Monthly Archives: October 2019

Gorgeous day – sunny with a slight cool breeze.

Mid morning James Carolane came, as planned, and we discussed the role of the “gardener” we were looking for. Very pleasant Australian with a wife and daughter, only 44 years old, active, and isn’t a front man, does the work himself.

Jimmy owns the local franchise for Mr Green, a lawnmowing and gardening business. Before moving to Hawkes Bay and taking up Mr Green he has had many jobs, mostly in Australia, and in fact worked for a while in Hawkes Bay as an electrician before deciding that if he wanted money as an electrician he’d have to go back to Australia but if he wanted to stay in Hawkes bay he needed to do something different – the pay here is much lower than in any of the cities or other locations doing lots of construction.

Jimmy called because he was contacted by Tracey, my dentist, after I’d mentioned to her we were searching. Coincidentally Jimmy now does the lawns for our original lawn mower man, Mike Croucher who retired years ago.

It’s obvious that Jimmy is not the man for our longer term helper. I’ve given him a challenge, the job of removing all blackberry from our road frontage. We’ll find out from that how expensive he is and how thorough a job he does and therefore may be able to have him in reserve should we be overwhelmed by any of our outdoor tasks – say when we’re overseas.

Our “Gardener” Brief

After Jimmy had left we all went off on a range of errands:

• Pharmacist in Stortford Lodge – for my regular prescription of eye drops and because Karola had run out of hers. They always make you wait for a while, even if there’s no queue and the medicines are clearly visible within reach – it’s a ‘thing’ with chemists I think. So I dashed over the road and bought us coffees and Karola a tub of some sort of jelly and seed and cream mix.
• Drycleaners – to pick up one pair of trousers and drop off another
• Bridgestone: my replacement tyre for one of Karola’s little Cyclone trailers is ready to be picked up.
• Office Max for some more shiny paper to print photos on, for a new label maler for Karola, and for Karola to chose a couple of 2020 calendars for overseas presents.
• BNZ to get my usual bundle of cash out for our casual workers like Henare Ormond and Mark Hendery
• Spotlight where Karola was searching for a new table cloth to math one she got a decade or so ago from that same shop. Of course the styles and fashions have changed and there was nothing remotely like it at Spotlight.
• New World for shopping for the rest of the week and the weekend.
• Rush Munros for a treat on the way back – a single-scoop cone of Passionfruit ice-cream for Karola and a couple of 600mm tubs to keep us going over the weekend.
• Saw Doctors to pick up sharpened pair of secateurs and a Silky pruning saw plus two new Silky pruning saws to replace ones I’d lost or mown into bits.

Returned home to find that, as hoped, Outdoor Power had come and taken away the Grillo to be fixed.

I went out in the Landrover to get 2 x 15 litres of diesel (for the tractors), 2 x 10 litres and 2 x 5 litres of 91 octane petrol (for the Grillo and other powered equipment). I also nipped down to FreeTrade and picked up 10 small carabiners – Karola uses these to tie together the corners of her ground sheets when weeding.

Karola toddled down to Flaxmere to the post office to send off Felicity’s cardigan ,left here at the weekend.

Quite a busy day.

The Phalaris Is High As An Elephant’s Eye

Oak Avenue Weather:4℃—18℃ no rain [76.84] IKBOrchard

SwimGym but late, at lunchtime.

Karola began attacking the blackberry rampant around the 121 entrance, that’s going to be a long job.

Dylan Findlay called and arranged for a couple of his team to come round and remove the concrete and fittings in the homestead fireplace. They came late afternoon and made a clean job of it, almost returning the mantle pieces to their original condition, before I entertained the idea of having fires again in the homestead.

Grillo-mowed under the big oak after mowing the cottage lawn and curtilage, this despite having mowed ¾ of it before the belt came off only a few days ago. I had almost finished, just a few square metres to go, and the Grillo stopped again. Searched the manual and followed the trouble-shooting guide but could not find any way of re-starting it.

Anna’s Dave Relaxing In Italy

Anna’s Dave Contemplating The Adriatic

Oak Avenue Weather:6℃—20℃ no rain [77.77] IKBOrchard

After breakfast I nipped into town, to Outdoor Power in Karamu Road in Hastings, and picked up the replacement belt for the Grillo and got fitting tips from Craig. Returned home and fitted the belt within minutes. All good.

After lunch the woman from Freedom Furniture came and showed us the honeycomb blind options, measured the two cottage dining room double-hung sash windows, and departed.

I was TXTed by Noel Hendery to say that while he hadn’t been able to unearth any old codgers fitting my description of the “national treasure” we hope to get as our odd-job man (or woman) and faithful retainer for the next few years, his son Mark was interested. We know Mark well having been helped by him over the years with sheep and garden stuff so he is definitely a candidate. He did a couple of hours Grillo mowing to see how he’d get on with using it – no problems there.

