Monthly Archives: May 2019

SwimGym with Karola & Bangle

I turned off the irrigation to the lime tree (tilia) avenue and to the micro-fruit orchard (seven trees).

Later, shopping while Karola visited Jeremy Nash & his wife Sue down on the corner of the avenue and Omahu road – it used to be part of the Exclusive Brethren enclave, the Smiths lived there. Jeremy, (his younger brother is MP for Napier), is great-grandson of Sir Walter Nash, an MP from way back and Karola’s godfather.

Karola took them some of her persimmons, of which she has an ample supply, and here was someone (Sue) who actually was very pleased to get them for bottling or jam-making or some-such.

On my shopping trip, along with the customary coffee, I dropped in at Mitre-10 and:

• exchanged the water blaster hose I got for Bridget yesterday for another one with an easy-connect connection. Same price but as I wasn’t sure of the model of our Karcher water blaster I took the hose supporting the widest range of small Karcher models. Now I am sure of the model I thought Bridget might appreciate an “easy-connect’ version.
• got a pair of metal clips – like hair-pins – that clip through holes in the bolts securing the little tractor’s three-point linkage arms. One of the originals was also left behind at Power Farming along with one glove.
• bought two pairs of leather work gloves, Lynn River of course. Karola’s relations, the Aclands who own the Mount Peel high-country station in Canterbury, started Lynn River.

I had a quiet and productive day working upstairs in the cottage on my several computers. I’m training Bangle to come upstairs by feeding her up here, but it’s going back down again she finds difficult.

Had an exchange of emails with Graham & Tracey (well Tracey actually) and we’re sure now that Bangle can go there, 45 mins up the Taihape road, while we’re in the UK in August/September.

Oak Avenue Weather:5℃—16℃ 3.0mm rain [75.93] IKBOrchard

Way after midnight I was surprised to hear what sounded like running – gushing – water from close to, or inside, the cottage. I investigated and found that one of the little plastic on-off valves in the irrigation pipes feeding the micro-fruit-orchard, manuka, and bay trees had exploded. Turned it off and this morning replaced it.

An hour or so later one of my printers burst into life, again. Of its own volition it begins printing test pages – same as the night before – so I turned it off.

Otherwise a quiet day and I made good progress on my program. The one puzzling bit I struggled with was sorted out in moments by Bridget, screen-sharing this evening from her home in Khandallah.

Odd Leak In My Basin Tap

Oak Avenue Weather:13℃—22℃ 2.3mm rain [75.72] IBOrchard

We three went to the SwimGym this morning; later we went into town for a mid-week forage at New World, Countdown, Mitre-10, and Rebel Sport, not forgetting The Artisan Coffee shop for coffees and friands. What a life!

Rebel Sport for Karola to get a pair of swimming googles as Corinne, one of the supervisors at SwimGym and avid mutton-birder, said Karola’s eyes looked sore and she should perhaps wear goggles. As Mitre-10 is nearby I spent the time buying an extension hose for the Karcher K3 water blaster that Bridget bought last time she was up here. After she, Alex, and Natalie did some water blasting to clean the homestead garage walls Bridget said she needed a longer hose – so now she has it.

In the evening we went to a talk in the Hastings Library by a young chap (31 years old), Kinley Salmon. Born and raised in Nelson he’s an economist working in the USA – places like McKinsey – educated at Cambridge – BA with 1st in economics etc etc. He was talking about his book Jobs, Robots, and Us, a calm and mildly optimistic discussion of the future of work in New Zealand.

Walking round the orchard we saw that the proto-frosts have knocked back grasses and vines including the sizeable patch of Clematis vitalba (“Old Man’s Beard”) vine that covers the northern side of that section of the windbreak.

With Large Deciduous Trees Come Autumn Leaves

Attractive Weed – Clematis On A Section Of Our Southern Boundary Casurina Windbreak

Oak Avenue Weather:6℃—21℃ no rain [75.49] IBOrchard

Got a call, tractor is fixed. So Karola, Bangle, and I went down to Stortford Lodge to pick up a coffee (Fuse) and some medicines before I drove the tractor home. Magnesium was on special, 30% off but still hugely expensive. Got my usual eye drops which by all accounts appear to work and also thought I’d get some more sleeping pills for Karola. Karola is less contemptuous of the ones I bought in Boots in Ealing, Nytol, but they’re not sold here. But you can get the same ingredient at the same dose as a “pharmacist-only” medicine called Unisom SleepGels, the active ingredient being Diphenhydramine Hydrochloride. This is on record so next time I can look up what it was rather than have the pharmacist go hunting on his computer. They are bad for those with Glaucoma, I was told – so luckily it’s Karola who likes the occasional sleep helper.

Went to Power Farming to pick up the tractor. I was about to drive off when I noticed two clips lying on the dashboard – and when I looked behind I saw the tow-bar attachment was missing. Went back inside and after quite a lengthy search they found it, I attached it, and was about to drive off when I noticed the cover was missing off the rear PTO – so back inside again, another search, and that too was retrieved. Was about to drive off when I saw one of a pair of work gloves behind the seat, couldn’t find the other one, but thought I’m not going back in a third time and just drove away.

