Monthly Archives: June 2022

Mark continued deconstructing my raspberry enclosure to make room for one of the two Kauri saplings that arrived today.

Paul and Mon (painter) continued on the homestead.

Anna sent me a photo from her graduation thirty years ago. She graduated in the summer of 1990 then travelled the world with friend James, including a stopover in New Zealand while we were on holiday there I think. In 1991/92 Anna did a further year at Law School, finishing in the summer of 1992 and then she worked as an articled clerk, qualifying as a real lawyer in 1994.

Another Moment Of Joy So Many Years Ago – Anna’s Graduation In 1990

An Heir And A Spare – A Kauri To Celebrate Felix’ Economics First From St Andrews

Oak Avenue Weather:6.1℃—16.1℃ no rain [76.4] TdTx2 eggs=0 Mark=4

Monique, Johnny Lett’s sister, came today and started on the west wall of the homestead, up high above the verandah.

I got an unexpected message via WhatsApp today; more on that below.

Architect Ruth sent email today confirming that the council will not budge; if we want to put insulation in the exterior walls of some rooms at the homestead then at a minimum every second sarking board has to come off. So, as expected, we cancelled that part of the project and will rely on the double thickness of GIB on match-lining for insulation.

WhatsApp Today – I’ve Been Watching Too Much James Veitch – This Is Real

For possible mild amusement and warning – they are everywhere, phones, TXT, WhatsApp, email. It took too long for the penny to drop. By the fifth exchange I was awake and on top of it.

If I’m murdered in the next few days, this is probably why. From phone +64 210 814 2715. I’ve reported to police as I was stringing her along …. Police said to call them back if anyone threatens me/us about this.

Because it was on WhatsApp and we only use that with England, initially I thought it was Anna, not very flattering I know, and why was she using a NZ phone? So I called Bridget and confirmed iit wasn’t her (obviously, she is surrounded by people with phones). Then, as advised on govt web pages, I called police on their 105 number (not 111) and a young man made out a report. I was hoping they’d trace the “caller” but no they’re not set up for that. Then I tapered off the dialogue.

In case it isn’t obvious, there is no Rachel, no Julia, no trip to Tasmania.

Oak Avenue Weather:-0.1℃—11.2℃ no rain [76.9] TdT eggs=0 Mark=4

Weekly shopping, uneventful. Mark is busy today so didn’t come.

Gill sent over some more photographic memorabilia as she ploughs through the remnants of the Brackenbury family archives.

Geese Chomped These To Bits – One Then Hopped Over The Railings – Much Squawking Ensued

New French Double Doors At Foot Of The Stairs

New French Doors Lighten Up The Foot Of The Stairs

“Yeoman’s Drove”, Otterbourne, Near Winchester in England c 1978

A Shortlived Involvement With “Cubs” – Atawhai, Nelson (Ian Front Left) – 1955?

Tis In The Genes – Grandpop’s Farm, Weald, England – August 1951

Oak Avenue Weather:1.8℃—12.4℃ no rain [76.7] TdT eggs=1 Mark=0

The work week restarts after the Friday-based Matariki long weekend. Paul and his helper continued putting up the new verandah lining and adding some flashing to where the roof meets the side of the house proper. Graham Boaler, master joiner, brought the french doors today, glazed and ready to be fitted. Paul and mate began putting them up mid afternoon. The roofers came and took off the guttering along the west side of the homestead, above the verandah, so that Monique can paint the fascia. She’ll be here to begin late this week I’m told.

I’ve talked to Paul about wanting, after the council inspections for the current work are all done and dusted, to extend the north-south protected window section of the verandah by another bay; without it the wind will come whistling through from the west as I discovered trying it out at the weekend. I’ve also talked to Graham about building us three more bookcases like the three Cudby & Meade ones we already have, so that the “library” (aka old front hall) has room for plenty of books.

Mark used up the trailer load of “top course” gravel we got on Thursday so we went up to Winstones and got another load.

Karola asked me to take a(nother) photo of her in her new outfit, a gift from Anna and Bridget.

Karola In Her New Warm Craghopper Trousers (from Anna) And Her Smmart Green-Striped M&S Shirt (from Bridget)

Oak Avenue Weather:1.5℃—17.4℃ 0.2mm rain [76.7] TdOx2 eggs=0 Mark=4

Highlight of the day, to what depths have we sunk, was to get today’s Wordle out in two guesses. The others in our band: Lexi, Bridget, Chris, and Gill were less fortunate but of course all made it before the seventh guess.

The usual Sunday chores, fuelling up Zoe, rubbish bins out for tomorrow morning early. But otherwise a very restful day.

Plumber Dean came round, as he said he would, to get some firewood and, while here to take a look ar=t the cottage dishwasher to see if it’s leaking – there being a nasty discolouration of the cork tiles nearby. He says no, no leak, and anyway it’d take something like oil to permanently mark the cork tiles.

Oak Avenue Weather:3.3℃—17.4℃ no rain [76.8] TdOx2 eggs=0

Quite a relaxed day, the day after Matariki. We decided to take Bangle to the wetlands again; something a bit different from the orchard gyratory and the Ngaruroro stop bank. It afforded some merriment when a convoy of camper vans trundled up to the end of the “no-exit” gravel road looking for the camper van park in Clive. I was very helpful and moved our Zoe into the little gap on the other side of the white car you can see in the picture. This just allowed the big bus to turn round – at least a twenty-point-turn I’d say.

Found a jacket in the cottage, next to the coat cupboard, and, not recognising it, got Karola to model it for this photo so I could find out if it belongs to Bridget’s mob, to Henare’s lot, or Mark. It turned out that it belongs to Jack of whom Henare TXTed: “Yes that’s Jack’s he lose his head if it wasn’t attached to his body”. Cousins!.