Still, we must I think scout around and see if there’s any fit and active OAP who is looking for an interesting & varied regular job and has a background in or knowledge of plants and trees. There’s no real hurry, we’re still able to do everything ourselves at this stage and it’s just the amount of stuff to do that’s a bit of a problem.

Later Lyn Sturm called in for a chat and cup of tea. She and Karola chatted for so long that she was able to accompany us and Bangle round the orchard early evening.

Karola’s GST is due in today – I completed it, submitted it, and paid before 10:00pm.

Grillo – Where The Belt Came Off

Oak Avenue Weather:3℃—21℃ no rain [77.82] IKBOrchard

It’s Anna & Dave’s first day of their week in Italy at a village near the Adriatic coast, somewhere between Bari and Brindsi.

The Rashbrookes left in their Zoe after breakfast, the end of an enjoyable long weekend shared with Peter & Charlotte Offenberger, and Bangle.

We all, those left behind, went to SwimGym late morning, but only I actually did anything.

Rest of the day just spent catching up after the weekend of visitors.

Dave Shows Us How To Gently Squeeze A Persimmon

When Properly Squeezed, The Fruit Just Falls To Pieces

Anna & Dave’s Spartan Italian Accommodation

Southern Mediterranean (Or Is It Adriatic) Style

Oak Avenue Weather:9℃—23℃ 0.2mm rain [77.86]

Mid morning we went to Clive with Bangle in the Landrover and joined Peter & Charlotte there for a walk along the lime track atop the flood bank. It was a glorious day and we walked twice the usual distance. Plenty of cyclists but few walkers were out in the cool breeze and almost cloudless day.

Later we had brunch at the Karamu Road Bay Espresso, sitting outside in their yard, bangle having a drink of water and snoozing in the shade. Peter & Charlotte went home and Karola, Geoff, felicity, Bangle and I continued back to Karamu.

Late afternoon Geoff & I docked the remaining nine sheep families, completing the task for this season.

After a roast organic chicken meal we watched the remaining htree episodes of Love Nina.

A Single Lonely Spoonbill

Ian & Bangle, Karola, Geoff, Felicity, and Peter

Karola, Geoff, Felicity, Peter, and Charlotte

Looking Back Towards Napier

Oak Avenue Weather:8℃—26℃ no rain [77.59]

Geoff & I put the Grillo drive belt back on and Geoff spent about 5 minutes trying out the Grillo, at which point the belt came off again so we called it a day. I belt is intact but very worn / damaged so maybe that’s the problem

Henare and Scott came round late morning and, joined by Geoff R, we docked the lambs in the Front paddock, first putting up a portable yard from Karola’s metal hurdles, then getting the ewes and lambs into the pen two families at a time. A single ewe will break back to the main flock whereas a couple of ewes can be coaxed along the fence-line and into the pen. Once there we separate the two families, waiting a while to make sure we have the lambs with the right mothers, then they’re docked. Three hours later we had docked the families of 12 of the 13 ewes which means 16 lambs. The last ewe obstinately refused to be coaxed so we put her in the Middle paddock with the remaining 8 families, to be docked tomorrow.

Peter & Charlotte joined us for dinner – a lamb casserole prepared by Felicity. Later, after Peter & Charlotte had gone home and Felicity had retired for the night, Geoff, Karola, and I watched the All Blacks fail to win their 2019 Rugby world Cup semi-final. England played out of their skins.

The Cottage Security Camera – Welcome Swallows Are Having None Of It

Oak Avenue Weather:3℃—23℃ no rain [76.91]. IBOrchard

SwimGym

Completed weed spraying of the gravel hard stand behind (south of) the homestead and the limed entrance to the homestead garage.

The grass on the north-eastern corner of the homestead was not grazed by sheep and has grown too long for the Grillo to handle so I mowed it with the tractor and hope that when dried out a bit the Grillo will be able to pick up.

Checked the sheep: still 13 ewes and 18 lambs in the Front paddock, 8 ewes and 11 lambs in the Middle paddock.

Rashbrookes arrived just as Karola & I finished our walk with Bangle round the orchard.

While Geoff took his Zoe down to Unison for an hour of charging at their free EV charging point I mowed about half of the grass area under the big oak. At the end of which the Grillo main blade belt came off again. Tomorrow’s challenge; the belt seemed to be turned inside-out but otherwise to be no worse than yesterday.

After Karola’s succulent fish pie we watched a couple of episodes of “Love Nina”.

