Monthly Archives: November 2023

Mark got a large rat, a bit larger than the rats we’ve caught recently, in one of the cage traps. Later he dispatched sickly ewe #710 who has been lingering on and off for weeks.

Dave, Mark, Marcus, and I herdeed the sheep and their lambs into the yards before dratin out the healthy and not too scrawney ewes. Ewes are now in the One Acre and the rest still in the yards, Marcus plans to drench the lambs tomorrow morning.

Marcus asked Mark to dispatch another four ewes, not included with the other as very scrawny – just skin and bones. He’ll do that in the next few days providing plenty of food for his dogs.

Our plan with Marcus is to have all our sheep, ewes and lambs alike, off the property before Christmas. Marcus is to bring in just a handful of wethers to keep the grass down.

Anna and Dave went off for exercise in the afternoon, Anna walking and Dave on the electric bike. Meanwhile Karola, Bangle, and I went out for the afternoon with Angela. We picked up the evening MYLK meals then had afternoon tea at Wright & Co. in Joll Road, Havelock North. After that it was a quick walk at the dog park and the afternoon was over.

Gil called to say that their sealed tender process had completed and they got a good price for their house despite the general falling in house prices recently. We are very, vwey pleased for them. Next time we meet them it’ll be in their Kapiti Coast villa.

Nesting, Allegedly Camouflaged, On Edge Of Drive

Oak Avenue Weather:__℃—__℃ no rain [?] TdP eggs=3 Mark=4

The rain sets in again for the weekend.

Excitement today was the electricity to yhe cottage water pump failing, repeatedly. Emergency call to Harris Pumps and Filtration. The boss came out straight away, his technical troops had already gone for the weekend. Electrician Ivan had checked the circuit when he was out recently and he assured me the circuit was working then. Nor was it the power socket in the pump shed. Of course, when the man came, it transpired that the fault was in the wiring to the pump shed. Easily fixed with an extension cord for now but it was time for a new pump anyway, so I’ve ordered it.

Karola and Anna went for a repeat massage in Havelock North.

Who’s In Charge Then

A Welcome Sight – Welcome Swallow Family Again This Year

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MYLK meals picked up from the shop on eastern St Aubyn Street and then Dave, Karola, Bangle, and I had a short walk alongside the Tanui Reserve

Dave Threw The Capturing Cape (Table Cloth)

Gently Picked Up From The Floor

Friends Really

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Anna and Karola went off to the Havelock North Friendship Club, to the same place we went last year, a magnificent house and garden on a hill, reminiscent of both Karamu and Berleigh – though as a luxury lodge, kept up to those standards.

The sturdy little trailer for my electric bike arrived today and Dave quickly had it assembled and ready for action.

The Bicycle Trailer

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Dave found a suitable trough to soak the main visible planing surfaces of the old thicknesser/planer, coated with a thin layer of rust as it’s been sitting in the garage for nearly twenty years. The contrast is pretty impressive.

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A small, exclusive dinner party for Ian on his 77th birthday. Karola, Anna & Dave, Bridget, and guests Peter & Charlotte Offenberger.

Ian’s Delicious Birthday Cake – Sugar Free – Yeah Right!

The King’s Birthday Dinner Table

All Butternuts Are Squash, Not All Squash Are The Delicious Roast Butternuts

Karola, Dave, Peter, Charlotte, Ian

Bridget & Karola

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Good walk with Bangle, Anna, and Dave around the Tanui loop track.

Dave has been engaged in some TradeMe transactions and already he’s sold a small green chipper/mulcher and a LandRover front-bumper winch for good prices. In good spy tradition we met the buyer of the winch and handed it over at the Caltex petrol station in Omahu road.

Frog Pond – Rushes Luxuriant – Land-side Of Ngaruroro Stop Bank

Tanui Loop Track

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Did a bit of thistle mowing between rain showers. Sadly my big Light Sussex cockerel died last night not sure how, was it a rat or a possum, or just lingering injury from the giant fight he has with his son, which ended in the son’s death.

Karola, Bangle, and I went down to the stop bank for a walk in the gentle rain. Bangle and I did about 4½ km

End Of A Chook Era – But Is He Replaceable?

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Still not firing on all cylinders and the canges in meds tend to confuse things. Still, some things are getting done with Anna and Dave’s help and life is still progressing in its usual mysterious ways.

Saturday:

Dave finished cutting the lawns with the Grillo then began wioth the tractor on the thistles in the One Acre. Still waiting for the pre-amp to complete the system comprising vinyl turntable, amplification, and inexpensive speakers. All lunch at Lot 2 in Havelock North then Dave treats us to a rhubarb crumble for pudding. In the morning Lachie and his helper made short work of shearing all the sheep, helped by Marcus.

Sunday:

Peter Offenberger ferried me over to Free Thinkers in the afternoon where, during the round table short taks about topics of the moment I spoke probably for too long and in too much detail about Karola’s hip-breaking experience – how good the NZ Health Service is if you have an accident. Anna and Dave went to a three-hour-long film in Napier in the evening, Killers Of The Flower Moon. Before that they did a humongous effort of cutting back the flax which had encroached onto the driveway, rubbing the sides of every passing vehicle.

