Monthly Archives: July 2013

SwimGym

Karola spent several hours weeding round the homestead with her new long-handled clippers with Bramble dancing attendance. I spent the afternoon working on the railing project – painting the rails with Metalex clear preservative and creating new posts from half-round fence posts and the remains of the original elm posts – the pieces above ground. Each original post has now been sawn off above the point where it rotted through and I’m now fastening this remnant to a half round treated post. The half-round posts will go into the ground, supporting the original post which will then carry the rails as before.

Later it was dog training class again.

Oak Avenue Weather:2℃—13℃ no rain [83.1]

Only outside work today was taking Bramble for a trot round the orchard and some time putting Metalex preservative on the railings – still plenty to do there.

Karola put 7 brass coat hooks up in the cottage garage last night, 3 more in our wardrobe and 2 in the hot water cupboard today.

Oak Avenue Weather:3℃—14℃ 0.1mm rain [83.0]

SwimGym

Then a quiet day – cool with bright sunshine – daytime meals on the porch. Light reading and computers for me; some gardening for Karola; much snuffling in the grass for Bramble.

Oak Avenue Weather:-1℃—16℃ 0.1mm rain [83.3]

Scooped up dead ewe #019 and put her in the hole only dug last week by Mark.

As promised, Carl (and his wife) came at midday and spent two hours crutching all the ewes, lambs and the ram. So they’re tidy for the spring and for lambing and for going to the works next month. All the ewes had their pre-lambing 5-in-1 injection as well. Carl says that most of the lambs are still too light to send to the works so we’ll wait another month.

Having accidentally trashed Karola’s Mac Mini yesterday – it was a day of annoying incidents yesterday like running out of Metalex preservative for the posts and railings and then popping into town but getting Metalex that was green instead of clear – I began reassembling it today. As I write I’m still waiting for a download so I can begin the reconstruction in ernest. I ate too much on Friday night and slept in too long on Saturday morning – glad to see another day this morning.

Oak Avenue Weather:1℃—16℃ 0.1mm rain [83.8]

Cold night, sunny warm day – delightful

Karola painted the old elm posts – the above-ground pieces we salvaged – with Metalex wood preservative.

Apart from a couple of quick trips into town I had a quiet day. I did however discover that ewe #019 was dead when out in the orchard for a walk with Bramble.

Oak Avenue Weather:0℃—15℃ 0.1mm rain [83.4]

SwimGym

Karola went and got another 14 bales of pea straw for the sheep. I went to quarterly doctors checkup re Diabetes – all’s well there.

John “JB” Bostock called round while I was out, helped Karola unload the last few bales of pea straw and told her he’d bought the orchard directly west of us – Max Douglas’ orchard. Today a digger removed the row of apple trees in that orchard which perched on the very edge of the big drainage ditch – we’d always thought that row was a bit silly – couldn’t be sprayed or worked properly and half the apples just fell in the ditch.

Ben had his pacemaker put in this afternoon; all OK so far. Lot of waiting round though which was unpleasant.

Karola had her hearing aids fitted this afternoon – $6000 for the pair.

In the evening we had a fish & chip meal with Jenny and Noel Hendery, a week back from their world trip including Holland, Portugal, Vietnam and England.

Oak Avenue Weather:0℃—17℃ no rain [82.7]

Karola went off to Molly Nesbitt’s (Mary Wilson’s mother’s) funeral in Waipukurau this morning. Meanwhile I did some cosmetic improvement to the back door combination lock, having been told that the door catch wasn’t vertical.

Mobile Shearing didn’t turn up today – maybe tomorrow.

Sunny day so the old 133 railing posts are drying out nicely.

Late afternoon Karola and I, without Bramble who made a big fuss at being excluded, drenched all the sheep except the ram #106 and ewe #019. Scanda, meat withholding period of 10 days.

Oak Avenue Weather:1℃—17℃ no rain [82.4]

SwimGym

Karola went for a hair cut and also picked up my order of coach screws for the 133 railings project; we decided they were too short so I went back to B&H in the afternoon and got ones 2 inches longer. Also got an 8mm drill bit for the holes.

Dog Training classes have started again. Bramble had a “curate’s egg” of a session.

Oak Avenue Weather:4℃—14℃ 0.1mm rain [82.4]

Late night last night as Karola got stuck into her article on Larnach Castle. Late start this morning.

Mobile Shearing were due either today or Thursday – not today anyway. Karola and I spent a long time trying to check which sheep were where and printing out a sheet of paper with the ewe’s numbers listed and another with the lambs numbers.

Oak Avenue Weather:4℃—14℃ 2.9mm rain [83.3]

SwimGym

In the morning I went up the road to Goldpine and bought 8 1.8 mete half-round posts and 2 2.4 metre half rounds for the 133 entrance railing repairs. Each of these posts will support the remaining piece of the original elm posts – the bit above ground that didn’t rot through. Every one of the ten originals had rotted through at ground level so they’ll be attached to the half-rounds above ground level and the original rails re-installed. That’s the plan.