Sprayed Gravel Stand At Rear Of Homestead

Sprayed Driveway Into Homestead Garage

Tractor Mowed Long Grass On North-East Sides Of Homestead

Oak Avenue Weather:4℃—18℃ no rain [77.49] IKBOrchard

It’s a long long-weekend this time, Hawkes Bay Anniversary on Friday with its traditional (and missable) Hawkes Bay Show at the Hastings show grounds, and New Zealands Labour Day public holiday on Monday. We anticipate Felicity & Geoff Rashbrooke coming tomorrow for the weekend.

As it was a still morning with hardly any breeze I took the opportunity to spray weeds in many of the usual places. Three 10-litre tank loads enabled spraying:

• Around the cottage lawn where it touches the base boards – because the mower cannot get right up to the base boards
• Across the gravelled area surrounding the waste management system (aka the septic tank)
• All of the drieve-way in front of the cottage garage and the ramp leading up to the farm shed
• Patch spraying of iris growing along the bottom of the ha-ha in the Front paddock
• Saturating the large patch of Italian Lily at the bottom of the ha-ha next to the Damson tree
• Spot spraying the Acanthus around the base of the homestead verandahs, and along the west wall
• Along the back of the homestead, around the back door, and along the strip between the gravel and the homestead lawn

Attached the new, strong safety chains to Karola’s two little trailers and also switched the left-hand wheels so that I can get a WOF for 5ATR. Took 5ATR to VTNZ and on the re-check it passed its WOF.

Karola took me in to my eye appointment, a regular checkup which had the best and most desired result – no change. We then did a bit more long-weekend shopping, dropped off the faulty trailer tyre for replacement at Bridgestone in Heretaunga Street, and treated ourselves to a small Rush Munro ice-cream each. The tyre should be ready late next week.

Still eight ewes and eleven lambs in the Middle paddock.

Using the new longer bolts I got yesterday I bolted the old and unusual Cyclone hitch to the aged, rusty, unroadworthy, home-built small trailer’s draw-bar. We still use it around the place as it holds more than the Cyclones, but it is very heavy and hence not ideal for Karola. The Cyclone trailers are so light that I can turn them on their side by myself – that’s how I swapped the wheels.

Rhododendron Flowers Grace The 133 Back Driveway

Sprayed Round The Cottage Baseboards

Sprayed Entrance To Cottage Garage

Sprayed Area Round Cottage Waste Management System

Oak Avenue Weather:1℃—21℃ 0.7mm rain [77.59] IKBOrchard

SwimGym with Karola

Late morning I had a dental appointment to re-apply two large fillings. These were first done many years ago, I suspect in the USA, and fell out just a few weeks before we were to embark on our 2019 overseas experience in August-September. They both fell out again a week later and I’ve waited until now to have them done properly and more securely.

Afterwards I did the midweek shopping and returned home to count the ewes and lambs. No sooner had I finished that than, as planned, Graham Linwood, architect, arrived to discuss the “minor” modifications to our plans he thought would get us approval from Heritage New Zealand. But of course, having had time to think, we’re not quite convinced that what Graham proposes is the best solution. He places great store on making the new western aspect verandah a strong match with the verandah on the eastern end of the homestead. However, to give us the sunny convivial space we want, protected from the wind, facing west or north west, Graham proposed to widen the verandah a couple of metres from the north end of the west wall, having a four metre enclosed stretch of the verandah that bulged out an extra metre.

We had a new proposal which Graham has gone off to sketch up for discussion with Chris Cochran and Heritage New Zealand in Wellington. Our previous plan removed the sun room and replaced it with a wide verandah the full length of the western end of the homestead but this does not find favour with Graham who wants a stronger link to the style of the existing building.

In the new proposal we keep the roughly octagonal northern part of the sun room built on the north-west corner of the homestead by Karola’s father in 1960s. Taking a line from the widest part of the octagon (about three metres from the homestead west wall) we build a new deck along the west wall to a point close by the new french doors at the bottom of the stairs. At that point the verandah would continue to the southern end but reduced to the two-metre width matching the north and east verandahs. The wide verandah and existing octagon would be enclosed; the rest of the verandah would be open to the elements.

This solves the need to make the west verandah match the east verandah from the main aspect, the north, because we would be preserving some existing, although not original, structure, and Heritage New Zealand have shown a preference for doing that where practical. And it gives us our sun room, wide enough for table and chairs, with sun from late morning to evening.

Later I took the Cyclone twin, 5ATR, to have its WOF and to get the longer bolts needed to reattach a hitch to the old trailer. At the same time I got replacement safety chain, a little larger and significantly stronger than what the trailers have today. The trailer failed its WOF tests, needing a new tyre on the left-hand wheel. They also commented that the underside had surface rust which should be treated before it became a structural issue.

Oak Avenue Weather:0℃—13℃ 3.8mm rain [77.67] IKBOrchard

Karola had her hair cut in the morning, did some shopping, and then spent the afternoon filling in rabbit holes in te Middle and Totara paddocks.