It’s a bit of a squeeze getting the Grillo and the little tractor in the farm shed so I brought out the Grillo and, while it was out, cleaned it and the floor of the shed with the air compressor. Quite efficient and much less messy than water. Leaves, grass, and dust begone.

It is so dry still that I’ve turned on the irrigation for the Lime tree avenue and the micro-fruit orchard and the special manuka bushes. Karola hopes that’ll bring the rain for sure.

And squalls of rain came through mid afternoon, lasting about ten minutes, enough to make things wet but not nearly enough to soak the earth.

Oak Avenue Weather:12℃—19℃ 0.2mm rain [76.08] IKBOrchard

SwimGym with Karola and Bangle. The car park was almost full but when we got inside it was almost deserted, rather odd. There were members of a TV film crew standing around looking decorative, holding old, battered, but expensive-looking equipment, and projecting a distinct air of gormlessness Yurns out they were making a short documentary for Mãori TV about Iron Mãori and their escape to better lives through exercise.

Got Karola 20kg of sheep nuts on the way home – one can never be too thin nor have too many sheep nuts (anon).

Outside Power returned the Grillo late morning, apparently the leaking hydraulic fluid was from a cracked metal washer on one of the arms – easily fixed.

Meticulous Maids came this afternoon and cleaned the cottage. And we found out from Gill what Charlotte’s birthday was.

Later I spent a couple of hours on the Grillo taking the leaves, and a little grass, off the pasture in the Goose paddock. Dozens of loads of mainly leaves taken to and tipped onto the bund – Karola’s 200-metre long compost heap under the oaks along the road boundary.

No news of the Kioti tractor today; I’ll call tomorrow.

Grand-daughters Alex and Natalie have both been suffering from colds – well it is winter and they do live in Wellington – they are pretty much recovered and back at school full time. Now Bridget has it and Karola & I are either having after-effects from our 2019 flu jabs or also harbouring colds. Hey ho.

Goose Paddock – Before

Goose Paddock – 2 Hours Later

Oak Avenue Weather:6℃—19℃ no rain [76.43]

Gill & Ben, after more independent research, find it a matter of public record that the 0.6 hectare property with driveway precisely opposite the one of the house they liked in Waikanai, is destined for medium-density housing development. What was the agent thinking when she said she didn’t know of any changes to that property.

Karola & I worked away separately at our indoors preoccupations. We did stop for the amble round the orchard with Bangle.

Anna sent a TXT from England – a note that well-known English comedienne, Miranda HArt, made reference on her web log to our New Zealand prime minister, Jacinda Ardern – as she said, if only more politicians and leaders could show her empathy, it would be wonderful.

Bridget, after a long weekend of painting the walls, sent a photo of the walls and floor of what was the sitting room and will become the kitchen and dining rooms.

Early evening we went to Havelock North and joined Peter & Charlotte Offenberger at Namaskar for a pleasant Indian meal.

Bridget’s Reconstructed Kitchen/Dining – Coming On – Lovely Matai Floor

Oak Avenue Weather:0℃—21℃ no rain [76.11] IKBOrchard

SwimGym today with Karola, to make up for missing it yesterday, Friday.

Then I worked away all day on my program and by mid afternoon I’d solved the bug that’s been plaguing me and stopping progress for most of last week.

We both had much better sleep last night, despite the below-freezing temperatures. Without my Kioti or Grillo I’ve not had the wherewithal to do any mowing. Karola spent the day on emails and investigations, still delving into family history.

Bridget sent photo of a tui on a Pohutukawa tree in Karori – a Pohutukawa tree blooming in May instead of January. I blame Trump.

Tui, Centre-Stage, Enjoying Pohutukawa (NZ Christmas Tree) Nectar In May

Oak Avenue Weather:0℃—21℃ no rain [75.54] IBOrchard

Had a very late night last night, struggling with a programming bug of my own making, and had a fairly broken night. Karola had an even worse night – I blame the flu jabs from yesterday. So, no SwimGym today – perhaps tomorrow instead.

Rising late I went straight to my 9:30am eye appointment, a six-monthly check-up by Dr John Beaumont, ophthalmologist. As with the GP check yesterday, all seems very stable for now, which is a great relief.

I carried on and did a bit of shopping for the weekend and picked up coffees and a friand on the way back.

We both pottered and relaxed for the rest of the day. Late afernoon I enquired of Power Farming whether the little tractor would be ready but no, it is still giving them problems, so perhaps on Monday.

Oak Avenue Weather:-1℃—19℃ no rain [75.49] IKBOrchard

I had my regular quarterly doctor’s appointment and today that included the annual flu jab. Later I got Karola an appointment with the new practice nurse – new to me – Janine Hynd – and Karola too has now had her flu injection. That means I can hold my head up when answering the next weekly online New Zealand wide flu survey and tick the box for “have you had your flu injection”. So, for both of us, no coughing, no fever, and we’ve had the jab.

Last month the Hastings Health Centre moved into purpose-built new premises in St Aubyns Street. It is very modern, spacious, and well equipped, with plenty of parking. What with the muzak, the wall-mounted “arrivals” TVs, the long reception desk with multiple stations, it bears more than a passing resemblance to a small airport terminal. Oh, and the serious but bright-faced people scurrying everywhere, the pharmacy, the open-plan coffee & snack shop.

