Monthly Archives: August 2016

SwimGym

Breakfast and then I went to Hawkes Bay Tractor Dismantlers and played them the voice recording of my rather sick tractor. Head gasket or worse they said. Got us to thinking maybe that we should get a more modern, safer small tractor. I popped into Power Farming on the way back and picked up a brochure. The Kioti Daedong CS2610 is a South Korean sub-compact tractor, 4wd, diesel, with optional bucket and optional midships 3-rotor mower. It has 3-point linkage at the back and a PTO so could do the mulching and lifting we do now. Automatic transmission. Simple to drive.

Putting my cottage computer system back together after taking the laptop overseas. Thought I’d gently vacuum up the dead flies on the desk first and in so doing vacuumed up two USB storage sticks. Retrieved them but not sure how they’ve fared.

Jeff Rencontre called in to say he’ be back to continue painting tomorrow after a few days off with a bad back.

Finally got Karola’s overdue GST done and paid the outstanding bills.

Oak Avenue Weather:-1℃—18℃ 0.1mm rain [77.7]

Got Bramble from kennels around 9:00am. Karola then cooked us breakfast and we chatted. Tony left for wellington late morning. We all went food shopping, including re-instituting the GF weekly bread order.

We finished unpacking and I did a few emails and TXTs to confirm we were back home.

I chainsawed up a small branch off the conifer just outside the 133 gateway; it had fallen partway across the drive. I also cut down level to the ground a dead camelia next to the new shed and cut up a middling sized branch off the top of the Grevilia Robusta next to the cottage garage.

Later Bramble and I walked the bounds but didn’t see any other tree droppings. We fed the ewes a couple of biscuits of meadow hay. They were only minimally interested; the ram and his wether friend were more interested.

A Small Bough Fell On The New Shed Roof Edge While We Were Away

Bit Of A Buckle But Still Seems Watertight – So We’ll Live With It

Oak Avenue Weather:5℃—19℃ no rain [78.3]

— 

ian@brackenbury.nz +64 21 799 065

Teamwork over Networks

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

Pilates today with Anna – Katya the teacher came at 10:00 and we were tutored for about an hour.

Much of the day spent packing or thinking about packing. However we did have time to go once more to Marks & Spencer to buy gluten-free bread, tins of tuna, and mayonnaise in a plastic container to take to Poland. Karola and I also bought me two pairs of M&S trousers and she went to Boots Optical for an eye test and to get some new lens fitted to her favourite frames.

Anna picked up the two grandsons late afternoon and we all went out to dinner in Ealing. First Karola, Barney & I had a starter at Chooks and then Dave and the others joined us at GBK (Gourmet Burger Kitchen) for a burger.

Fast Growing Eucalypt In Anna’s Back Garden, About To Be Trimmed

Fig, Ditto

Oak Avenue Weather:1℃—16℃ 0.2mm rain [77.1]

Leisurely morning, Anna’s expected guest Catherine unable to join us for morning coffee so Anna, Dave & Karola had a coffee at Munsens anyway.

Dave, Anna, & I took the green waste created by annihilating the unwanted front garden shrub yesterday to the local rubbish transfer station.

After lunch we three took off on a 16km bike ride following the route usually taken by Anna when jogging. Being so out of practice it was very hard on the posterior and the wrists and I did swerve about alarmingly. Luckily I didn’t fall off nor did I swerve into traffic or pedestrians or the canals. We mainly went alongside canals and through parkland or along very quiet backroads with only a few crossings of busy roads such as the A4. We had an afternoon stop ⅔ of the way round, at a restaurant near the “gauging locks” at Brentford.

Upon our return Anna decided to cut up a dead shrub in her back garden, helped by Karola and me.

In the evening we had a very pleasant Thai dinner just a few doors along from Anna’s house.

Brentford Gauging Lock

Anna Moseying Along

Scenes Along The Grand Union Canal

Oak Avenue Weather:-1℃—18℃ no rain [76.7]

Another beautiful sunny summers day in Ealing.