Going round the orchard this evening we gave the sheep some pea straw and counted them. 21 sheep and two rams.

Lots of time for programming today, most enjoyable.

Karola Models A Jacket Left By (It Turns Out) Henare’s Cousin Jack

Delightful Snafu When A Touring Party Takes The Wrong Turn To The Camping Grounds

No Mist – And Now We See The White Cliffs Of “Kidnappers”

Those Hardy Chooks Again – Behind The Wetlands Sea Bank

… And The Next Wave Almost Washed Her Off Her (Small) Feet

Oak Avenue Weather:2.6℃—16.0℃ no rain [76.7] TdC TdO eggs=0

Yesterday Graham Boaler, our joiner, dropped off the frame for the double french doors at the foot of the homestead stairs. It looks rather elegant.

Mighty chilly this morning, a frost I’d say. All of us spent most of the day inside where, because of the heat pump, it’s actually quite warm. We did venture out for walks round the orchard with Bangle and got pretty cold just doing that. It’s the Māori new year public holiday today, the first time it’s been held, so having a cold winters day is sort-of appropriate.

Frame For The Entrance At The Foot Of The Stairs

It’s The New NZ Public Holiday – Matariki – So All’s Quiet On The New Rigging

Oak Avenue Weather:__℃—__℃ no rain [76.7] TdOx2 eggs=1 Mark=0

Karola and I went to Winstone’s a couple of km up Omahu road and got a second trailer-load of gravel for the driveways. This time it was smaller gravel called “top course”.

Mark spent the afternoon overlaying yesterdays gravel and filling in the smaller depressions directly. Being a mix of small sharp (ie not water rounded) stones and sand it binds well

to a firm driving surface. Late afternoon Mark and I collected another trailer load of gravel and he spread about half of that before ending his day.

On the way back from collecting that load we again called in to see how the tractor was faring. As shown in the photo below, the Fergie is still opened up awaiting parts. It’s been serviced and should be back home mid-week. It now has a filter protecting the valve that stuck – on early standad models they didn’t fit that but by cannibalising a newer model my Fergie now has the filter.

Plumber Dean came today, finished installing the loos (silicone round the base), installed the bath, and started on the list I prepared of outstanding items.

Scaffolding truck came and a gang of three put up two more levels above the west verandah roof which means that Monique, the painter, and the spouting/gutter guys will be able to get going on the west side.

Karola, Bangle, and I went to the stop bank today and the air was clear so we could see the serious fall of snow on both the Kawekas and the Ruahines.

Kaweka Range

The Ruahine Range Also Well Covered – Mt Ruapehu In The Gap Just Visible

1962 Massey Ferguson MF35 – Not Quite Ready To Come Home It Seems

Another Two Storeys Of Scaffolding So Painting Can Begin

Oak Avenue Weather:2.1℃—15.0℃ no rain [76.9] TdT eggs=1 Mark=4

Chatted with Paul about the stormwater arrangements we need for the homestead; how much of the homestead roof can be caught in the rainwater tanks and how much should just be safely conducted away down the overflow. Paul remarked that the homestead water was distinctly tinted – it’s tannin off the leaves lying on the homestead garage roof I think – and so we extended the plumbing brief to include redirecting the garage stormwater directly into the overflow rather than having it syphon into one of the rainwater tanks.

Mark and I fetched a cubic metre of “AP40 crushed” gravel from Winstone’s up Omahu Road. The poor trailer was groaning a bit, one of the tyres looked on its last legs but cheered up when Mark gave it more air. Mark, more quickly than I expected, shovelled the gravel into the most egregious potholes on the 121 driveway. They have got very boggy in this wet weather. On the way back from Winstone’s we called in at Hawkes Bay Tractor Dismantlers but the Fergie won’t be ready until tomorrow.

After that Mark continued his assault on the weeds in the Middle paddock with the Kioti tractor.

Anna sent a few more Felix’ graduation photos.

More from Gill from the Amsden (maternal grandparents) side.

My Degree, Oh, Just A First From St Andrews You Know

Oh What A Proud And Happy Mother

Felix And His Proud Grandma Barbara Florent (aged 88 – lives in Boulogne)

Note on the back is: “Grannie and Ian (in his Wendy house) Honeysuckle Cottage, Brooks Green., Horsham, 1950

Oak Avenue Weather:7.2℃—12.3℃ no rain [76.7] TdT eggs=0 Mark=4

Oh no, it’s shopping day again. And Bangle is off for a groom. And we need oil for the Grillo, and, and, and. So it was a full-on morning, everything planned was achieved and all over before 1:00pm. Including picking up the free replacement “discharge cover”, the expensive and barely fit-for-purpose piece of rubberised plastic that controls the outflow of mowings for the Kioti red tractor.

Mark didn’t come, still too soggy underfoot and cold with it.

Paul has got the battens up for lining the verandah roof; it’s to have sheet plywood grooved to look like “tongue and groove” running lengthwise. That way it’ll be similar to the view overhead on the front / north-facing verandah.

Ivan came and Paul, Ivan, and I agreed on having three lights for the new verandah, two ceiling mounted and one wall mounted by the new french doors. This latter one to be on a proximity switch so that coming from the outside it switches on so you can see up the steps.

Ivan also deftly fixed the problem I had with the TV recessed wiring box in the kitchen – much simpler than I’d anticipated.

Ruth called and we agreed she would try to convince her contact in the District Council to give us dispensation or insulating some of the external walls at the homestead without replacing all the sarking.The rules, the ever increasing, detailed, and onerous building regulations, are aimed at the most popular building and construction techniques and materials, with no real appreciation for the time and materials expenditure for no actual value of many of these on old houses. Paul is much annoyed by them.