Monday:

Mark spent his four hours moving dead branches to the bonfire. Blue-Band came out of the shrubbery with a single little chick. We went for a picnic in the afternoon, Angela, Karola, Bangle, and I – it’s warm and sunny.

Tuesday:

Dave and Anna and I took Bangle to Emma, the groomer, in the morning Anna returned to begin a weeding marathon on the esastern side of the house, especially along the gravel hard-stand near the back door. Dave collected the little pre-amp he’d ordered last week from JayCar and now the system works well, very melodic. Dave got bolts and washers preparing for the generator project, fitting the 400mm metal stand under the generator to avoid another flooding accident. One of the hoggets had a still born lamb which Mark popped into his death pit. I herded the chook and chick into the chook run. And in the afternoon Angela, Karola, and I did the weeks shopping.

Wednesday:

Thank goodness a plumber who came the same day and would fix anything. Problems with septic tank at cottage solved – due to not being seviced since beginning of Covid. Little chick has vanished even/because mother and chick were in chook run yesterday. Anna and Karola went over to Kim’s for hair wash/dry so Angela had afternoon off.

Thursday:

The micro-crane came today. Dave drilled holes in the base of the metal stand, the crane lifted the generator and lowered it onlt the 400mm high platform, then Dave anchored the generartor to the platform and the platform to the concrete. No more flooding of the generator now. Turned everything back on then cut the mains power – after maybe 10 seconds the generator roared into life. Ran for 20 mins then we turned the mains power back on. Within couple of minutes the generator turned itself off. Oh joy, oh joy – it is working as designed and as we needed. Gill & Ben’s house is on the market today. Forester Keith has the healyh and safety people coming on Monday to walk through his plan to fell the old tall eucalypts so Robby and wife are to stay well clear as they might not quite follow alll the OSH rules. Henare came and visited his bees.Dave is on TradeMe selling the little chipper.

Friday:

Anna bought two pairs of “allbirds” shoes for Karola. As I have tried to persuade Karola for years, if your feet are different sizes then buying two pairs is a good opion – we shall see. As it happens my work boots – the sole of one came off so I got a replacement identical pair today. GoodNature – couple of lure packs and of counters for the rat traps ordered online. Today we began experiment to make better use of the day by going out for breakfast straight after getting up and seeing if I could stave off the long lie-in. So far, so good. Heavy rain for a while in the morning then Dave re-mowed the thistle paddock aka One Acre. Thistles die back more thoroughly if cut when wet. Angela, Karola, Bangle and i qwent into town in the afternoon, for a “kiddy cone shared between Angela and Karola from Rush Munro’s then I sat under tree (27℃) while Karola and ANgela explored the Hastings Museum and Art Centre. Gill had very good news about the retirement villa on the Kapiti Coast, too long to explain but very good news.

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Dave mowed most of the homestead lawn, about three hours worth, using the Grillo now with oil topped up and filter cleaned by Outdoor Power when they made temporary fix to the tensioning bracket that had detached itself. Still.a bit more to do.

Ewe #714 more mobile today. Mark saw her under the Macrocarpa this morning but when Dave, Anna, and I shepherded all the sheep into the Holding Paddock ready for the shearer tomorrow morning, #714 stayed with the flock – not quite ready for the chop, maybe she heard us discussing it.

Ivan came this afternoon and changed the three RCD protected circuit breakers with three RCD switches which will enable us to see which precise circuit holds the intermittently failing item – a big step towards fixing it.

Goose Pretending To Bathe

Bangle In The Steps Of Her Mistress – Pakowhai

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Dave and I docked the final lamb for the season, a ewe lamb born to a hogget after the main docking. Small but not the smallest.

Lunch at the local cafe inside the sports park main building, called “13 Stag” – close by and not too noisy nor crowded (usually). Good food.

Dave Says “Morris Dancing Anyone”

Lunch At “13 Stag” Cafe In Local Hawkes Bay Sports Centre

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Pavla came and cleaned the homestead this afternoon, not dirty, mainly dusty says Pavla.

Mark came and continued weeding the tree guards, well overdue.

Anna arranged us all a Thai repeat massage in Havelock North

We watched the first episode of the eigth series of Shetland and it was better than expected despite the change of lead detective role.

Multi-Coloured Manuka

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So it was off to Napier, well Ahuriri actually, haircuts for Karola and Ian with Kim at Copper & Hues. Lunch next door then back to Karamu to meet Suzanne Rowland, occupational therapist with the Hawkes Bay District Health Board.

Mark didn’t come today.

Chemwash did come at 8:30am and did two hours solid cleaning of the cottage exterior. Lots of water everywhere and some seeped in round the windows which Dave and Anna quickly wiped away.

Iain Middleton was up and away before we got up, attended his Havelock North funeral for Geoffrey Bibby, returning around 5:00pm.

Oak Avenue Weather:__℃—__℃ no rain [?] eggs=0 Mark=0