The landrover was coughing noticeably and Karola said it’d been doing that for a few days so I took it into Newport Autoelectrics but on the way there the landrover stopped coughing and so of course there was nothing to find once I got there.

In the afternoon I chainsawed off the rotten section of each original elm post and set the posts out to dry – they’ve been lying in damp vegetation for months.

On the morning trip I also got some brass wood screws for brass hooks Karola intends to put up around the cottage; “B&H” happened to have a couple of dozen screws, legacy from when it was “Bull & Hodgins”.

Ewe #019 seems to have the same symptoms as #604 so Karola called out the vet and Helen came round late afternoon and gave #019 two injections.

Oak Avenue Weather:-1℃—15℃ 0.1mm rain [82.7]

Another glorious winter’s day.

Karola worked on the 133 entrance gateway – removing the old posts and rails and marking out the new position, providing an easier swing off the road and down the back drive.

I was quietly dozing around 5:15pm when I heard a creaking upstairs which went on and on. I thought maybe it was Bramble walking around but got up to investigate – Bramble and Karola were supposedly out on the farmlet. It ws only when I saw the dining room pendant lamp swinging quite briskly from side to side I realised it was an earthquake.

We felt it; Harry and family in Bulls on the other coast felt it quite strongly; Gill & Ben, Mary, and Bridget & family felt it very strongly. Quite a shake and this time a bit of damage to many buildings and some houses lost power. People stuck in lifts all over town, I’m told.

Karola’s Survey Of The New Railings Fence Position

Oak Avenue Weather:0℃—16℃ 0.1mm rain [82.2]

I printed labels for each of the rails and posts of the 133 entrance, printed on heavy paper and stapled them to the wood.

We had arranged for Mark Hendery to come over today to help with the new project but Karola decided that, even though the weather was good, she’d prefer to do some preparation first, so maybe next weekend.

Karola then cut the Taupata/Karamu trees along the inside of the railings down to stumps. They had grown up tall, misshapen and spindly so she wants them to try again. I set up and started the mulcher for her and she mulched up all the branches into a neat heap within two hours. We celebrated by having sardines on toast for lunch.

Henare, Rewa and some family came round late afternoon for firewood from our old heap in what was the Goose paddock.

Karola Coppices The Taupata (or is it Karamu)

Oak Avenue Weather:1℃—15℃ 0.2mm rain [82.4]

SwimGym

Later Karola, as part of her patrolling the flock, found ewe #604 had died in the night. I call Mark Hendery and he came round and salvaged meat for his dogs, burying the rest in a hole he’d dug for us earlier. He also dug a new hole down near the Ginkgo tree in the new paddock next to the south (Scott’s) boundary.

Karola moved the fridges round in the cottage garage as part of making it more convenient.

I popped into town quickly before lunch and did the essential food shopping for the weekend. Tonight I cooked baked lemon fish (aka rig, aka shark) – delicious.

Sextant Mark’s Handiwork

Oak Avenue Weather:5℃—15℃ no rain [82.2]

In the afternoon Karola and I put up two old kitchen cupboards on the inside of the north wall of the cottage garage doubling the existing storage space.

Oak Avenue Weather:2℃—16℃ no rain [81.8]

SwimGym – bitterly cold and a heavy frost. But this is winter after all. Lots of sun and warm in the sun.

Karola put up yet more fence to give her lambs another slice of the orchard while it’s unoccupied.

I had another good day’s work on computers.

Oak Avenue Weather:-1℃—14℃ 0.1mm rain [82.4]

Mostly cold but sunny day and things drying out nicely.

Ewe #604 much livelier today though still obviously pretty run down. Karola keeps giving her the sugar-water (Ketol) pick-me-up and she quite enjoys that.

Today I exchanged the cottage back door push-button lock for a new one, the same make as the one we have down in Days Bay that we like and are used to. The lock being replaced had a worn lever inside that meant if you tried to set the door unlocked it was on a hair trigger – the slightest bump and it snapped back to locked again. I took it apart and filed the lever flat again some months ago but it quickly returned to its annoying behaviour. So, the new push button lock stays locked or unlocked at our pleasure and it with a longer (safer) sequence of numbers in the code – and now of course there’s a new code to learn.

We went into Napier for Karola’s audiology appointment. We decided it would be worth her having hearing aids at least for the 45 days “return if not satisfied for a full refund” to see it Karola thinks it makes a big enough difference. Expensive though, $6000. Afterwards we drove up to Mark and Cas Hendery’s place and dropped off some big hunks of wild pork that’s been sitting frozen in our freezer for quite a while. Rowena gives us rather more jungle kill from the Mahia than we can eat – I think she’s passing on some of what she is given aas she has not enough room either, nor does she want to live for weeks on nothing but wild pork and crayfish.

