Monthly Archives: January 2012

Dog Sitting Summer’s Day

Whole day spent dog sitting. A pleasant task but this cannot go on indefinitely. Much better night last night as – which we will probably come to regret – we had Bramble on the end of the bed. This way, instead of squealing or yelping just because she wanted to play or run around, as she did when in her den the previous night, she only woke us up when she wanted to “eliminate”, once at 1:53am and again at jst before 4:00am. So we all got a good night’s sleep.

I ordered a small hexagonal dog pen online today. It should be here by the weekend. It means we can make Bramble safe and save some of our shoes, clothes, rugs, and furniture from gnawing by putting her in the pen in the same room. Bit like a playpen actually.

Two young girls came today from the Hastings District Council to measure the height of our “protected trees”. We have seven trees on the council list and last time they sent a team round it was just to establish where exactly the trees were.

Karola did some sheep work, beginning winding up miles of electric fence that her male lambs had trashed whilst we were away – they seem to delight in running into the fence when really bored and pulling a tangle of fence with them for tens of metres.

Karola also did a couple of long stints on tack removal from the floor of the cottage upstairs. Karola finished her cottage floor de-tacking today.

Tony Page came round in the morning and discussed making the solid wooden tops of the balustrades and a small bench to sit on next to the hot water cylinder. He’s also going to make round lighting rosettes of elm for the bathroom, dining room, and laundry so that the lights attach to a horizontal wooden surface despite the steep slope of the ceiling. Paul made us square ones but they were actually too small for the fittings which we bought later – and the timber turned out to be Totara not Kauri. Hence the commission for Tony. I ordered four 150 x 25 x 2250mm planks of E. saliga for the balustrades, matching the wood of the stairs.

John the electrician came for most of the day and put up all but a handful of the remaining light fittings. Just before he left for the day we went round and noted what was left to do. There’s still the cottage garage, the pump shed, and all the non-electrical work to do, along with the work on the homestead mains cables.

The painting of the cottage exterior was completed today – just one painter doing the finishing touches. Brett Newton is coming round tomorrow to check it all before declaring it done.

Oak Avenue Weather:13℃—28℃ no rain [81.5]

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First Full Day With Bramble

SwimGym for me.

Exhausted after the excitement of the Gisborne trek we had a very quiet day basically just hanging out with Bramble as she got used to her new home. Plenty to do on the house-training front. I did register at Hastings Vet Services and book her in for her booster vaccination next month. Karola continued de-tacking the upstairs floor in the cottage.Bramble and I spent a fair amount of daytime snoozing, perhaps to make up for the many interruptions during the night – she misses her sister I guess. How Karola does without sleep is a mystery to me. By this evening you’d have thought Bramble’d always been here.

Oak Avenue Weather:11℃—22℃ no rain [81.8]

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Bramble Brackenbury

Bramble Brackenbury – born 5 December 2011 – a red and white corgi bitch.

Having read/reread too many books on puppy training and in that “paralysis through analysis” state when you have perhaps “too much information”, we slept badly although the room was a nice one, more like a motel with stove etc and overlooking the shipping estuary / harbour.

We made a short visit to Jill and Scotty Scott, some of Karola’s Mahia cousins now in a home for the elderly in Gisborne. Both were in fact in better shape than last time we saw them in their own cliff-top home on the Mahia.

Then off to TaylorMade Kennels – a boarding cattery and kennels run by Kay Taylor, once a Cocker Spaniel breeder and now an Australian Cattle Dog breeder. It’s her daughter Jane who breeds and shows corgis. We asked to see the corgi mum, Kendra, a very quiet and matronly dog, a winner of shows, beautifully and symmetrically patterned. The litter of six had come down to two red-and-white bitches of very similar temperament. It was difficult to find a reason for choosing one over the other but choose we did, buying the one with a wider white blaze on her nose and slightly less symmetrical markings.

