Monthly Archives: April 2022

Cool with cold breeze and sunny, mostly. Newspaper delivery man managed to throw the paper and not get it in the roadside ditch all week A record.

Henare came and looked at his bees.

Checked the sheep: 22 including the ram, in Middle and Totara paddocks with access to a quarter of the One Acre, 20 lambs in the Front paddock.

We’re trying with a lower temperature in the cottage as it seems very warm whenever we come in from the outside. During the day was 24℃ now 21℃, at night was 17℃ now 12℃. See how it goes.

Oak Avenue Weather:5.3℃—16.5℃ no rain [77.1] TdOx2 eggs=0

Hair appointment over in Ahuriri – where Kim has her new “salon”. It took us 20 minutes to get from here to the salon and park – that was without any holdups – so it takes about twice as long to get there as it did to her place in Hastings. She said it was a long way to come and I replied that we’ll continue to come at least until she’s on her feet with the new business.

Lange’s in Hastings rang to agree on delivery date for the replacement Miele freezer. I had offered the Miele agent that we’d accept a modest discount instead as long as the door seal wasn’t damaged – that it seemed such a shame to write off the freezer as the dent isn’t particularly visible. No reply from the Miele agent but in discussion with the Lange agent he agreed that it was a much better solution, given we weren’t troubled by the dent and he suggested calling the Miele agent directly.

That I did and while Jack, the Miele agent I’d spoken to before, wasn’t available I spoke to a colleague, explained my offer, and she very much agreed. Ten percent discount and they’d get Lange’s to just check that the door seal was undamaged. So that’s where it stands now.

Mark came and mowed and mowed. There’s lots of leaves on the ground now so it’s making a lot of loads. And there’s still a lot of leaves to fall.

Methinks It’s Autumn Once Again

Oak Avenue Weather:10.7℃—16.7℃ no rain [77.2] TdOx2 eggs=1 Mark=4

Thursday, a bit bland and nothing much happening until Mark turned up at noon. Mark’s first task was to move the broody chook pen, which he built, from under the big oak into the goose paddock where it can stay – out of sight – until next needed. This did not begin well. The Kioti red tractor developed a flat front tyre while trundling along the 121 driveway, the same tyre as last time. No obvious puncture and when last we had it pumped up (April 7th) it was tested for leaks and non were apparent.

So we tried to start the Landrover to take the tyre to be mended but the Landrover wouldn’t start. So we transferred our attention to the Subaru, took the tyre down to Power Farming who said that the rims looked OK so it was back to Bay Tyres to get it pumped up again. This time I asked for the special self-healing gunk which they applied liberally and which should seal any tiny slow leaks. Same again, $20.

Back home Mark put the wheel back on and I tried to start the Landrover. A little squirt of ether up the air intake did the trick. Mark moved the broody chook house and then spent the rest of the afternoon mowing the very thick grass in the far reaches of the homestead “lawn”.

Mid afternoon, as planned, Sharlene Bailey, a woman of substance, from Freedom Furniture (021-810-076) came to measure up for some honeycomb blinds in the homestead. Bridget has expressed a preference for blinds in the upstaris bathrooms that can be pulled up from the bottom and down from the top so we’ll get some information for those as well as quotes for the up/down blinds and the usual ones we have in the cottage. I also asked for quotes for the two windows in the new kitchen but due to their height one wold not be able to reach up and pull them down unaided. So our option is either to have a conventional cord or a short stick with which to reach up and hook the blind down into range. I favour the latter but we’ll see what feedback other family members provide.

When Jenny & Noel cycled over on 12th April Jenny left a note describing a link to a podcast she thought might interest us. Apparently Kim Hill had interviewed Julian Walker talking about Aleksandr Dugin, “Putin’s Brain” and author of an extremely 1997 influential book The Foundations Of Geopolitics.It referred to a seriously alarming podcast Conspirituality #95: Aleksandr Dugin: Kali Yuga Chess. It certainly gives a broader context within which to understand Russia’s actions but precious little comfort to us.

Oak Avenue Weather:8.5℃—16.5℃ no rain [77.4] TdOx2 eggs=0 Mark=4

Caught a young female possum just outside the homestead and we suspect it was the animal waking people up in the night over the Easter week.

Late morning Karola and I both had appointments with Dr John Beaumont – ophthalmologist at Royston Hospital down near the racetrack. My regualr check was good, my glycoma is stable. Karola’s left eye is still not right but Dr John is against further surgery. He did a thorough test of what Karola can see with her left eye given the best correcting lens and, to my delight, she can read text a bit smaller than the print in the Economist. This means that if she gets new glasses tailored to her eyes individually she will be able to read with both eyes. That is the advice and we’ll set about getting Karola new glasses shortly.

Meticulous Maids came mid afternoon.

Mark continued mowing the very long grass of the homestead lawn; we’d left it too long.

The Harsh Reality Of Country Life

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

Oh no, shopping day again but a light shop today as guests have departed and I got quite a lot more than needed last week.

After lunch Karola and I watered the eight Leylandii because, as Karola remarked, the promised rain keeps slipping away and they were looking pretty dry.

I think it was today that AllWall, the plasterers or GIB-stoppers, turned up to retrieve their equipment and inside scaffolding. Later a big truck came and the scaffolding company came and added a guard rail to the scaffolding along the west verandah development.

Two weeks overdue, Orange Band’s eggs are just not going to hatch so I turfed her out of the broody coop and am using the eggs as bait in the possum traps – along with a good squirt of aniseed. Bridget did say that a possum in the walls of the homestead was keeping them awake a bit, so we shall see if we can catch her. Or, as Chris said, it might just have been a big rat. I need to attend to that possibility too.

Have rung Gill and said that Bridget’s family enjoyed their stay so it was ready for Gill & Ben whenever it suits – probably second half of May.

Set the two possum cage traps with old eggs and aniseed lure,

Late afternoon I mowed the Californian thistles in another quarter of the One Acre paddock. I mowed the large patches of Californian thistles; unlike the last quarter it wasn’t totally thick with thistles so I left the less dense patches unmown.

Mark mowed the second quarter after the sheep had finished eating the lucerne there and the sheep are now back on the first quarter in their rotational grazing of the One Acre. Growth recently has been phenomenal.