Oak Avenue Weather:-2℃—12℃ 0.1mm rain [82.1]

SwimGym

Cold start to the week and late morning the storm caught up with us although it was mainly intermittent bouts of sleety squalls and some hail.

Woman came after lunch from Panache to measure up for blinds for the french windows in the kitchen.

Ewe #604 is ill so I called the vet and Helen (the vet, has been here before) came and diagnosed pneumonia and gave various injections which may help pull her through. #604 is carrying twins though they’re not very big yet – due in a couple of months.

I mucked about on computers and finally, late evening, made some good progress.

Oak Avenue Weather:5℃—10℃ 3mm rain [82.1]

Still no storm though it’s hit Wellington and is due any time. Heavy showers with short dry spells.

Karola went out in the elements this morning and put electric fence round what used to be the block of peaches nearest the big shed. There’s understandably no sign of the orchardist’s men and grass going to waste on the cleared ground. Karola got wet and quite cold; Bramble with her winter coat but low-slung body got very muddy but seemed to enjoy it.

I’ve been computing away quite happily all day. My UK friend Geoff shamed me into documenting how our systems here are set up which slows things down somewhat but is the right thing to do.

Bramble In Her Den

Oak Avenue Weather:4℃—11℃ 5.4mm rain [82.3]

Rain, glorious rain. Mild and no real wind as yet.

Computer work for me all day, and making good progress.

Karola has done a thorough clean downstairs and even oiled some of the bedroom floor to a gleaming, aged effect.

Sheep are gleaming white – well from the front anyway – as the rain washes them clean as clean.

Oak Avenue Weather:8℃—12℃ 23.8mm rain [82.3]

SwimGym

Rain eased off. Karola went in to regular doctor’s appointment and did the weekend shopping while there.

Henare dropped in for a coffee and a chat after lunch.

No outside work today, still too wet underfoot.

I am making good progress with setting up the computers and moving stuff over from the old one. Karola got stuck into her Larnach Castle article after Henare left. This included listening to the 40 minute recorded conversation with Margaret Barker, the owner of Larnach Castle, when she took us out to dinner during our stay there in the autumn.

Oak Avenue Weather:5℃—13℃ 11.8mm rain [82.4]

Rained all night and on and off all day. I had thoroughly enjoyable time upstairs inside on computers. Karola went out every chance she got and finished banging in standards to set up her tree guards. Couldn’t have had a better time to plant the trees.

Finishing The Final Guard

Now Bramble, Watch Carefully!

Oak Avenue Weather:7℃—13℃ 15mm rain [82.2]

SwimGym

A delightful day of rain thrumming down on the roof. I was able to get a lot done on computers without the distraction of outside activities. Karola went on an adventure to Napier and Clive, shopping and meetings in Napier and an exploration of the estuary with Bramble in Clive. Looks like we could have some good walks or even bike rides along the public cycle path in Clive.

Oak Avenue Weather:8℃—10℃ 63.1mm rain [82.1]

Karola worked hard all day on setting up her tree guards – four tall metal poles, “standards”, to be banged in for each guard while she perches on a box so she can reach. Then sliding a recalcitrant ring of deer fence covered in shade cloth over the four standards.

In the morning I put a quick electric fence round the old orchard paddock and let the ewes in – the grass was so green and luxuriant and there is no sign of orchard activity so we thought we’d risk it.

Rest of the time I was upstairs computing – and much of the time going round in circles, as is my wont.

Oak Avenue Weather:3℃—12℃ 10.8mm rain [82.3]

SwimGym – Karola came despite her swollen foot from dropping the rammer on it yesterday and the swimming helped.

Karola mislaid her very recently re-lensed transition bi-focal glasses but in less than an hour we found them again. Buoyed upby this I had another look for the key I lost and the drill chuck key. No sign of the gate key but I did find the chuck key.

Then we went back to the tree planting. I dug the remaining three holes and set up some water pipe so that Karola could give each tree a good soak.

More computer stuff for me. Karola finished planting and mulching the trees and began erecting the tree guards – which involved banging in four long metal standards per guard.

… and we watched a recording of the Tennis FInal at Wimbledon. Karola is walking without much of a limp by the end of the day.

Oak Avenue Weather:0℃—15℃ no rain [82.7]

The day of chores, and for the first time in a while I actually finished them on the appointed day. Cottage lawn mown and upstairs in the cottage swept – they’re the ones that take a bit of time.

Karola was out finishing preparing tree guards most of the day. Henare came over around 3:00pm and spent next couple of hours digging holes for the trees where Karola had marked. I filled the big trailer with mulch from one of the older piles, using the tractor.

