December 2022

December has got away on me as usual, though it's been relatively calm and stress-free.  Weather-wise it's been pretty wet for spring/early summer.  This has delayed plans for hay-making, which is a pain because our hay is just perfect for cutting right now.  All the plants are lovin' it of course, and growth has been off the scale.  Lucky for me I still have the fantastic support of my lovely garden fairy.  

                       

Kratos has got a gorgeous partner-in-crime.  Pandora birthed her beautiful calf, Triton, and he was born in great and vigorous condition.  Could it be that we finally had a successful calving on the property??  No, of course not.  Beautiful though he is, Triton was not only totally rejected at birth by his mum, he was also treated badly by Nike.  We had to separate him from their cruelty.  We haven't seen this distressing behaviour in cows before, only in sheep, and found it quite shocking.  A couple of days later, Pandora and Triton were nuzzling each other through the gate.  We re-united them and things have improved for Triton considerably since.  He plays happily with Kratos and is being mothered by his mum, but not fed - at least not that we've seen.  He has a try but she kicks him out of the way.  So it's twice daily bottle feeds for him.  He likes to get between Peter's legs when he feeds, which is entertaining but not really sustainable.  Kratos likes to be part of the action and insists on rubbing up against Peter's legs at the same time.  The photo shows Pandora knows how to photo-bomb!

The vegetable garden is looking fantastic, despite the warmth and rain.  Lettuce and rocket are available daily.  The peas and snow peas are just ripening and the pumpkins are flowering.  Corn plants are looking devastatingly attractive, tomatoes are maturing nicely, and beetroots are forming (and also their tops being chronically nibbled, presumably by rabbits).  Carrot tops are also being enjoyed, and some recently sown carrot varieties have had really mixed germination rates.  The photo shows a great germination, but the next patch along only has about 6 plants coming through.  I'm not counting my carrots before they've properly hatched though - those rabbits are probably eyeing them up as I write.  Laura's patch is looking fab - lettuce, radish and spring onion ready, garlic not far away, and sweetcorn coming away.   

            

Madame Cholet is fully occupied and cropping.  Cucumbers are very much on tap and I'll definitely grow the Lebanese variety again.  They are delicious and prolific - even Laura can't keep up with them.  Early tomatoes are ripening, just in time for Christmas, and can be served with basil.  Chillis (except one that I bought as a seedling that is fruiting now), peppers and aubergine are full of promise but a little way off yet.  The rogue plant that popped up from the compost has declared itself a gourd, and I don't have the heart to dig it up.  I'm hoping to mostly contain it under the tunnel house planting bench and am using stakes to guide it.  It seems to break ranks most days, so definitely need to keep a close eye.

   

Flowers are prolific and such a happy presence.  I did a quick weed (literally a couple of hours) and it soon looked heaps tidier.  Still plenty more to do when it reaches the top of the to-do list, but its smorgasbord nature means that it just looks happily wild and colourful.  Favourites are too many to mention - the red Gaillardia (Christmas gift from Karyn), dahlias of many colours and towering Verbena Bonariensis are all especially stunning right now.   

The first honey harvest has happened, and likely another harvest before the end of the year.  There were 2 full boxes of spring honey, and several frames from last season that had been kept aside in case any of the bees needed feeding over winter.  Ably assisted by Jane and Laura, we extracted something like 30 litres of the best honey in the world.  

At the 3rd attempt, elderflower champagne is go!!!  The first 2 attempts (decades ago) resulted in explosions, but this batch - religiously burped - is stunning.  The perfect fizz and totally delish.  Buck's Fizz will be a thing on Christmas morning, as long as Billy hasn't drunk it all by then.  Lucas and Laura were so impressed they made a batch themselves.

                         

The end of November was exciting for me.  I flew up to Rotorua to do NZ Medical Emergency Team training and have since been accepted onto the deployment listing.  The course was intense and challenging but great learning and good company.  Our team 'Bravo' - Briar, Pranay, Tamsin and Sam - was absolutely awesome.   And I had celebrity company on the home flight - Jono (of Jono and Ben fame) was heading to Blenheim on a South Island Bunnings sausage-eating tour and had the seat next to me.  The day after returning home it was the Marlborough Women's Triathlon and Jane and I managed to complete it (yay!!) in the vintage category (um, thanks for that...).  I was lucky enough to win a spot prize - $100 Rebel Sport voucher.