Matt from Outdoor Power came early afternoon and fixed the Grillo. The problem was a small stone chip, like the ones used to make highways, that had lodged very firmly in the V groove of the main pulley wheel. Matt prised it out with a big screwdriver and then filed down the small amount of debris left behind. He refitted the belt which, although damaged on the outside, may last for quite a while before it needs replacement. Maty will order a new belt and it’ll be installed as needed or at the next service.

I switched over the trailer hitches from the old small trailer and one of Karola’s Cyclone Pup trailers, (5ATR), the one we bought in Whitby long ago. The Whitby trailer had an awkward dial you rotated to clamp the hitch shut, and a second nut that locked the dial in place. We’ve now lost two of the locking nuts despite getting wings welded onto them to make them easier to turn so I moved the hitch on the old trailer to the Cyclone Pup and both the Cyclones now have the same type of quick-release hitch.

Of course nothing goes smoothly. After much struggling I unfastened two of the three bolts holding the old trailer hitch to the towing bar but resorted to brute force (the portable reciprocating saw) to cut the head off the last bolt. The Cyclone trailer hitch has only two holes and I had two bolts so that should have worked well, but the bolts are much too long so I had to go and buy short bolts before I could fasten that hitch. Conversely, the hitch previously on the Cyclone was slightly bigger than the old trailer hitch and the old bolts were just a few mm too short.

In an attempt to make some progress I collected up the several pruning saws and one of the bluntest secateurs and took them down to Hawkes Bay Saw Doctors, taking the Cyclone trailer twin (150UD) with me. After discussion we decided that all the pruning saws bar one were quite sharp. We also have a couple of spare scabbards – lost or destroyed saws – so I asked them to order new saws for each scabbard.

Next I dropped into FreeTrade and got short bolts for the trailer hitch, then on to VTNZ where I got 150UD a warrent of fitness (WOF). I was warned that the safety chain wasn’t strong enough and the light illuminating the number plate wasn’t working – but the guy kindly opened up the light and got it working – just dirt and dust.

More Silky Pruning Saws Than Makes Sense – And Rather Too Many Secateurs Too

Oak Avenue Weather:6℃—21℃ 2.4mm rain [77.86] IBOrchard

Second night up very late watching the last two quarter-final games of the 2019 Rugby World Cup. Loved the French 1st half game. Japan played valiantly in their quarter-final too.

SwimGym with Karola who then spent the morning cleaning up for the cleaners.

Mostly a quiet day pottering & reading. I went shopping briefly late afternoon.

Ewe #511 had twins #929E and #930R. Ewe #723 had lamb #931R.

Meticulous Maids cleaned and in parallel we took Bangle round the orchard in the sunshine.

Oak Avenue Weather:8℃—22℃ 0.7mm rain [77.83] IKBOrchard

A lot of rugby viewing last night and more again tonight. Thankfully the rest of the Rugby World Cup games are at sensible evening viewing times, for us in New Zealand anyway.

No change to the sheep today.

Mowed the usual Sunday quota – cottage lawn & curtilage – which means under the washing line, the teardrop lawn (see below) by the garage, and the strip of lawn between the drive and the cottage wall. Also mowed along the 121 driveway and behind and in front of the homestead garage. Started on the grass under the big oak.

The Grillo jammed in some thick wet grass and I unblocked it, cleaned it with the air compressor, and now it starts but won’t turn the blades. Annoying.

Karola finished trimming the flax along the cottage driveway and also beheaded some of the Acanthus that is flowering outside the 133 gateway.

Mowing Of Cottage Lawn & Curtilage & 121 Driveway

Suddenly The Manuka Is Blooming

Karola’s Transplanted Wysteria Blooms In Roadside Hedge

Oak Avenue Weather:5℃—21℃ no rain [78.04] IKBOrchard

Checked the sheep, all the ewes present and correct but the lambs only mostly so. There is some confusion, in my mind if not the lambs, that in the Front paddock there’s a lamb free-lancing. I found it joined with a group comprising a ewe who already had twins; it skittered away and started drinking from #443 who had triplets but today only has twins, that must be her mother. Still the numbers of lambs in the Front paddock is correct.

Karola has been writing emails all day.

Karola’s Beautiful Banksia Rose

Oak Avenue Weather:6℃—24℃ no rain [77.74] IKBOrchard

SwimGym with Karola (and Bangle).

Ewe #501 has lost her lamb #923E and the poor mum has been noisily bleating and scouring the paddock looking for her dead offspring. We eventually popped her into the Front paddock just to get her away from where she last saw her lamb and, we hope, to help her forget.

Ewe #510 on the other hand had twins, #927E and #928R today.

Land is drying out quickly and sunny days are forecast for next week.

