Monthly Archives: December 2014

SwimGym

Late afternoon Karola got the sheep into the yards and separated out four ewes: #043, #121, #133, and #209, plus three dirty lambs: #417, #421, #441.

All except #043 who seems very off colour, were drenched with Scanda for worms (meat withholding ten days) and Maggo was applied to their rear ends for possible fly-strike (meat withholding 14 days).

Karola did a bit of dagging on these sheep too but just gave #043 a shot of Ketol “pick-me-up” – it’s basically a sugar solution.

Oak Avenue Weather:15℃—26℃ no rain [?]

Karola went shopping while I put up electric fence around the 121 driveway and under the big oak. The sheep have grazed down the Middle paddock quite well so they were delighted to get a bit of fresh grass.

I mowed the small lawns late afternoon.

We watched a documentary on climate change on the Maori channel at 8:30pm, called “Hot Air” – a sombre account of the politics of climate change in new Zealand since the 1990s.

Oak Avenue Weather:11℃—23℃ no rain [82.0]

I took Bramble over the hill for a quick walk. We packed up and left by 8:35 – the earliest we’ve ever left I think – and apart from a short stop for petrol in Woodville and another for Bramble near Dannevirke we went straight home.

Concerning the break-in. It was genuine. One pane was smashed and the top sash pulled down. The police SOCO team, Neville and Darren, arrived mid afternoon and looked for clues, as they do. We checked and could see nothing disturbed or taken so with a huge sigh of relief I called a glazier and by 6:30pm the window had been replaced and all was well again.

Henare and Scott called by early evening on their way home from working in the hot sun in an orchard nearby.

Enough excitement for one day.

Fifth Pane From Top Left Now Replaced

Oak Avenue Weather:12℃—25℃ no rain [?]

Karola spent much of the morning preparing a lemon souffle for tonight’s dinner with felicity & Geoff round at York Bay. The souffle did set by late afternoon at which point Kaola relaxed somewhat.

We took Bramble for walks and read.

Early evening we went to Felicity & Geoff’s and had a splendid meal interrupted slightly by ArmourGuard (ADT Security) calling me to say that the burglar alarm had gone off in the homestead – the dining room alarm to be precise. I called henare and asked him to go round and have a look which he did reporting that there was indeed a broken window and it had been opened and someone had climbed on the sill to get in. However as far as he could see from the outside there was nothing obviously missing or tampered with.

I then called the police and reported the break-in. Having taken the details they said they’d send someone round after we got back the next day.

On this somewhat unsettling note our day ended.

Vines Strangling Native Tree – Now Severed At Root

Banana Passionfruit Vine Lies Dead And Brown – Cut Back During Last Visit

Oak Avenue Weather:18℃—26℃ no rain [?]

Saturday and we pottered around until it was time to go in to Seatoun to see Gill & Ben and have a very pleasant lunch – well more of a dinner with the foods that I like.

Afterwards we went to see Mary for a while and then on back to Days bay for more holiday reading.

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

Most of the day Karola spent weeding in the Days Bay flat garden while I read crime thrillers in the cool.

Earlier we had booked four tickets to see “Mr Turner” the British film seen in the UK last year and beginning its New Zealand run today. We invited Kirsty (who paints and was most keen to see it, as was Karola) and Bruce and they were able to come too so the four of us went to the 5:30pm showing at the Lighthouse Theatre in Petone.

Afterwards Karola and I had a delicious meal at Kilim in Petone – an inexpensive Turkish restaurant chain.

Karola Makes Inroads On The Weeds At The Days Bay Flat

Oak Avenue Weather:11℃—23℃ no rain [?]

We went to Bridget’s before lunch as the grand-daughters were eagerly – and surprisingly patiently – waiting to open presents. Annemarie More, the other grandmother, was also there as usual at Christmas and there were presents galore.

Bridget made us a light lunch – a sudden infestation of ants in her kitchen slowed the planned schedule for meals today – and the grandmothers, grand daughters, and Bridget played with some of the new games received as presents.

I visited Mary briefly with Bramble, just to say Hello before Mary had her Sprott House Christmas dinner.

Late afternoon we had the official Christmas dinner, returning to the flat replete and contented early evening.

Oak Avenue Weather:10℃—23℃ no rain [?]