Dave & Anna had Yoga lesson nearby late morning. After lunch Dave & I went off on adventures in his Boxer Porsche, Karola had a haircut and other primping & preening appointments, and Anna attacked a large shrub destabilising the brick wall in the front garden between her house and the neighbour.

Dave & I first went to the local Sainsburys for petrol and food and printer paper, then on to Dave’s house to replenish the cat’s automatic feeders, and on to the sports shop, Decathlon UK, in the Southside Shopping Center in Wandsworth. We picked up my cheap new jodhpur boots as planned but thought I should try them on before we left the shop – thank goodness as they were far too narrow. With Dave’s help we located the jodhpur boot racks and found the largest pair of boots on display. These fitted well and so we exchanged them, saving half the price as well.

We returned well pleased with our exploits and both helped Anna for a while with her de-shrubbing.

In the evening we all went out to the Ealing Park Tavern about a mile down the road and had a hearty meal. On the return from the tavern we talked to Barney in Norway about his more recent fishing morning.

Dave Moss’ House at 9 Alton Road, Richmond, London

Oak Avenue Weather:2℃—17℃ 1.5mm rain [76.4]

This day had been organised long before when we were corresponding with our newly widowed friend Felicity Bagen al. She planned to come up to stay in  Surrey where her Daughter Issy had rented a house.  David and Issy’s rented house in Cobham had become a pied at terre and refuge for the family during Philips last illness. Anna had planned to come with us and she piloted us efficiently through south London to Surrey and back without holdups or  getting lost! 

We learned that as soon as news of Philip’s illness reached Sydney they had decided to come home. David had resigned his work and found job near London and Max needed a new school. This was in the Cobham of and they were able to rent a comfortable modern house with pleasant garden quite close. 

We received the usual Bagenal hospitality, friendly warmth and and an excellent lunch prepared by Issy; salmon and salad, followed by a cake baked that morning. We took photos in the garden and in the house where we had retreated out of the sun. We heard about Felicity’s plans to move to a country cottage, and talked of family news  and discussed the Brexit fiasco All too quickly  was time to set off home  where Dave joined us and we had an interesting outing to an up market fish and chip establishment named “Kerbisher & Co.”

At Issy’s Surrey House

We Arrive At Issy’s Place

Delicious Salmon Lunch Made By Issy

Inside Issy’s Living Room

On The Lawn – Missing Issy’s Husband David Stoddard & Her Son Max

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

Got some photos from New Zealand showing where a small branch had fallen from the nearby American oak and dinged the front western edge of the new roof – and the shed isn’t even finished yet. (see 30th August entry).

Off to see Gill Doyle and one of her daughters, Joelle, for lunch at the Chelsea Physic Gardens. First we took the South Ealing tube through to Knightsbridge to one of the shops selling highly expensive watches, including Longines. Karola explained the circumstances under which her Longine watch stopped and the resident watch repairer opened it up and adjusted the battery and hey-presto, it started running again.

We then took a taxi down to the river and the Chelsea Physic Gardens. A very leafy, green, and peaceful garden chock full of many different species of plants, most of them being notable for their medicinal powers. There were lots of Australasian species and some very common medicinal weeds (says Karola). We had a very pleasant lunch before strollling round the garden – it isn’t very large – and then having afternoon tea before going our respective ways. Karola and I took a taxi to Hammersmith tube station to avoid the sort of crowds we experienced yesterday.

We trotted down to the Piccadilly line platform and saw a train just getting ready to leave. Fearing we would miss it I hurled myself between the closing doors, making them open again and allowing Karola in. It was not until a few stops later that we realised it was actually the wrong train, heading for Ealing Common, not South Ealing. We scrambled out at Ealing Common and fortunately Karola spotted that the next train, due in a couple of minutes, could take us to Ealing Broadway – which is almost as good as South Ealing. We rode to Ealing Broadway and took a number 65 bus to Anna’s road.