Shopping for the weekend included going to Freedom furniture shop and booking a visit to fit the cottage dining are with honeycomb blinds – Sharlene Bailey (021 810 076) is to come at 1:30pm on Tuesday 29th October.

From This ….

To This In Two Days

Oak Avenue Weather:13℃—23℃ 0.1mm rain [77.86] IKBOrchard

Amazing how the water had receded overnight. Still some puddles and everything saturated but the big lakes are gone.

Checked the sheep and all present and correct; some of the ewes and lambs in the Front paddock have started exploring the crop in the One Acre – the grass is fence high so plenty of places for lambs to hide. No new lambs today.

Oak Avenue Weather:11℃—21℃ 0.2mm rain [78.08] IKBOrchard

SwimGym and then off to Duart House where Karola gives her talk on Karamu Homestead. It’s been raining quite hard all night and so going to the gym and then to Duart House in the EV Zoe was a bit risky; Zoe isn’t supposed to go in water above axle height.

Karola’s talk to about twenty members of the Friends of Duart House went down quite well, the expected occasional difficulties in hearing Karola at the back, and some impromptu side excursions meant it was about twice the rehearsed length, but given Karola was hoping it wouldn’t be too short it turned out just right.

Did the mid-week shopping on the way back from Havelock North, picked up coffees from Artisan, and Karola got another of the delicious OMG loaves (which happen to be Paleo & GF), still warm from the oven.

On the way back the water was deeper and wider. We tried the old 133 entrance thinking it might be shallower than the 121 driveway but actually no. So we crossed our fingers and negotiated the 121 driveway, safely as it turned out.

I checked the sheep – three lamb tragedies: #410 lost one of her twins, (still born), #602 lost one of her twins, (#913E), #721 lost one of her twins, (#922R). Four more ewes to lamb and we’re done. Weather is forecast to improve overnight. New arrivals: #410’s #924E and one dead twin, #712’s twins, #925E and #926R.

Well, Guess We’ll Try The Other Entrance

Oops – That Looks Even Worse

Goose Paddock (Pond?)

Stormwater Drains Backed Up At Back Of Cottage

Homestead Lawn

Looking Back Along The Ha-Ha

From The Ha-Ha Looking North

Road Drain Backed Up Into The Ha-Ha

Oak Avenue Weather:5℃—16℃ 25.6mm rain [77.83] IKBOrchard

It rained all day so I went round the sheep in the rain and went round the orchard with Bangle in the rain.

Karola was working hard on her talk for the Duart House history group (20 – 30 people) tomorrow.

I’ve selected a couple of dozen photos for her to use if she wants – printed them on photographic paper so she can pass them round. The projector system at Duart House is antiquated and unreliable so Karola has chosen not to have accompanying slides.

Ewe #721 had twins #921 & $922; ewe #501 had a singleton, #923. #922 is a bit wobbly and may not survive, it is very wet although not very cold nor windy so maybe it’ll win through.

Oak Avenue Weather:12℃—14℃ 90.4mm rain [77.41] IBOrchard

Bangle & I went to SwimGym just before lunch.

Another lamb, ewe #507 had ram lamb #920R – eight more to go. We may even exceed the estimated 30 lambs this year.

Meticulous Maids came and did a big clean of the homestead, ready for the Rashbrookes to come on Labour Day long weekend. Just before they came I hoovered up the copious rat droppings in the upstairs bedroom called the “Bee Room” – there because as part of the setup for installing new fires I’d opened up access to the roof space.

Karola had let Sally Pearce, the Meticulous Maids organiser, know there were rat dropping all through the house when in fact what Karola had noticed was large numbers of dead cluster flies in most of the rooms. I think the maids were relieved to hear that.

We had lunch at Lappuccino’s again, they do me a GF version of their pan fried fish and chips, substituting roast vegetables for the chips.

Karola & I shed – that is moved – the seven ewes and their lambs in the Middle paddock into the Front paddock, joining the five ewes with lambs shed previously. So the eleven un-mated hogget ewes are tonight in the Long Acre, the eight ewes still to lamb and todays ewe with lamb are in the Middle and Totara paddocks, and the rest are in the Front paddock with access to the crop in the One Acre.

Cox’s Orange Pippin

Winter Nellis Pear

Wiliam’s Bon Chrétien Pear

Oak Avenue Weather:11℃—15℃ 10.3mm rain [77.30] IKBOrchard

Looked like rain most of the day but it never came.

Ewe #514 had lambs #915E and #916R while ewe #443 had triplets: #917E, #918R, #919R. So 12 ewes have lambed leaving 9 more potential mothers.

There was a loud and continuous shouting from the Hastings Sports Ground all day, since mid morning anyway. The language was neither English nor Māori and I thought perhaps it was some sort of religious revival meeting.