I moved the lambs into the Totara paddock and the ram and two whether lambs into the Island paddock as Karola requested, so that the tree planting could continue unimpeded.

Oak Avenue Weather:6℃—18℃ no rain [82.8]

QUite bright and sunny outside and Karola continued with her tree guards while I plodded on with my computing. Quite a lot of tennis was watched too.

I managed to muck up my wireless connection up to the pump shed and that took a fair chunk of tthe afternoon to unravel – including climbing up to press a reset button on one of the ASUS wireless routers.

Henare popped round briefly – he may be able to help Karola with some holes for her 17 Willow Oaks tomorrow.

Oak Avenue Weather:11℃—21℃ no rain [82.7]

SwimGym

Karola made a quick trip to town for weekend shopping. I spent most of the day on computer stuff – figuring and re-figuring out how I’d like to set it up. Karola continued with her tree guards.

We also fixed one of the gates between the Front paddock and the One Acre which has been annoying Karola because it drags on the ground. In the process I lost the drill chuck key.

I put up a short electric fence between the Totara paddock and the Middle paddock, something which Karola has been intending to do for over a week.

Oak Avenue Weather:3℃—15℃ no rain [82.7]

Quiet day. Karola started early on her tree guards and worked steadily all day.

I cut in two the heavy chain on the orchard roadside gate from the Avenue and set it up with two padlocks, one for the orchardist and one for us.

At Karola’s request I also mended a broken top barbed wire on the Scott’s boundary fence near where she is working on the tree guards.

Oak Avenue Weather:2℃—16℃ no rain [82.7]

SwimGym

The contractor continued tending the fires in the orchard, attempting to ensure all the wood was burned up.

Karola went into town and I attempted to sort out the keys we need to give the orchardist. To my delight I found a second key to the padlock belonging to the Oak Avenue road gate but when out in the orchard testing all four gate padlock keys I dropped one and even concerted searching by me and Karola didn’t locate it. Karola sent me in to Hastings to get another one cut and to leave some glasses frames at Opticians for fitting with new transition lenses.

Meanwhile Colin Nagel and his two daughters, over from their homes in Australia for Maggie and Colin’s 60th wedding anniversary, came for afternoon tea and a look round the cottage and homestead.

In the morning I called Mercury, JM Bostock’s electricity supplier, concerning the lack of power to the pump shed even though reconnection was requested last month. I spoke with Michael Baker (09-580-3652) Mercury’s manager for the JM Bostock account. According to their records the reconnection had been made some time ago but as I said there was no power they offered to send someone out to check. The Unison linesman arrived late afternoon and reset the fuses for the pump shed electricity. He said he’d removed them a few weeks after the disconnection in May. The fuses are on a power pole about 50 metres up McNabb Road on the left. We turned on the mains and everything came to life. Even my Internet connection out at the pump shed is working again.

This was a Block of Peach Trees

A Mini-Volcanic Landscape

Oak Avenue Weather:8℃—15℃ no rain [82.6]

Burning the uprooted peach trees began around 9:00am and was mostly burned by lunchtime. The remains of the fires will burn on through the night.

We had our own little excitement mid afternoon when sparks from the nearest pile of peach tees caught leaves in the Island paddock alight. Lots of smoke and the dry leaves burned quickly and the fire spread along the accumulation where the grass met the iris under the big trees. Never any danger to us – the cottage is another 50 metres further away – and with hoses and the water under pressure from the tap by the yards it was soon put out. Damage limited to a bit of charring of some railings and posts. While this was going on a rotten branch fell from high up in an oak tree, showering sparks as it hit the ground.

Later still Karola noticed more smoke coming from the Island paddock and we found a bit of resurgence both along the fence line next to the yards and where the rotten branch had fallen, near the small hay shed. More scampering about with hose and buckets but again, no harm done.

The rest of the day Karola worked on her tree guards and I worked on upgrading my computer system. The gallery below ends with pictures of the five separate heaps as they were before nightfall.

Photos From The Fires Today

Oak Avenue Weather:3℃—17℃ no rain [82.4]

SwimGym – but not Karola this morning.

It took the rest of the morning just to cart boxes of wood around and take one final trailer load of un-burnable rubbish (plastic, iron etc) to the transfer station.

I got a dozen short logs from peach tree trunks but found that almost all the truncks were too fat to make firewood for our burner. Meanwhile Karola worked on her tree guards for the Willow Oaks.

Late afternoon a truck came to the orchard and emptied two small loads of wooden waste, presumably from another of “JB”s orchards, presumably to help start the peach tree fire. A little later a transporter truck brought and offloaded a bulldozer with a big blade. So we expect a fire tomorrow.

The Heap(s) After Scavenging For Kauri

Karola Loads The Uncombustibles

Oak Avenue Weather:0℃—16℃ no rain [82.7]