For Lunch At The Chelsea Physic Gardens

The Restaurant

A Frothy Exuberance Of Foliage

Barney, In Norway, Lands Another Large Cod

Oak Avenue Weather:-1℃—14℃ 0.2mm rain [76.4]

Photos of new shed roof damage (minor)
Pet2Us call from NZ re Bramble’s upset tummy
Julia Bruce flat then new club dinner fiasco
Ghastly experience on crowded tube

2 more pr pyjamas from M&S

Visit Norma Cherrington in Richmond in evening – Anna’s car, Karola driving, comprehensively lost owing to road works in Richmond & St Margret’s.. Eventually there, nice chat at her flat & meal in nearby restaurant on the river side

At Julia’s Club – Just Before Being Evicted For Unsuitable Dress

Oak Avenue Weather:5℃—13℃ 0.2mm rain [75.9]

news of new shed minor roof damage

Too much Olympics – bad day for NZ & UK, equestrian and rugby events.

Karola & I went up to Ealing Broadway – specs (Boots Optical) – banks (NatWest, Santander, Barclays), M&S for pyjamas & 125 pounds each of zlotties for Poland.I had long planned to stock up on pyjamas whilst in Ealing.

Taxi to cinema, Dave & Anna both at work – met us at cinema at 6:00pm

Notting Hill: 2nd hand book shop – Karola found a book, I bought couple of comedy DVDs (Bill Bailey, Peter Cook & Dudley More). Coffee in Nero’s next door. Jason Bourne film – rubbish. Cinema very old but refurbished – similar to Cinema Gold in Havelock North but a bit bigger. Not as intimate nor comfortable as the Globe Theatrette in Napier IMHO. Afterwards walked along Portobello road and enjoyed the old but smartly painted town houses.

With Anna & Dave, returned to Ealing on the Tube – South Ealing to Green Park, using our Barclaycards for the fares

Inside The Electric Cinema

Oak Avenue Weather:4℃—11℃ no rain [?]

Anna doesn’t go to work on Mondays and Dave took the day off too.

Early morning Felix and Barbara were taken to the airport for their trip to Norway. Later, Anna & Dave, Karola & I went on the tube to Mayfair to see the Summer Exhibition at Burlington House. The tube wasn’t crowded, we walked to the South Ealing station and took it to Green Park, returning by the same route. We learned to use a credit card instead of an Oyster card – no preloading needed – and the delights of paywave (or whatever the English call it). The exhibition itself was somewhat interesting but none I’d want to wake up to in the morning.

In the courtyard of Burlington House was Spyre.

“a new, monumental kinetic sculpture by Israeli designer and sculptor, Ron Arad, titled Spyre, will be on display in the Annenberg Courtyard throughout the Summer Exhibition.

Spyre is an 18 metre tall corten steel moving cone, containing motors, cogs, and slew-rings. Each segment will move at a different speed, ensuring that the sculpture’s unpredictable acrobatic postures are never repeated. Spyre has an eye at its tip containing a camera which will film its surroundings constantly. Whatever it films will be streamed to a screen on the façade of Burlington House so that visitors can view whatever Spyre ‘sees’.”

For lunch we all went to The Woolsey, a posh restaurant that was expensive but inside pretty relaxed and with delicious meals.

Late afternoon I went shopping in Ealing’s Marks & Spencer – buying some gluten-free bread that I fancied, some more tins of tuna, and a couple of grapefruit. I also got my wristwatch strap repaired and dropped into the NatWest bank just as they were closing. They were able to assure me that my recently received NatWest debit card was ready to go – didn’t need any special activation – and the pin number I had remembered was correct.

In the evening, thinking ahead, Dave ordered inexpensive jodhpurs for himself, Karola, and me. Felix has his own, of course. Barney was able to fit into an old pair of Felix’s, and Anna had some she bought in France a while back. Riding boots were also discussed. Felix & Anna were already equipped, Dave wore some old ones of Felix’s, Barney had something suitable (though not strictly jodhpur boots) already, and Karola brought her own from New Zealand. That left me to order online a cheap pair from Decathlon – to be picked up in a few days time from Wandsworth.