Oak Avenue Weather:3.9℃—10.7℃ 0.8mm rain [76.3] TdT eggs=1 Mark=0

Power Farming called around 8:00am but I just missed the call.

Blind installer came at 9:30am as planned and installed two honeycomb blinds in the two upstairs bathrooms in the homestead and a roller blind in one of the kitchen windows, the one facing east, not the one facing down the driveway.

Paul continues with the west verandah, getting ready to line the roof. He’s also arranged for Dean the plumber to come and continue his good works later this week so I’ve created a list of the items I know about that he needs to complete.

This morning I got an email from the District Council about our request for building consent to insulate the exterior walls of the upstairs bedrooms and the dining room downstairs in the homestead. They’ve already delayed by asking for assurance that we’re not removing any of the exterior cladding, the weatherboards – we’re not – and assurances that any existing electrical cable in the affected walls be replaced with cable to current standards which are more stringent for enclosed, insulated walls. We agreed to both. And yet today, a few days later, we received another email.

Apparently new legislation has come into force whereby there must be a 20mm gap between the exterior cladding and the building paper keeping out the moisture. In addition, because the new regulation requires the paper be stapled in place all the way up and down we have to remove all the inner match-lining or sarking, put up the paper, and reline. This original 140-year-old kauri match-lining would splinter and become useless in the process.

If Ruth cannot get us a dispensation from the council then any insulating of the exterior walls is out of the question. I’m not so excited about this because with the existing 12mm of sarking or match-lining and the GIB on top that’s quite a substantial amount of insulation anyway. But it does not make one feel warm fuzzies towards the council.

A Meticulous Maid came late afternoon and cleaned the cottage. They’ve been plagued with staff shortages ever since the pandemic started, not just covid but many off sick.

New Blind In The Homestead Kitchen

Well, You Expect Camellia Blooms In Winter

… But Jonquis

… and Snowdrops?

Oak Avenue Weather:__℃—__℃ no rain [76.7] TdTx2 eggs=1 Mark=0

Quiet and definitely overcast day with light rain for much of it. We had a short walk down on the stop bank, short because it was surprisingly cold with the sharp wind, and so overcast.

Slept all night and much of the day. Gill sent photos from her rummaging round in her past; a couple of examples below. Karola is doing similar.

Peter Offenberger’s birthday today, 76, like Karola. He and Charlotte are off to the UK and Italy next month.

The two rams, united late last afternoon, seem not to be fighting today which is good.

Well Someone Likes Silver Beet

Haven’t Changed A Bit

Ian & Sister Gill With Amsden Grandmother Lilly

Oak Avenue Weather:__℃—__℃ no rain [77.6] TdTx2 eggs=0

Midday adventure was going to the Clive wetlands. for our morning walk; I’ve not seen the mist so thick before but photos don’t show the denseness and how much we were in the thick of it for a while.

Afterwards we picked up coffee from Bay Espresso on Karamu Road.

Late afternoon I put the little ram in with the ornery old codger in the Goose paddock aka the Ram paddock. Some fighting ensued but I hoped the young one would still be alive in the morning.

Wetlands – So Water Birds – Lots Of Australians

Chooks Down Behind The Sea Bank – About 15 Feet Below Us – We’re On The Pathway Above

Bangle – Proof We Made It Down To The Sea – Tide Well Out

Not Even Leaving Footprints

Wetlands – The Sea Mist Has Lifted

Oak Avenue Weather:7.3℃—15.1℃ 2.8mm rain [77.2] TdC TdO eggs=1

The good news kept rolling in from Felix’ graduation today. Anna did collect the other grandmother, Barbara Florent (88) from France and took her up to St Andrews for the ceremony. Both Barbara and Felix will be very pleased with that.

I’ve ordered a Kauri tree that Karola and I are going to plant to celebrate the graduation – same place I got the Puriri trees. It’ll outlast us and I hope Felix too. We thought put it near the boundary directly north of the homestead; it’ll be a most spectacular focal point in a (hundred) years or so.

Weather rained and threatened all day, mostly threatened, so Mark took a rain check. (or is that cheque?)

My excitement was taking the broken discharge cover back to Power Farming and explaining that it was not “fit for purpose”. They all, I had an audience of about five at the height of my display of annoyance, they all agreed it shouldn’t happen, not the week after it was bought. Boss man passing just said quietly, “get him another one”. Apparently he’d seen it before. I think that the manufacturers have saved cost by making the guard out of cheaper plastic and it’s just way too brittle – as I said, the one that came with the tractor was virtually indestructible, lasted for years, and here I have two broken ones in space of months.

Of course it doesn’t really solve the problem as the new one will be made of the same brittle material as the broken ones. One of the engineers suggested I line the discharge cover with light tin, pop-rivet it on. At least that acknowledged it’s bound to happen again.

Felix Graduates With First In Economics From St Andrews

A Moment On The Stage, A Lifetime To Savour

Felix With His Mum And Dad

OK, Anna, One Down, One To Go

Week Old Discharge Cover For Tractor Mower – It’s Not Good Enough

Previous One Lasted Several Months But The Original Lasted Years

Oak Avenue Weather:9__℃—__℃ no rain [77.6] TdOx2 eggs=2 Mark=0

A sunny winters day, not too cold and gentle breezes. Most of the day on computer, relaxing. Karola ferretting amongst her papers as usual when not reading.

Mark finished up the mowing he was doing yesterday then used the red tractor to mow under the belt of trees along to the sheep yards. In so doing the rubber guard that guides the outflow of mown grass was shattered – but it’s only been a few days since new. Mark doesn’t know what caused it; was not aware of any wire or particularly rugged terrain. Annoying as the first one that came with the tractor lasted for well over a year until I accidentally mowed a loose piece of #8 wire – that I can understand but the two recent failures make me think the replacements aren’t as tough as the original.