So, in the morning we viewed the two puppies, asked questions, and had a look at the corgi mum. Then we went off and had brunch – an excellent little place in the port called Soho – and Karola made a brief revisit to her elderly Mahia cousins the Scotts, promising to bring the puppy to show them before we set off back to Hastings. Then we returned to the kennels, picked up the puppy, I disclosed the name, Bramble, and we left $600 poorer but with some food for the next day and a vet record book and even a six week guarantee.

After a brief showing of the puppy to the Scotts we set off for Hastings. It was very warm, almost 30 degrees, but the air conditioning kept the car down to happy corgi levels. Bramble is inquisitive, not at all shy, and already follows us round so closely you have to be careful not to tread on her. She’s taken to her “den” – a dog box as recommended for the dog’s peace of mind and ease of training in all the books. The books say we need to get her up and outside to “eliminate” as they say every 3 – 4 hours in the night and every 2 – 3 hours during the day, and should expect to do this until Bramble is 3 or 4 months old. We shall see.

Back home before six. Bramble had her first meal with us and is now (9:30 pm) snoozing quietly in her “den” next door in the bedroom.

So far, so good.

Oak Avenue Weather:15℃—26℃ 0.6mm rain [?]

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Off Corgi Hunting To Gisborne

Greg et al tootled off to Splash Planet in the morning and we then packed and left for Gisborne. First Karola let her sheep onto the lawn for an hour just for a treat until we come back tomorrow.

It took about three hours to get to Gisborne; perfect day, not much traffic. We stayed at the Portside Hotel again (as we did when visiting with the Dendrologists last year). Pleasant meal out at The Wharf restaurant, but mighty expensive for a simple meal I thought, about $50 each.

Oak Avenue Weather:9℃—22℃ no rain [80.9]

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Greg and Laiha Come for the Night

SwimGym

Then, goodness knows why, I decided to mow the Orchard drive verge and the edges of the drive from the 121 gateway. Then, at last, I took off the mower and put on the mini-forks ready to unload the extremely heavy planar/thicknesser from the back of the Landrover.

Mid-day it began raining and we went out and had lunch – well more of a brunch – at the Opera House cafe in Hastings.

Picked up the last two Laila light fittings from Lighting Depot and bought a narrow fluorescent light to replace the fat one along the underside of the kitchen parapet.

Cottage exterior painting nearly finished. Cork tiles glued, sealed, and first of two coats of polyurethane applied. Final coat is planned for Monday afternoon.

Took Karola home to wait for our Friday guests – Greg and Laiha More, Bridget’s inlaws, and their two toddlers. I, meanwhile continued shopping for clothes (last of the January sales), two wooden kitset saw horses and a litre of wood-preserving oil from Mitre-10 and, from the Hunting and Fishing shop in Onekawa, a metre of plaited stainless steel wire plus four “thimbles” and six crimps – for the wires to suspend the “fluorescent in a Kauri log” kitchen light in the cottage.

Gregg and Leiah (sp) arrived soon after I got home. With Greg’s help I got the planer onto the tractor forks and then, uprighted, inside the cottage garage.

Oak Avenue Weather:4℃—20℃ 8.8mm rain [80.6]

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Cork Tiles Down

Thought I’d just tidy up under the eucalypts, seeing as how the mower was attached to the tractor. 90 mins later I finished.

Later Karola and I spent an hour making room for more stuff in the store room and filling the space with left-over batts from the cottage. At the same time we looked for, and found, various puppy-related items – blanket, soft toy, and travelling cage. We have two cages, one that was Bicka’s when she was a puppy – it’s really a cat carrier, and a larger one that, if we get a puppy on Sunday, will be its “den” for a while, until it’s house trained at least.

I assembled the portable bench for my new rip saw. One screw hole misaligned but fortunately not essential to operation. Otherwise it is a wonderfully robust and straight forward piece of machinery.

Painters continued painting and the cork tile layer came, sanded the floor and stuck down the tiles in the kitchen, laundry, loo and passage. He’ll come back for the various coats of polyurethane.

Paul brought round the 100mm x 100mm kauri board hollowed out to take a fluorescent light, for the kitchen. We tested and the light fits.

Karola entertained Rowena and Henere & Scott briefly in the afternoon. Henere gave Karola a crayfish from the Mahia.

