Monthly Archives: June 2014

SwimGym

A cold and occasionally wet day. Karola spent much of it out in the cold, with Bramble, putting bamboo mulch round her trees, inside the guards. Karola has decided, given we have mountains of mulch already and the bamboo mulch is, as we were warned long ago, very splintery, she does not want more mulched bamboo and will devise some other way of disposing of the old, rotting bamboo.

I slept in the morning and played around again with programming in the afternoon. I do like the new Apple programming language called Swift. Unfortunately the things I’m initially trying to do seem to need a mixture of new Swift and old Objective-C and my Objective-C is rusty and most hateful compared to Swift.

“JB”s newest orchard, across the road and owned previously by “The Brethren”, is being cleared of its current old trees ready for replanting. Amazing how it’s opened up the view of the expressway and makes us pleased we’re on this side of Oak Avene (aka Ormond Road).

Clear Across To The Expressway

Oak Avenue Weather:4℃—17℃ 3.4mm rain [83.7]

Programming in circles for me most of today but still got through the Sunday chores and spent an hour or so mulching up some old bamboo (see below). The bamboo has been stacked up for years and no-one has shown any interest and we can’t think of anything we want it for so it’ll become mulch round Karola’s trees.

Karola did herculean efforts of mowing round the Canary Island pine and the oak tree in the Totara paddock, cutting down the regrowth of nettles and picking up huge amounts of leaf that’s shading the grass so I can’t grow.

Henare’s sister Ira and her daughter Rewa and assorted others arrived just after dark in two cars and picked up firewood Karola had offered. It’s the same apple wood we’re burning, the pieces that are too fat to go in our little wood stove.

New Project – Mulching Up The Old Bamboo

Oak Avenue Weather:3℃—15℃ no rain [82.9]

Karola got the sheep into the Island paddock in preparation for crutching this morning. She also decided to combine the pregnant ewes and the 6 ewe lambs intended as replacements.

Gill’s Ben arrived back from his European trip mid morning, exhausted, as expected. Gill is very happy (to have him back).
Carl arrived at 9:30am then had to go away again to change mobile shearing trucks. He and his wife returned shortly. They crutched the older ewes, belly crutched the two-tooths who hadn’t been shorn for a while, and dagged the 6 ewe lambs.

The two-tooths were also given a shot of 5-in-1 vaccine as, unlie the rest of the ewes, they’d not had it before. All the ewes will need a shot about two weeks before lambing – it prevents a whole list (well, at least five) common fatal illnesses in their lambs.

After Carl, his missus, and the truck had departed we had lunch then Karola and I put Magnum (anti-flystrike, anti-lice) on all 38 sheep. (Magnum – withholding for meat of zero days).

Karola put up electric fence on part of the lawn, along the to of the ha-ha. She then cleared away the blackberry that I’d chopped out of the orange tree and let her sheep in.

After dinner it was another evening of Wimbledon tennis.

Oak Avenue Weather:2℃—17℃ no rain [83.7]

SwimGym

Karola had doctor’s appointment in the morning and also did the Friday shopping.

The late morning was absolutely beautiful – sunshine and cool with gentle breeze. Bramble and I enjoyed it on the verandah.

Mid afternoon I mowed the cottage lawn etc – in case Henare wanted to come over and help on Sunday – the usual time I do it. Henare has since TXTed to say he’d not be coming this weekend.

Karola did more emails and letters before cooking a scrumptious lamb roast then settling down to watch some Wimbledon tennis I’d recorded overnight.

I struggled on with my programming.

Cottage Lawn Neatly Mown

Oak Avenue Weather:6℃—18℃ 0.2mm rain [83.5]

I carried on programming – quite getting into the swing of it again. Karola did a number of long overdue emails.

Karola gave the sheep some hay (pea straw really). I gave the geese a treat, a tin of maize.

Karola put up a lot more electric fence – along the ha-ha and then across in front of the eucalypts in the Front paddock. She then lets the ewes in for a few hours.

Late afternoon I took a break and moved some firewood – apple wood sawn up by Chris Ormond. Now we have a trailer load ready for any bad weather or really cold snap that comes our way.

Early evening Henare dropped in for a chat

Dry Wood On Tap

Oak Avenue Weather:5℃—20℃ no rain [83.6]

SwimGym

By the end of the day Karola had completed planting her most recent 23 trees – including much time on creating their tree guards.