Karola and I talked about what we could get Felix for his graduation; he is a bit “the gentleman who has everything” with his lawyer mum and lawyer dad; so we have decided to buy a young Kauri tree and plant it as a specimen tree, not part of a grove, to the north of the homestead and it’ll be Felix’ graduation tree.

Paul And Mate Put The Roof On The New West Verandah

Oak Avenue Weather:9.9℃—19.8℃ no rain [77.2] TdT eggs=0 Mark=4

With Karola’s help I took the old Fergie tractor down to Hawkes Bay Tractor Dismantlers having spoken to Kerry, the owner who would have been happy to make a house call in fact. I drove the tractor down and we took the 20 litres of transmission oil in the hope that they can use it to replace the current very discoloured contents of the transmission case. They’ll also give it a service, it hasn’t been serviced for a couple of years.

Karola was to come in the Subaru and we could both come back in it, leaving the tractor to be fixed. But the Subaru battery was flat so I jump-started it from the Landrover. I went to the tractor to start it up and it’s battery was flat too so I did the same for the tractor, forgetting that the battery polarity on the old 1962 Fergie is reversed from normal. Much violent sparking nd the jump leads got rather hot but seems that nothing was broken so soon we were on our way.

Afterwards we drove straight down to Stortford Lodge, got coffees and a Dominion, and then gave the Subaru an overdue car wash.

I joined up the two flocks of sheep, the lambs and the pregnant ewes. Now that the rams are safely isolated the lambs can go back to their family groups and graze across the two main areas, the Front paddock and the Middle & Totara paddocks.

Johnny Lett called to say that they’d finished the current painting assignments and he was off to Australia for maybe six weeks to see his grandchildren after a Covid-enforced absence for over two years. While he’s away Monique will do any painting we need, for more skirting board or windows or the french doors as the joiner finishes them. She will also paint the outside west wall including the new verandah when its finished.

Brett Person emailed quotes for the new stair carpet in the homestead and the vinyl overlay on the cork tiles in the cottage; I paid the deposit and it’s now in their court.

Yesterday a lass from Freedom Furniture rang to say the two honeycomb blinds and one roller blind for the homestead had, at last, arrived and the installer could come next Monday. Seems weird that the two honeycomb blinds for the cottage which were ordered well before the homestead are still not available.

Ruth arranged to come and see us and Paul this afternoon to just get confirmation that we’re not doing anything when we insulate the exterior walls of some rooms in the homestead, anything that would require new bracing plans for the walls. Now Ruth has to re-engage the council and get us our building permission.

Sunrise At Seatoun Heights Road – Gill’s Photo, Tonga’s Volcanic Ash Perhaps?

Still Too Windy To Put On The Roof

Oak Avenue Weather:9.6℃—17.0℃ no rain [77.2] TdOx2 eggs=1 Mark=4

As day broke the painters and Paul turned up and began their day working on the homestead. Around 9:00am a truck arrived to carry away the small skip filled with rubbish from the work on the homestead. It had rained quite a bit in the night and the ground was quite soft so it was with some trepidation that we saw this large truck ease its way onto the homestead lawn to pick up the skip. The skip itself was up on the gravel hardstand behind the homestead but it had been dropped off when the ground was harder from the direction of the lawn. Oh well, they’ll figure it out.

Oh, it’s Tuesday, so time for the weekly shopping once more. I was in New World, scurrying round with my shopping list as usual, when builder Paul rang, the skip truck has got stuck. Paul’s ute isn’t able to pull it out, could they borrow the Fergie. Of course.

Then, ten minutes or so later, another call from Paul. The tractor battery is flat, have you got any jump leads. Of course, etc. Paul has a similar tractor of his own, albeit petrol not diesel, and he knew enough about diesel farm vehicles to get it going. Unfortunately I hadn’t explained about the hydraulics selection switch – in one position it manages the bucket at the front, in the other the 3-point linkage at the rear. Neither Paul nor the skip truck driver could get the rear forks off the ground, not knowing about this switch, so eventually they just lifted it manually and jammed it up off the ground with a large plank.

We get back from shopping to find they’d got the truck off the lawn – a certain amount of rutting by truck and tractor as was expected – and the truck did what it should have in the first place; drag the skip across the hard stand to a place where the truck could lift it up and in to place. Problem now is that after I’d started the tractor, set the switch, and raised the linkage to free the plank, the 3-point linkage rose to its highest point and refused to budge.

Most of the afternoon was spent with Mark trying unsuccessfully to fix this. Maybe the transmission oil was too low so I went to VJ’s on Omahu road and bought, for $200, 20 litres of tractor transmission oil. Well looking down the filler plug hole it seemed very empty. Meanwhile Mark has located the transmission dipstick and said it was already full enough – none of the 20 litres needed.

So, was the lever for raising and lowering the 3-point linkage broken. Paul, with his experience of an almost identical tractor, said how he’d fixed this problem when it happened on his tractor. So I set Mark to follow Paul’s advice and fix the tractor. Misjudging how much oil would escape when Mark took off an inspection plate on the side of the transmission case, he filled about two bucketsfull with oil that escaped through the inspection plate bolt holes as he undid it. Paul, Mark,, and I fiddled around inside trying to see if the raise/lower lever was broken or had jumped out of position. All we could tell was that the lever did seem to be moving the rods expected but moving them didn’t help with the stuck-up forks. I spent afternoon tea time on YouTube watching videos about fixing the stuck-up forks problem on Massey Ferguson MF35 tractors. None helpful. A happy afternoon ended with Mark and I pouring the escaped litres of oil back into the transmission after bolting the inspection plate back on. A problem for another day.