One Of Karola’s Twin Cypress Trees Flanking The Gate From Holding Paddock To Orchard

Tidied Up – As Far As I Could reach With Step Ladder On Big Trailer

Mark’s Latest Death Pit – Thankfully No Occupants This Week

Oak Avenue Weather:5.5℃—19.0℃ no rain [?] TdTx2 eggs=1 Mark=0

We had lunch with Bridget here at the cottage and she took off for Wellington shortly afterwards. Took with her some apples and lemons and a record player for vinyl records that has been surplus to requirements for many years. It was a very good player when I bought it in England in late 1970s. Leastways I think that’s where I bought it although my fecord collection began when I was still at school. I took a look at the records I bequeathed to Lexi last week and recognised a few pretty elderly platters including my very first LP, a Joan Baez recording, bought in my School Certificate year at Rongotai College. Before that all I’d had was single-play pop records and scant few of them.

After Bridget went Karola and I settled down to recover from the excitement – we were very lucky to have the More family visit us but oh, it takes it out of one these days.

It rained lightly and briefly just after lunch so late afternoon I used the Kioti tractor to mow the luxuriant Californian thistles in one quarter of the One Acre. I think it was Massey Uni who suggested that mowing Calis while wet was a good way to knock them back; that they were very susceptible to fungal attacks at that time.

Oak Avenue Weather:7.4℃—18.3℃ 0.2mm rain [?] TdTx2 eggs=0

Sunday before ANZAC day so another long weekend. Bridget accompanied us round the orchard in the morning and again in the afternoon. At 7:00am it was very cold, around 4℃.

For lunch we thought we’d go to Bay Espresso where we can sit outside with Bangle but, as we discovered only by going there, the chef was not there and they were not serving kitchen food. You had to be there, there was no sign or online hint of this. So on we went to ClearView, our favourite posh restaurant in Hawkes bay. “Booked Out”, well, what did we expect on a Sunday of a long weekend. A bit further along the coast to Hygge aka Clifton Cafe, another dog-friendly restaurant. Car park full, queue waiting to be seated, booked out but if we liked to wait we could order a meal and then take it to sit on the grass.

So, back to Hastings to Rush Munro for a sit-down ice-cream sundae, in their garden, under a tree, with Bangle – not at all bad. Coffees from BP’s Wild Bean Cafe on the way home – well Bridget’s tipple is hot chocolate.

Bridget glued up three old but serviceable chairs that were coming adrift around the legs. One less accident waiting to happen as we sit on sloppily braced dining chairs.

We checked on the eight Leylandii Mark planted along the row of Casurina shelter belt trees suffocated by “old Mans Beard” (Clematis vitalba) – they are looking quite happy so far.

The Eight Leylandii Mark Planted Replacing Dead Casurinas

Oak Avenue Weather:3.3℃—22.2℃ no rain [?] TdTx2 eggs=1

Cool but sunny day. Bridget and I returned the borrowed cooking stuff and food back to the cottage.

Watched another episode of Slow Horses which, with the two I watched last evening and the two I’ve watched on Fridays with Bridget makes me up to date. This evening, as recommended by Bridget, Karola and I watched an English comedy film, What We Did On Our Holiday. Billy Connelly and several other well-known actors.

Oak Avenue Weather:4.8℃—17.7℃ no rain [77.8] TdOx2 eggs=0

Bridget and I took the Subaru down to Bayswater in Stortford Lodge for a service and WOF. Meanwhile Chris and Natalie, and Lexi all pack up ready for the drive home. Only Bridget will stay with us for a few more days.

We allwent to Lappuccino’s for breakfast and then Chris and his precious cargo zoomed off for Wellington.

I had an appointment with my eye specialist, Dr John Beaumont, ophthalmologist, late morning, or so I thought. Karola and i went at the appointed time only to find the surgery being re-carpeted – I was a week early. Later Jess, the receptionist, called to say that they’d noticed Karola was scheduled for Tuesday and I for Wednesday next week so they moved Karola to be directly after me on Wednesday.

Bridget, Karola, Bangle, and I went for a long walk along the Ngaruroro stop bank, 3km for me and Bangle, instead of twice round the orchard as is the usual plan. It rained in the morning, the showers tapered off in the afternoon so our walk was in the dry.

Bridget and I picked up the Subaru, all well with service and WOF.

Autumn Along The Ngaruroro Stop Bank – Looking East

Autumn Along The Ngaruroro Stop Bank – Looking West

Oak Avenue Weather:12.2℃—21.7℃ 1.2mm rain [?] TdT eggs=1 Mark=0

Highlight of the day was a visit by the four More’s to Bridge Pa aerodrome where they each had a 30 minute flying adventure. First as a passenger with the instructor giving some tuition and describing the lay of the land. Then a time flying by themselves, with instructor in cockpit but leaving the controls entirely up to the novice. Sounds like it was great fun for all.

Met up with the exhilarated team at Lappuccino’s for lunch.

Did a deal with Lexi hat she could take all 200 or so of my old vinyl gramophone records to Wellington and see what she could get for them. Split the profits 50:50. Put records in back of their car.

Later we all set off to Rasoi’s Indian restaurant on the Marine Parade in Napier, invited by Chris for a farewell feast – Chris, Natalie, and Lexi depart back to Wellington tomorrow morning.

Oak Avenue Weather:15.2℃—25.9℃ no rain [77.8] TdOx2 eggs=1 Mark=1¼

The More family went off to Napier this morning so that Natalie could attempt to pass her full New Zealand drivers license test. Which she did with quiet confidence. Mid morning we heard the news and all gathered at Bay Espresso in Karamu Road for a celebratory lunch.

Afterwards Bridget joined Bangle, Karola, and me in a walk along the Clive wetlands – just a gorgious day for it, cool, sunshine, and a gentle breeze.

Mark came at mid-day and watered the Leylandii, dug pits for and buried our two lamb casualties of the last couple of days, and mowed the cottage lawn.

When I relayed the excitement of our day yesterday to Geoff in England he responded with images of his and Edwina’s peaceful week in northern England and Wales. As he said:

Our days are nothing but walks along old canals, some with water… it’s the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct on the Llangollen canal – 126 feet above the River Dee, and quite ‘fun’ to navigate a 20 metre long boat across. There are no rails on the far side – they were melted down for munitions in the Napoleonic wars, and some not… part of the Montgomery canal, under slow restoration.