I slept again most of the morning on the living room couch with a good fire going – nice and warm, unlike outside. Other than that it was more programming and an hour outside helping Karola with her orange tree

The tree used to be infested with blackberry, very similar to the tree covered in brambles shown below. I pulled heaps of blackberry out of the orange tree and neighbouring bushes and then, at Karola’s command, did a bit of pruning of the orange tree itself.

Similar To The “Before” Image of The Orange Tree

After The Blackberry Was Pulled Off The Orange Tree

Oak Avenue Weather:14℃—17℃ no rain [84.0]

Pretty cold start to the day and after a watery sort of sunlight in the morning it became misty, clammy, and colder.

Karola gave her sheep their last tranche of fresh grass in the Totara paddock.

Karola went out to see Rowena in the afternoon while I finished pruning the last 26 trees in the main shelter belt.

Henare came round in the evening and I scanned and emailed a dozen pages to Henare’s son, Scott, up in Hamilton – official documents related to his university education.

Oak Avenue Weather:3℃—14℃ no rain [?]

SwimGym

Quite a good day – cold but occasional glimpses of sun.

It was so chilly this morning that even Karola and Bramble stayed inside, Karola doing e-mails and Bramble playing with her miniature tennis ball. Karola cut nettles in the next pasture patch ready for the ewes. Once it’s wilted they do munch on nettles although of course it stings them unpleasantly hen still alive.

Mysterious (or is it Mischievous) Maids came and cleaned the cottage in the afternoon while I carried on with my windbreak pruning – only 26 trees left to do – and Karola popped into Hastings for a smidgen of retail therapy.

Oak Avenue Weather:1℃—13℃ no rain [84.4]

I started the day with half an hour of pruning. Meanwhile Karola let her sheep into the extra grass she’d arranged by moving electric fence yesterday.

Late morning all of us, Bramble and Jenny included, went to Pernel’s Fruit World cafe for lunch, returning in good time for the “after lunch” call by a district nurse to see Jenny.

Yesterday I helped Jenny by deleting her LinkedIN, Twitter, and Facebook accounts which she said she never meant to get and now just bombard her with emails she doesn’t want. Today Jenny had problem with outgoing mail, using Microsoft Live Mail. I checked the usual things but found nothing to fix it so called the Slingshot help desk – who made a couple of changes and then sent me to the Microsoft help desk – who sent me to a web site. It seems Jenny is not alone; many people find they suddenly can’t send mail and the explanations are many and varied. All of a sudden things started working again so I suspect that Slingshot had a temporary glitch which they silently fixed. Alls well that . . .

Late afternon Jenny drove off to home in Waipukurau and we relaxed – well I did Karola’s GST for April/May which makes me feel virtuous if not totally relaxed.

Oak Avenue Weather:3℃—13℃ 0.1mm rain [85.0]

High Cloud and cold to start with but warming a little when it became sunny late morning.

I started out with an hour or so of pruning and another spell late afternoon. But mostly I persevered with my programming projects.

Karola went to the hospital and brought Jenny price here for the night – she’ll go home tomorrow. Karola also moved some of the electric fences around – she has two final swathes of grass left in the Totara paddock.

Windbreak Haircut

Oak Avenue Weather:9℃—17℃ 0.3mm rain [84.5]

SwimGym

Karola took Jenny Price to her hospital appointment and then waited for couple of hours to ferry her to the next one.

I let Karola’s sheep have another narrow strip of grass.

When Karola came back we penned up the ewes yet again and had another look at #152 who is still twitching and throwing her head back all the time. Karola dagged her but found no sign of flystrike or other ailment. I prodded the poor ewe bit but got no violent reactions so we really don’t know what’s up.

I worked n my programming education for most of the day – Swift and stuff for programming the iPhone.

Karola did the Friday shopping and then went to see Jenny and find out what her plans are. Basiclly she’s had her little operation and will be kept in for at least one night so we’ll have to find out whether she can go home tomorrow.

I pruned another dozen windbreak trees up the step ladder.

Oak Avenue Weather:0℃—14℃ no rain [84.6]

Quiet day. Karola continues with trees and I recommenced windbreak pruning up n a step ladder.

In the afternoon and evening Jennifer Price came – Woodford House like Karola but ten years younger so not in the same class. Jenny is staying overnight.