                                   

The NZ Army band do a Christmas concert in Christchurch every year and Sam got free tickets.  I was the only one with enough time to go, and the trip ended up extending into 4 days to include catching up with Christchurch friends.  Hayley and Ben put me up (feeding me like I was a princess) for a couple of nights and took me out and about, including a retirement bash for a couple of old Ara colleagues, and the Otautahi Smoke festival.  Sam and Molly took me to a barbecue at old friends' Janet and Ken, who coincidentally live just across the road.   We also went into town where Molly forced me to have a morning gin at her company stall (Curiosity) in Riverside market.  Rea and Mark joined us for the the concert which was outstanding.  All up the trip was the perfect pre-Christmas tonic.

             

Christmas plans are (probably) in place in the nick of time.  The tree is decorated and this has become a bigger challenge each year as it grows bigger.  Indoors, the coffee plant is an alternative tree to put presents around.  A few decorations are up, and the cake, with its Yorkshire theme (in honour of Alister), is proudly on display.  Alister, Peter's old mate, will arrive via the Interislander ferry any minute now.  Sam and Molly should arrive later this evening and will stay in the Womb on camp beds.  Then there'll be no room at the inn in this establishment, and we're looking forward to a very social Christmas.  Such a change from last year.  

Season's Greetings to all, and warmest wishes for 2023 😄💚

                                                              

November 2022

                            

We have been blessed with new animal company this month, somewhat filling the void in our lives left by Maggie.  Woody has canine company in the form of Charlie, an adorable 2-month-old chocolate Labrador puppy.  Lucas and Laura had been planning to get another rescue dog, but they were all way too terrifyingly lively for Woody.  Charlie is as placid as a puppy could be, and though he'll outgrow Woody several times over, Woody has territory and age on his side and is enjoying top dog status - for now at least.  Both dogs like to come into our place (obviously that has nothing whatsoever to do with doggie treats...) for a change of attention scenery and, in Charlie's case, for something else to chew.

                                       

Hot on the heels of Charlie, we're also delighted to introduce Kratos the calf, son of Nike and Kronos (Noddy).  She birthed on the date we'd predicted (yup, hard to believe).  Her udders had suddenly developed and she'd been behaving oddly.  We'd separated her from the flock in the small paddock behind the house.  There was a big bellow, and when I went out to check, brand newborn Kratos was on the ground being licked endlessly by his attentive mum, ably supported from the other side of the fence by Apollo, Attis, and Pandora.  Peter, Billy, and Laura were out fishing so I sent word of the new arrival.  When he still wasn't standing up an hour and a half later, I got advice.  Lucas had already tried to help me get him to stand but he seemed too weak and uncoordinated.  We wondered if he'd had some kind of birth trauma that was delaying his adjustment to the big wide world.  Though Nike has shown nothing but adoration for him, she didn't seem to understand that he needed to feed.  I found a recipe for electrolytes and managed to get them messily down him using a silicone funnel.  Our neighbour's daughter's boyfriend (keep up) Isaac called by and tube fed him more electrolytes, and later Billy's friend Josh arrived and tubed colostrum down and gave him a shot of penicillin.  The next day he finally got to his feet and it took a couple more days of general angst and force-feeding before he turned a corner.  He's now 4 days old and still bottle-feeding,  though has finally started to get interested in his mum's teats.  It finally looks like he'll make it!  That's the first relatively positive calving experience for us - hope that Pandora follows suit next month.

  

Meanwhile, the vege plants are also in on the action.  We've been eating asparagus and rocket leaves for a while.  Spinach will be next up, and possibly the tiny cucumbers that are forming in Madame Cholet will mature quickly.  The rabbit protection over the planted-out crops seems to be working.  That hasn't stopped the serious nibbling of carrot tops just as soon as those tops were exposed by weeding.  Laura has planted up heaps of cabbage for kimchi in the raised bed that used to house the flax.  It's still looking dangerously tidy out there, and that's totally liberating.  The remaining weeding is manageable and will happen in good enough time.  It'll soon be another planting moon phase for leafy crops so I'll get a load more seedlings out into the beds.  I took the opportunity during a root crop moon phase to plant 2 packs of carrots, beetroot, and parsnips.  Just need to keep them watered for a few days.

 The metal raised beds were weed sprayed and then dug over.  A fresh layer of compost was added and they're now ready for occupants.  The mints will go back into their original homes, but one of them is now hosting chamomile (pictured) and another has coriander and basil.  We had to add barbed wire to protect a couple of the metal beds from browsing cows on the other side of the fence who'd previously made the most of the opportunity to flavour their grass. 

Madame Cholet is nearly planted up, with new peppers, chillis,  aubergines and another melon planted today.  There's still a little space for the remaining seedlings to go in when they've grown up enough, and maybe I'll be able to squeeze in a few more tomatoes.  If I actually plant all the tomatoes I've grown from seed, it'll be tomatogeddon here in summer.  Guess there are worse things...