Today Bridget and Chris worked together to get the Washington Avenue decking painted – well stained really. Karola joined them and helped with the children.

Later, back at Days Bay, we had dinner and then watched (again) the soppy modern “La Ronde” film on TV called “Love Actually”. Soothing.

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

Bridget intended to paint the decking of her Washington Avenue rental property today but the tenants asked for a reprieve as they had a lot of washing to do. Karola was intending to go in and help with the children but this too was postponed.

Chloe had sent Karola’s bag down to Bridget’s house by courier and so we went in to Bridget’s later to wait for it, after Karola did some shopping for presents including a stint at The Warehouse. Late afternoon the bag arrived which was a relief as Karola did not need her husband in tow to pay for things any more.

Oak Avenue Weather:17℃—21℃ no rain [?]

I took Karola’s car into Wellington to “Slap! Car Audio”, (43 Hania Street, Mount Victoria, Wellington 6011 – 04-972 1409), a very small business at the top end of Cambridge Terrace, where, as arranged, Karl fitted an iPhone adapter to the radio allowing us to plug any iPhone/iPad etc into the power and sound system. The model of adapter I’d ordered from Auckland was allegedly the wrong one – even though the supplier checked make and model of the car and radio – so Karl fitted something else and it was cheaper and it can play from any device fitted with a stereo mini-jack as well as iPhones etc.

Returning from this round the Basin Reserve I went through the new underpass at the western end for the first time. The bolts in the walls are made in the shape of large poppies, presumably a reference to the old war memorial situated close by and above the underpass.

Karola went in to see Bridget and family and to visit Mary in the afternoon.

Oak Avenue Weather:15℃—23℃ no rain [?]

Another night at Burleigh and then at twelve noon the dinner began. A mix of all ages but predominantly the over 70s I’d say. Yvonne Riddiford who must be around 90 herself gave an excellent speech in praise of Hilary.

After the dinner we packed and left for Wellington, dropping in at Kaitawa Road, Otaki to see Kirsty and Bruce – we called ahead. They gave us a light supper and sped us on to Days Bay in Wellington. Karola was a bit upset to find she’d left her handbag (pronounced “ham-bag”) back at Burleigh and Chloe very kindly offered to send it down by courier van the next day. As it had Karola’s spending money and credit cards in it she was virtually without a means to shop – except she had that old stalwart, a husband, to take along instead.

Yvonne Riddiford Speaks Of Hilary’s Life

Oak Avenue Weather:12℃—28℃ no rain [?]

We went into Palmerston North in the morning, looking for replacement shoes (my “best” shoes have reached the end of their life) – no joy as the sort of shoes I’m looking for won’t be stocked until the winter. We also found a watchmaker who seemed optimistic he could dry out and service the wrist watch Karola put through the washing machine yesterday. The watch is still going but the misted up glass means that some moisture did get in.

In the late afternoon we went to Mrs Haylock’s party – Hilary is one of Karola’s cousins and they get on very well together. There were nibbles and drinks and there was a magician (English teacher at a local school) and Rosemary, one of Hilary’s daughters, ensured she and I had gluten-free options. All good.

Jenny Hare, widow of Robert, Hilary’s son, has remarried a nice doctor, Brian Wills, who is a skin cancer specialist. Unbidden, but I am grateful for it, he said I had a mole on my cheek that really should be looked at. Karola has one of similar size on her forehead but apparently that’s almost certainly not a problem. So I will follow Brian’s advice and get it looked at with the latest scanning technology. Better safe than sorry.

Palmerston North – By The Manawatu River Flood Marker

Curious Bulls At Burleigh

Harry’s Drainage Earthworks – Burleigh

Oak Avenue Weather:20℃—28℃ 0.1mm rain [?]

SwimGym

We put all the sheep in the Middle paddock, including the Goose Enclosure, so that managing them would be simplified while we are away. Henare is keeping an eye on them for us.

I picked up the weekly bread and arranged for it to be cancelled over the week of Christmas.

Karola and I packed up and mid afternoon drve off, with Bramble, to Burleigh, Bulls and a barbecue on the verandah. Peter Dicks, tessa’s husband, did the barbecuing, Chloe did the vegetables.

Inside Burleigh Redecorated Living Room

Oak Avenue Weather:13℃—27℃ no rain [?]

