Our clocks have gone forward, and the temperatures plummetted! It was OK over the weekend but last week it was so chilly I lit the fire again. This weekend was OK but it is blowy and raining now (Mon evening) and there is a bad weather warning for the South Island with 20cm of snow expected down to sea level. For heavens sake, what is the weather coming to? Eric and I got outside when he got home at 5pm today but we gave up when the rain arrived. I must say I am pleased with the progress I am making in the veg plot. I do not have much luck growing peas. I diligently collect twiggy pea sticks to support the plant and put them in when I plant the peas and end up with about 3 scraggy plants in a 20' row. Eric laughed at me today and said 'you're not planting more pea sticks are you' I'll show him. I've planted about 400 plants this time!! The seedlings of broccoli, cauliflower, broccoflower, beans, silverbeet, spinach parsley, coriander etc are doing well and my broad beans look fabulous. Another 3-4 days and I'll pick the first ones I think. (I'm typing this while MSNing Katie, Eric's neice and I obviously can't multi-skill as well as I used to!!). Chooks gave up laying eggs 3 days after they got here but have just come back into lay so as long as they stay that way I will be happy.
Had a very busy few days. Beth, Graham and Luke came down from Auckland for a weekend in the country. They are such good company and we thoroughly enjoyed them being here. Luke (aged 10) loves all the animals and they bought their goergeous shaggy golden retriever Max. He was shampooed for his trip out(at Grahams insistence before he would let him in his car) and rolled in cow poo within 5 minutes of arriving! Actually they got dragged off to the paddocks before they got in the door as, just as they arrived, Eric had spotted a ewe trapped under his trailer and we were just going to release it. Eric had his trailer in a back paddock as it has all his fencing stuff on it. The daft creature had gone under the the towing arm and obviously knocked it. The trailer tipped and trapped her. She must have been their awhile as her back legs took a good few minutes to work once she was freed. Anyway, we finally got Beth and Graham indoors for a sup of tea.
Eric and Graham went to Rotorua to do some fly fishing early on Saturday morning and arrived back just as the rest of us were leaving to go swimming. We had a lovely supper that evening. Huge's aromatic pork belly. It is in his Meat book that Carol gave us and absolutely divine, and sooo simple. I also made bread and butter pudding but when I went to serve it I found we were out of apricot brany and one cannot serve B+B pud without it. Eric was not impressed! We had some pud left over and, after going in 3 liquor stores on Saturday, I managed to find some so he had it on Saturday. Saturday we had a great evening. R+R came round with the girls. The poor Scotts had to suffer Chicken Thighs Normandie again as Beth had particularly requested it (I always seem to be cooking it for the Scotts - and Richard doesn't eat chicken!). We had some pork left over and I served that also but I don't think that appealed to Richard either, not that he's fussy you understand!!!!!! We also had jacket potatoes, Robyns famous potatoe dish, asparagus (the local farm has started selling - hurray. I was beginning to think they had gone out of the asparagus business), broccoli and this new veg I have seen but not tried. Beth bought it down. It is like a bunch of about 30 thin, spring onions but 18" long, straight and garlic flavoured. Does anyone know what they are called? It was very nice. I also made a choclate cheesecake - again and Robyn did a fabulous meringue roulade. We went to bed stuffed!!!
Sunday was a bit of a lie in, a huge breakfast (home made sausage and bacon, our own eggs, home made bread, OK from the bread maker, and brought mushrooms - I can't be fagged to grow them) and then a wander down to the veg plot to discuss with Beth (a keen veg grower despite her hankerchief sized city garden. I'm amazed at what she produces), and then on to my orchard. It was while we were there that Eric spotted the calf that I posted photos on yesterday. After B,G and L left we had a lazy few hours curled up on the sofa reading. Bliss!
Today the girls are back to school after 2 weeks holiday and I spent the day trying to catch up with work that has been neglected! Eric is in week 6 of soliciting.
No comments:
Post a Comment