The two canals in question – the Llangollen and Montgomery respectively – both run across the English-Welsh border. The former has been fully restored for many years, but the latter still has long stretches of dereliction. Having been abandoned for decades, and being miles from anywhere, it’s become something of a wild-life preserve for rare fauna and flora. So the restoration is proceeding very slowly. Part of the reason for visiting was to see the site of a former crossing bridge that has to be rebuilt before restoration can continue.

The Pontcysyllte Aqueduct (avec de l’eau) – Edwina

Montgomery Canal (sans eau) – Edwina

As Geoff remarked – Restoration, Slowly

Geoff Scrubbed Up Extremely Well For An Expensive Wedding In England

Bridget & Bangle Paddle In The Ocean Along From Clive

Bangle’s Never Been In This Deep Before

Can We Go Now Please

And On The Way We Met A Heron

… Briefly

Oak Avenue Weather:12.9℃—22.8℃ no rain [77.4] TdC TdO eggs=1 Mark=4

Not another shopping day, but yes and it’s for us and Bridget’s family too this week.

But first Bangle has her six-weekly grooming appointment with Emma. So this morning I was up in good time, took Bangle round the orchard, had breakfast, and, with Karola, zoomed off in Zoe to Bangle’s 8:30am appointment. On the way home picked up coffees and some cakes for afternoon tea.

Couple of hours later we returned and picked up Bangle. Emma had noticed a small sore on Bangle’s stomach which she recommended should be seen by the vet. Continued on to New World Havelock North, as ever searching for the elusive Paul Newmans Ranch Dressing – no joy. On the New World in Hastings.

Bridget and Natalie joined us for our New World shopping after nipping into Napier and arranging a late afternoon driving lesson for Natalie. Firdt time my grocery bill has topped $400, partly because I bough several duplicate items to stock the homestead.

Next for us was the vet’s to get an appointment for Bangle and some drench for the sheep. I’d figured that losing so many lambs so quickly was like the time we lost seven in one week and that was due to massive infestations of Barber’s Pole Worm, (Haemonchus contortus). Vet advised Cydectin drench which not only kills the worm parasites, including lung worm (remembering the coughing lamb), but protects from reinfection for 35 days. (Cydectin, withholding for meat of ten days).

Afterwards Karola & I went to Farmlands for more chook pellets and some “liquid nails” to fix an old kitchen chair for the homestead. Got home to find that Bridget and Lexi had gone out running.

Lunch at Lappucinno’s – delicious as usual but no help with the dieting.

Mark came at noon and continued with the planting of the Leylandii. When we returned after lunch I went to see how he was getting on and noticed we had another casualty, wether #112R – so the drenching was overdue and I needed to drench the entire flock including old ladies and the two rams as all the pasture the lambs had been on recently would be highly infectious. After tea break, when Mark had planted the eight Leylandii, we drenched all 20 lambs and 21 ewes and both rams. Ended up, as planned, with the lambs in the front paddock the ewes and older ram in the Middle and Totara paddock and a fresh quarter of the One Acre, and the young ram still in the Goose paddock.

Bridget fdrove me, Karola, and Bangle to her 2:00pm vet’s appointment where Angeline Low examined Bangle, determined that the infected spot wasn’t serious and prescribed some antibiotics and anti-inflammatory pills. Not surprising, given her resume, below, Angeline suggested that Bangle could benefit with a full ultrasound tooth cleaning. Unlike the teeth brushing from Emma which doesn’t really get rid of plaque build-up this involved full anaesthetic and is a jaw dropping $230. I think we all agree that poor Bangle will have to live with her plaque buildup for a few more years yet. Bangle is a bit too heavy at 18.7kg, but not harmfully so.

Meanwhole Natalie had her driving lesson and booked a full driving license test in Napier for tomorrow. Bridget and Lexi popped into Hastings to Briscoes for some more kitchen stuff for the homestead.

We had a feast in the homestead, sitting round the dining room table. Bridget and Natalie cooked a large lamb roast dinner; Lexi produced a delicious brownie cake for pudding.

Oak Avenue Weather:__℃—__℃ no rain [76.8] TdOx2 eggs=1 Mark=4¼

Karola and I had hearty breakfast today intending that we have simple snacks for the rest of the day. Bridget had an interrupted night due to a possum wandering around inside the homestead walls.

Sad news from Seatoun Heights, Ben’s twin brother in England is seriously ill.

Bridget & Natalie drove into Napier today to do a trial run on the course for her full driving license test. Natalie had spoken online to some people who had taken the test and who were able to tell her the most likely routes around Napier for the test. If Natalie can get a test slot this week it’d be much faster than in Wellington where the waiting for a test is several weeks. Early evening they went into Hastings to a self-valet car washing place, cleaning Bridget’s car in anticipation of a driving instructor not being impressed if it were too untidy and dirty.

Having rearranged things in the Living and Dining rooms Bridget & Natalie have made possible watching TV in relative comfort possible, and they can eat at the dining room table if they so desire. Today they compacted the stuff in the bedroom at the top of the stairs so tat Lexi can sleep there.

We all cooked our dinner on the hob in the new kitchen this evening. Using only oil-filled electric stand-alone heaters the kitchen was toasy warm and it took the chill off the living room as well.

Lamb #103E died in the last 24 hours making four lambs that have died in the last few days. No obvious causes so, before we lose many more, I’ll talk to the vets and probably give all the lambs a drench in case it’s the Barbers Pole worm which plagued us in earlier years.

Down in Wellington, Lexi is finishing work at Malvina Major Retirement Village at 7:00pm. Then she and Chris will drive up tonight, they should be here before midnight.

Karola Ratted OK Again

What A Glorious Day In Wellington – 66 Seatoun Heights Road

Christening The New Kitchen – Natalie & Bridget

Oak Avenue Weather:11.2℃—17.2℃ 0.4mm rain [76.7] TdOx2 eggs=1

Bridget and Natalie went over to the house and began exploring the utilities, fridges, over, hob, clothes dryer and so on.

Annoyed by some flies buzzing around upstairs in the cottage, it being the time of year for “cluster flies” to make their presence known, I sprayed some fly-spray along the ridge line. Unfortunately that included the smoke detector which went off with an ear-splitting shriek – resulting in a scramble to find the remote to quell it and a call from Havelock Hills Security.

