Monthly Archives: June 2010

Karola spent much of the day raking leaves. We found time for her to trim the front feet of ewe #403 who has been limping for a couple of days – no obvious sign of infection so it may be aching joints not footrot.

Occasional bright sunny periods but cold. Bicka and i went round the boundary as usual.

Weather:3°C—13°C; no rain [82.0]

After breakfast Karola and I moved the geese into the Front paddock so that they could enjoy the short time the ha-ha is a small lake.
Plagued with e-mailing problems, spent the morning on this to no avail.
We also calculated when the first lambs might appear – my guess is after 23rd August but based on our records Karola thinks any time in August.
Before lunch we went to Napier where Bicka and I had our walk and Karola caught up on the shopping.
Back home after lunch Bicka and I went round the boundary once more.

Weather:3°C—15°C; no rain [81.2]

First an hour of putting up electric fence around even more of the lawn and environs. Then my constitutional with Bicka round the boundary. Karola spent much time raking leaves to let the grass grow and the ewes find the grass.

Weather:4°C—15°C; 6.8 mm rain [81.5]

To our surprise and delight the big puddles on the spot we expect to move the cottage are all drained away this morning – so they drained within 12 hours which just shows how free-draining the soil is here. However the cellar under the homestead which quixotically dried out as the rain fell yesterday has several inches (or millimetres if you like) of water in it today. “It’s a miracle” etc – but really I think it must be related to the height of the water table which depends on the amount of rain that’s recently fallen in the mountains many kilometres away.

Bicka and I had our “beating the boundary” walk just before lunch in sunny weather, if somewhat muddy conditions. And I did Karola’s GST this afternoon which always makes me feel a little virtuous.

Weather:0°C—14°C; no rain [80.9]

Lots of rain. Kept hunkered down inside except for my constitutional with Bicka round the boundary. We photographed the ponds that have formed where we plan to put the cottage. It’s mainly under water up to 100mm (4 inches) deep but I think it’ll drain quite easily once there’s somewhere for the water to go.

Weather:3°C—12°C; 19.5 mm rain [81.1]

Hastings in the morning.

Karola fixed up the male lamb’s electric fence and also finished fencing round the lawn and let her pregnant ewes in for a bit of a feast. She also set out the salt+zinc block we got yesterday from Farmlands.

Bicka and I did our 30 minute walk around the boundary.

Weather:11°C—14°C; 9.9 mm rain [81.5]

Persistent rain today with few breaks. Inside all day except for 30 minutes with Bicka walking round the boundary, checking the sheep.

Karola went out to lunch with Phillida Russell and her mother Tommy Ormond then on shopping and to visit Laurie and Enid McDermott, our smallholding minders, to see whether we could prevail on them again for a visit to Wellington in July.

Weather:9°C—14°C; 10.2 mm rain [81.8]

Taradale (Diabetes Society – for advice) then Napier foreshore for a walk with Bicka. PinkFit guys came mid afternoon and finished around 6:30pm. Well they haven’t done the cellar but may come back sometime to do that. Also, unknown to us before, there’s quite a big pile of earth near the bottom of the stairs that fills the space almost to the floor boards so they couldn’t do that piece.

Weather:2°C—14°C; 1.5 mm rain [82.4]

Pinkfit boys came today to do the homestead underfloor “pink batts” for Karola. They nearly finished despite trouble finding some of the manholes in the floor boards. To get to all parts of the underneath which is segmented by solid concrete foundation walls, you need to go down four different manholes.

I completed Karola’s electric fencing of part of the apples for the male lambs by making an airbourne connector from the orchard pump shed (where one of the energisers is) over the roof of the pump shed and up to a short outrigger post on a nearby power pole and over to the fence, allowing tractors to pass safely underneath, I hope.

Man to fix the dish washer came late morning – new door and some electronics needed I gather.

I had an eye test this afternoon, nothing new, just a way of extracting $100 or so on a regular basis is what I think. Hmmm.

Weather:-1°C—15°C; 0.1 mm rain [81.8]

We got up a little earlier on this cold but sunny morning to get the male lambs out of the orchard and the electric fence holding them in cleared away so that Adam Ladbrook can mulch up the peach tree prunings. That was all done by 8:30 am.

In the afternoon, after the mulching, Karola spent three hours putting up the electric fence so that the male lambs could go back and enjoy the southern half of the front block of apples – well the grass under the apple trees rather than the trees themselves. There’s just a couple of short pieces to complete and the male lambs can go in and enjoy the fresh grass tomorrow morning.