Oak Avenue Weather:__℃—__℃ no rain [80.5]

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Presents All Round

SwimGym.

Today I collected my new Makita rip saw bench and Carba-Tec planer/thicknesser from Hector Jones in Hastings. The saw and its bench were quite heavy but the planer is 147 kg. Four men got it into the back of the Landrover, I still have to figure out how to unload it. Still, I can’t complain that it’s too flimsy, can I.

Also, Karola’s new washing machine and condenser clothes dryer arrived today.

Karola found a very compact, modern wall basin she liked for the cottage laundry loo and today I ordered it, plus a compact towel rail that is made to complement it. It is a Kohler Reach wall basin measuring 500mm wide and 225mm deep. I checked with Paul and there is a dwang (noggin) in the loo wall at the right height. So the homestead downstairs bathroom basin gets a reprieve.

Painting continues unabated. Paul came and put up the wooden blocks that mate up the weatherboard and the exterior lights.

I mowed the Front paddock and the One Acre.

Karola and I expect to go up to Gisborne at the weekend to view and possibly buy an 8-week old corgi bitch puppy. http://www.trademe.co.nz/a.aspx?id=440947256

Oak Avenue Weather:11℃—22℃ no rain [81.4]

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Mowing Middle Paddock

Tax returns drafted. Painters hard at it on the cottage exterior.

Karola went shopping – looking for a summer duvet, and talking to various plumbing places about a basin that’s missing its wall brackets and a faulty loo cistern, and more.

In the afternoon, at Karola’s suggestion, I mowed round the fence line and the awkward bits of the Middle paddock, which took well over an hour and was very dusty and slow, (being in low ratio gears and mostly backwards for accuracy), then she bowled round the major part of it in high-ration first gear with obvious enjoyment, also taking about 90 minutes.

The upstairs homestead loo cistern stopped working so we fiddled round with it for a long time today but eventually got it working again, fixing an air lock in the pipes and accumulated grime on the innerds of the ball cock.

Oak Avenue Weather:13℃—24℃ no rain [80.9]

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Cottage Exterior Painting Began Today

SwimGym

Paul the builder arrived before we got back from the Gym. He discussed some of the work still to be done and measured up for the wooden backing for the external lights. We also agreed on an approach to the suspended fluorescent light above the sink bench – I thought we could try essentially hollowing out a 100mmx100mm 2-metre long length of Kauri so that the fluorescent light sits inside and isn’t visible from the back nor from either end. We talked about the concrete paths and patio and the door/bench by the hot water cylinder, but these are not urgent tasks. The painters began on the cottage exterior around 9:00am.

Got most of the tax filing done today. Karola took a large trailer load of rubbish from the cottage building activities to the dump after removing all the bits of wood that might be kindling or make something. It was Tessa Wier’s birthday yesterday so that means it’s Anna’s birthday tomorrow. Henere and Scott Ormond dropped by for afternoon tea and a chat.

Oak Avenue Weather:9℃—20℃ no rain [80.8]

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Grass Mowing and Tax Preparation

Karola tended her sheep. I plodded on with the tax stuff, printing out the relevant GST reports and getting the sheep records up to date. In the afternoon I mowed the goose paddock and Karola mowed the lawn outside the homestead garage and a chunk of the grass under the big oak – albeit with a somewhat smaller mower.

Oak Avenue Weather:6℃—26℃ 1.8mm rain [80.9]

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Relaxing Weekend

A very leisurely, warm day. In the heat of the day I did the last six month’s filing, something necessary before one does one’s tax return. Karola went out for the morning, among other things she went to Pedlars in Onekawa to see if they’d have a 2nd hand bracket with which to hold up the heavy china basin destined to replace the downstairs homestead bathroom one. No joy. I suspect it’s going to be cheaper and quicker just to buy another small basin and reuse the taps.

Oak Avenue Weather:14℃—27℃ no rain [81.2]

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Cottage Bench Tops In Situ

SwimGym.

Karola put up electric fencing in the Orchard and Totara paddocks for her wether lambs and Tigger. She also loaded up the small trailer with lots of Gib offcuts and other rubbish and took it to the dump (aka the Transfer Station). Hot work.