The (New) Hastings Health Centre

Later we three went over to Clive, to Greenleaf Nurseries and placed our (optimistic) tree order for autumn 2019:

• 20 more Rangiora
• 12 more Red Beech
• 3 more “Kiri” Manuka cultivars

Karola picked some of her Persimmons – now it’s a question of what to do with them – they are not to everyone’s taste.

Karola took her sheep some pea straw and sheep nuts and as she got near one enthusiastic ewe, #705, decided to jump the fence to be first in line. That startled Karola, naturally, and din’t do the sheep much good. Karola is sure the sheep ended coming through rather than over the fence but it’s strung quite tightly so I am sceptical. However, #705 is limping but otherwise seems, amazingly, unharmed. As she puts her weight on it when made to run I don’t think it can be broken or very serious.

Karola finished the big door-stop of a book, a fascinating picture of the history of the world from a China perspective – called The Silk Roads by Peter Frankopan.

Ruth Vincent and I spoke briefly on the phone – the plans for the Karamu renovation have been received by the council requesting planning consent.

Oak Avenue Weather:1℃—20℃ 0.1mm rain [75.58] IKBOrchard

SwimGym with Karola (and Bangle – though sleeping is her exercise).

Outdoors Power man came and took away the Grillo on a small truck. As part of getting ready for him I left a gate into the Mddle paddock open for a couple of minutes. The sheep, looking for something new, rushed through and cavorted around the place. Karola led them back to safety in the Goose paddock where they gorged themselves on old acorns so I swiftly moved them into the Long Acre where there are fewer acorns. We hope they survive the acorn feast, unlike our previous ram.

I called Ruth, Kerry, and Rob about, respectively, the building plans and consent submission, mending one of the 121 entrance gates, and the wood burner installation.

I left voicemail for Ruth. Kerry hadn’t started on the gate yet but said he would soon. I explained I was ringing because when I ran down to the entrance today when the sheep got out I suddenly realised I had only half the entrance able to be secured. Rob and his son Dylan are still wrestling with the council who are being particularly difficult. Also Rob has been unwell for 3 weeks which has contributed to the delay. Rob says to call him next Tuesday.

It is a lovely autumn day, cool night and clear, sunny day.

Oak Avenue Weather:1℃—19℃ no rain [75.55] IKBOrchard

I went down to Stortford Lodge in Zoe, a visit to the blood test centre then a couple of coffees and a strange confection from Fuse, another coffee shop. Popped next door to the little general store and got Karola a paper – it seemed so meagre, just a paper, that I bought a small brown paper bag of local potatoes as well. I don’t think buying the paper or the potatoes was of any consolation to the Indian gentleman who seems to spend his life behind that counter.

Inside work until mid afternoon when I began to mow the Goose paddock with the Grillo. It is effective, picking up the leaves and mowing very neatly. Unfortunately I broke something after an hour or so of mowing – hydraulic fluitd sprayed out of one of the struts and the catcher refused to go up.

Caled Outdoor Power and they’ll let me know tomorrow when they can come and pick it up – it’ll get its first service at the same time.

Goose Paddock With Heavy Leaf Cover

Oak Avenue Weather:0℃—17℃ 0.1mm rain [75.05] IKBOrchard

Another week begins. Reluctantly dragged myself off to the SwimGym mid-morning, after my minimalist breakfast of a single piece of toast and two tiny (well, the packet says “Jumbo”, that’s marketing for you) free-range eggs.

Not that it’s at all arduous really, just around an hour when I’d rather be doing something else. Only 28 minites of actual exercise approximately following the gospel according to St Michael Mosley. Karola was awake long before me and her early resolve to accompany me and swim had evaporated by the time I emerged, like a bear from hibernation, grumpy, hungry, and somewhat discoordinated.

Later we all three went into town for the start-of-week shopping – two days food, bits & bobs from Mitre-10 – like a longer hosepipe for the new air compressor (for cleaning the shiny things like mower and chainsaw and tractor). Between times bought coffees and a mildly glutinous berry friand from the usual shop – half a friand doesn’t seem to have bad effects – mostly almond flour they tell me.

The afternoon almost gone we three strolled round the orchard, Bangle and I have an apple while there are still some on the trees. The main picking for export is long over, looks like they have one last strip-pick to do, probably for juicing.

Watched the last two episodes of series 3 of Follow The Money. Karola said it was horrid but also said that it was engrossing, that the acting was good, and that they did well in fleshing out the characters with good and bad antics that by the end you were quite unsure who to be rooting for. We also had robust conversation about my perception that many more of the characters, especially the villainous ones (but not the competent villainous ones) were arabic looking – swarthy, bushy beards, and obviously more tribal/family loyalty than respect for the law. Karola says that Denmark may well be like that in real life for all we know, and I am irredeemably prejudiced.

Friends Geoff & Edwina are touring the hinterland USA for a few days, presumably keeping their heads down re the delights of a president called Trump. Quilting figures a lot in their trip reports.