Jenny Price

Oak Avenue Weather:1℃—17℃ no rain [84.0]

SwimGym

Some good news from our insurance broker. He’s negotiated the premium for the homestead back down fro $6000 to around $3000 (it was $2800 last year). The cottage has only gone up by about $200 too.

Karola did more tree planting. Apart from getting a bit of firewood in near the cottage I spent most of the day indoors.

Oak Avenue Weather:9℃—17℃ no rain [84.0]

Landrover and its trailer in to Heath Goldfinch at Tamatea Automotive for their 6-monthly WOF and the Landrover’s annual service. We picked them up late afternoon.

Karola – more tree planting.

In the afternoon Karola had a short visit from Jennifer Price, Woodford old girl who is going to stay with us on Thursday night – hospital visits on Thursday and Friday.

Menwhile I went and did a spot of mulching, finishing the pile of saplings Karola wanted done.

Saplings All Done

Oak Avenue Weather:12℃—21℃ no rain [83.7]

SwimGym

Karola moved electric fence and gave her ewes another tranche of fresh pasture.

Karola continued with tree guards and planting. I went to GoldPine and bought her 20 more metal posts (standards) – the short ones, 1.5 metres long.

For several hours today, by the fire, I watched Apple videos about their new programming language, Swift.

I mowed the cottage and homestead garage lawns even though the ground was sill pretty wet – but more rain is forecast so it might have been the last opportunity this week.

Bramble and Karola – Inseparable

Oak Avenue Weather:7℃—15℃ 2.2mm rain [84.0]

Mostly housework for me all day while Karola continued with tree guards, pulling up blackberry – the soft conditions after the rain has made this easier – and planting some of her new trees.

In the afternoon I began mulching some branches on one of Karola’s bunds – Karola decided they were going to take too long to rot down otherwise. After half an hour I managed to jam the mulcher with a too-large tough branch. It was an easy, though lengthy task to open up the mulcher and free the mechanism. Turned out that it was a useful exercise as several of the bolts holding the big flywheel in place were loose. Later I half-filled the old small trailer with firewood because in this cold snap we’re using a lot of firewood.

Gill’s Photo Of Bramble Anticipating A Walk (Smart Coat)

Oak Avenue Weather:4℃—15℃ no rain [84.0]

Karola saw one of her ewes, #152, scratching and twitching so she yarded them and put flystrike powder and some elderly Magnum pour-on on #152.

Karola planted several of her new trees which left her and Bramble exhausted.

Oak Avenue Weather:1℃—15℃ 0.1mm rain [84.3]

SwimGym

I finished the head-height pruning of the windbreak and then went off for the Friday shopping and am now relaxing, somewhat exhausted.

Karola is off planting some of her 20+ new trees.

The Pruned Windbreak

Gill is safely back at home in Seatoun and reports that, unlike here, they are having a spot of very pleasant winter weather. Ben, her husband, meanwhile has put his back out whilst overseas on his bird watching tour – unlucky to be away from home but lucky that it was when he had finished the Poland segment of his tour and was back with his twin brother in England.

Uncharacteristic Wellington Weather

Oak Avenue Weather:7℃—17℃ 5.2mm rain [83.9]

Karola’s sheep are keen for a bit more grass and two of them have ducked through the electric fence into the un-grazed area. Karola moved all the ewes into a fresh area before more could get bad habits about getting through the electric fence.

Around lunch time we took Gill to the airport and she caught her plane back to Wellington.

I did another hour of windbreak pruning. Karola went into town with Bramble.

In the evening we had roast ducks – wild ducks provided by Rowena’s family – and watched a film called Fierce Creatures – a sort-of follow-on to A Fish Called Wanda.

Karola and Bramble Go Out To Move The Ewes – Note Bramble’s Smart Driza-Bone Coat

Oak Avenue Weather:8℃—14℃ 5.3mm rain [84.5]

SwimGym

A sleepy morning with constant soothing rain.

For lunch we went to Bay Expresso – me, Karola, and Gill and Bramble who slept in the car.

Karola With Bramble

Afterwards we went over to Clive and Gill, Bramble, and I went fr a walk for 30 minutes along the cycle path bounding the wetlands. The rain was constant but not heavy and the wind strong, whipping our faces with cold raindrops that felt like small hailstones. Exhiliarating. The ocean waves crashing up on the beach, visible in the distance, were awe-inspiring and ferocious. Seabirds sheltered behind banks of rushes in the wetland.