Phil Davis (Central Heating NZ – 029-200-3549 & 07-378-6667 – phil.davis@centralheating.co.nz) and Murray Rigby (Laser Plumbing) came half an hour early and inspected the heating system in order to prepare a quote for a heat pump.

Jenny & Noel Hendery came with their son Simon’s children just before noon. Meanwhile, mid-day I had a haircut and got a little bit of food and we all had lunch when I got back at around 1:00pm. Noel and I discussed the effects of “guilt” in modern New Zealand society and I explained to him the intriguing ethical principles with their roots in Buddhism offered by one of the “Practicing Mindfulness” video lectures. In a nutshell the five guiding precepts for trainee monks, embodying an ethos of “Not Harming” are to endeavour:

• not to harm sentient beings
• not to steal
• not to misuse sexuality
• not to use false speech
• not to consume toxins

In preparation for our trip to Bulls and Wellington I began making lists and collecting stuff together. I put the trailers and tractor in the Middle paddock and took the tractor key inside. I combo-locked all the external gates wide enough to admit vehicles, garaged the Landrover and locked up the homestead garage. Noticing a few scotch thistles under the big oak and near the lime tree I grubbed them up. Then Karola said there were some well developed thistles between the 121 driveway and the road – and indeed there were, mostly flowering but none dispersing seed – so these too were grubbed out.

Young lad Geordie Cornes came on his bicycle with a young sheep dog called “Fly” to see Karola and ask if there might be spare grazing next winter. Bramble enjoyed meeting Fly and Geordie.

Karola cleaned up eight lambs, four before lunch and another five mid afternoon. A ninth lamb, #410E seemed not to need any extra care. The 8 lambs: #408E, #415R – no-tag, #422R, #435R, #438R, #439E, #441E, and #442E were all drenched (Scanda – withholding for meat 10 days) and treated with Maggo for the prevention and cure of fly strike (withholding for meat of 14 days).

Henare and Scott dropped in for a quick chat.

Oak Avenue Weather:13℃—28℃ no rain [82.3]

SwimGym

Then after a quick breakfast we yarded up the lambs and sorted out the best 16 out of 21 , loaded them onto the trailer, and off we went. We started this just before 9:0am and were back home by 9:40am – a very quick and smooth operation.

Five lambs were too small or dirty to send to the saleyards: #408E, #427R, #435R, #438R, and a ‘no-tag’ wether who I have decided is to be known as #415R though there’s no proof.

Gill & Ben left going north soon after 10:00am.

It rained and rained gently all day and I spent much of the day upstairs on the bed reading and luxuriating in the sound of the rain.

“JB”s men are storing a big cache of large round bales of hay on the land directly behind the big shed in the orchard, towering up four bales high.

Late afternoon we sorted out the nine rather dirty lambs from the rest of the flock and kept them in the holding yards for Karola to attend to tomorrow. Meanwhile the rest – 24 ewes and 8 lambs – were let into the Middle paddock and set out to down large amounts of sweet grass and clover.

Sixteen Finest Lambs Off To The Saleyards

Oak Avenue Weather:13℃—18℃ 14.8mm rain [81.5]

Sheep grazing under the big oak. Ewe #328 ignoring the electric fence has to be shooed back several times. Karola cleaned up a couple of the lambs due for the market tomorrow – not a pleasant job.

We ate the delicious leftovers from last night for lunch and dinner.

Anna Natusch and friend dropped by briefly to see Karola.

Oak Avenue Weather:15℃—19℃ no rain [82.0]

SwimGym

Quiet day. Lunch at Pernels Fruit World

Meticulous Maids came and did there thing at the cottage after lunch. Meanwhile I mowed the small lawns (cottage and homestead garage).

John & Greta Flynn and their grown-up daughter Samantha and Greta’s baby grandson (Sean’s son) visited in the afternoon, coming to see what we’d done to the old cottage they lived in for several years when it was attached to the back of the homestead. They were very appreciative of how it turned out. Greta said that the red poppies, descendants of ones she had while at Karamu, are real opium poppies. When she had them the seed heads used to be stolen.