Weather:-1°C—17°C; 0.1 mm rain [82.4]

Gentle rain and mild. More cottage planning; at last I think I see where the cottage garage should go. In the afternoon Bicka and I accompanied Karola to “ormond@4” – a family service in the old Ormond chapel on the hill in Napier. Later Bicka and I had a walk in the dusk along the Napier foreshore.

Weather:5°C—14°C; 6.9 mm rain [81.9]

In the morning I put “piglet” and his friend in the Middle paddock; when in the goose enclosure they steal the geese maize and make it very difficult to feed them.

Mid afternoon we laid out an extra section of electric fence and let the male lambs in for a bit more grass. Tomorrow we need to tidy up and remove all the electric fence except the section keeping the ewe lambs in the back of the orchard, so that Adam Ladbrook can mulch up the prunings from the peach trees without hindrance.

It was a bit amusing I suppose that initially we could only find 11 male lambs and so assumed one had got back in with the ewe lambs again so we yarded them all up only to find that the 11 had magically become 12 and no-one was mixed up after all. Goodness knows where the 12th male lamb had been hiding.

Weather:8°C—16°C; 5.9 mm rain [81.8]

Cold but fine. More sheep work including getting a male lamb back out from his sisters – he pushed through the electric fence despite it being very much alive.

As Bridget suggested, I spoke to Grayson Allen of “Peak Plumbing and Gas” (027-248-4185) about our proposed solar+electric water heating system. The use of solar backed by electricity for both hot water and water radiators is technically possible but not very economic. A heat exchanger for the radiators would possibly be a better solution. To be continued.

Weather:1°C—13°C; no rain [82.2]

Sadly for us, the last day of Mary’s visit.

In the morning I shut the ewes into the orchard paddock and the ewe lambs into the back of the orchard before marching “piglet” (#104) and his friend (#630) from the yards into the goose enclosure. I then let the male lambs into the Island paddock.

Mary caught her plane at 12:45 pm or so and was back in Wellington within the hour. Karola took me and Bicka for our walk along the Napier foreshore.

Late afternoon I moved electric fence extending the Totara paddock to include under the oaks where the bamboo had been; I then moved the ewes back into the Totara paddock from the orchard paddock.

Weather:-1°C—15°C; 0.1 mm rain [81.8]

Caren Wattie and Julian and Paul from Airnet came round and we discussed means to get improved line-of-sight with Airnet transceivers so that they could provide telephony as well as broadband.

Late morning I let the ewes into the orchard paddock and moved the lambs from the back of the orchard into the Island paddock.

Late afternoon I drafted out the 12 male lambs from the 16 ewe lambs, putting the ewe lambs back in the back of the orchard, leaving the male lambs in the yards. I then drafted out “piglet” #104 and his companion the wether #630, returning the rest of that mob to the Totara paddock.

Weather:-1°C—14°C; 0.1 mm rain [82.8]

I rang Caren Wattie at Airnet (06-650-0521) and asked them to proceed with switching our current phone from Telecom NZ to Airnet – we keep the same number.

Karola and I began moving the lambs from the back half of the orchard to the apple trees in the front half. We began by making a wide alley along the Casurinas to tempt them with fresh grass. They still have some grass where they are and so are very resistant to being moved, preferring to scamper about between the apple trees. Karola let the ewes into the Totara paddock and fed them a little hay.

Terrible squawking and I saw a hawk flap away from near the cottage back door. Headcount shows one chick missing, presumed lunch.

Mary, Karola, Bicka and I went into town for lunch. First we went to the Clifton Cafe out near Cape Kidnappers but it was closed. We then had lunch in Napier at Cafe Divine – good on gluten-free – after which I took Bicka for a short constitutional along the Napier foreshore. A little shopping and then home to warmth and a quiet evening.

Weather:4°C—10°C; 0.1 mm rain [?]

I rang Telecom NZ and cancelled the phone and broadband at Pitoitoi; they were polite and prompt.

We packed up and set off via Karori and Khandallah. In Karori we had a quick cup of tea with Mary and packed her and her luggage in before driving to Khandallah to say goodbye to Bridget and exchange some last minute stuff. At Te Horo we had an excellent lunch at the Red House Cafe before driving on into rain and sleet, emerging into clearing skies after the Takapau Plains.

Arriving to a cold house we unpacked and had afternoon tea and turned on all the heaters. In the evening we went to the Corn Market restaurant for dinner, returning to a warm house – well, warm in parts.