Oh and another Geoff emailed asking about our spare wheel for the Zoe electric car – we rebelling at paying for a new tyre just because we had a simple puncture but the modern terotechnology is to give you goo to pump into the tyre, ruining it but getting you back to base without the manufacturer having to provide the space for or cost of a real spare wheel. So we cobbled together our own spare wheel for the Zoe.

Karola Is Proud Of Her Persimmons – Colourful & Unusual

They Are So Prolific & Fruit Heavy So Tend To Break Branches

The 15” Spare Wheel For The Zoe – $200 Delivered And It Fits, Just

Oak Avenue Weather:4℃—19℃ no rain [75.64] IKBOrchard

Very quiet day, the usual Sunday tasks and then, for me, programming, and for Karola, reading and sorting research papers, and writing long emails to friends.

Bangle enjoyed her romp around the orchard – lots of rabbits to chase and no chance whatsoever of catching them.

The days really are getting short and the current full moon lights up the night – an early evening harbinger of near-frost temperatures.

Oak Avenue Weather:0℃—20℃ no rain [75.74] IKBOrchard

Gusty winds and very cold (for us) start with a cold night and frosty morning. Minus 3 degrees – first real frost this winter.

I sat at my computer upstairs most of the day, sun streaming in from the north window in the morning.

Did a little more “picking up” of the slash from mowing the One Acre last week but the Grillo’s blowing of the slash into the 400 litre bin at the back kept getting jammed so I gave up after a few loads – the vegetable matter is a bit too wet and has lots of stalky bits that contribute to the stuff sticking in the chute. Where I have persevered I’m sure the pasture will recover more quickly.

Karola checked her sheep, all present and correct, 33 in all including the ram.

Oak Avenue Weather:3℃—19℃ no rain [75.8] IKBOrchard

SwimGym with Karola. Didn’t eat or drink anything until the afternoon and just squeeked in with a couple of percentage points lower weight than yesterday.

Then I did the shopping tout de suite as our financial advisor, Chris Day, was due to call in around 11:00am. As luck would have it the coffee shop was having a very busy morning and not only did I kick my heels waiting there for best part of 20 minutes but I got a parking ticket as well, doubling the price of the coffee.

Chris Day arrived shortly before I got home and we sat round the cottage table talking about ways to invest funds in Karola’s portfolio assuming we don’t have much to pay for the homestead renovations until next year. Karola’s portfolio with Chris is specifically the homestead renovation fund. He mentioned a few of his favourite picks:

• Bubs – which sells goat milk infant formula and recently extended into “organic grass-fed” milk.
• AfterPay – a little bit like a lay-by system – spreads payments cheaply for consumers. or like payday loans – loan sharking without the shark? (not sure about this one)
• Sidney Airport – I dislike airport management companies but they do prosper and are not totally evil
• NAB – the Australian bank which owns BNZ – supping with the devil, the devil we know.
• Beyond Meat – synthetic meat from vegetable proteins – that field of technology will, I think, become very big. Whether Beyond Meat will be part of that future is anyone’s guess.

In the afternoon we experimented with using the Grillo to pick up the mowings from the One Acre – the thick clumps of grass and abundant thistles cut yesterday with the orchard mower. It was somewhat effective in removing the surface slash, but didn’t hoover up the stems laid flat against the ground. Still, it may help regenerating lucerne, plantain, and red clover as the soil begins to cool.

But first I used the Grillo to mow the patches of Californian thistles in the Totara paddock, four catcher loads.

I think Gill put me onto French Lavender as an indestructible border plant – and we have found it so, blooming in summer drought, autumn winds, and winter cold.

French Lavender – Just Blooms & Blooms

Oak Avenue Weather:-3℃—14℃ 0.1mm rain [75.45] IKBOrchard

Very windy this morning but calmed down late afternoon. Used the old tractor and its orchard mower to crunch through the remainder of the heavy clumps of grass and weeds in the One Acre. Within a couple of hours it was done. In fact the old tractor makes a better job of it than the new tractor, just a lot more powerful.

Karola is reading the book “The Silk Road” by Peter Frankopan; she says it’s heavy going but packed with information.

I had the afternoon to work on my programming.

One Acre – Very Overgrown

One Acre – Almost Done

One Acre – All Cut Except The Pukeko Nest

Oak Avenue Weather:7℃—19℃ 3.4mm rain [75.47] IKBOrchard

Put ram with the ewes this morning before I went to SwimGym late morning.

Well after mid-day we all three went into town for the mid-week shopping, picking up coffees at The Artisan Coffee Shop as usual. Last time I was there I mentioned the recent possum adventure – trapped in the kitchen. I sensed that they thought it a little far-fetched so today took in photos of the possum snuggled behind the washing machine and when deceased – where you could actually see it was a possum not just a dark shadow.

I spent much of the day getting up to date on the weblogs.

Late afternoon at the end of our walk with Bangle round the orchard I strolled down to the stump dump and tried to start the old tractor. To my amazement, although it’s been ignored for at least six months, it started without fuss. I will not get the little new tractor back for a week or so so I think I’ll finish topping the One Acre with the old tractor – so that the lucerne etc has a chance to grow before the ground gets too cold.