I, belatedly, did Karola’s GST return due in on 15th january. I also went shopping briefly; it was sweltering in town.

John Burnard put up some more lights. We have 68 power points working and another half dozen to be installed in the garage. John is off this job for a week. Spoke to Paul Libby and he’ll come round next week to take a pattern for the eight exterior lights – for a bit of wood for each light to make a flat vertical surface against the weatherboard. We hope to include these bits of wood in the exterior painting due to begin early next week.

I talked to Brett of Floor Mart and the cork tiles are expected from Auckland today; the plan is to lay our tiles next Thursday and get two of the three coats on before the weekend. The final coat won’t be done until the house is otherwise complete. I noticed that the gap below the kitchen cupboard kick-board was more than 5mm in some places so called Larry to see what could be done – the cork tiles are only 6mm thick so a gap wider than about 5mm would be a problem. One of Larry’s men came over this afternoon and fixed it by lowering the relevant kick-boards a tad.

Most of the plumbing is done but we don’t expect to see them again until the cork tiles are down and Karola has found the bits allowing installation of a replacement basin in the downstairs homestead bathroom – we’re moving the existing basin from there into the cottage loo as it is a pleasant design and only a foot (300mm) wide.

Called Anne Lacey, corgi breeder. She’d got my e-mail but was just waiting until after some dog shows she’s visiting this weekend. She thinks it’s unlikely she’ll have any puppies this year but will enquire at the shows to see who’s breeding.

I’ve ordered a couple of toys: Makita MLT100 table saw and Carba-Tec planer/thicknesser. Together with my Makita mitre saw and bench I’ll be able to use some of the old cottage timber for bookshelves and the like, well that is the hope.

Oak Avenue Weather:10℃—29℃ no rain [81.0]

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Busy Day for Cottage and Sheep Work

The day began with mowing of the cottage lawn before the sun got too hot.

In the morning Karola and I re-drafted the sheep and drenched a few daggy ones before moving the ewes and ewe lambs to the Goose paddock and the ram and wethers to the Island paddock. This was quite an effort, there being 24 breeding ewes, 54 lambs, and Tigger the ram. Tigger, by the way, is much friendlier than Piglet was, is not at all stressed by having his head scratched.

This was interspersed with the arrival and adjustment of the wooden kitchen bench tops, truly a beautiful sight.

  • the main top fitted snugly
  • the bench top against the laundry wall has a few mm gap that we’ll have to cover with tiles or a glass splashback
  • the parapet board needed some adjustment so that it fitted tightly on top of the dividing wall between the kitchen and dining room

The overall effect is just wonderful and Karola is delighted.

John Burnard came and wired up several lights; he goes away for two weeks this week-end. We discussed lighting and as a result Karola and I went into Hastings and:

  • swapped one of the Laila wall lights that, despite having the same label, model number, and picture on the box, was different from the other seven
  • bought another three Laila wall lights (two are on back order)
  • returned the fan light Karola bought last year – there’s just nowhere it’ll fit
  • bought two white pendant cord lights with quite simple coolie shades, one 300mm for the bathroom, one 200mm for the laundry

The three green and one navy tin hat lights Karola initially planned for the living room will be replaced by the Laila wall lights. The three green tin hats are now destined for the passage and the laundry loo.

From Hastings to Onekawa where we picked up the two mixer taps for the kitchen sink and laundry tub.

As we were nearby we had curries in the Thai Chef restaurant.

Oak Avenue Weather:10℃—25℃ no rain [80.8]

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Settling Back In

SwimGym, except for Karola who, unaccountably, was rather exhausted after driving the 300km back from Wellington yesterday then staying up till 4:30am watching the Australian Tennis Open on TV.

Huge fire just a mile down the road last night started around 9:00 pm. Fire crews brought in from as far afield as Palmerston North. Flames 20 metres high. We were oblivious.

I toured the paddocks, refilling the water troughs, collecting and oiling the combination locks on the gates, and herding (shepherding) the sheep into the Totara paddock out of the One Acre and Front paddocks so we can redraft them tomorrow.