In the evening Peter & Charlotte came for Karola’s fish pie dinner. Karola had made a traditional pie gluten free and a pie for Peter & Charlotte who are mainly vegan. Charlotte brought some special chocolate globes (aka “truffles”)she’d made this afternoon and Karola also made a delightful sticky chocolate cake

Greta Flynn, Her Grandson, John Flynn, Daughter Samantha – Next To Opium Poppies

Oak Avenue Weather:10℃—18℃ no rain [81.3]

Plenty of rain, a day for being indoors mostly.

Karola extended the sheep grazing area along the drive to include under the plum tree. They were delighted.

I lit the fire and did the Sunday chores – except for mowing the cottage lawn as it was just too wet.

Gill and Ben arrived late afternoon and we had a splendid, nutritious dinner cooked by Karola and then settled down in front of the fire for a bit of mindless TV.

Quail Chick And Parents Seen Just Beyond This Gate

Oak Avenue Weather:12℃—16℃ 7.4mm rain [80.6]

After breakfast we concentrated on finishing the summer house new step.

First Karola removed the earth dug out to make its foundation. Meanwhile I took down all the electric fence in the Front paddock and on the homestead lawn.

Then, realising that we didn’t have enough decking nails we went into Hastings and bought another box. Karola also bought fish for the fish pie on Monday and got me a grilled fillet and chips for lunch.

After lunch we got down to laying and nailing the planks in ernest.

Karola put electric fence up along the main driveway and let the ewes in for a few hours.

Karola dagged four of her lambs before going out briefly, shopping. Meanwhile I topped the grass in the Front paddock, hoping it would soon rain, which it did, a little, by nightfall.

At Work On The New Summer House Step

The New Summer House Step Completed, In Situ

Front Paddock Before Topping

Front Paddock After Topping

Oak Avenue Weather:12℃—21℃ 6.6mm rain [81.0]

SwimGym

Digby Philip, sheep buyer for Lean Meats came at 8:30am with an associate and they looked at our lambs, the larger half, and quickly concluded that they were really not big enough, heavy enough, to go directly to the works. Therefore we’ll plan on sending them to the saleyards next Monday or Wednesday for someone else to fatten.

Karola and I reassembled the step from in front of the summer house as the step into the garage office (see below), it fitted very well.

We went into Hastings for the weekend shopping and also had lunch at Taste – delicious. I dropped into Hector Jones, where I’d bought my main wood working tools, for help with getting hoses to connect the tool wood dust and shavings outlets to a vacuum cleaner. Modest success there as I was not about to buy a complete workshop vacuum system for $700.

Karola gave her ewes some more grass by puopping them in the Long Acre paddock and also gave the saleyard-bound 21 lambs a bit of fresh pasture in the Middle paddock.

Just to make doubly sure we were keeping only ewe lambs I had all the lambs into the yards and checked that they were of the sex denoted by their ear tag – left for wethers, right for ewes – and that we had them down correctly in our computer record. All tags were in the right ears but I did have a couple of wethers down as ewe lambs.

A New Step For The Homestead Garage Office

Oak Avenue Weather:8℃—21℃ no rain [81.2]

It bucketed down with rain till mid morning and then there was a fine drizzle until mid afternoon when it cleared up and began to dry out again. We took the landrover and trailer to Tamatea Motors (Heath Goldfinch – prop.) for their six-monthly WOFs and a minor service.

Digby Philip rang to say he’d be round 8:30am tomorrow to select from our prime lambs those suitable for going straight to Progressive Meats.

I put up some fence on the lawn in the rain and let the ewes in as they’d finished the Front paddock – were due for fresh pasture yesterday.

Then I got the lambs in and sorted them into 14 wethers and 6 ewe lambs. I chose the best ewe lamb, #422E, to become another “keeper” in case Karola hardened her heart against #410E – but in the end she didn’t so we’ve now got 12 ewe lambs as part of the breeding stock or “capital stock” as they say.

There was some issue with one of the keepers, #417, which is mis-recorded as being a ram. Mid afternoon Karola got all the breeeding stock, ewes and lambs, into the yards and checked that #417 was indeed a ewe lamb.

I came over and attended yet again to #218’s bad foot – still not sure if it’s something in there like a thorn or just a very sore spot but I drained it and applied more antibiotic spray.

We seem to have had not four but six lambs that lost their tags, 4 wethers and 2 ewe lambs. Two went off to the saleyeards yesterday.

At Karola’s request I drenched four of the keeper ewes with Scanda (withholding for meat of 10 days): #409, #410, #422, and #443.