Oak Avenue Weather:8℃—21℃ no rain [75.82] IKBOrchard

A late start because although the sun was shining it started out quite cold – winter weather.

Spent the day catching up on the tasks left over from the weekend in Wellington

• New license sticker on one of Karola’s trailers
• Replenish the firewood in the two wheelie bins kept by the cottage back door
• Bills & Emails galore

I came across an interesting article in my daily online issue of Medium, what they call a “curated online magazine” which aims to give you links to a few articles tailored to your interests every day. It referenced a recent report by Guy Standing, the Basic Income guru, to the UK Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer. I then read a fair bit of the report and drafted an email to family friend Max Rashbrooke, forwarding him the report. Sadly the Wellington people who think about government policy are apt to be set in their ways and to support each other in reinforcing their views, so I don’t expect to change Max’s mind – but no harm in trying.

Janet Scott called in and she and Karola had a lovely catch-up chat, including long discussion on the merits and otherwise of the “gated community” called Frimley Village, just down the road, where Karola’s friend Lyn Sturm lives now.

So Karola’s 73rd birthday passed quietly, without fuss, as she desires.

Freshly Mown Cottage Lawn – Autumn Colours In The Background

Did I Drop My Treat Down There I Wonder?

Oak Avenue Weather:6℃—18℃ no rain [75.96] KBOrchard

SwimGym with Karola.

On the way home we stopped at Power Farming to find out how my little tractor was getting on. Bad news was that it had overheated, warped the block and blown the head gasket, due, said Phil, to a faulty thermostat being stuck closed. He plans to contact the manufacturer to see if they’ll pay towards the (undoubtedly mighty expensive) repair – which will take a week or more.

Shopping later and as we went down the drive we saw a little black kitten frolic ahead of us and disappear into the undergrowth. We wonder if it could become domesticated and be our outside cat in residence.

Meticulous Maids came in the afternoon and cleaned the cottage.

I heard from Gill that some bad actors had charged her credit card with amounts totalling around $8000, and today she’s unsure as to how she will get the money back. Gill certainly has no idea how they got hold of her card number nor why the bank didn’t stop the card after the first few overseas transactions from an unknown source – the banks seem over-eager to stop your card should you dare to travel overseas without notifying them first.

Oak Avenue Weather:0℃—18℃ 1.3mm rain [76.06] IKBOrchard

Walk for Bangle and breakfast then off to Wellington to La Cloche on the Old Hutt Road to meet Gill & Ben for brunch. I must remember, although he French ambiance is pleasant and the wait-persons accent amusingly execrable, it is really too noisy for us. But the food was good.

I asked for a Café au Lait – and with a bit of too-ing and fro-ing they produced one – well maybe it was an Americano with extra milk – but it tasted OK.

Café au lait is coffee with hot milk added. It differs from white coffee, which is coffee with cold milk or other whitener added.

Being low on petrol, this being our petrol car, not the Zoe, I headed back towards the CBD to fill up. Found the nearest station, a large Z outlet – only to find that it was out of 95 octane fuel as it was soon to be closed down and the high-octane tank license had expired, not to be renewed. The only garage in all of Wellington not to have 95 octane fuel.

Getting out of Wellington was a minor nightmare – people are so angry these days – with some woman in an SUV yelling and screaming and gesticulating in fury as she sensed I was about to push in. I offered to let her go but that increased her fury. To escape her proximity I ended up in the turn lane so had to go back into the maze of street around the railway station, being hooted at as I attempted to go up the old route to the motorway – which is now one-way the other way.

So, back along the Old Hutt Road and past La Cloche again, up the gorge road to Johnsonville to fill up there. All fine until I carried on past the petrol station northwards to get on the motorway only to find it unrecognisable and with no clear signs saying where to get on. We ended up going along the back road to Tawa.

Due to some strange conflicting directions from Google we went hither and yon looking for Iain Middleton’s place, 17 Allen Terrace – not helped by Iain and his neighbour having removed the numbers from their letter boxes, and there being no #13 on their street, as Iain told me later. Still, we got there, off-loaded the valuable item, a plastic container holding assorted breakfast cereals, we believed they’d left behind at Karamu on their recent visit, and went on our way. Later transpired it wasn’t theirs, of course.

We stopped briefly for Bangle and me to stretch our legs and Karola to have a quick chat with cousin Cecilia Johnson in Pukerua Bay, stopped again for some coffee and snacks at the Riverside Cafe in Otaki, then barrelled on home, getting there right on 5:00pm, before dark.

Oak Avenue Weather:13℃—22℃ 2.0mm rain [?]

A leisurely breakfast in Annemarie’s kitchen, with walk for Bangle along the Hutt river stop-bank again.

Mid morning we set off for Wellington city, 30 minutes away, well actually for Khandallah where Bridget’s family live.

Taking every opportunity, while on my holiday from the calorie-restricted diet, to eat well, we had lunch at Dunshea’s Deli in Khandallah – superb coffe and delicious smoked fish hash followed by an affogato for me, similar delicacies, although in smaller quantities, for the ladies.

I was expecting:

An affogato is an Italian coffee-based dessert. It usually takes the form of a scoop of vanilla gelato or ice cream topped or “drowned” with a shot of hot espresso.