John Burnard has made a very neat job of our busy cottage electricity distribution panel and has enlivened all the power points in the cottage proper. We used this today with the vacuum cleaner. No more long lead trailing from the pump shed to the cottage.

Ricky and Andreas came today from Copas and got stuck into the plumbing “fit out”. The private bathroom is done as is the shower in the laundry and the dishwasher in the kitchen. Concrete surrounds and tops now complement the existing plastic gully traps. I was wondering what would be done with them.

Karola decided to get new washing machine and dryer for the cottage, so that the existing working machines can be retained in the Homestead for guest use. – Bosch washing machine 6.5kg front loader: WAE24272AU on special at $999 (saving about $300) – Bosch condensing clothes dryer 7kg front loader: WTE84101AU on special at $1689 (saving about $100)

Due here next week from Palmerston North store of KitchenThings; cartage of $80. We arranged it with Ruth (04-477-7222) of KitchenThings in Ngauranga Gorge, Wellington.

Oak Avenue Weather:10℃—25℃ no rain [81.0]

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Return To Hawkes Bay

After my morning walk over the hill we packed up and set off late morning back to Hawkes Bay.

First stop was at Micro Plumbing in Petone where we ordered the mixer tap for the cottage kitchen sink and the laundry tub. These are promised for us to pick up tomorrow morning in Onekawa, Napier.

Next was a (thankfully infrequent) foray into the world of domestic furniture. We learned about and tried out many different styles of Stressless Recliner chair with a view to choosing something for the cottage; something comfortable and with healthy body support for those hours watching TV or just gazing at the fire, or reading a book. We found models and styles that we liked but haven’t actually ordered a chair yet. They take four months from order to delivery, we were advised.

Then we took AnneMarie More, Bridget’s mother-in-law, out to lunch at the “Silver Spoon” in Silverstream. Very nice fish main and chocolate brownie (gluten-free) pudding followed by a coffee before we set off in ernest.

I drove to Greytown, over the Rimutakas, where we had a “bio break”, bought some fruit and, dare I say it, an ice-cream, and Karola took over the driving. I then dozed and listened to a Maigret dramatisation on the iPhone all the way home.

All seems well back at the ranch except that, inexplicably, the ram and wethers have reintegrated themselves with the ewes and ewe lambs through a gate that was definitely closed when we left. We’ll sort them out again in the morning; at this time of the year I’m hopeful that not much damage will have been done.

The cottage now has 68 power points installed with only 12 more, in the cottage garage, to do. The distribution board is all tidy with labelled fuses so I suspect the power points are live; we’ll test that out tomorrow.

The three days of cleaning and re-arranging has made a big difference, but then you should have seen it before the clean-up.

Oak Avenue Weather:10℃—21℃ no rain [?]

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Karola Attacking The Weeds At The Days Bay Flat

I walked over the hill again. Karola completed her re-arranging and cleaning inside and moved to do weeding outside.Late morning she went into Wellington and took Mary into town before going to see the grand daughters at swimming lessons. Meanwhile I cleared out the open drain along the edge of the driveway, trimmed the foliage along the sides of the path down to the public way and our gate, and pulled out the weeds in the gravel along the walkway directly in front of the house.

I spent most of the day learning a new program for writing called Scrivener. It is a simple word processor with a lot of helpful tools and techniques for creating manuscripts, drafts, papers and memoranda.

Grand-daughters Swimming Lessons

Oak Avenue Weather:8℃—24℃ no rain [?]

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Sunday In Days Bay

Very blustery night and most of the day.

I did my usual walk up the zig-zag at the back of the house and down the bush path to the Duck Pond in Williams Park. Seemed strange and sad not to have Bicka tagging along.

Bridget brought the grand daughters out for lunch at “Chocolate Dayz” and afterwards we played a few rounds of the game Anna brought from England, “Sequence”. Karola has done heaps more cleaning and arranging inside at the Days Bay flat while I caught up a little on my computer backlog.

Oak Avenue Weather:13℃—28℃ no rain [?]