Piccadilli — Going Up

Piccadilly — Going Down

Inside The Archway Entrance To Burlington House

Burlington House – Royal Academy of Arts – Spyre In The Foreground

From The Summer Exhibition – Chosen for Ben

From The Summer Exhibition – Chosen By Dave for Anna

Outside The Woolsey Restaurant

Oak Avenue Weather:3℃—9℃ 1.2mm rain [?]

Karola and I slept heavily, as expected. In the morning, after coffee at Munsens, Dave, Anna, Karola and I went for a stroll round Lammas & Walpole parks to stretch our legs. Saw the changes to the boundaries and the new Meadow look to the Grass. Karola chatted to Barbara in the afternoon as she would be leaving early in the morning for Norway escorted by Felix.

Early evening Anna, Karola & I went back to LHR to the refurbished Terminal 2 to pick up Felix who had just spent 5 days in Austria on a school trip to a riding school there. Upon returning home to Ealig we had a lovely roast chicken dinner. Felix & Barbara are going off early tomorrow by plane to Norway to join up with Marc and Barnaby for a week in the wilds of the fijords and some fishing.

Dave Cooks Us A Delicious Roast Chicken Dinner

Oak Avenue Weather:-1℃—7℃ 0.2mm rain [?]

Arrived at LHR around 6:30pm, remarkably fresh after the long flight.

Karola was having an excellent sleep on the Business class cabin beds and she dimily heard “We will be landing at Heathrow shortly”. Karola was panic stricken as she had not yet changed into her arrival clothes and said to Ian “Have you had breakfast?”. “Long ago” was the reply and the stewardess kindly brought Karola a glass of orange juice at which point we heard “Cabin crew take your seats for landing”and almost immediately bump bump and we had landed.

Anna picked us up and took us back to St Mary’s Road where we had a quiet meal at home with Dave and the other grand mother, Barbara Florent. Anna had got in heaps of gluten-free food, her fridge was bursting. It was a great delight to see Anna and meet Dave and Barbara again.

Olympics have started and Dave and Anna enjoy watching every moment.

Oak Avenue Weather:1℃—5℃ 22.6mm rain [?]

SwimGym alone. Then back to continue working through the lists of checklists for tasks needing completion before Anthony drove us to the airport.

The last three gates wide enough to allow vehicles through were combination-locked. The water troughs were checked one last time.

By mid-morning I‘d finished creating a consolidated library of Photos photos and images. With time against us I tried to make a backup of the Macbook Pro, but this was a slower job than I recollec and went on well into the afternoon. As this continued the clothes and personal effects were packed. about an hour before we were due to leave I abandoned the Macbook Pro backup,  90% complete, and packed the Macbook Pro.

Mid afternoon Air New Zealand called and said that, due to forecast bad weather later on, they’d rather we went on the 6:00pm flight, not the 9:00pm one. This hastened our final arrangements and Anthony drove us off to the airport in his car at around 4:30pm. The weather was bad and getting worse as we drove towards the airport.

In the end it all went smoothly and we had several hours before we left around midnight for Hong Kong, spent in the Air New Zealand loungs. I ate enough for a couple of dinners from the hot food buffet. It was an Air New Zealand plane and crew although it was a code-share with Cathay Pacific. The food was good, my gluten-free food, and the flat beds were comfortable.

Oak Avenue Weather:0℃—6℃ 63.2mm rain [?]

Mostly wet and cold day but enough dry spells to get most of the weatherboard undercoated and up. It does look splendid.

Sheep let into the Middle paddock where they’ll stay until we return. I got cold fingers rolling up the electric fence from around the homestead lawn early on.  Trailers all parked in the Long Acre to be inside locked gates.

Practice nurse and doctor appointments this morning. All very satisfactory. Then Karola, Anthony and I went to Rush Munro’s in Heretaunga Street to try the new fare from Bostock’s Organic Kitchen. Roast venison and vegetables, tasted very nice.