… but instead, even though I hadn’t quite finished my delicious latte, got a cup of espresso with a small dollop of ice-cream in it.

Onward and upward, to 34A Izard Road, Bridget & Chris’ home. At the moment the place is somewhat of a disaster zone as the builders are part-way through a major internal restructuring (see below). We squeezed into the living room, full to bursting with furniture from the remodelling area. Karola, Bridget & Annemarie chatted, I worked on Bridget’s computer, Natalie and Chris got ready for Monday departure on a school week-long wilderness adventure up near Taupo – Chris as a parent-volunteer helper. Alex, meanwhile, hammered away at something on the kitchen table, a secret project being constructed in plain sight.

Bridget gave us a brief tour of the house building works and then her vigorous planting work in the garden.

And so to the birthday dinner at Taste, just down the road from 34A Izard Road, and, for family occasions, we have always found it to be reasonably quiet, efficient, not inexpensive, and with delicious food. We were not disappointed.

The seven of us: Annemarie and Karola (the birthday grandmothers), Chris, Bridget, Natalie, Alex, and me, were joined by Jane Pearce – (Anna’s godmother and a friend of Karola’s since university). Inspired choice as Jane was an excellent conversationalist and had lots of catching up to do – we hadn’t seen her in ages.

Off back to Silverstream for the night, with Bangle having another short walk along the river bank before bed.

Bangle Taking Us For Our Morning Walk – Silverstream, Upper Hutt

Bridget’s Place – The Builders Are In – Again

Quiet Afternoon At Bridget’s

Alex’ Artwork Present For Karola (see above for the blueprint)

Bridget’s Plantings – Rhodo, Fuschia, Lemon, etc

… Right Along The Western Fence

Oak Avenue Weather:5℃—21℃ no rain [?]

SwimGym with Karola.

Karola took Bangle to Emma’s Grooming mid morning while I packed. As the grooming takes a couple of hours Karola returned and helped do the final packup and checks – sheep all present and correct, doors locked and so on.

We set off to pick up Bangle around 1:00pm, adired her clean and groomed appearance, and trundled back via Hastings to pick up my weekly GF bread and some coffee for the trip.

As planned we had a stop at Norsewood to exchange my ill-fated choice of birthday merino/possum/silk jersey for Karola – only the style, colour, and size were wrong – for one she really did like in her size, and a merino tea shirt and couple of pairs of socks to make up the price of the refund.

We stopped at a picnic area between Featherston and the foot of the Remutaka ranges where Bangle had a walk and we stretched our legs.

I found driving after dark over the Remutaka range and down a busy western highway to Annemarie’s at Silverstream quite stressful and tiring so it was nice to relax and enjoy our meal out at the Silver Spoon with Annemarie before collapsing into a warm, comfortable bed for the night. I did take Bangle for a quick constitutional along the river stop-bank at the end of the road.

On the way down in the car Karola got a call from our security firm, Havelock Hills Security, to say the alarm had gone off in the cottage garage. Bound to be a mouse or cockroach so I said to ignore it. We got another call while at the Silver Spoon, this time an alarm in the homestead so I asked for a patrol to go and check it out. At 1:00am, the cottage garage again – ignore it. At 4:00am, this time the homestead garage, ignore it.

Next day I called and asked for no more calls, just to ignore the alarms this weekend; it’s probably a mouse or other pest – they are hard to keep out with winter approaching.

Oak Avenue Weather:5℃—25℃ no rain [74.81]

A good day for working inside so, apart from our walk round the orchard with Bangle, getting some fruit for Bridget, and locking all the vehicle gates and checking the sheep troughs, that’s what we did.

Karola, with a little help, brought back the trundle bed from the homestead and returned it to under the mother-ship bed upstairs in the cottage.

I counted over a dozen Pukeko under the big oak, squabbling as usual, and there were another 7 – 10 in the Totara paddock – far far too many. And still plenty of rabbits, not to mention the pigeons in the Canary Island palm, whose numbers have risen sharply recently.

Karola has contacted Karl and he’ll pop in and make sure the sheep are alright while we’re away.

Karola is almost packed for the trip to Wellington at the weekend, I have barely started so it’s going to be a scramble tomorrow – SwimGym then Bangle to the salon by 10:30am, GF bread pickup, finish packing, and then off we (hope to) go, picking up Bangle at 12:30pm, all washed and combed, on the way. Well it’s in the opposite direction so it doesn’t really matter if we come back afterwards to finish getting ready. Karola got the Subaru all safe and legal so we can take it rather than the landrover – which is surprisingly uncomfortable to drive long distance.

Oak Avenue Weather:9℃—21℃ 0.3mm rain [75.11] IKBOrchard

As planned we took the Subaru and one of Karola’s pup trailers to Bayswater in Stortford Lodge for the car to be serviced and both to get their warrents of fitness (WOFs). We chatted with the man who has been there since the beginning, is now second-in-command – he works half time in the office, half time actually on the vehicles. We think he is a part owner.

After dropping off the vehicles we went to SwimGym, Karola & me. There was a heavy cloud and mist that darkened the sky and it didn’t really burn away until lunchtime.