Bridget, Natalie, Karola, and I took some stuff over to the house from the cottage including a wooden table made by Karola’s father long ago and a couple of kitchen chairs, once pink, painted dark green.

We four went shopping briefly for more tubs of Rush Munro ice-cream and some more groceries. New World was closed – it is Easter Sunday after all – and so Bridget checked and confirmed that Countdown and Pak’nSave were also closed. However, the little local stores called Four Square, despite being owned by the same holding company, Foodstuffs, as New World and Pak’nSave, are open on Easter Sunday. Very expensive, said Bridget, but we were fortunate in grabbing the last rotisserie chicken, the last litre of full-cream milk, and the last bag of cashews.

Natalie made lunch of salad and hot roast chicken in a wrap. I joined the others, having chicken, peas, and cauliflower mash.

Later, having rearranged the furniture and odds and ends that filled the living and dining rooms so that both are habitable, Bridget and Natalie invited Karola and me over to watch the news in the living room.

Oak Avenue Weather:9.7℃—18.2℃ no rain [76.8] TdOx2 eggs=1

Quiet leisurely start to the day with a walk round the orchard, with Bangle, and then brunch at Bay Espresso on Karamu road.

We looked round the homestead and Bridget and Natalie said they liked the improvements – Bridget was particularly taken with the new kitchen, much of the design being hers anyway.

Another walk round the orchard in late afternoon before popping down to the local fish&chip shop, Captain Salty, who provided crumbed terakihi fillets and a cooked sausage for Natalie. The fish was delicious and we’ll no doubt be going there again.

Bridget took a RAT in the evening, a negative result again, which is a relief.

Brunch At Bay Espresso on Karamu Road This Morning

Oak Avenue Weather:4.3℃—26.1℃ no rain [76.4] TdOx2 eggs=2

A day of relaxing, dosing and reading. One trip to town to case the local Fish & Chip shops to see when they closed in case Bridget and Natalie get up here in time. Latest was shutting at 8:30pm so not possible. Karola also requested big tubs of chocolate and boysenberry ice-cream as we passed Rush Munro.

Oak Avenue Weather:3.2℃—18.1℃ no rain [76.1] TdTx2 eggs=0

Rushing round helping do the last minute things at the house before Paul and plumber Dean leave for the Easter break. Mid afternoon that included going to Mitre-10 and getting some privacy bolts for the bathroom doors.

Gareth and Dean, our plumbers, have a keen eye for imperfections and pointed out several minute blemishes on the kitchen cabinetry as well as a small but significant dent in the edge of the Miele freezer door. The latter, which might I suppose affect the seal of the door as well as being unmistakeable cosmetic damage, was photographed and reported to Kitchen Things in Napier who sold us the fridge-freezer pair.

Classic Kitchens came late morning with the altered under-sink drawer for the kitchen so now their cabinetry is complete. That was prompt.

Showers, basins, sinks, loos all working now ready for Bridget’s family.

Mark came and spent the afternoon preparing the area around the seven dead Casurinas for their eight Leylandii saplings. Mark also found a dead wether lamb behind the hay shed, #124, and buried it. That means another fresh pit for him to dig next week.

On our way round the orchard late afternoon we bumped into a convoy of HydraLadas – mobile apple picking platforms, aka “elevating work platforms” – going to bed for the long Easter weekend.

Joyous highlight of the day was that Karola located her “safely hidden” second pair of reading glasses, tucked inside her All Birds best pair of shoes.

March Of The Toreadors – Knocking Off Time For The Pickers

Miele Freezer – Small Dent In Edge Of Door – Have Advised Kitchen Things

Oak Avenue Weather:8.0℃—17.8℃ no rain [76.0] TdO eggs=2 Mark=4

Rained heavily in the night and up to around 9:00am. Then gentle rain most of the day; Mark took a rain cheque.

Karola and I went into Hastings for our hair appointments. Kim told us that she’d bought a hairdressing salon over in Napier, in Aharuri, on the waterfront next to the cafe called Milk and Honey

On the way home I dropped in at Bunnings and bought the “cord line switch” I’d looked up on the Internet last night. Replaced the faulty switch on Karola’s bedside light when I got home. We went home via Stortford Lodge which meant coffees from BP’s Wild bean Cafe – and I got another 2.5 times magnification pair of glasses for Karola, a pair with red rims. So Karola now has three pairs of 2.5 times spectacles: grey, blue, and red. The first two are currently mislaid. I put this latest pair in a sturdy black case rather like a toy coffin and put Karola’s name and my mobile number on the front.

Spent an hour or more trying to get a spare airtag to work, returned from Bridget some days ago. I had a momentary lapse in concentration so spent 20 minutes struggling to open and close the airtag case and to get it to initialise. The opening and closing was solved by carefully using a pair of wide mouthed pliers. The initialising process was hindered for much of the 20 minutes because I’d got the battery upside down. Even then it wouldn’t complete initialisation because Bridget still had it synched to her iPhone. Eventually it was sorted out and I’ve glued it into the sturdy black case where Karola keeps her latest pair of reading specs.

Too wet for our morning walk but we did get one in early in the afternoon, mostly not raining.

Paul and Dean were here all day but I didn’t see them go and haven’t gone over after dark to look so I’m not sure whether they’re still on track to finish by tomorrow night.

The Old Front Hall Now New Library

Looking Through Into The Kitchen

… And The Main Bathroom Upstairs

Oak Avenue Weather:11.9℃—17.6℃ 2.0mm rain [76.0] TdO eggs=2 Mark=0

Shopping for the week plus some essentials for the impending visit of Bridget and family. New World supermarket, Cornucopia organics, BNZ bank, Rebel Sport shoes, Mitre-10 masking tape, BP petrol station for coffee.

I was pleasantly surprised that I found a pair of farm books I liked in my size almost straight away. The previous ones, also from Rebel Sport some years ago, were past useful as the upper and sole had parted ways on the left boot.

Paul was here all day with plumbers Gareth and Dean. The council inspector came mid afternoon and inspected the plumbing – we passed. Later Gareth and his little digger moved gravel about so that the run up to the new back porch is level, sloping gently away fro the house. This was Paul’s plan, to avoid more steps leading up to the back porch and increase the hard stand for vehicles. Gareth is very skilled with his digger and it now looks very neat.