I arranged to pick up the DVDs for the first four seasons of the French police procedural called Spiral from Peter and Charlotte this afternoon. Gill bought the DVDs, gave them to Peter who now is happy to give them to me. So we went over mid afternoon, going via the sports ground so I could find out what was going on. We spied a pair of Indian men in the car park and I asked what the even was. They replied enthusiastically that it was sort-of like rugby, great fun, and there was lots of food too, rice and curry, and they invited us to join in. Very friendly.

At Charlottes we picked up the DVDs and chatted; Peter arrived home shortly threafter and we had afternoon tea. Karola tried out some ideas for her Wednesday talk at Duart House about Karamu Homestead.

At Last I Stowed The Electric Fencing Gear

Long Overdue – Gatepost Supported So Gate Swings Freely

Before

After

Released The 17 Red Beech From Convolvulus & Periwinkle

Before

After

Oak Avenue Weather:6℃—17℃ 0.1mm rain [77.88] IBOrchard

The expected rain did not appear. Around 11:45am Karola found her local council voting papers so we rushe into Hastings to the council offices just in time for her to lodge her vote. The last day for postal votes was on Tuesday but the council had a polling booth that closed at 12:00 noon today. So Karola voted with at least two minutes to spare – lucky that the traffic was quiet between here and the council offices, it usually takes at least 15 minutes.

Karola shooed #209 and her remaining lamb into the Front paddock. The lamb, #910E, was walking quite sturdily and appeared to have had plenty to drink.

Three ewes lambed today: #714 (#911E), #227 (#912R), and #602 (#913E, #914R).

I mowed under the big oak even though the grass was still quite short after grazing it last week.

Under The Big Oak – Post Mowing

Apple Blossom In Karola’s Orchard

Oak Avenue Weather:11℃—17℃ 1.3mm rain [77.89] IBOrchard

SwimGym with Karola

We all, Bangle included, went shopping for the weekend: Cornucopia for the GF bread, New World for the regular shopping, Mitre-10 for light bulbs and water filters, and a stop in Queen Street so that Karola could book an appointment with the ear clinic, get some special bread at the OMG shop, and join me in a coffee at Artisan Coffee shop next door. First time I’d been back to Artisan since we returned from UK trip. And Karola’s loaf of bread from the “Oh My Goodness” (aka OMG) shop was a “paleo” mix – gluten free and delicious.

Karola worried about old ewe #209, the last ewe of that age, who has had triplets a couple of times and seemed to be wanting to lamb today but not quite manage it. Karola kept an eye on her all day and I tried ineffectively to see if there were lambs ready to emerge, but no joy.

By late afternoon Karola was quite agitated and rang the vet. We did finally get someone to come out and assist the lambing, and just as well we did because the complications were well beyond my skill level. The poor old girl had triplets again but two of them were the wrong way round and still born. Tonight a smaller ewe lamb was the only survivor. If she’s alive tomorrow morning she will become #910E.

Also today two other sheep had their lambs: ewe #531 with lamb #907E, and #439 with twins #908E and #909E.

Karola & I shed (ie moved) the older lambs and their mothers into the Front paddock so there are four ewes in ther now with six lambs. The gate between the Front paddock and the crop, that is the One Acre paddock, is open so when they find it they’ll have lots and lots to eat.

Catching up a bit on the week, I carted piles of sticks and leaves from the Middle paddock and the homestead lawn, including quite a number of big palm tree fronds, to Karola’s “bund”.

I also did an inventory of the vehicle gates, that is all the gates except the ones only wide enough for a person and a wheel barrow. There are 22 of these.

• 1 gate, at the 133 entrance, needs support for its gate post which has taken on a bit of a lean
• 12 gates, including the pair at the 121 entrance, are OK
• 3 gates just need to be straightened by adjusting the gudgeon bolts or moving the gudgeon brackets down a bit on the end of the gate
• 6 gates do I think need re-hanging

I called architect Graham Linwood for a progress report – he hasn’t done anyting yet but promises to spend time on it next Tuesday.

Oak Avenue Weather:6℃—18℃ 0.5mm rain [77.79] IBOrchard

Quiet morning; Karola had a long telephone chat with Lyn Sturm who’d recently come back from some adventure overseas – Oz I think.

Karola has been cutting back the flax along the east-west section of the 121 driveway. It’s grown so vigorously that it brushes cars coming along the driveway.

I’ve been binge watching season 6 of “Spiral”, the French police procedural which, when they aren’t grossing out on unnecessary gory detail, is rivetingly good television.

Another couple of lambs today, courtesy of ewe #708, lambs #905E and #906E.

Oak Avenue Weather:14℃—23℃ no rain [77.74] IKBOrchard

SwimGym with Karola

Ewe #311 had lamb #904E today.

Later we went to the Hastings recital of the New Zealand International Organ Festival.