66 Seatoun Heights Road, Wellington – Blissful Calm After The Storms

Meanwhile, Unfairly, Ormond Road, Hastings Has Another Beautiful Start To The Day

Don’t Worry, It Won’t Last

Oak Avenue Weather:5.8℃—16.6℃ 3.4mm rain [77.7] TdOx2 eggs=1 Mark=4

Bitterly cold wind today. Sunny spells and showers, and quite a lot of wind gusts, but nothing like the winter blasts elsewhere.

Too windy for putting the roof on the west verandah today, maybe tomorrow.

To wet underfoot for Mark today.

Ivan the electrician called round to present his monthly bill. Gave him six eggs.

Jenny called and we invited them over for afternoon tea; they had in mind to come on their electric bicycles. As it turned out they came by car as the wind-chill on a bicycle would have been unpleasant. Chewed the fat for a couple of hours and then they toddled off again.

Oak Avenue Weather:8.8℃—15.6℃ 4.6mm rain [77.5] TdOx2 eggs=0 Mark=0

Spent the afternoon over at Karl & Lorraine’s place in Taradale; eleven of us putting the world to rights or at least anguishing over the many ways it is wrong. I missed Peter Offenberger and John Timpson and Alton Harris all regular attendees. As my contribution to afternoon tea I took half a bucket of persimmons. Two other atendees had the same idea and had the edge in size and quality but I had the quantity. Lorraine in particular said persimmons were a favourite of hers so that went down well.

Otherwise it was a normal Sunday for weekly tasks like charging up the Zoe and taking out the rubbish. Cold and cloudy but none of the wild weather being experienced elsewhere in NZ this weekend.

Oak Avenue Weather:6.0℃—18.5℃ 1.6mm rain [77.8] TdT eggs=2

Cold wind with intermittent weak sunshine, We decided to take our first walk over at Clive today, along the wetlands. It’s another limestone path along the top of a stop bank, part of the many kilometres of bicycle track around Hastings and Napier.

Good progress on the programming project.

Henare called in after dark for a chat, coffee, and to get some more persimmons.

A Handful Of Chooks Live Here – Lee-side Of The Stop Bank – They’ve Been Here For Years

Bangle On The Beach – Terminus Of Our Clive Walk

On A Clear Day You Can See … Cape Kidnappers

Oak Avenue Weather:6.7℃—19.7℃ no rain [77.8] TdC TdO eggs=1

A good day. Lots of work on my programming project. Exercise and sunshine (TdO and TdT). Building inspector came and spent ages chatting, not so much on inspecting – not surprising that the council is several weeks behind in its inspections.

Karola and I had consecutive hair appointments with Kim this morning. Kim has upscaled herself and is now the owner and manager of a salon she bought over in Ahuriri, as I may have said. So it takes about twice as long to get there and the same coming back, and involved mostly driving on the expressway. In sort-of solidarity we’ve followed Kim over to Ahuriri twice already, this was the third visit, as I suspected she’d be struggling a bit until she got local clientele – but maybe she inherited quite a full book with the business. Anyway, today I asked her how it was going, how long before it was going to take to get busy – and she said it was already quite busy now. So I said then we need to find someone nearer and asked her for a recommendation. Kim seemed pleased we’d stuck with her so far but fully expected us to need to go closer to home. So we’ve booked one more appointment with Kim in five weeks time then we’ll jump ship.

When we got home Karola asked me to take a few photos of her and Bangle, with her hair just done and wearing the “craghopper” trousers sent by Anna and the M&S NZ blue top sent by Bridget. I think they’re a good combination although perhaps she could wear the shirt as a shirt rather than a lightweight jacket, but no matter.

I asked Mark, via TXT, how he was and what the RAT test said. He’s RAT negative and offered to come today, which he did. Mark spent the entire afternoon mowing. I also reminded Mark today, just covering all bases, that I did not “employ” anyone, but I did engage “Hendery Garden Services”. He acknowledged that and seemed pretty happy with that way of explaining our relationship.

Inspector came mid afternoon and we passed inspection; the next inspection should be the final one for the verandah. The only niggle was that the inspector would recommend using stainless steel fasteners at the top of the big verandah posts, just because the posts are so viciously impregnated with poisons, they are rated for permanent underground use, that only stainless steel withstands their corrosive effect. The whole verandah is so massively over-engineered (ie meets local building code) that it’d take a major disaster to do it any damage.

The day ended well with a delicious frozen lamb stew provided earlier by Gill. We have several more to look forward to, lamb stews and chilli con carne, for Fridays to come.

Karola And Bangle On Cottage Verandah – Note Craghopper Trousers and M&S Top

Oak Avenue Weather:7.8℃—19.2℃ no rain [77.7] TdT TdO eggs=0 Mark=4

The morning paper was nowhere to be seen this morning, not even by me tromping round in the foliage and getting into the roadside ditch – but when I popped out to see if there was mail – it comes mid morning usually – there was the paper.

Yesterday I noticed that the landlines bith here in the cottage and in the homestead were not working – no dial tone or other noise. With some investigation I found that the electric plug in Karola’s office (on the end of the homestead garage) had unplugged itself just enough to turn off the black box which converts our landline phones to Internet phones. Today I found seven old voicemails since late May, but none seemed serious.

Mark called in with the flu so I asked him to take a RAT, hoping it isn’t Covid. He let me know he’d set a couple of traps overnight so I checked and he’d got another possum. So, apparently his flu isn’t too bad yet so he came round and dealt with it. I left a couple of RAT tests with the possum in case he hadn’t got any at home.