Flowers are equally showing off.  The bottle brush next to Maggie's resting place is in delightful full bloom.  Poached egg flowers are everywhere, as are pretty purple aquilegia.  The stunning red Rhodie by the front door is truly gorgeous, and the dreamy pink paeonies have finally opened.  The pink manuka flowers are an absolute burst of vibrant colour and I hope the bees are finding them.  I know I've posted pics of the white water lily before, but it's just too gorgeous to not re-visit.  The main flower bed behind the house is filling out nicely.  Lots of the filling is weeds but it's hard to pick that out, especially when you have dodgy eyesight.  The bed by the pizza oven is way more obviously weedy, and will soon reach the top of the priority list for attention.  

 Those bees certainly are busy, all four hives humming with activity.  I got another sting when I spent too long weeding the chamomile bed, on my finger this time so no dramas.  To be fair to the bees they did give me plenty of warning that I was too close.  One of my very fave young men, Iwan, visited with his mum Hayley, and we managed to spot the queen in the new split.  She's making great progress with her colony.

The nettle beer, now potentially nettle wine, has been racked and some extra sugar added to make it more wine-like.  It tastes OK, not really any big flavour but at least not vinegar.  There's a chance it might mature into something magnificent, and luckily I have low standards for these things.  Lucas's orange and cranberry wines have been racked and are also promising.  I'm still drinking the cider, though only 3 out of 5 of the batches were successful.  One was totally undrinkable (disappointingly that was the Perry) and another was not of a standard to give away (meaning nearly undrinkable).  The other 3 are good old scrumpy.  Crusher Clare and Roy are enjoying a selection of the finished product too.

Sam and Molly will be joining us for Christmas, so it'll be a full house this year plus Alister, Peter's old mate from the UK.  I've managed to avoid shifts over Christmas but not New Year.  It's been a few years since I've had Christmas off work, so really looking forward to a break with everyone around.  This month's blog is ridiculously early because I'm away next week in Rotorua, training with NZMAT.  Covid postponed this training by 2 years, so it'll be good to finally get it done.  It'll be straight into the Marlborough Triathlon when I get back (sounds impressive but it's very much entry level - 5kms run, 14km bike and 100m swim).  FIngers crossed I can at least complete it.  And finally... we've booked our UK flights for next year when Peter retires.  Plenty to look forward to!

                                                        

October 2022

                                                       

The month started on a happy high.  We took the ferry and road-tripped up north, visiting family and friends and sightseeing.  We'd had 2 botched-by-covid holiday attempts previously, and this time weren't taking any chances with (incredibly expensive) flights.  We drove from Wellington through the Wairarapa and Rimutaka ranges, passing through Featherston, Greytown, and Carterton before stopping off in Masterton.  The ferry was late (seems my travel jinx works with ferries too) so much of the drive was in the dusk and semi-dark.  We really liked the glimpses we got of these places so will have to go back to the Wairarapa one day.  Then we had a couple of lovely nights in Napier, doing a town tour, an aquarium visit, and spending hours in the in-room spa pool in the upmarket-for-us motel.

      

From Napier we made our way to lovely Thames.  We had a gorgeous day with Shena and Doug in Paeroa, visiting the town's antique shops and Waihi town and beach, and a meal out with our very first New Zealand friends Hilary, Marty, and Max.  And we finally took a drive around the Coromandel - something we've been wanting to do since we arrived.  Up to Coromandel town, across to Whitianga, a walk down to Cathedral Cove, and then back to Thames.  Such a stunningly beautiful part of the world.

  We headed home via Hobbiton, which was touristy but very enjoyable.  Our final stop-off was in Turangi, south of Lake Taupo, then over the desert road and back to Wellington.  We covered quite a few kms but at a relaxed pace so very much part of the holiday.  It was really good to take time away from the property, hopefully the first of many more.

                                    

Spring is in full flow with its abundant weeds and wind.  Thanks to my garden fairy, Laura, things are pretty tidy in the vegetable garden.  We have lost some seedlings to rabbit damage and late frosts, but mostly the veges are looking very promising.  Madame Cholet is hosting 3 tomato plants, 2 cucumbers, 2 peppers, and 2 rows of rocket (which I graze on every day).  Still in pots but soon to be planted into her beds are heaps more - aubergines, melons, chillis, peppers, and basil.  