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Mary’s Colourful Balcony and Wall-Side Garden

Mary’s balcony tubs and pots. The herds of resting trolley buses belonging to Wellington City Council. Beautiful splash of colour along the garage wall. Continued up the steps to the front door.

Karola did a major clean and rearrange at the Days Bay Flat with a welcome break for lunch when we took Mary to the Lady Norwood Rose Garden for lunch. I, meanwhile, continuing last evenings endeavours, put together the broadband link for Roger Hughes who is taking over the Days Bay flat for six weeks in February/March. The Internet connection is working and I can send and receive e-mail, and the wireless local printer works.

Oak Avenue Weather:11℃—27℃ no rain [?]

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To Wellington

SwimGym then spent until late afternoon getting ready to drive down to Wellington. Lunch at Taste in Hastings. Karola drove down, choosing to go via the Wairarapa. We went from high twenty temperatures in Hastings to half that by the time we got to Dannivirke. Gale force winds were at their worst as we crawled cautiously over the Rimutaka hill, quite frightening, but there was hardly any traffic and there were no trucks at all, unsurprisingly.

Oak Avenue Weather:16℃—26℃ no rain [80.6]

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Kaz and Francis Return Home

A quick breakfast and then I took Kaz and Francis off for the morning. First we went to White Traders where Kaz and Francis searched through the hundreds of tools and knick-knacks for treasures. I found some batten staples and brass french door fasteners and a hook for the Homestead back door. Next we bought a “dryzabone” hat from the work clothes shop on Omahu Road run by our long-ago helper Jackson Smith. Karola got it put aside even though it didn’t fit me, just liked it so much. Anyway Kaz accepted it as a present. Then we got coffees at the Stortford Lodge BP station and went to Mitre-10 where I shopped quickly for more brass handles. On to Te Mata winery where they bought some wine and from there up the winding road to Te Mata peak. Back down to Karamu where we picked up Karola and all went to Pernel Fruit World restaurant for lunch. Finished with an ice cream from the shop next door then back to Karamu and off home went Kaz and Francis.

Meanwhile the cottage shower installation was completed and most of the kitchen and laundry cabinetry installation. John Burnard came by and did some more of the electrics; he says we’ll have power to the power points the day after we return from Wellington, next Wednesday.

I took the Landrover in to Newbold Auto Electricians to see if they can fix the failed instrument panel lights and maybe the sunroof mechanism.

I attached a hook to the Homestead back door so that it can be held open instead of banging. Another thing, like the internal light in the “place of four doors”, that we should have done years ago – another annoyance solved.

Oak Avenue Weather:19℃—30℃ no rain [80.5]

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“The Man”, Karola’s New Ram

Kaz chose the new ram and, with Francis, brought the ram over for us. They are staying the night.

Meanwhile, before Kaz arrived around 5:30 pm, I mowed some strips in the orchard paddock, runs for the electric fence to go so it doesn’t short out in the long grass. Today Adam Ladbrooke mowed the peaches and round the boundary so the orchard is looking much tidier – and Willie’s thinners were out in force, thinning the apples.

Karola, with a little help, put up an outrigger electric wire along the top of the fence posts where the willows inside the planting area are potentially within reach of a hungry sheep standing on two legs.

Anna brought us a new board game called “Sequence” which we played several times with the grandchildren over Christmas. We played again tonight, three games, me and Kaz versus Francis and Karola. 2 to 1. Most enjoyable evening.

Zebbie Home At Last

Zebbie who was lost is found – returned by special courier from Nelson today.

Zebbie is not a zebra but a Siberian tiger, but who cares, it’s Zebbie all right.

Oak Avenue Weather:17℃—26℃ no rain [81.5]

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Cottage Kitchen Installation Begins

Work began this morning on installing the cottage kitchen. The solid elm wood bench tops won’t be ready straight away; Shane called from Cedarville Joinery to say they’d forgotten to finish the surfaces, they’re going to be oiled rather than sealed, and they won’t be ready till next week. Don’t think it’ll matter.