Quite a pleasant day so we commuted our “twice round the orchard” to a longer walk along the Ngaruroro stop bank.

Bridget has had quite bad flu for several days now – but I don’t think Mark can have caught it from her, it’s not like a computer virus which can “act at a distance”

Paul is anxiously awaiting the council building inspector, not because he thinks there’ll be any problems with his work but because he’s used his influence via his son, builder Matt, to jump the queue which otherwise means waiting until at least next month – that’s how overloaded/backed-up the inspectors are at present.

Spoke to Johnny Lett today about the painting and he thinks the inside will be finished by this time next week – which is very fast but the work looks good. Then there’s the exterior of the homestead to do, only the back wall has been done so far, and the balcony and east verandah roofs. My goodness it’s going to look smart.

Oak Avenue Weather:7.7℃—19.1℃ 1.2mm rain [77.6] TdT eggs=1 Mark=0

The only planned visitor today, apart from the builder and painters and Mark, was Brett Person from FloorMart – the people who did the vinyl in the homestead recently.

After the chainsawing yesterday I slept for much of the day – getting a bit much for me these days. But Karola and I did get the two rams out from the main flock; in fact both of them looked a bit bored and at a loose end which I’m sure means none of the ewes are interesting any more – they’re either in-lamb or destined to be “drys”.

Paul is taking off for the afternoon as he has to get his ute serviced but he’ll be back tomorrow when he hopes a council inspector will visit. If that is successful then Paul can put the verandah roof on. The painters arrived early and left early today. The only other person visiting the site was someone checking on the scaffolding – from the scaffolding company. I imagine that when scaffolding is left in situ for months on isolated sites it has a tendency to disappear.

I went down to Caltex Omahu and got refills of petrol and diesel for the Landrover and the tractors and Grillo etc.

Mark came bringing with him a large (25mm) socket from his own socket set and was able to unscrew the bung for transmission oil on the old Fergie tractor. It did look very low on transmission oil so we poured a few litres in. Mark also caught a possum overnight near the homestead, a big male. His afternoon task was mowing under the big oak to pick up the thick covering of leaves.

Brett Person from FloorMart came and advised us to lay the vinyl in the cottage kitchen on top of the existing cork tiles – they are firmly stuck down and will provide extra insulation and a bit of cushioning – and save money in avoiding tearing them up. He’ll get the vinyl for us, matching the vinyl in the homestead, and hang onto it until we can comfortably stay for a few days in the homestead while they’re laying the vinyl.

Brett and I then went over to the homestead. I discussed how Paul had said it was usual for the join between vinyl and wall in bathroom and laundry to be sealed with a clear silicon strip. Obviously, said Paul, they won’t want to do that until the skirting board is painted, which is why it’s not been done yet. I relayed this to Brett and he, somewhat t my surprise, agreed without a murmur. We then looked at the two sill of the doors leading from the laundry into the kitchen and the passage. In both the vinyl stopped short of the line where the closed door comes to rest. Paul had advised me this wasn’t right. So Brett’s people will come and add in vinyl to complete the job. It was understandable why the vinyl installer stopped where he did. In one case the kitchen sanded and polished floor comes about 100mm into the laundry – we did change the door to hang from the other side of the jamb. In the other the laundry floor stops at the sill and there’s a natural abutment so if we do want to take the vinyl over the sill to where the door shuts – again we’ve rehung this door on the opposite side of its jamb – then Paul will need to make a rebate for the vinyl. All in all a useful meeting.

This week’s peek at the world beyond Karamu’s borders came from a link sent to me by sister Gill. I think we both believe this is a serious manner but I, for one, seem unable to couch the discussion in words that aren’t perceived as racist and unfair.

Science or ideology? The NZ university at the crossroads

No matter how intense or heated the discussion may be, NZ universities need to address the difference between ideology and science, writes Elizabeth Rata

Professor Elizabeth Rata is the Director of the Knowledge in Education Research Unit in the Faculty of Education and Social Work at the University of Auckland.

Opinion: New Zealand’s universities are at a defining crossroads. Do we remain a universitas, a community of scholars developing knowledge according to the universal principles and methods of science or do we continue down the path of a racialised ideology?

The science-ideology battle is nothing new to universities. Dialectical materialism was the ruling ideology in Stalin’s Soviet Union. Christianity was the ideology in the pre-Darwinian centuries of English universities. In post-1980s’ New Zealand it is the racial ideology of two political categories of people defined by their ancestry.

Unfounded accusations of racism or other silencing strategies muzzle discussion about what is happening in our universities and schools. There are many layers needing discussion – the difference between science and culture, between cultural safety and intellectual risk-taking, between universalism and parochialism. However intense and heated the discussion may be it must take place. Too much is at stake to pretend that all is well.

A useful contribution is to consider the role of the 2020 Education and Training Act in the shift from science to ideology. The basic contradiction between universal science and the parochialism of the treaty ideology is found in that legislation.

It has several clauses supporting science. They include the academic freedom clause which gives academic staff and students, freedom “within the law, to question and test received wisdom, to put forward new ideas, and to state controversial or unpopular opinions”. Another clause recognises that the university’s “principal aim is to develop intellectual independence”. These aims are to be achieved by “people who are active in advancing knowledge, who meet international standards of research and teaching, who are a repository of knowledge and expertise and who accept a role as critic and conscience of society”.

The main Treaty principles clause requires the university’s council “to acknowledge the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi”. ‘Acknowledge’ can be weak or strong. Since the term first appeared in the 1990 Education Act it has morphed into the strongest interpretation as obligation and commitment. It is now very difficult for academics to question the ideological intensity which has swept through the university as ‘obligation’ is embedded. Prayers in the secular university go unchallenged. Treaty requirements in teaching courses are fulfilled. Funding applications without mātauranga Māori adherence are declined. Language is self-monitored for ideological lapses.