The Zimblestern Foundation presents a series of organ music concerts.
This free to attend event, hosted by the iconic St Matthew’s Church in the heart of Hastings gives music lovers an opportunity to hear the talents of Mateusz Rzewuski. There will be an opportunity to meet with Mateusz after his performance.

And what does Zimblestern mean?

The Zimbelstern (Meaning “Cymbal Star” in German, also spelled Cymbelstern, Zymbelstern, or Cimbalstern) is a “toy” organ stop consisting of a metal or wooden star or wheel on which several small bells are mounted. When engaged, the star rotates, producing a continuous tinkling sound

Karola thought she’d attend not only because the organist was a young Polish man but Marinna Mews brother-in-law David Mews was one of the festival organists. Karola spoke to the young man afterwards and got his autograph.

On the way home we did the mid-week shop at Pak’nSave, not my favourite supermarket, then dropped in to Rush Munro, under new management now John Bostock has sold the business, before picking up some rather sad looking Snapper for dinner from TakiTimu (Hawkes Bay Fish Supply as was).

I mowed the eastern end of the Middle paddock, reclaiming some of the pasture which had been invaded by nettles and iris. It looks more park-like again.

St Matthews Anglican Church In Hastings

Organ Recital Given By Polish Organist Mateusz Rzewuski

Karola Talking To The Organist

Eastern End Of Middle Paddock – Now Mown

Oak Avenue Weather:8℃—23℃ no rain [77.54] IKBOrchard

Checked the sheep – all seem OK.

Margaret Thompson rang to say she is staying at her brother Ian’s place in Meeanee and would like to come round to see us later today.

Karola wanted to get cakes for their visit so we went into town. First to Farmlands where I submitted my order for sheep tags for the 2019 season and karola bought two 20kg bags of sheep nuts. Then to Cornucopia where I got a spare GF loaf of bread and couple of cartons of yoghurt and Karola bought buns and orange cake for the tea.

Margaret, brother Ian and his wife Elizabeth came round at about 4:00pm. We showed them round the grounds then we all had afternoon tea. They left around 6:30pm. Elizabeth was born locally and so knew a number of people in common – Ade White, Johnny Ormond (deceased), Hugh McBain and so on.

Oak Avenue Weather:7℃—23℃ no rain [77.34] IKBOrchard

SwimGym with Karola.

Karola reported back that another ewe had lambed today, #723 had ewe lamb #902. Later I discovered that she actually had twins, #902E and #903R.

Lovely sunny day and late afternoon I took down the electric fence round the homestead lawn and big oak.

Ewe #723 Has Ewe Lamb #902, Ram Lamb #903

Oak Avenue Weather:6℃—17℃ no rain [77.59] IKBOrchard

Usual Sunday tasks but once we saw that our first lamb had arrived I mowed the nettles and iris in the Middle paddock so that Karola’s grazing plan for lambing can begin. Karola doesnt like having electric fence near the lambing ewes in case a lamb gets entangled so the ewes came off the homestead lawn and tomorrow will go into the Middle and Totara paddocks. As the ewes lamb they will be returned to the Front paddock and allowed into the One Acre with the lucerne, plantain, red clover & Phalaris pasture.

While mowing (with the tractor, not the Grillo) the three wandering dogs came by. Karola will call Hastings Council Animal Control tomorrow – we have photographic evidence and I also see that they wriggle between the wires to get through our fences.

Ewe #719 & Ram Lamb #901

Ewe #602 Wanted Her Photo Taken Too

The Three Roaming Dogs – Not Welcome At Lambing Time

West Side Of Middle Paddock – Looking North

North-West End Of Middle Paddock – Nettles Thicket

Looking South

All Done, Looking South

Under The Oak In The Totara Paddock – Before

… After

And Under The Canary Island Pine – All Done

Oak Avenue Weather:2℃—13℃ 0.1mm rain [77.35] IKBOrchard

Lunch at Lappuccino’s, enjoyable but not conducive to weight loss. I had GF pan-fried fish and chips, Karola had a rather nice looking omelette. Followed up in the evening with soup and two Rush Munro hokey-pokey ice-cream tubs. Back on the horse tomorrow.

Mowed Cottage & Curtilage lawns and behind the farm shed, around the homestead garage, and along the 121 driveway, with the Grillo. Using the tractor mowed the Goose paddock..

Cottage & Curtilage Lawns Mown

Periwinkle Nipped By Pukekos To Form Clearing – One Of Several

Behind The Homestead Garage

Down The 121 Driveway

Under The Cottage Washing Line

The Park-Like Goose Paddock

Oak Avenue Weather:6℃—22℃ 9.6mm rain [77.96] IKBOrchard

SwimGym with Karola

As planned, Graham Linwood called in, he came with his (grand) daughter Narissa, and Graham discussed the alterations he had in mind to improve the heritage sensitivity of our proposed changes to Karamu Homestead.