Heavy rain is forecast for the next few days, cyclone Fili is paying us a visit. So I asked Mark to first mow the Californian thistles in the quarter of the One Acre just vacated by the sheep. Mowing them before rain is supposed to cause most of them to die back due to natural fungal infections. Mark tried with the Grillo ride-on mower but the vegetation was just too long so he instead used the Kioti tractor. Then he used Karola’s little green mower to mow the cottage lawn – it’ll be tidy for Bridget’s visit. I used the Grillo to re-mow much of the curtilage which, to Karola’s annoyance, had become covered in leaves in just a few days.

Jenny & Noel, Mark’s parents, cycled over on their electric bikes for afternoon tea. We showed them round the new work at the homestead.

My New Farm Boots

Oak Avenue Weather:6.0℃—23.1℃ no rain [76.2] TdOx2 eggs=1 Mark=4

Gareth with his digger and Dean here today along with Paul. They got the critical item of the pipe from the house to the septic tank in.

Meanwhile I took Karola in to Villa 3 at the public hospital to see Dr Baswati Sahoo, opthalmologist. Delightful friendly technician took Karola through a battery of tests then we waited for over an hour for the doctor who had apparently had some particularly complicated cases ahead of us. Anyway, more tests with the rather stern Dr Sahoo and at the end a much more precise description of what was impeding clear sight in Karola’s left eye but no further forward on why it happened. Dr Sahoo, as with Liz Insull and Dr John himself, assured Karola that it was nothing to do with the cataract surgery, the new artificial lens were just as they should be and healthy.

We’re faced with a couple of options: we can see if Karola’s optician can offer a prescription for glasses that best compensate for her left eye problems and if Karola is satisfied with that we’re done. Otherwise there’s some serious retinal surgery that might cure the problems – but it’s not guaranteed.

While waiting for the doctor I got a call from Paul. Gareth was digging the trench for the new sewer pipe when he struck an alkathene pipe and some wires. His digger broke the wires but only nicked the pipe. I recognised it as part of our water system for irrigation and stock watering. The wires are not used, no problem, but the pipe needs to work and has water under pressure. As luck would have it the alkathene pipe crosses the trench at precisely the height needed for the sewer pipe. In fact it wasn’t such a big problem because Dean went and bought a length of alkathene pipe matching the irrigation “main” and some connectors. Gareth excavated a small cross-trench and they patched the nicked pipe and had it go deeper, below the sewer pipe.

We didn’t get back from the hospital until after 1:00pm so Mark continued clearing the area under the dead Casurina trees – where we’ll be planting the Leylandii. Then he began mowing the homestead lawn because the grass is getting long and Fili, an ex-tropical cyclone is due to hit by mid-week.

Meticulous Maids came and cleaned the cottage this afternoon.

I moved the sheep from the north-east quarter of the One Acre to the south-east one as they’d done a good job of eating the clover and lucerne. In fact the most prominent growth still showing is a braod patch of Californian thistles.

The Sewer Pipe Connected

Oak Avenue Weather:4.9℃—21.9℃ 0.2mm rain [76.0] TdOx2 eggs=2 Mark=4

Discussions in the morning about gravestones, triggered by Frank Wilson’s email today about plans for enhancing the Wilson’s wall of remembrance in the Bulls Cemetery. There’s tree planting involved and maybe a walking of the bounds of the original large estate called Ngaio. Anyway, Chloe Wier was looking for information about a headstone at Burleigh but we were unable to help. Karola’s memory is of an older headstone in the Bulls cemetery for her great grandparents, James Glennie Wilson and his wife Annie. Chloe later let us know, the headstone at Burleigh was probably saved by Karola’s mum, Cynthia, when it was replaced by a new unbroken one. Vandalism may have been the cause.

In the afternoon Karola and I took the remaining white goods from the homestead garage over to the new kitchen and laundry, under-bench fridge, two dishwasher drawers, washing machine, and dryer. We unpacked them, and the new rather large Miele fridge and freezer, and put the packaging in the skip, hoping it’ll save Paul and plumber Dean some time as they struggle to get water connected and waste disposed of before Bridget and her family come up on Friday. As per the picture below, Bridget is not over-fond of cockroaches, even the Gisborne ones.

Insect Bomb In Action In Homestead Main Bedroom As Per Bridget’s Instructions

Broken Headstone For Karola’s Grandparents – Replaced In Bulls Cemetery So This Now At Burleigh, Outside The Kitchen Window

Oak Avenue Weather:4.4℃—21.8℃ no rain [76.1] TdOx2 eggs=0

Paul came this morning and carried on working in the house. In fact he was waiting for plumber Dean as they’d planned today, Saturday, to get the hot water cylinder connected up. Paul has built a small platform for it in the old upstairs bathroom, now a big linen cupboard, and when Dean did finally arrive they man-handled this large hot water cylinder up onto the platform.

Paul had the good idea of using some of my H4-treated posts to edge the gravel area near the back porch, where it abuts the wall of the house. So I selected a couple of heavy retaining wall logs and brought them up to the house. Either I’ll get Elms to bring some gravel next week or perhaps Mark and I will get some ourselves. from Winstones in Omahu road.

The poorly lamb that I spotted yesterday and that Mark fed some Ketol has died. No obvious reason, but most years it happens to a couple of the biggest lambs. With Karola’s help I got it into the bucket of the tractor and dumped it in the new death pit that Mark dug last week.

At last there’s the sound of apple picking in Karola’s orchard; the Fuji apples are ripe. The Galaxy variety were picked months ago but this is the expected second wave of what looks like a solid harvest.

The New Homestead Main Hot Water Cylinder

And Suddenly The Fuji Apples Are Ready To Pick

Oak Avenue Weather:6.6℃—20.1℃ no rain [76.1] TdOx2 eggs=2

Karola and I went off mid morning for to her dentist to get the fitting of her two new crowns and one last large filling. As I tootled into town in the Zoe the warning light came on that the tyres were a bit flat. Well it was a lot colder than it’s been since last year and this has happened before with a cold snap. Anyway, while waiting for Karola I went back to Storford Lodge, to BP, and got us a couple of coffees and pumped up the tyres. This did not turn off the warning light so once I got back to the surgery I took the handbook inside with me and read up on these warnings. Turns out that if you’re pumping up the tyres when they’ve been rolling for a while, are not cold, you should pump them up an extra 3psi.