Clive Cycle Path Along The Wetlands – Looking Towards The Beach

Looking Back Towards The River Mouth – Birds Sheltering

In the evening we, including Peter and Charlotte, (but leaving Bramble at home), went to In Search of Chopin, a film at the Globe Theatrette in Ahuriri, past the port at Napier. It continued to rain.

Oak Avenue Weather:12℃—15℃ 29.3 rain [85.4]

Inclement weather for the next few days is expected. Today is certainly no exception. In the morning Gill & I watched a film called The Trip – delightful English scenery and amusing dialogue from comedians Steve Coogan & Rob Brydon.

Karola did more tree guard work and also did a bit of shopping. I got in a few minutes more shelter belt pruning.

Mid afternoon Peter and Charlotte came, as planned, and we all went off in their car, minus Bramble, to see Bruce Martin the potter in Bridge Pa. It was pelting down but we had an enjoyable hour, under cover, when Bruce described to us how he built and used the anagama traditional Japanese kiln – firing it once a year with hundreds of pots prepared earlier. The wood-fired kiln gets very very hot – 1000 – 3000 degrees centigrade at the hottest part – and the pots are unglazed, getting their different colours and patterns from combinations of different clays and the interaction of wood ash and the surface of each pot at such very high temperatures.

In the evening the five of us had an Indian meal at K… restaurant in Havelock North – something we’ve enjoyed before several times.

The Mature Ginkgo Near The Southern Boundary

Ginko Covering The Ground With Brilliant Yellow Autumn Leaves

Sapling Elms

Oak Leaves Coat The Garage Roof

The Visit To Bruce Martin – Famous New Zealand Potter – at Kamaka Pottery

The Anagama Kiln (Japanese – ana means hole, gama means kiln)

Inside The Kiln (Now Disused)

Oak Avenue Weather:11℃—15℃ 33.1mm rain [84.8]

SwimGym

We then saw the final ten minutes of the film we watched last night, The Limits of Control. and were not much the wiser but a lively discussion ensued laced with quotes from the web provided by Mrs Google.

After breakfast I did a spot more pruning of the windbreak and then we all got ready to go out on the town – the town being Havelock North in this case. Meanwhile Gill had booked a film for us at the Globe Theatrette in Napier on Wednesday evening – In Search of Chopin.

We met up with Peter and Charlotte at Yabon, the french bakery shop in Havelock North, and had coffee and brunch before a spot of shopping. Back to Karamu for Gill, Karola, and me and a quiet afternoon. Karola moved electric fence so that tomorrow she can give her ewes another strip of fresh grass.

Meticulous Maids came and cleaned the cottage mid afternoon.

Gill & Karola & Bramble Under The Big Oak

Karola & Ewes Hoping For Some Fresh Pasture

Oak Avenue Weather:11℃—18℃ 5.6mm rain [84.2]

We set off before 10:00am to Napier airport to pick up Gill. After taking her back to Karamu to dump her things we went out to the Hastings Farmers market and as usual, as they intend, spent rather more than we anticipated on cakes and food, including some rather nice looking mushrooms.

Back home lunch was lashings of bacon and mushrooms on toast – ideal for a winters day brunch.

I later spent an hour or so on more pruning of the windbreak – another couple of days should see them pruned up to head height. I’ve decided to prune all round the trunks up to this height and then see if I can prune up a bit higher on the step ladder but just on the northern side.

After dinner of rice, smoked fish and salad we watched a very strange but quite compelling film called The Limits of Control. As luck would have it the Sky box recorded up until the last 10 minutes, just when we were expecting to find out who had done what and what it was all about. So, no denouement for us until tomorrow – I’ve rented a copy so we can see the ending but it’ll take several hours to download.

Karola Wrapped Up Against The Cold – Bramble Has Her Natural Winter Coat

The Kitchen Garden In Winter

Oak Avenue Weather:7℃—18℃ no rain [83.7]

Cold start to a sunny winter’s day.

Mice caught in last two weeks now totals 8. Evidence suggests there are even more still in residence. Annoying.

After breakfast we went over to Havelock North with Bramble in the Land Rover and bought 20 bales of pea straw for Karola to feed to her sheep as roughage supplement. They are only open from 9:00am – 10:00am on Saturday mornings.