Henere Ormond came round after his work picking Coconut Ice peaches, a short day apparently, and, helped by Karola, put the battens on the north end fence of the Orchard paddock. I meanwhile put up the two gates into the end fences.

Oak Avenue Weather:16℃—25℃ no rain [80.9]

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Henere To The Rescue

SwimGym, but I’m trying the later time of 8:00 am – 9:00 am. Being a “night owl” rather than a “lark” maybe it isn’t a good idea to rise at 06:30 am but rather we should slip into a more comfortable 7:30 am routine. That means sleep at midnight rather than 11:00 pm which is our more normal pattern. We shall see. Certainly the later hour would be more pleasant in winter.

So, breakfast over and ready for the days adventures by 10:00 am. Henare Ormond turned up as expected and he and Karola put the staples and battens into the south end fence of the Orchard paddock while I put the wires up on the north end fence. Henare is not needed at his orchard job for a couple of days and seems pleased just to be active doing something useful. Maybe he’ll bring son Scott tomorrow and they’ll put the staples and battens up on the north end fence.

Rang John Burnard – he put some switches in the cottage while we were away and plans to come and do more later this week

Rang Larry Mckenna – he intends to install the cottage kitchen beginning either tomorrow or Wednesday.

Rang Nick Curry (HomePlus) and left a message re installing the two showers any time Mon-Thu this week or from Tuesday next week.

Rang and left message with Tony Page just to let him know about the kitchen installation and suggest he coordinate with Larry on the Elm bench tops.

Rang Telecom NZ and booked the landline plus broadband for Roger and Anne Hughes who are staying at the Days bay flat from 4th January till 18th March.

Oak Avenue Weather:15℃—24℃ 0.1mm rain [80.9]

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Beautiful Rain

It rained all night and most of the day, not a deluge but a decent downpour. Puddles everywhere. I enjoyed a very relaxed day snoozing to the sound. Late afternoon when it stopped I went out and finished putting up the wires for one end of the Orchard paddock so that Karola can organise putting the battens on.

Mid evening Henere Ormond and his son Scott dropped by and chatted for a few hours. Henere has offered to come and help Karola do the batten stapling tomorrow.

I should have taken a photo BEFORE I tidied up!!- says Bridget

Zebbie is Alex’s much loved friend and her loss has been felt greatly (mostly by our ears as Alex cries for Zebbie, and by my lack of sleep as Alex wakes me in the night).  Fortunately Alex has found an interim replacement, unfortunately it is me.

Bridget

I Want “Zebbie” Now!

Yeah, right!

Oak Avenue Weather:16℃—19℃ 21.9 mm rain [81.0]

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Heavy Rain Forecast

Late start this morning as I try out the iPhone app “Sleep Cycle”, a very popular and inexpensive app that uses the accelerometer in the iPhone to decide when you’re awake, in mild sleep, or in deep sleep. It not only graphs your sleep pattern during the night but tries to wake you at a point in the last half hour of your night when you are sleeping lightly. We shall see.

Karola and I put in two more stay posts which means I can continue putting up the wires on the two fences across the ends of the Orchard paddock. In the afternoon I got started on that and am about half way through putting up the wires on one end. It started to drizzle and I went in, meanwhile Karola went shopping in Hastings.

Oak Avenue Weather:16℃—23℃ 11.7mm rain [?]

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Back to (More) Normal Life at Karamu

SwimGym. A bit busier this morning, maybe it’s result of New Year resolutions.  Karola and I put in one of the stay posts and then it got too hot so we went into Hastings and had a  light lunch at Taste after my usual blood test and putting in some film to be developed (Karola hankers after the good old days and still takes a few photos on her real camera), banking the cheque from the recent sale of older ewes.

Talked to Kaz and then to Helen Winder. Kaz has agreed to get our next ram from Hugh Winder next Wednesday. He will chose it from the six rams Hugh has on offer and bring it over in his truck.

Late afternoon we put in the second stay post (pictured below). I am still sleeping a lot while readjusting to normal life after the family visits.

Oak Avenue Weather:14℃—24℃ no rain [81.7]

Posted in General | Comments Off on Back to (More) Normal Life at Karamu