So, we have a dozen ewe lambs as replacements for deaths and culls amongst the breeding stock: #409, #410, #413, #417, #421, #422, #433, #434, #439, #441, #442, and #443. With #218 rejoining the other ewes our breeding stock comprises 24 ewes an 12 lambs.

AT 5:00pm we went over to Taradale and retrieved the landrover and trailer.

Step Platform Bedded In By Henare Yesterday Afternoon

Oak Avenue Weather:13℃—15℃ 5.1mm rain [81.1]

SwimGym

Then after breakfast we loaded up the 18 store lambs and took them to Stortford Lodge. I filled in the paperwork as we drove to the saleyards; Karola then took it in to the office while the men in the queue to unload just before us helped unload our lambs and it was all done in a jiffy. We were so please that we began to drive off when Karola noticed we’d not actually shut the gate and our lambs were about to make a break for freedom. Because of her sharp eyes and quick thinking drama was averted and all was well.

Henare came at lunchtime – rain had stopped thinning in the orchards – and he exchanged the existing platform step into the summer house with the new foundation I’d prepared over the last day or so. All I have to do now is nail on the decking. Also the smaller platform step we removed can be reused as the step into Karola’s office on the end of the homestead garage.

The 18 store lambs were: #404R (“boy”), #405E, #406E, #407E (“fawn”), #411E, #414E, #418E(no-tag), #423R, #425E, #431R, #436R, #437R, #444E, #445R, #446E, #447E, #449R(no-tag), #452R

Oak Avenue Weather:12℃—23℃ 19.1mm rain [81.3]

Karola tidied up the vegetable garden. I did a few more computer backups.

Rowena came to see Karola mid afternoon, just before Karola went shopping. I carried on with building the step platform.

I tok some timber up to the big shed in the orchard and was surprised to find that two of the gates into the shed had been pushed through their keepers and were jammed – an over-enthusiastic man on a tractor when mowing the weeds I suspect. Anyway I put things right, eventually.

In the evening we yarded the lambs and sorted them into “prime” and “store” lambs. The “prime” 22 will either go to Progressive Meats just down the road, if Digby Philip sends someone as promised to select the ones they want, or to the saleyards next Monday. The “store” 18 are intended for the saleyards tomorrow. We’ve set up the trailer with the new ramp ready for tomorrow.

Bramble Restrained From Greeting A Visitor

Next Phase In Building The Step Platform

Swamp Cyprus Eight Years On

Oak Avenue Weather:10℃—26℃ 0.4mm rain [82.3]

SwimGym

Then I read for the rest of the morning – Montalbano detective fiction I’m afraid (Andrea Camilleri).

Meanwhile Karola photographed many of the knick-knacks on the shelves and mantlepieces in the homestead, including a delightful little (50mm or 2″ high) dog like Bramble made of amber – that arrived this morning from our cousins in Poland.

In the afternoon I went to Goldpine and bought ten decking planks for Karola’s step platform for the summer house and together we sawed them to length.

I again watered the five Swamp Cyprus we recently planted over by the orchard drive. I think there are signs of life, just, in the three that seemed to have turned completely brown.

Step Platform – Decking Cut To Size

Photo From Gill Of Ben’s Bank At Seatoun Heights Road

Oak Avenue Weather:7℃—19℃ no rain [81.2]

Languorous, muggy sort of day but only a few spots of rain.

I took to pieces and reassembled Karola’s best drench gun replacing a felt washer and a couple of other bits. The O-rings provided with the maintenance kit I ordered through Farmlands last week are a smidgen too big and so don’t fit. Luckily the old O-rings don’t seem to have perished so I’ve just kept the them for now. Testing the gun with a bucket of water, it no longer lets a lot of air back in through the nozzle.

At lunchtime we went over to Clifton Cafe, where we ate outside and Bramble lay nearby watching the other dogs.

Karola gave #409 and #410 another wash, they did seem a bit better today. I moved a fence so that the lambs have another long, thin swathe of grass, mainly under the trees, as they are a bit bored with their current pastures. Ewe #218 is still limping but perhaps not so dramatically.