Karola came out with her new crowns in quick time, under half an hour, and we picked up some dry cleaning for Karola before going to Caltex in Omahu road and doing the tyres again, this time to 39psi not 36. Warngs went away.

Paul and I had a discussion about the type of catches we wanted for the double-hung sash windows; I suggested that if possible we’d use the same design as we have in the cottage even though they’re only brass-coated steel and the coating wears off where the latch scrapes the base. Looking around for similar catches online I found lots of ceramic-knobbed brass catches in the UK but none in New Zealand. I ended up calling Handles And Brass in Hamilton and Michelle asked me to send a photo – there were none like it in their catalogues. Late morning she came back saying yes they could get them although they’d have to come from their warehouse in Australia. Michelle gave me a 15% discount because I was buying 15 of them and to my pleasant surprise the shipping cost was only $30 – they are quite heavy.

Plumber Dean came today, as did electrician Ivan and a plasterer. Dean called me at the weekend and asked if he could take some firewood; I agreed and, unknown to me, he did come and take a load.Karola’s cousin Henare also asked a few days ago on behalf of his older sister Ira, but so far they haven’t come to collect it. Just as they were leaving tonight Paul and Dean told me they’d be coming for a while tomorrow, Saturday, to try and ensure we had a functioning house for Bridget’s family at Easter. The cooking hob is now installed and most of the lights are up and working – we’ve deferred choosing shades for the pendant lights, that’s something Bridget’s bubble can help with later I’m sure.

Karola and I returned to Hastings mid afternoon for our appointment to get flu vaccinations. It was extremely quick, we drove down which took about eight minutes, then the injections took another couple of minutes, and we were back home inside 20 minutes.

Mark continued mowing behind the homestead garage and along the 121 driveway then he and I switched the two sheep flocks around so that the lambs are now in the Middle paddock and the ram and ewes in the Front paddock.The ram and ewes also have a quarter of the One Acre. They seem to enjoy the lucerne, tucking in enthusiastically. One of the lambs, #110R, a wether, is looking a bit under the weather, so Mark gave him a tonic drink of Ketol sugary water.

After tea break Mark began clearing the area up in the orchard where the seven dead Casurinas are, ready for the planting of the Leylandii.

I am enjoying stealing a few moments to work with Geoff in Ampfield on some programming for his Humax multi-media system.

Ordered More Sash Window Catches For Homestead

Oak Avenue Weather:3.3℃—21.1℃ no rain [76.2] TdOx2 eggs=2 Mark=4

Ivan has connected up all the lights downstairs including the LEDs along the kick-board below the kitchen bench and under the upper cupboards. The light in the back porch, coupled with an outside light similar to the ones we have on the cottage, all come on when anyone (or any thing) approaches from outside or through the back door.

As promised, the two Miele appliances, a fridge and a freezer, arrived and are now sitting in their allotted places waiting to be unpacked. I said to the delivery team, are you sure we’ve got them the right way round – the handles need to be next to each other. Apparently they thought they’d worked miracles in getting them both facing forwards. I called and had a chat to Megan at Kitchen Things in Napier, where we’d bought these magnificent phone-box sized appliances, remonstrating with her that the weight and the packaging were quite inappropriate for a pensioner to handle unaided. She apologised for not discussing it but they charge $100 just for delivery and another $100 to plug it in.

Mark finished setting up the One Acre with its electric fence making it into four paddocks. With that done he spent the rest of the afternoon mowing, mainly around the big oak. Just as he was about to leave he told me that the Kioti tractor had a flat front tyre. Together we wrestled with it for half an hour, trying to see if there were an actual puncture and whether the air compressor could blow hard enough to re-inflate it. No joy so I took off the wheel and Karola and I took it to a tyre place on Omahu road, part of the land where Greta and John Flynn’s greengrocer shop used to be. Young chap briskly pumped it up and tested for leaks – none so it must have just become too flat that the seal with the rims broke. I gave him $20 and everyone was all smiles and we went back home.

Lots Of Activity Today – “Tradies” A-Plenty

Oak Avenue Weather:6.7℃—17.8℃ 0.4mm rain [76.2] TdOx2 eggs=2 Mark=4

Several people have told us what a good choice of vinyl pattern Bridget and Karola made for the floors of the bathrooms and laundry. I am delighted and also with how thick the vinyl is, it looks very hard wearing. They chose it as being muted, not strident, with a little colour and not being boring or industrial looking.

Johnny and sister Monique finished their third day of painting – they had a three day gap because of a cancellation – and that’s the end of painting for quite a while I think.

Before the painters went they made a point of finishing the cloakroom – what used to be the downstairs bathroom. With its sanded and finished Matai T&G floor and the walls, ceiling, skirting, and architrave all freshly painted it gives us a good idea as to what the rest of the old house will look like once GIBbed and painted.

Paul has put on the door handle and latch and the press button lock on the new back door of the homestead so we can dispense with the hasp and padlock for Bridget’s bubble’s visit in twelve days time.

Nark finished the next death pit and lets hope it isn’t needed for many months. He then began subdividing the One Acre paddock into four with diagonal electric fences so that each of the four gates give access to one quarter of the flourishing lucerne.

Oak Avenue Weather:17.1℃—28.4℃ 0.2mm rain [76.8] TdOx2 eggs=2 Mark=4

Off to a good start with the shopping today. Monique “Mon” Lett, the painter Johnny Lett’s sister, came at 6:30am, the rest of their gang were here by 8:00am. The painters are trying to get as much done before Easter as they can but they’ve only got three days ending Wednesday. That is, one more day. Electrician Ivan got the downstairs (kitchen and laundry) lights working today. Still no sign of the plumbers, I’d say they were “the weakest link”. Plasterers still hard at it. Paul has an extra unexpected task as the sash cords for the two old original double-hung windows in the kitchen have perished and must be replaced.

Mark took a break from finishing the new death pit and he and I, with some help from Karola and her box of sheep nuts, got all the ewes quietly into the yards so that I could drench and tidy up two very daggy ewes. We gave ewes #909 and #929 a drench (Alliance – withholding for meat of 14 days). I then, with rubber gloves and a pair of kitchen scissors, I tried to get off the worse of the dags. Afterwards I had to shower and change my clothes.