Picked up the new sign for the 133 entrance, “Please Use 121 Entrance” and an arrow. Took lots of photos inside the cottage, homestead, and garages – a quick help if an inventory were to be needed.

West Side Boarded Up

South Side Boarded Up

East Side Nearly Done

Front Still To Do

Jeff Still Furiously Undercoating But Nearly Out Of Wood

Oak Avenue Weather:3℃—15℃ 9.7mm rain [74.6]

The roofers and Paul arrive around 8:30am and the roofers are away before lunch, mission completed. Jeff Rencontre was a little late but got stuck into the undercoating of the weatherboard. Mid morning Paul started putting it up. They ignored the occasional gentle rain shower.

Bob Masters called in to check the seed mix we intended for the Lucerne in the One Acre paddock in September.

After lunch Selwyn & Tony arrived and speedily installed the Internet connections for our two monitored alarm systems. We discussed the new shed alarms and marked up where the PIR, smoke alarm and RJ45 socket should go. The ethernet cable will snake around the perimeter above the plywood lining before dropping to above-bench height on the east wall.

I did unload the trailer and began mulching the remaining Casurina trimmings into it but then the tractor overheated and it now sounds rather sick. I stopped work. I also drove down and got refills of diesel and standard petrol.

Anthony arrived late afternoon. Together we listened to the tractor and tut-tutted.

The Tractor Sounding Sick

Painter Jeff In His Element

Paul Puts Up The First Weatherboard

New Bolt And Hook-Back Freshly Painted In Matt Black

here was rain in the night and it was cold when we got up. No sign of the roofers until mid morning and although they, unprompted, assured me last night that they would be finished today they still have more to do.

The weatherboard finally turned up late afternoon – too late for anything to be done with it today but Jeff Rencontre says he’ll start the undercoating tomorrow morning. A sad thing that cannot be changed, the weatherboard is planed flat on one side and has the bandsaw striation marks, very evenly done, on the other. Unlike the cottage weatherboard, where the idea was to match existing boards with new for the extensions and repairs, this is “fake” sawn timber. Last time we used planks straight off the mill and it was rough, as intended, and cheaper. This time we are paying a premium and there’s been significant waste in taking a thick board, planing it down smooth on both sides, and the rasping off the smoothness on one side.

The effect is more regular than on any of the other weatherboard at Karamu. This is overkill.

We both continued preparing for “the off” on Friday evening.  Karola had a busy day of emailing and telephoning.

I also completed the slam post for the southern gate in the new fence and finished chainsawing up the conifer branch near the new shed. The slam post, only needed because we mis-judged how wide the gateway should be, is fixed to the strainer post with four 150mm (6 inch) lengths of reinforcing steel, It is amazingly sturdy.

Slam Post Completed – Southern Gate In New Fence

Oak Avenue Weather:1℃—16℃ no rain [74.6]

SwimGym and Karola came too – cold start to the morning.

Roofers arrived just as we were finishing breakfast and by the end of the day had the roofing iron on and only trimmings and gutters to do. It started to rain mid evening so it was pleasing to know that the new shed would be dry inside from now on.

All three of us went into town late morning. I to get my quarterly diabetic’s blood test, Karola to pick up some last minute dry cleaning, and both of us to get a little food. I also dashed into Mitre-10 for a tiny pot of matt black paint and some masking tape, to overpaint the gloss finish of the black painted bolt and hook-back on the Summer House.

In the afternoon Karola and I put up the two gates in the new fence. This just leaves the installing of the slam post and catch on the southern gate and for the northern gate to be connected to the new shed once it’s finished sometime in September.

I’ve planted my two rosemary ground-cover plants; they do smell divine when you brush against them.

New Shed Has A Roof

Northern Gate In New Fence

Southern Gate In New Fence

Oak Avenue Weather:7℃—19℃ 5.3mm rain [74.5]