The building of the new step platform continues. Karola’s choice for the decking, reusing some very old stuff I’ve had lying around for years, is not going to work as the boards are just too warped so we’ll get some fresh boards. I used the Carba-Tec planer again today, preparing a couple more sturdy planks as intermediate supports for the decking. The platform will be about 2.8 metres by 1.2 metres and it wil provide a nice entrance to the summer house (former washhouse) and could accommodate two chairs.

Karola’s Poppies, A Heritage From Greta

Red Hot Pokers, Ditto

Ditto

Not Agapanthus But Acanthus Looking Good around The Homestead Main Door

Oak Avenue Weather:13℃—29℃ 0.4mm rain [81.3]

In the morning we went, as planned, to Taradale to talk to Greg Riceman; Greg & Sheryl bought a solar PV system three months ago. Their system is from Harrisons Energy Solutions and comprises 10 solar panels with a 3.8kW inverter.

The Riceman’s reason for installing solar electric was: to reduce electricity costs, to become more ecologically sustainable, and to use the local bounty of copious amounts of sunshine.

They did get another quote for their system but Bruce Emerson was cheaper.

The installation went without a hitch – it is a very straightforward one.

Their panels can hardly be seen from the road and are on a roof which is much flatter than ours.

The only unexpected consequence so far has been the difficulty of changing electricity supplier – it’s not the change of meter that’s a complication but the change in administration from supplier to supplier.

So far, in the three months it’s been active, it’s met their expectations; energy costs have fallen and they still believe that the unit will pay for itself over seven years.

I popped down to Farmlands and picked up another 1.5 litres of Magnum anti-flystrike pour-on for the sheep plus a maintenance kit for our best drench gun.

After lunch we used my Carba-Tec planer/thicknesser to smooth off some strong treated pine planks that’ll become the foundation frame for a new step platform for Karola’s summer house. It’s the first time I’ve used this equipment although I bought it several years ago and the builder did use it in making the summer house window frames. I bought it intending to use it to make shelves from the wood taken out of the cottage during the refurbishment but I’ll need quite a bit more experience I think before I can make a decent job of it.

Then we did some sheep work. Karola put the main mob of lambs in the Long Acre to get them out of the way and I brought all the ewes, including the eleven ewe lamb replacements, into the yards. We applied Magnum to all the breeding flock (withholding for meat of zero days). Karola also drafted out two ewe lambs that were a bit mucky, #409E and #410E and cleaned them up. We may demote one from possible breeder. Also I looked again at ewe #218’s left front foot and this time located the abscess at the base of her hoof. We lanced it and put on antibiotic spray and will keep an eye on her to see if it improves. Afterwards all the sheep except those three were returned to their pastures and I gave the ewes another cell of the Front paddock.

Karola Holds The Plank Level For Planing

Top Done, Now It’s The Edges

It’s Coming Up Quite Nicely – But Bramble Isn’t Impressed

Oak Avenue Weather:9℃—20℃ no rain [81.9]

SwimGym

I continued with my computer stuff in the morning.

The party of four ladies looking for rare, old, and unusual roses came around 1:30pm and Karola entertained them for half an hour at which point Karola went off to ferry Rowena back home from hospital where Rowena had had a small operation this morning. The hospital calls such things a “procedure”.

Later we went shopping – for the Friday bread and weekend food. We had afternoon tea at the supermarket.

Oak Avenue Weather:11℃—17℃ 0.2mm rain [81.0]

Karola did some serious weeding in the cottage garden ahead of a visit tomorrow by a gaggle of ladies chasing heritage, old, and rare roses.

Cynthia Chalmers dropped in for afternoon tea and a chat.

I am struggling with a large backlog of computer maintenance stuff – it’ll take days. I did suck some thumbnail photos that Henare had inadvertently left on our computer onto a USB Thumb drive he lent me. He lost most of his photos when thieves took all his camera cards from his car many months ago. I was able to retrieve the thumbnails but somehow the actual originals have gone astray but he’ll be pleased with even a thumbnail. When these are made full screen they are a bit fuzzy but still quite recognisable.

Oak Avenue Weather:15℃—24℃ 0.4mm rain [80.7]

SwimGym

I noticed that the pressure in the water radiators had already dropped overnight. Later in the day it was down to 30psi. There must be a small leak.

Then I went off to the dentist and Karola helped Bruce do the crutching. Meantime Karl and Wendy turned up for a chat, Karl is recovering from knee surgery and hence not shearing at present.

