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.
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