I had long spells of programming and made very good progress, interrupted, in a good way, by going to do the shopping and collect the vehicles in the early afternoon. I bought Karola two packets of her favourite crackers – she almost always has the large, square, Huntley & Palmer original cream crackers with cheese for lunch.

Unfortunately, too late, I noticed the dreaded words in rather small writing and a light blue colour on the packets, “low fat”. Our experience translates this into “tastes absolutely awful”. But it worked out alright because while I queued for my Artisan coffee Karola went back and exchanged the packets. Unexpectedly they had the original Huntley & Palmers crackers with the usual amount of fat, and they were the same price, so the exchange was easy.

Meanwhile I succumbed to one of Artisan coffee shop’s berry friands, which are not heavily laced with gluten but do contain some wheat flour. It’s in the nature of an experiment, the berry friands being absolutely delicious, so we shall (well I shall) see what happens.

Karola went fossicking in the homestead garage store-room and she unearthed a well wrapped cardboard box that hadn’t been opened since arriving here with us in 2001. It turned out to have a number of small objects including some very pleasant items of greenstone. We don’t know whether we bought these in America and are repatriatig them, or we bought them here on one of our holiday trips and they just naturally returned with us when we returned from our 30 years abroad.

Greenstone Treasures Unpacked Today – Packed In 2001

Oak Avenue Weather:3℃—19℃ 0.1mm rain [74.55] IKBOrchard

Karola checked the traps I set in the homestead kitchen and yes, the possum took the bait. So the noises in the walls and across the upstairs ceiling may be quelled, at least until the next possum resident arrives.

I took the tractor down to Power Farming and they’ll see if they can find out why it’s overheating. It may be as simple as needing the debris blown out of the radiator grill from behind – which I can do with my trusty new compressor if it happens again.

Booked brunch at La Cloche on the old Hutt road in Wellington for Sunday morning, on our way back home after the grandmothers”e; birthday dinner on Saturday. Will be joined at La Cloche by Gill & Ben, assuming he’s recovered sufficiently from recent neck and shoulder pains.

Did the lawn mowing left over from last weekend and then some – the cottage lawn and curtilage, the lawn in front of the homestead garage, and the 121 driveway. Huge mounds of mainly leaves. The Grillo does a good job but it sure guzzles petrol.

Karola has gone out to Lyn Sturm’s place in Frimley Village for dinner.

The Squatter Evicted – At Least We Hope There Was Only One

Grillo Gives A Nice Clean Cut

. . . And Makes A Mountain Of Compost

Oak Avenue Weather:6℃—20℃ no rain [74.82] IBOrchard

Up bright and early, well early anyway. As Karola’s fridge magnet says “You may get me to rise, but I will not shine”. Off to SwimGym before any breakfast and indeed skipped breakfast altogether today in the hope of avoiding an up-tick in the weight graph. It worked, just.

After SwimGym I nipped into town early for the start-of-week shopping and coffee from The Artisan Coffee Shop. Well, there was plenty of parking at New World, which should have been a clue. Inside the staff were barely beginning to restock the shelves. No eggs, milk, or fish of the kinds I like on the shelves and many shelves bare.

Asked to rescue some treasured bits of cutlery from the homestead I wandered over and popped into the kitchen. Small dung pellets on the shelves, the floor, in the sink, on the stove, everywhere. Either a large rat or a small possum I thought. Clearly in the kitchen for longer than it wanted, it’d broken a few things and made quite a mess. I decided not to lock myself in with whatever it was and do hand-to-hand combat but I did look around and spied a fluffy bum protruding from behind the washing machine. Ah ha, a possum then. Perhaps this is the possum that was frolicking in the walls that gave our recent visitors “noises in the night”.

Karola, seriously practical, said to bait and set a Timms trap for it, as it’s not eaten for a while it should be an easy catch. So I set the traps and screwed them into the floor, but not before taking a photo of the possum from above, jst checking we weren’t trying to trap a dead possum.

Did Karola’s GST for Feb-Mar early this time, it’s not due until tomorrow.

Then to round off the afternoon I tried to do a bit more mowing in the One Acre, going over and over the bit I’d mown to try and get the really stalky stuff flattened. Forecast rain would be very good to give the lucerne a. boost before the weather and soil turn cold and everything stops growing for the winter. But the tractor kept overheating, boiling away every five minutes or so. I struggled on for an hour, clearing grass seeds off the radiator grill, adding water to the radiator, but it was pointless. Given I did more than an hour without boiling when I began mowing the One Acre there’s obviously something wrong so I will need to get it to Power Farming to take a look.

One Acre Paddock – Mowing To Encourage Autumn Lucerne

Plenty Still To Do

Oak Avenue Weather:3℃—19℃ 0.1mm rain [75.24] IKBOrchard

Glorious day – cool and sunny – Hawkes Bay’s best.

I managed to get some short clips of dressage from the Badminton Horse Trials on the TV screen for Karola. The proper BBC live streaming seems to be restricted to UK citizens only but there were some amateur clips on YouTube.

Henare TXTed me this morning and upshot was that he brought Scott round to do a spot of mowing on the Grillo. Scot spent three hours mowing round the front of the homestead and Karola admits it does look much better. I took Scott home in Zoe afterwards because Henare had gone to work in the orchards for the rest of the day – thinning he said.