It was unusually calm today, barely any breeze, so I asked Mark to spray weeds. He did three tank-fulls (10 litres per knapsack tank). Mark started with the fence line between the One Acre and the Middle paddock, the fence line is thick with Californian thistles. He also did round the base boards of the cottage and the gravel around the septic tank. Mark sprayed the cottage driveways. Also the driveways to the 133 entrance and round the homestead where the new verandah is going to be.

After tea break Mark Grillo-mowed the grass outside the cottage lawn, the cottage curtilage such as the teardrop lawn, under the washing line etc.

Marcus Ormond rang to see how we were and he and Karola had a long chat. Marcus regaled us with his shepherding error when he bought several thousand lambs a few days ago and, following best practice for new stock, drenched them all and left them in a sacrifice paddock for a few days, Unfortunately Marcus left them there a bit too long and they turned it into a very muddy, grassless mess. Marcus and wife Chrissie have not had Covid but two of their three children have it now.

Oak Avenue Weather:13.8℃—25.5℃ 0.2mm rain [76.5] TdOx2 eggs=2 Mark=4

Two more weeks before Easter. Painters started early; I stumbled out of bed to let Monique in, she’s always first to arrive. Later the GIB-stoppers (plasterers) and Paul and Ivan arrived.

Late morning Karola had another appointment with Dr John Beaumont, her eye specialist. Karola’s been on antibiotic and steroid drops for over a week. Dr John says the infection has gone and the inflammation is lessening.Karola was tested by practice nurse Penny and then again by Dr John. As we were about to be ushered out of the surgery I asked whether Dr John could just let us know whether Karola’s left eye, the one which has been unable to see detail for a week, is any better for actual reading. Dr John agreed and did some extra tests only to conclude that the eye really wasn’t working as intended. Suddenly more scans of the eye and rescans, but today Dr John is bamboozled. His next step is to send Karola to Dr Baswati Sahoo at the General Hospital for a specialist second opinion. Dr John can see physiologically that the eye is not working properly but really can’t see any reason for it. So we’re off the antibiotics now the infection has gone, we’re onto different steriods and simple eye lubricant drops. We’ll regroup wth Dr John in ten days and hope for an early visit to Dr Baswati Sahoo.

Mark Kioti-mowed the large patches infested with Californian thistles; mowing them when wet is supposed to cause massive die-back, we hope so. Then he spent the rest of the day digging another death pit up near the other recent pits.

Oak Avenue Weather:11.1℃—22.8℃ no rain [76.4] TdOx2 eggs=1 Mark=4

Opened up the homestead ready for the FloorMart vinyl layer who came around 7:30am. So, it really did happen and we have a fighting chance of being ready for Bridget at Easter.

Dean (plumber) called me to see if he could come and get firewood – we have quite a large pile going begging. He also said that he’d be back in tomorrow, he’s been testing negative and is out of quarantine. Although he now has the lions share of the essential work before Easter he seemed confident they’ll be in time.

And then the painter, Johnny Lett, called. He’s had a cancellation so can paint for three days starting tomorrow. He spoke to the GIB-stoppers (plasterers) on Friday and it looks like they’ll be able to work without getting each other’s way. Not quite sure how this will work as plasterers said they’ll be here most of the week. Also agreed with Johnny that he’d not only paint the new kitchen, laundry, bathrooms etc but also the old front hall and the passageways. That includes the ceilings and the bannisters and varnished dark wooden panels.

Henare Ormond and his brother Puss came round for a chat and a coffee, interrupting our dinner preparations and making me forget all about wanting to ring Harry after dinner. I have also been distracted, in a very nice way, by a little programming task for my UK mate Geoff.

My Kind Of Humour – Thank You Dave Moss

Vinyl Floor – Laundry

Vinyl Floor – Guest Bathroom

Vinyl Floor – Our Bathroom

Oak Avenue Weather:12.1℃—21.9℃ 0.2mm rain [76.6] TdOx2 eggs=1

All very calm today after the excitement of the last week. Moving the broody Orange Tag hen and her five incubating eggs may have been a mistake as I think she’s been off the nest long enough to cool them too much, still, she seems to be back sitting now so we shall see. Just reading and emails today. On our walk around the orchard I am listening to a BBC podcast called “The Coming Storm” by Gabriel Gatehouse. Rivetting tale of the roots and consequences of the Qanon phenomenon in the USA. Highly recommended but not for the timid.

The More family christened Transmission Gully today, taking “the beast” from Khandallah over to Paraparaumu and then having supper on the beach – fish & chips, the lucky devils. Lexi snapped a shot of them on the beach.

Chris, Bridget, Natalie – Fish & Chips At Parparaumu (Photo courtesy Lexi)

Oak Avenue Weather:14.8℃—22.7℃ no rain [76.3] TdOx2 eggs=1

Off to town for Karola’s hair appointment. While waiting I took back the iPad and its keyboard to Noel Leeming and pointed out that it was the wrong keyboard. However I said that Karola was so upset at it not being the same keyboard she tried out in the store that she’s gone right off the idea for the time being.

GIB-stoppers (plasterers) arrived mid morning and worked hard until just after lunch; they will be back on Monday and expect to be finished by the end of next week. The vinyl from FloorMart is to be laid on Sunday, Brett person confirmed today when I called him. Despite their run-in with Covid the plumbers – both Dean and Gareth, have said they’ll be back on Monday but they have a lot to do before it’s complete. Electrician Ivan expects to be back on Monday too to relocate the power switches made inaccessible by the kitchen and laundry bench tops. Closer coordination between plumber, electrician, and kitchen makers would have saved the plumber and electrician quite a lot of time.

So, we’re still on track for a liveable homestead before Easter. Paul seems to relish having a deadline to get his contractors working towards. I’m most concerned about the plumbing but Paul thinks that getting the painting done may be most at risk.

Bridget, in a conversation earlier in the week, said we should insulate inside the walls, especially the outside walls, before we GIB them. Too late for the library/old hallway but not for the Bee room (bedroom) upstairs. Paul brightened considerably at the suggestion we put insulation inside the exterior walls of the Bee room when he remembered he had batts insulation over from doing the new build. This is because I rebelled at making the new sun porch to inside room standards and changed it (back) to being just a verandah with some wind protection. For the same reason we have quite a pile of weatherboard that will be spare.

Light bulb flashed. We had insulation over from doing the cottage; it’s stored up in the ceiling space over the homestead garage store room. Mark pulled down the six bales of pink batts and carted them up to the Bee room. Nice warm buzz, it’s so seldom that we save stuff for potential future use and it actually turns out to be useful.