Two lambs were found to have minor flystrike, #406 and #425. Wendy produced a powder comprising baking soda and talcum powder to combat the maggots now that the effective applications are banned as being too noxious.

When I came back from town we reunited the eight ewes who had been dagged with the others and recombined the lambs, all but #406 and #425. Karola went out after lunch to post some more Christmas mail and get her trailer its WOF (warrent of fitness). When she came back she washed the behinds of #406 and #425 and reunited them with the other lamb flock.

Oak Avenue Weather:7℃—18℃ no rain [80.6]

Paul from Hawkes Bay Refrigeration – English and out here 8 years – came at 10:30am as promised and took a look at the central heating system in the cottage. He saw immediately that there was no pressure in the fluid circulating round the radiators and deduced that they were mainly filled with air, not heating fluid. He bled the radiators and set the pressure to it’s working level of 40psi and suddenly all the radiators were warm to the touch – something we’d never experienced before.

Paul will work out a quote for us for providing a heat pump to heat the radiators and the hot water cylinder.

I moved the ewes and potential breeding replacement lambs to a new grass cell in the Front paddock. The lambs and ewes selected for dagging remain in the long acre. The rest of the lambs had their patch extended to include a lane from the Totara paddock down to the yards.

Karola did a spot more Christmas shopping in the afternoon.

I put the sprinkler on the five swamp cyprus again today for 2 – 3 hours. Four of them look pretty stressed by the dry conditions.

We have chosen a place for my meditation – one is supposed to find a place and time that is conducive and can be used every day – in the cottage sun porch tucked in at the southern end. Too hot during the day so sometime late in the evening I think will be the time.

Now officially into New Zealand summer I took photos of the old roses dotted around the homestead – almost all past their best already.

1. Graham Stuart Thomas Rose – At The Back Of The Cottage Garage

2. A Patio Rose – Facing North In The Camelia Clump

3. Facing The Homestead In The Camelia Clump

4. On The Southern End Of The Homestead Sun Porch

5. Yellow Banksia Rose – On The Left Side Of The Homestead Front Entrance

6. Country Sons Rose – On The Eastern Corner Of The Homestead

7. Apricot Crescuple Rose – On The Eastern Side Of The Homestead

8. On The South Eastern Corner Of The Homestead

9. On The South Side Of The Camelia Clump By The Cottage Drive

Oak Avenue Weather:4℃—18℃ 0.1mm rain [80.6]

SwimGym

Then the morning was taken up with sheep work. We split out the wether lambs from the ewe lambs then carefully inspected the ewe lambs and chose 11 to be potential future breeding stock. We put those 11 with the mature ewes leaving us 40 lambs to sell over the next couple of weeks. The keepers are: #409, #410, #413, #417, #421, #433, #434, #439, #441, #442, and #443 . Bramble was left in the Landrover and again locked herself in – with both sets of keys. Thank goodness we had a couple of spare skeleton Landrover keys made some months ago. The Subaru door locks work sideways unlike the push-down door locks in the Landrover so she’ll not lock herself in the Subaru with its one and only electronic key.

Bruce Richardson is expected on Wednesday to crutch the few dirty lambs and ewes. We drafted out the dirty lambs, including #406 whom we gave a drench (Scandia – meat withholding 10 days). The lambs needing a bit of a clean-up were: #402, #404, #406, #407, #411, #412, #414, #419, #425, #426, #427, #429, and three without tags.

Then we brought in all 24 ewes and the 11 potential breeder lambs and drafted off a few ewes who could do with a quick dag: #003, #043, #101, #108, #116, , #133, #152, #241. Bramble joined in and was mostly helpful.

So there are 23 sheep to be dagged on Wednesday.

Meticulous Maids arrived about 1:30pm. It started to rain around 2:00pm and we, including Bramble, went out for a late lunch just after 2:30pm – just when all the local cafes have shut their kitchens. Karola suggested trying the Mitre-10 cafe as we were going there to get a key cut and for sandpaper anyway. Although the kitchen was shut they did have several gluten-free savouries so we had a pot of tea and something to munch there.

Afterwards we bought a 15kg bag of Nutrience dog food for Bramble and dropped into Farmlands briefly before returning home.

Oak Avenue Weather:5℃—17℃ 3.5mm rain [81.1]