Meanwhile, after a happy morning programming, I dressed up and ventured out with my chainsaw, demolishing a quince tree Karola had decided surplus to requirements. Brian Cope came. to the boundary fence to see what I was doing.

Paid my tax in time, it’s due on Tuesday, but I still have Karola’s GST to do tomorrow.

Karola Unloads The Deconstructed Quince

Oak Avenue Weather:4℃—22℃ no rain [75.34] KBOrchard

We worked inside until it warmed up around lunchtime. Karola on her researches of her mother’s letters, telegrams, and photos from the time of WWII. I perfecting, and re-perfecting my little bit of web-page coding.

In the afternoon I began the renovation of the One Acre paddock – it has provided choice grazing for the ewes in the run up to mating and they have chewed and stomped on it pretty thoroughly.

The Unruly One Acre Paddock – Thick Grass Clumps, Some Lucerne, And Lots Of Thistles

Yes, Lots Of Californian Thistles

Heavy Going – Mowing Takes Two-Three Passes

Pukeko Nest Left In Its Private Small Clump

New Tractor Overheated – With About A Third Done

Oak Avenue Weather:1℃—18℃ 0.2mm rain [75.58] IKBOrchard

SwimGym with Karola and Bangle – who only sat in the car and did not engage in the exertions of her owners.

Dean Sewell from Hurford-Parker Insurance Brokers in Hastings arrived as expected around 10:30pm for morning tea – although as usual he only had a glass of water. All seemed in good shape – if you ignore the several thousands we pay in premiums each year. We did up the homestead ‘functional replacement” insurance by about a third to match what current industry estimates are to build a house of the same physical area. Prefer to keep the homestead as is though, we really do hope we never collect. all this year’s acquisitions accounted for but we did, as Dean suggested, up the insured value for the two power poles and electricity wires that come across Karola’s orchard. They are devilishly expensive to replace.

Around lunch time I made a quick dash into Hastings for the weekend food, my GF bread and a nice plump Bostocks’ organic chicken for the weekend.

Rest of the day spent programming while Karola did some sorting out and tidying up of papers and magazines and books – a full time occupation round here. SHe also took Bangle round the orchard and generally put stuff away after the demise of our little ram hogget.

We plan to go to Wellington next weekend and celebrate Karola’s and Annemarie’s birthdays – the grandmothers of Bridget’s daughters, Natalie & Alex.

Ian & Karola expect to come down to Wellington on Friday 10th May, returing on Sunday 12th.

Bridget has booked Taste in Khandallah for 8 of us at 7:30pm on Saturday 11th.
– Karola & Ian & Annemarie More
– Chris, Bridget, Natalie, Alex More
– Karola will ask Jane Pearce, an old university friend, if she can join us and fill the 8th place.

We made quite an effort to find Jane’s number as we didn’t have it and trying to locate her through the Wellington Cathedral, the Wellington branch of the Parkinson’s Society, and the Wellington rest homes drew a blank. People move jobs so quickly these days that “institutional memory” is lost, everyone is “just starting to find out who’s who and what my job is”. Unsettling. Jane’s father served as secretary to the Anglican Diocese in Wellington for many years until he died in 1999, yet the cathedral staff had no memory of him.

Karola got precious old photos scanned earlier in the week – with frames carefully removed and replaced – so I’ve swapped the much better quality new images with the ones I attempted to take “frames on” last Friday.

Karola’s Mum & Dad in Wartime Scotland

Cynthia, Karola’s Mum, With Group Of F.A.N.Y Ambulance Drivers

Oak Avenue Weather:6℃—19℃ no rain [75.71] KBOrchard

A quiet day, cool but plenty of sunshine. Apart from a walk around the property and Karola checking her sheep we stayed inside and worked on computer / iPad.

He’ll Be With His Ladies In Ten Days Time – Not Soon Enough He Says

Looking Back Towards The Sheep Yards – Autumn Colours

Some Of Karola’s Crab-Apples – The Quinces Are Long Finished

The One Acre – A Wilderness Of Lucern And Weeds

Geese Enjoy Hide-And-Seek In The One Acre

Familiar Fluffy-Bum Bangle Minding The Lime Tree (Tilia) Avenue

Oak Avenue Weather:4℃—19℃ no rain [76.10]

Late start so it wasn’t until after breakfast that we bundled Bangle in the car and set off, dropping me at SwimGym while Karola did the mid-week shopping.

On the way there I dropped in at the Vets and spoke to the vet in residence. I explained as completely as possible the circumstances and condition of the poor little hogget. She said it had no symptoms of disease or poisoning and seemed as if it had lost the use of its legs – probably through an injury to back or neck. So it won’t get better.

Rest of the day spent on emails (replying) and articles (reading), with Karola composing an email to the Scottish Telegraph to see if they can help her identify the wartime location of one of Cynthia’s photos.

Called Mark and he came over, dispatched #829 and took the meat home for his dogs. It’s sad for Karola, she does get so attached to her animals, particularly the ones she spends time with. I buried the remains.

Oak Avenue Weather:6℃—16℃ no rain [76.20]