celeriac is sooo rare here. I could get some but it would cost about $7/kg which is outrageously expensive. I have never just come across any in the shops. Back to the veg plot. I dug up all my carrots today and examined the rhubarb, which I think will survive. Beetroot, cabbages and broccolli all gone though. Still I have now had a re-think and have planned what I am going to do now for the whole year. We will be putting permanent fencing up very soon! In fact we sat down last night and planned all the fencing and prioritised it. Some fencing has come down in various paddocks and now we can hardly keep stock confined to any one. Yet another job that has not got done due to lack of time and money. Still with spring on the way we are now getting some time in the evenings, and we have decided not to plan anything for the next few weekends so that we can get on top of a few things.
IMAC had their biennial vaccne symposium last Friday/Saturday and as usual we had a national training day the day before so I was in Auckland from Wednesday to Saturday. I really don't like being away for so long and was shattered when I got back. Sunday was horrible weather so not much got done then. t the symposium I met a lady from America. She was one of our guest speakers. We hit it off and I have invited her and her family to stay with us when they come to NZ (she was very keen to bring them back for a holiday. She has travelled extensively with her work and we shared a love for Africa.
At work we have an ongoing battle over our accommodation. Penny and I refused to stay at the motel they keep booking us into but were not much impressed with the alternative. It did have a gym though which we managed to use. I was most impressed when I went in there on Thursday and Penny asked me to listen to her account of the functioning of the immune system to see if she had got it right. I would NEVER be thinking of such a thing whilst on a walking machine. maybe that's where I am going wrong. I find such activilties sooo boring.
I have been trying to get back into walking in the mornings now that the days are getting longer. My efforts have not really got off the ground though as I have not been here for many mornings and now I am full of cold and feeling yuk. It is certainly harder than when I was walking before so it must have been doing me some good, even if I didn't loose any weight.
The weekend before last was Father's Day, well the Sunday was. I was chatting to Ian in the morning while loading the wheelbarrow up with silage (Eric wasn't doing it as it was Father's Day you understand) and on asking they had nothing planned for the day (Ian and Shirley's children are in New Plymouth) so I asked them to join us for lunch. Mom and Daddy were coming over and we were having a huge bacon joint that Eric had recently cured. Well we had such a nice afternoon, and drank far too much wine!!
You know we have an intelligent child (well 2 but I am refering specifically to the bigger one). Well. Harriette was looking at an article on 9/11 in the Waikato Times. There was a picture of the World Trade Centre with a direction arrow pointing north just below the South Tower ie pointing at the South Tower. Harriette asks "If that's north why do they call it the South Tower" (Think about it!)
All well here. Geese still sitting on the nests. Can't get anywhere near them to see how many eggs are there. Ducks took up residence on the pond in the front paddock again this week, which had again appeared due to even more rain. We have had a pond there for more days this winter than in all the time we have been here. Calves and lambs are thriving. Hoping for some good weather this weekend so we can get the sheep in to dag, drench and ring them. Jobs that desparately need doing.
Well I think that catches us up. Taking my poor cold to bed now. Night night.
IMAC had their biennial vaccne symposium last Friday/Saturday and as usual we had a national training day the day before so I was in Auckland from Wednesday to Saturday. I really don't like being away for so long and was shattered when I got back. Sunday was horrible weather so not much got done then. t the symposium I met a lady from America. She was one of our guest speakers. We hit it off and I have invited her and her family to stay with us when they come to NZ (she was very keen to bring them back for a holiday. She has travelled extensively with her work and we shared a love for Africa.
At work we have an ongoing battle over our accommodation. Penny and I refused to stay at the motel they keep booking us into but were not much impressed with the alternative. It did have a gym though which we managed to use. I was most impressed when I went in there on Thursday and Penny asked me to listen to her account of the functioning of the immune system to see if she had got it right. I would NEVER be thinking of such a thing whilst on a walking machine. maybe that's where I am going wrong. I find such activilties sooo boring.
I have been trying to get back into walking in the mornings now that the days are getting longer. My efforts have not really got off the ground though as I have not been here for many mornings and now I am full of cold and feeling yuk. It is certainly harder than when I was walking before so it must have been doing me some good, even if I didn't loose any weight.
The weekend before last was Father's Day, well the Sunday was. I was chatting to Ian in the morning while loading the wheelbarrow up with silage (Eric wasn't doing it as it was Father's Day you understand) and on asking they had nothing planned for the day (Ian and Shirley's children are in New Plymouth) so I asked them to join us for lunch. Mom and Daddy were coming over and we were having a huge bacon joint that Eric had recently cured. Well we had such a nice afternoon, and drank far too much wine!!
You know we have an intelligent child (well 2 but I am refering specifically to the bigger one). Well. Harriette was looking at an article on 9/11 in the Waikato Times. There was a picture of the World Trade Centre with a direction arrow pointing north just below the South Tower ie pointing at the South Tower. Harriette asks "If that's north why do they call it the South Tower" (Think about it!)
All well here. Geese still sitting on the nests. Can't get anywhere near them to see how many eggs are there. Ducks took up residence on the pond in the front paddock again this week, which had again appeared due to even more rain. We have had a pond there for more days this winter than in all the time we have been here. Calves and lambs are thriving. Hoping for some good weather this weekend so we can get the sheep in to dag, drench and ring them. Jobs that desparately need doing.
Well I think that catches us up. Taking my poor cold to bed now. Night night.
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