The legislation also holds a clue to the seemingly widespread support from academics for the Treaty ideology. Section 281 encourages the greatest possible student participation by under-represented groups. The assumption is made that adherence to treaty principles will provide this encouragement. That is unlikely. The educational underachievement of a section of the Māori population happens well before students reach tertiary education.

University students from all racial and cultural groups tend to come from knowledge-rich schools which provide a solid foundation for university study. These are often the children of the professional class who have benefited from such knowledge in their own lives and insist that schools provide it for their children.

It is access to the abstract quality of academic knowledge and language, its very remoteness from everyday experience, and its formality – science in other words – that is necessary for success. Tragically this knowledge is miscast as ‘euro-centric’. The aim of the decolonisation and re-indigenisation of New Zealand education is to replace this knowledge with the cultural knowledge of experience.

But science is not euro-centric or western. It is universal. This is recognised in the International Science Council’s definition of science as “rationally explicable, tested against reality, logic, and the scrutiny of peers this is a special form of knowledge”. It includes the arts, humanities and social sciences as human endeavours which may, along with the physical and natural sciences, use such a formalised approach. The very children who need this knowledge the most, now receive less.

The science-ideology discussion matters for many reasons – the university’s future, the country’s reputation for science and education, and the quality of education in primary and secondary schools. But at its heart it is about democracy. Science can only thrive when democracy thrives.

Elizabeth Rata was one of seven professors from the University of Auckland who wrote a controversial open letter to The Listener magazine in July 2021 which raised concerns about an NCEA working group’s proposal to give mātauranga Māori (Māori knowledge) parity with other forms of Western knowledge.

Oak Avenue Weather:9.0℃—21.9℃ no rain [77.8] TdOx2 eggs=2 Mark=4

A good shopping day; almost everything we wanted was there. Not many people around so it was fast and the checkout lady was a speed demon; I couldn’t keep up. “It’s having a packer makes the difference” she said. Not me, I was the slow “unpacker”.

Painter Mon(ique) was already inside and working before 7:00am; she left at 3:00pm. Others of her team, well her brother’s team, worked more regular hours. They’ve painted the bannister black, as it was originally, and re-stained the stair steps at the sides to where the stair carpet will cover the floor. More walls and ceiling painted too, but there’s quite a lot to do.

Paul has finished the verandah deck and the framing for where the windows will be, and he’s started on the base boards below the floor line, including a neat small gate giving under-verandah access.

Quite cold wind, from the north east but originating at the south pole. So only the one orchard walk today, in the late afternoon when it was a bit milder.

Janet Scott and her daughter came round briefly to talk to Karola. Meticulous Maids, who usually come every second Monday. came today because Monday was Queen’s Birthday public holiday.

Mark and I did some tidying up of branches. I did an hour or so of chainsawing larger branches and am now pretty exhausted. After the tea break I retreated to my computer while Mark started mowing up the substantial covering of leaves on the grass under the big oak. And it has more leaves to drop.

At tea we talked briefly about the Jubilee – Anna has sent photos and experienced some mild excitement, mainly in contrast to the buffooning efforts of their current prime minister Boris Johnston. Mark said with some amusement that his som Wolfgang is actually pretty positive about the queen and royalty as a pillar of stability in a chaotic world. I guess for the queeen that is true but as for the rest of them, what a goigs on.

Got an email from the council, well after the twenty days in which they give themselves to reply. This was to say that they needed more information about the proposed insulation of the exterior walls of some of the rooms at the homestead. Were we (daring to) take off any of the exterior cladding? If so we were immediately liable for bracing plans and making the walls good to current building code. If not then how on earth did we expect to put the obligatory building paper down the inside of those exterior walls – please explain – and di we know that if any electrical cabling was in those walls there are serious consequences in what may or may not be run off them as the insulation process seriously reduces their capacity (or somesuch).

Well we’re not taking off any exterior cladding and there are no electric wires in the exterior walls of the upstairs bedrooms and the dining room, and Paul says he’s been putting that building paper on the exterior walls for ages, there’s a building code guideline for it, so what’s the fuss. Anyway a bit annoying, but what else are councils for? One feels they have it in for our draughtsman/architect Ruth sometimes.

Oak Avenue Weather:5.0℃—17.4℃ 0.2mm rain [77.5] TdO eggs=0 Mark=4

Well, we’ve had our long weekend and it seems that the Queen of England etc etc has had a good jubilee. Apart from quite a lot of news coverage on TV it hasn’t really touched us but Anna sent some photos. Also not very much affecting us but the English cricket team, coached by the New Zealander Brendan McCullum and lead by New Zealander Ben Stokes, beat this year’s Black Caps. Felix went along to Lords for the final day of this first test match.

Henare & Jack (a cousin) came and tended their bees this afternoon. They finished just as we were returning from a short walk along the stop bank and so we had afternoon coffee and a chat.

I had a good programming day, making lots of progress with my mate in UK, Geoff.

Anna Said: Pic of our rather soggy Proms in Walpole Park – complete with local corgi.

It’s Nice To See Charles & Camilla Happy Together

Oak Avenue Weather:2.4℃—15.4℃ 0.4mm rain [77.6] TdOx2 eggs=1 Mark=0

Cold start to the day so much sitting near radiators and putting on more layers. Just a pottering about sort of day but we did get in our walks, twice round the orchard today.

Photos from England as Anna shares some pictures of a very happy and relaxed Felix now he knows his excellent academic results. The dog is apparently a temporary from one of Dave’s friends; Dave is dog-sitting for a few days.