After they left I did the weekend shopping – in glorious warm spring weather. Then Karola and I discussed the alterations and overall felt we could adopt them without significant loss of what we were trying to do in the current plans. In fact it may actually be an improvement.

On a related front Karola & I discussed yet again the case for installing wood burners in the old homestead fireplace voids that have been empty since 1931, the Napier earthquake. I decided to cancel the installation and rang Dylan Findlay and let him know. It is sad because I have a soft spot for the comfortable warmth of flickering flames and the wood burners would have used our bountiful free fuel and heated the large reception rooms well.

Email To Graham Linwood Documenting Our Discussion

Brackenbury – 133 Ormond Road

Thank you Graham,, we appreciated your visit today.

As we discussed, here is a description of the proposed alterations to our current council submission. I found that attempting to annotate pages 4 & 6 of the building plans quickly became confusing so I am describing the alterations in writing.

1. All new roofing is to be “swallow” concave sheeting – this includes the west verandah and the 2nd storey to be built above the current lean-to.
2. The ends of the west verandah are to match the corresponding ends of the east verandah. The verandah width is to be 7’, the same as the existing verandahs.
3. Unlike the old existing verandahs the decking is to be Kwila and would not be sloped, anticipating inter-board gaps will provide sufficient drainage.
4. Steps are to lead onto the west verandah from the south, similar to those on the east verandah.
5. There would be no new verandah along the south side of the building; instead the back door is to be protected from the weather by a small covered platform with a roof matching the style of the verandah corners. The platform is to have recessed steps entering from the south.
6. Replacing the existing 1960s octagonal sun porch on the north-west corner, an enclosed sun porch is to be formed by widening a portion of the west verandah to 3.2 metres and enclosing it with large windows. The sun porch begins flush with the north wall of the homestead and continues for about five meters, stopping a short distance from the new french doors at the bottom of the stairs. The sun porch is to have sliding doors at either end.
7. Beyond the end of the sun porch the verandah is also to be enclosed, the glazing continuing south past the new french doors, thereby protecting the doorway and, when the sliding door is open, the sun porch, from the prevailing westerly wind.

…Ian.

Oak Avenue Weather:2℃—17℃ no rain [77.84] IKBOrchard

Had an interesting tussle with myus.com, the outfit based in Florida that enables you to shop in the USA with, if necessary, a USA credit card and telephone number, shipping to an address in Sarasota, Florida for on-shipment to New Zealand or anywhere else you choose.

What I wanted to do was consolidate five books Id bought on Amazon in the USA into a single parcel. Chatting with the myus.com help desk it became clear that I’d need to upgrade to their Premium service for that, $10 entry fee and $7 a month thereafter. I made sure that I could upgrade to that service then cancel it after my books had been dispatched however at the last moment I thought to ask if I can get the service I have now (ie free) after cancelling the premium membership. Apparently not – they have a new basic service which is identical to my free service but requires a monthly subscription and if you downgrade that’s the most basic service you can get. Whew. I don’t want that then – I only use the myus.com service once every year or so.

Once it warmed up I finished mowing under the old ginkgo in the Long Acre before carting off the piles of cut lavender, bay tree trimmings, and autumn leaves on the cottage lawn over to the bund, Karola’s long compost heap parallel to the road.

Eastern End Of The Long Acre – Freshly Mown

Oak Avenue Weather:1℃—15℃ no rain [77.90] IKBOrchard

SwimGym with Karola

Two things are taking up most of the time: writing up notes on our excellent trip to the UK and beyond last month, and trying to catch up on some of our reading – especially the magazines that have piled up during our holiday.

Pregnant ewes moved back to the Front paddock and the homestead lawn and under the big oak today; the hoggets moved from the Goose paddock to the Long Acre.

Karola did the mid-week shopping. I did a bit more work on the cottage garden hedge.

Not as violent as yesterday but late afternoon again the wind blew and the rain poured down – all over in an hour or so this time and we had just got back to the safety of the cottage verandah when the rain started.

Clippings And Autumn Leaves

Oak Avenue Weather:6℃—18℃ 2.5mm rain [78.08] IKBOrchard

Reading in-doors after a quick shop in the morning. Mid afternoon it looked like rain so we took Bangle round the orchard. Half way round it started to rain, not just drizzle but proper rain. This progressed to thunder and lightening and then a little hail. As we trotted briskly towards home, Bangle shaking off the hail every now and then, the hail increased in size and intensity until it pinged off face and ears most uncomfortably. The full fury of the storm unleashed just as we got to the safety of the cottage verandah and it’s been raining, although the storm has passed, ever since.

Rain, Thunder, Lightening and Hail

Oak Avenue Weather:1℃—16℃ 20.3mm rain [78.17] IKBOrchard