Added to the outdoor garden beds are broad beans, Borlotti beans, Aztec corn (germinated by Karyn), pumpkins (Baby Bear), peas, snow peas and tomatoes.  These are all rabbit-protected with plastic mesh, which hopefully can be removed in a couple of weeks once their roots are better anchored. We lost several brassicas to rabbits, but more seedlings are in pots waiting to be planted out, and this time they'll be better protected.

The strawberry bed and 4 of the small metal raised beds that housed herbs have been sprayed out with yukky toxic weedkiller.  They were all totally overgrown with deep-rooted weeds and spraying seemed to be the only last resort option left.  Before spraying I'd transferred the strawberry plants into a garden bed, potted up some of the 3 mint varieties (Common Mint, Peppermint, and Spearmint).  They can be re-planted back in their original homes once those resilient weeds are gone.  

The livestock are loving the pasture growth.  The lambs are bonnie and bouncing, and very robust.  Posing in the picture are Margaret, Ann, and Camilla, still young enough to also be very cute.  The cows are huge, and the girls showing signs of being heavily pregnant, Nike in particular. We don't have a great track record of calving here, and that preys on my mind from time to time when I'm not excited about the pitter-patter of tiny hooves.

            

Flowers are popping up everywhere - lots of whites and purples.  It's lovely to see the flower beds filling up with plants that aren't weeds (though there are plenty of those too).  The ceanothus is heavenly and the Mexican Orange blossom is always a delight.  The white hydrangea is full of life along with nodding white irises that are showing off.  The native clematis that I nearly accidentally killed in a hedge-trimming event is now absolutely thriving, with heaps of happy flowers climbing up the decking post and along the chain.  Colourful fruit blossoms have come and gone too, and tiny fruit-lets are forming.

Bees are also enjoying the spring.  One of the hives behind the barn has got the Mason Jar honey box in place.  As soon as I put it on, curious bees immediately started making their way in.  I melted a small layer of wax into the bottom of each jar, not sure if this is needed yet.  Fingers crossed they fill the jars with spring honey that I can harvest by the end of the year (and thereby not be required to get it tested for tutin).  There are 4 colonies altogether out there.  Three are originals from last season and the fourth is one of the splits I made last month.  Jane bought 2 queens and both splits have been successful.  The other colony is buzzing around her place.  One of the hives I took brood frames out of for the split was queenless the previous time I looked.  Oops, almost certainly my bad - I probably took the original queen out on one of those brood frames.  But the clever bees managed to sort out a new queen because there's definitely some young brood in there now.  Lucky for me the bees know what they're doing.  I'm hoping to inherit another hive from Derryn, who is downsizing her colonies.  That'll be 5 plus one at Jane's place.  Hmm, a few more than my maximum target of 2...

The pizza oven has been restored to its former glory.  Better than ever in fact.  Not only has the repair held and its walls thickened with clay and poo, but Peter has also added a top layer of cement in the hope that this will make it more weather-proof.  The rain cover can only go on when the oven has cooled down because the chimney stays hot, and this delay has meant that we often forget to go back and cover it up.  Hopefully, the extra cement layer will contribute to its longevity.  Billy and Lucas have been fine-tuning the pizza creation process, making absolutely the best pizzas with a charcoaly, crispy base.  Yum. 

  The homemade alcohol processing is ongoing.  The persimmon wine was bottled and is very popular, even or nearly as good as the feijoa wine, depending on who you ask.  A double batch of Nettle Beer is on the go, though I've used more of a wine-making process this year, so it'll be interesting to taste the final product and see how strong it is.  Lucas has also got started with his own brews - Orange Wine (from our garden) and Cranberry Wine (from bought fruit juice). 

The month started on a high but ended on a profoundly sad emotional low.  Maggie, who would have been 17 years old (human equivalent 119) on Christmas Eve, had been showing signs of her age for many months.  Numerous days when she seemed really unwell but bounced back to her usual self within hours.  Inevitably these episodes had become more frequent and with less and less bounce back.  When she finally went fully off her back legs and the joyful vibrant light went from her eyes, we decided it was her time.  She had a very peaceful and beautiful transition into the next world and now rests under a maple tree in a place in the garden where she spent many hours.  Lucas and Billy made the charming plaque.  We got Maggie as a 9-month-old puppy from the SPCA a few months after arriving in New Zealand.  She'd already been there for several weeks and was only hanging in because the staff were so fond of her.  She was the first dog ever for me, Lucas, Sam, and Billy, and immediately just fitted into our family.  There are no words to describe the emptiness of her loss.  Life is just lesser without her.  

Thank you Maggie, for being the bestest dog ever.  Rest in peace xxx 💕