Mark found a dead ewe in the Middle paddock, #813E, and later a wether lamb in the Front paddock, #121R, and buried them both – causes unknown.

Mark moved the broody coop to fresh ground and together we transported Orange Band and her five incubating eggs to the coop from the chook house. Hen wasn’t immediately keen on the new arrangement and so maybe the eggs will have become to cold but I have hopes she will settle down tonight. We shall see.

Mark went on to re-spray the segment of the Casurina windbreak in Karola’s orchard, near the sheep yards, where seven trees have been smothered to death by Old Man’s Beard (clematis vitalba). We’ll give it a few days to work on the clematis before planting the eight Leylandii in the gaps. Last thing this afternoon Mark cleaned out the chook house and mulched the Puriri with the proceeds; he also re-stocked the nest boxes with meadow hay from years gone by.

It’s expected to rain over the weekend so I put some black plastic flashing along where the chook house roof meets the lean-to roof at the front – obviously the roofs don’t overlap enough.

Karola’s Eyes – I Will Say This Only Once

I wrote this for temporarily visually challenged Karola. Karola, upon proof reading it, said, “well, that’s your version of events, there’s a lot of unnecessary personal comments in there”.

This is an unhelpful if mildly interesting story and before you say TL;DR this is the short version.

A year or more ago Karola was getting fitted for a new lens prescription – she only having eight pairs of glasses in various states of “lost”, “mislaid”, or “broken” – and her optometrist (not optician nor ophthalmologist) suggested that as she “had” cataracts albeit in the early stages she should have cataract surgery. He set up a referral to my opthalmologist, Dr John Beaumont.

I accompanied Karola to her first appointment and was sceptical of the need for this expensive (to us) surgery. Dr John said that while surgery wasn’t essential right now it would be in the next year or two as the misting up got progressively worse, as it surely would.

In my usual sharing, caring, non-controlling way I said over my dead body would Karola waste time and money on this surgery until absolutely essential. Exit stage fuming.

And then our 75th birthdays rolled round and we both needed medical certificates to get our driving licenses renewed. I went to my optometrist for that part of the medical – he’s in the same opticians place as Karola’s optometrist – and as usual we talked about anything but my eyes, including the saga of the false start on Karola’s cataract surgery. He, Mark Eagle, convinced me of the value of early cataract surgery if eventually surgery will be needed. The proposition being that if surgery will be required eventually and the new synthetic lenses will be permanently clear then why not get it done sooner before prices inevitably rise and enjoy more years of unmisty vision.

Mark Eagle and I get on quite well and so I listened and was persuaded.

So, back to Beaumont, and we all agree to have both eyes done, the left (most impaired) one first and the other in a week or two’s time. Dr John said we could have one eye tuned for best reading experience which would obviate most case for needing reading glasses, the other tuned for better reading of number plates at forty paces or whatever the fool rule is, a driving eye. Experience showed, he said, that the brain quickly, in a week or so, figures out which eye to use for what.

Meanwhile Karola spoke to her long time school friend, used to be a nurse, Joan, and she’d had her cataracts done and, apart from the very tedious programme of eye drops for weeks afterwards, she said it was successful and she could see better. Then Karola spoke to her cousin Cecilia who had hers done on the public health and for her yes it was no problem and yes it worked and there must be more interesting things to talk about etc etc. Note that the difference between public and private in this case is just how long you wait, it’s the same surgeons who, as they are so scarce, do both public and private executions.

We had the first (left) eye done and that was successful. As I suggested, but it turns out has been standard practice for ages, he used felt pen to put a cross on the eye to be operated on. Well above the eye, not on it of course.

In June the first artificial lens went in, early August the second. A checkup a couple of weeks later indicated all was progressing well. Karola thought there might be some slight improvement in reading without glasses but also found that small print such as found in the phone book, on medicine tablet bottles, and now, she claims in the Economist, benefitted greatly from wearing 2.5x “hobby” glasses as the professionals disparagingly call them – $30 including frames and GST from pharmacist instead of the real McCoy for $300 plus from a proper optician.

In late December Karola began mentioning, with increasing frequency, about how she was finding it hard to see out of her left (reading) eye. Eventually we booked in to see Dr John and he, not being confident of what he could diagnose, referred Karola to his colleague Liz Insull and meanwhile gave Karola some antibiotic drops. These worked and a week or so later when Karola saw Liz she declared Karola’s vision good, “almost 20-20” and there were no signs of infection. Liz also removed a small ingrowing eyelash from that left eye. Karola was relieved and we thought that was the end of it,

However, in March the same issues of reading difficulty came up and eventually, when Karola insisted everything she could see through her left eye was just a blur, back we went to Dr John. He agreed there was again infection and this time he could not exclude the possibility of some rather nasty bacterial infection that is very hard to budge. So Karola was rushed to eye emergency unit at public hospital where a “corneal scrape” was done as input to lab tests. More antibiotic drops again, of course.

NEARLY DONE

Back to Dr John in a couple of days. Meanwhile the regimen for the drops was horrid, every 30 mins for first day then every hour for two days then sanity prevailed and four times a day. My friend at the pharmacy, a shortish, plumpish, blondish Labrador-owning English pharmacist, took issue with this as being impractical and unnecessary. She rang Dr John and he agreed to water it down so we didn’t need to apply drops during sleep time.

On the latest visit to Dr John he was able to report that the lab tests said it was not the really serious bacterial infection he couldn’t initially rule out, so now he could safely treat the problem as a case of inflammation and minor bacterial infection. Steroid drops twice a day should clear the inflammation causing the blurry vision, the antibiotics were on top of the infection, and we are on the path back to normalcy.

Dr John said that Karola has solar damage to her left eye. New Zealand’s world famous strong sunlight has damaged a small area of her cornea creating a small bump of hardened tissue. As the eyelid does it’s usual job of cleaning and disinfecting the cornea the bump makes it miss a bit. This is the bit that gets infected, infection leads to inflammation and, hey presto, we have an explanation.

I conclude that there’s no real cure but at least if/when it happens again we can get on top of it quickly.

Araucaria bidwillii – One Of Karola’s Kauri Cousin Trees – Flourishing

Oak Avenue Weather:13.0℃—20.3℃ no rain [76.2] TdOx2 eggs=2 Mark=4