Weather:1°C—13°C; no rain [?]

Quiet day before our return to Karamu. Bridget came out with the grand daughters joining us for a late lunch at the “Chocolate Days” cafe nearby.

Weather:-2°C—15°C; 0.7 mm rain [?]

Karola went in to Khandallah and stayed for Alex’s birthday party. In the morning I extended Bicka’s morning walk over the ridge to include a walk to Eastbourne for vegetables for the evening meal.

Weather:4°C—19°C; no rain [?]

Karola went in to Bridget’s again, returning to pick me up late afternoon. We had a meal with Bridget and family and Bridget gave us a personal video recorder including DVD player to replace the one at Pitoitoi which had started to play up.

Weather:4°C—14°C; 0.1 mm rain [?]

Karola went in and helped look after the grand daughters. I cleaned leaves out of the drains and the ditch up in the bush reserve above the flat.

Weather:1°C—15°C; 8.8 mm rain [?]

After some tidying up electric fences and putting the ewes in the Middle/Island paddocks and combination locking the gates into those paddocks we packed and set off.

Arriving in good time mid afternoon we had a leisurely rest of the day; Karola was able to get fish and chips for dinner from Eastbourne where the fish was cooked in a rice-flour batter – scrumptious and gluten free.

Weather:-2°C—12°C; no rain [?]

Cold day. Karola and I got the ewes into the yards and took a closer look at #676. I trimmed her hooves but found no signs of new infection so it’s probably arthritis rather than footrot that’s making her limp. Karola then bravely (as ever) dagged her, of which she was in dire need. We got a couple of bales of hay from the big shed and parked it in the green shed in case Laurie thinks the sheep are very hungry while we are away. Some tidying up of electric fence in preparation for our trip to Wellington tomorrow.

Julian from Airnet came and discussed the proposal to have a wireless and broadband package from Airnet, replacing the Telecom NZ phone line. All the things we want seem possible, Julian will come back and see if there’s a different transceiver we can get our service from that avoids taking a bead on a transceiver through the Oak Avenue trees and orchard across the road.

Weather:5°C—10°C; 0.4 mm rain [82.8]

Very mild day so Karola spent it outside weeding and raking leaves. We took Bicka for a walk round the orchard and measured out where the railings are to go across the north-west corner of the orchard so that Karola can plant some screening trees to block views of a neighbour’s house from casual observers looking down the orchard drive. If they can see a house then it possibly tempts them to come in and investigate; they can’t tell that the house is on a neighbouring property from that vantage point.

Ewe #676 is limping so we plan to examine her tomorrow.

Weather:6°C—19°C; 5.5 mm rain [81.9]

Went with Hilary and Karola to St Matthews in Hastings. Had lunch back at Karamu and then took Hilary to the bus depot in Hastings after which we went to Napier and I took Bicka for a foreshore walk under dark skies and threats of rain.

Weather:14°C—18°C; 3.1 mm rain [81.8]

Karola and Hilary went off for the day and I did some more on the cottage plans. Mid morning I heard “the green machine” pulling out trees next door so was able to intercept him and have the stumps of two apple trees that I cut down for Karola a few weeks ago pulled up. All done in a couple of minutes and the roots disposed of next door on the growing pile there.

Weather:__°C—__°C; no rain [82.6]

Sunny, cool day. More on the cottage design then dinner in Napier at the Westshore Fish Cafe and a walk with Bicka in the dark on the seashore.

Weather:0°C—15°C; no rain [81.9]

Hilary Haylock arrived on the mid-day bus from Palmerston North and we all went to Bay Expresso for lunch. More work on the cottage refurbishment plan.

Weather:3°C—16°C; 0.3 mm rain [81.9]

Don’t know where the day went. In the afternoon we took Bicka for a walk along the Napier foreshore – well Karola did some shopping but Bicka and I went. Karola put the ewes into the orchard paddock with a pathway back to the Totara paddock; they preferred for now to stay in the orchard paddock. One of the two white bantam hens died overnight – possibly of old age, possibly of a broken heart – a white hen was mother of the chick that got eaten (allegedly).

Weather:9°C—16°C; no rain [82.0]

Karola off for haircut in Hastings, I followed later with Landrover put in for a service ($600+) and later the plumber came and fixed the upstairs bathroom basin leak properly ($80).

plumber: Neville Tucker 021-105-3613 PO Box 2600, Stortford Lodge, Hastings

Weather:7°C—14°C; 39.9 mm rain [81.5]