Anna has completely remodelled and revamped her garden in Ealing; the photos below show the great variety and interest she’s woven into a compact space.

Anna’s Deck Gardening In Ealing – Small But Beautifully Formed

Anna’s Shady Hosta Box

Anna’s Herb Bed – Ealing, London

Felix As Dog Sitter – Gosh He Looks Relaxed

Felix Has His First From St Andrews – And Is He Happy …

Oak Avenue Weather:0.5℃—12.0℃ no rain [77.7] TdOx2 eggs=1

Lexi, our youngest, liveliest, most outspoken grandchild, is 16 years old today. She is still talking of going to France to a school teaching the making of stringed instruments including guitars. The world situation will, we hope, have changed dramatically for the better by the time Lexi takes off.

First day of the Queen’s Birthday long weekend and her platinum jubilee which has the media and some folks in a frenzy, in part because the world has had such a rubbish year.

It was cold but sunny today so, as Karola suggested, we went for a walk with Bangle along the Ngaruroro stop bank. While there we took a few photos of Karola wearing her rather elegant new trousers, “craghoppers” sent by Anna from England.

We had Ben’s chilli con carne for dinner – delicious and so easy to prepare just with a little rice and some greens.

Karola has coined a new phrase for our hermit-like existence since the legal lockdown’s ended. We’re in “lockdown-light”. It’s not so bad.

Karola In Her Winter “Craghopper” Trousers From Anna

Oak Avenue Weather:3.6℃—14.7℃ 0.2mm rain [77.7] TdT eggs=1

Mark took the afternoon off; well it’s a long weekend so makes sense to extend it a bit more at the beginning. eather forecasting worse than it turned out but still pretty suspect.

In the morning, having been unable to find the “rego” sticker for one of the trailers – it’s been lurking about for a month waiting for me to attach it and now it’s vanished – we Zoe’d down to the local VTNZ where for the princly sum of $5 we got a replacement. No queues, no waiting, and just a simple form to fill out. Improved my outlook for the day no end.

A very pleasant coffee on the way back from the VTNZ, a rather circuitous path but today, worth it. We also dropped on on Floor Mart and engaged Brett Person to come and do some measuring up for replacement stair carpet and Karola’s ambition to have all the cork tiles in the cottage replaced by the vinyl we thoink is so successful over at the homestead in the new bathrooms and laundry.

Just the one walk today but the long one down on the Ngaruroro stop bank. Very quiet there on the line path and no gravel trucks and diggers – everyone is making the most of the Queen’s Birthday long weekend.

Enjoyable few hours of programming and Karola had her head in books and magazines most of the day.

Oak Avenue Weather:6.8℃—18.1℃ 0.6mm rain [77.9] TdT eggs=0 Mark=0

Monique is the first painter to arrive each morning, arriving before 7:30am today. Late morning I got a call from Havelock Hills Security to say the smoke alarms had gone off in the homestead once again. I popped over to see what was up and Mon admitted to being a bit cavalier in her painting round the ceiling detectors. No harm done.

It was quite wet today so Mark took a rain check.

Talked to Johnny, Mon’s brother, about the stairs and floors of the passages. Got Paul in on the conversation and we ended up with a satisfactory plan. It means that rather than sanding and surfacing the upstairs passageways we’ll return them to what they were, if not originally then for 100 years or so. We’ll retain our “carpet strip down the middle” approach with dark stained wood on either side. That’ll match the stairs and won’t require heavy sanding to get beneath the old varnish coat.

Oak Avenue Weather:9.6℃—18.4℃ 5.6mm rain [77.7] TdOx2 eggs=2 Mark=0

Painters arrived at 7:30am, Paul shortly afterwards. Walk round the orchard as the mist cleared and it began to warm up.

It was such a nice day that I foolishly thought I’d try to start the old Fergie which has been sitting forlornly in long grass for maybe a couple of years. I had this idea we’d couple up the big chipper/mulcher and crunch up the little piles of small branches that Mark has been collecting over the past month or so. I turned the key and ….. it started. They don’t make them like that any more, real 1952 ruggedness. Only slight hiccup was that while the back forks hydraulics worked just fine the bucket would only rise and shine at high revs. Possibly low oil.

Karola suggested that, given a forecast of rain later, we could walk along the stop bank after lunch. So off we went in the Landrover and it was a beautiful afternoon walk. Only one runner, a cyclist, and one dog owner walking a 6-month old black Labrador dog. Bangle and I virtually scampered along our 1½ km walk to the fence post and 1½ km back.

I remembered as we began the drive home that the opticians had called this morning to say Karola’s new glasses were ready for collection so we trundled down to Hastings and Karola got them fitted. On the way back I got – well missed – a call from the Rangetekei District Council, from Murray Phillips, to say that Karola and I did still have unoccupied burial plots where we expected in the Clifton Cemetery. I called him back and he’s sent an email confirming we are the registered owners of those two plots, leased in 2005.

Meanwhile Mark, who had mown the cottage lawn and curtilage while we were out, figured out which Fergie orifice accepted transmission oil. But we could not unscrew the rusty plug even with my big big crescent. Challenge for tomorrow. Meanwhile we tried to move a big old oak tree trunk by cutting it into pieces about two metres long, intending to pile them on the 50-metre wall of other old logs alongside Karola’s “bund” compost heap. If rain doesn’t stop play we’ll continue with this tomorrow.

Ngaruroro Gravel Extraction – From the Stop Bank Path

Smoko At Gravel Mountain

Media Say It’s Winter – Orchard Agrees

Oak Avenue Weather:12.1℃—22.8℃ no rain [77.7] TdT TdO eggs=0 Mark=4