Certain amount of clearing away and tidying up in preparation for Gill’s visit beginning tomorrow. Also we reassembled the couch brought up from the Days Bay flat on Tuesday and put it in the cottage living room between the windows. The old chaise longue that used to be there is now upstairs as part of Gill’s bedroom.

Karola did some more tree guard work. I did a little more pruning of the Casurina shelter belt. I lost my glasses while doing this – a bushy branch from above my head fell and swept them off my head. Luckily for me Karola kindly came and searched amongst the prunings and she found them. Whew – they are my best transition lenses.

Head-Height Pruning Of Northern Side Of Casurina Shelter belt

Oak Avenue Weather:3℃—18℃ no rain [83.8]

SwimGym

It’s Friday so after a hearty breakfast I popped into town and did the weekend shopping including buying new LED-based lights for Karola’s trailer ($70). Much of the afternoon was spent installing them, replacing the still-working but too-dim lights that failed the WOF tests.

Karola moved electric fence so she can gave her ewes an additional strip of the Totara paddock tomorrow. She also got back to her tree-guard refurbishment programme.

Wiring Layout Of The Old Light Fitting

Wiring Layout Of The Connecting Plug

The New LED Lights

Oak Avenue Weather:1℃—17℃ no rain [83.8]

First I went into Hastings for my 8-weekly $32 haircut.

Later Karola checked that the two new tyres needed for her car had arrived from Auckland and then took the car in returning early afternoon with tyres in place and wheels balanced.

Meanwhile I spent an hour or so on the trimming of the Casurina shelter belt. With Henare’s initial help I really am half way in pruning the north side up to head height.

After lunch Karola planned to take her Cyclone trailer in for a long overdue WOF but I noticed that it wasn’t licensed either. A couple of phone calls and online relicensing and Karola was on her way. Unfortunately we still don’t have a WOF for the trailer, it needs to have new rear lights apparently.

Oak Avenue Weather:2℃—16℃ 0.1mm rain [84.2]

SwimGym – but at the later time of 7:40am as we expected to drop off Karola’s Subaru for a service and WOF at 8:30am, straight after the gym.

After some very lazy lie-ins in Days bay – well the bay faces east north-east and so doesn’t get sun till late morning so it’s cold and damp first thing – I’ve decided to try a later start for the winter, rising at 6:48am instead of 6:12am. We’ll see how that goes; the aim is to get to SwimGym when there are very few people either in the gym or the pool.

We dropped off the car and picked up a “loaner car” and returned home for breakfast.

Karola then put up electric fence so that her ewes could have another thin strip of grass in the Totara paddock.

Later the garage rang to say that Karola’s car needed two new tyres and the wheels balanced before they could issue a WOF. Karola went into town and fixed to have the tyres replaced and wheels balanced tomorrow.

Another calm evening by the fire. Karola groomed Bramble with a certain amount of growling and snapping.

Oak Avenue Weather:2℃—14℃ no rain [83.9]

We packed up; Karola swept and cleaned. Late morning we went in to Wellington, to Bridget’s to pick up the Karamu visitors book that had somehow been left at her place and to leave yet more New Scientist magazines for her.

Next we visited Mary, again with Bramble and picked up a navy blue felt hat Karola had left there by mistake. From there it was on up the Hutt Valley and over the Rimutuka hill and through the Wairarapa, stopping briefly in Pahiatua for bio-breaks, and aiming for Latitude 40 South restaurant in Waipukurau. Unfortunately it was only open for lunch so we loaded up on provisions at the nearby New World and soldiered on to Hastings.

It was dark by the time we got home, relieved to have had another uneventful journey between Hastings and Wellington.

Oak Avenue Weather:10℃—14℃ 0.6mm rain [?]

Monday and Chris was off to golf so Bridget and the girls came out to Days Bay and we had an early lunch at Chocolate Dayz cafe.

Oak Avenue Weather:10℃—14℃ 2.3mm rain [?]

Chilly and overcast. Karola, Bramble and I spent the day out at Days Bay, pottering around. Late afternoon, we three set off for Wellington and another visit to see Mary at Sprott House. Afterwards we went over to Seatoun and picked up Gill – dropping off some bits and pieces we’d brought down from Hastings for her – and went out to dinner at the Beach Babylon restaurant in Oriental Bay. Not too noisy and very pleasant meal.

Oak Avenue Weather:9℃—13℃ 1.6mm rain [?]