April 2014

The clock change and about 10 days of rain (with more heavy rain warnings forecast) make those heady sunny days seem long gone.  We’re seeing (and hearing) a lot more of this weka now the ground is damp.  Pukekos and kingfishers are also showing up, and one day there was a heron by the veg garden ponds.

The tulip tree has finally had the haircut it needed - a pretty severe short back and sides. Peter hacked huge limbs off with the chainsaw, going back and forth taking extra bits off to balance it out, ending up chopping off a lot more than planned.  We used rope to guide a couple of the biggest branches, and at one point had to tie the rope to the back of the ute for extra traction.  Thankfully no humans or cows were harmed in the process. In fact, even the washing line which was tied to a lower limb was left unscathed, and the cows really enjoyed munching their way through the tulip foliage.  The tree pruning has provided some momentum for trimming back several other overgrown shrubs in the garden.The task is by no means complete, but getting started is a pretty big step.

Just before the rain came down, the flower garden got a thorough weeding, new perennials were planted, and clover straw laid down.  More cuttings have been taken to use as low hedging around the flower bed (dwarf lavender) and around the other planted beds (teuchrium).  These beds are currently edged with flattish river rocks which get overgrown with lawn weeds and wreak havoc with the strimmer.  Using living boundaries instead will also provide extra bee nutrition, though it will be next year before they’re ready to plant out. 

Optimistically the sand-fly population will begin to diminish.  They’re a serious nuisance and there is no exposed bodily part that is safe.  Even when I’m sweating under more clothing than the temperature warrants, they still find a way.  Flying into my ears and up my nose happens frequently, and so does taking a bite out of my lips.  It’s surprising that no cosmetic company has yet realised the potential of ‘sand-fly-stung-lips’ as an alternative to bee-stung lips.  Maybe it's just too effective.
 

 

Blenheim proudly hosted a royal visit from Prince William and Kate.  Unfortunately I had some urgent weeding to do, so didn’t turn up in my union jack undies.  Sam was playing in the band, and Billy joined the crowd along with his school mates.  They didn’t get to chew the cud with royalty, but Sam had a chat with PM John Key.  He didn’t remind John about his 2010 meeting with me and my spare vagina; I’m not sure why.

 

The grape vintage is now mostly over, and Peter’s back to working in the winery.  One evening during the harvest we popped out to see him.  Sam and Billy were invited to ride on the harvester, pretty darned exciting for them.  Peter managed to get hold of several buckets of surplus grapes, which are now bubbling away along with several other home-made wines – peapod, peach, crab-apple, plus the 3 demi-johns of mead.  As usual I got a bit carried away, but hopefully at least some of them will be drinkable in a few months.

Whilst the wet weather has significantly reduced the watering workload, it has increased the weeding workload, which won’t be dealt with until the sun dries the ground up a bit.  Hopefully the rain will result in a good flush of paddock herbage before colder weather sets in.  The veg garden remains productive – just look at the size of Peter’s carrot!  Several mushrooms have appeared in the damp wood chip paths, including these shiny reddish ones which popped up just outside the gin palace.  The orchard is nearly ready for the sheep to graze.  The smaller fruit trees now have protection in the form of pallets, tied together in triangles around them.  Hopefully that’ll do the trick, though it’d be a mistake to underestimate those clever sheep.

The 3 adult cows (Aphrodite, Persephone and Hera) have all been inseminated, though we won’t really know if that’s been successful for a while.  Persephone was last up and received Galloway semen.  We’re hoping that at least one cow will sell as we’re already potentially over-stocked.   My nephew Arthur, who has an interest in Greek mythology, has been charged with the responsibility of making a short list of names for the new arrivals.  If we get a girl, I’m keen on ‘Minthe’ because of her story*. 


There has been a reduction in cattle numbers - Butch had a visit from the home-kill man.  It was a very unsettling and emotional day.  I’d planned to be out, but he came early in the morning before we’d left for the school bus.  The shot rang out very soon after his arrival, which was probably the kindest way for Butch.  He was a huge steer and should provide heaps of meat, which I’m trying not to think about right now.   Aphrodite seems to have taken command of the herd as its matriarch.  Maybe Zeus will attempt a coup when he’s bigger.

Easter’s nearly here, and Lucas and Sophie are spending a few days with us (and Sophie’s family).  In their honour, the sleep-out has been cleared and cleaned and is now actually habitable by human-kind as well as mouse-kind. The photo is here as evidence that it can look like a real room and does not have to always be a tip (ahem…).  None of the kids appear to have grown out of Easter egg hunting, so ‘muggins here’ has had to negotiate with the Easter bunny again to organise an early morning hunt.   I’m looking forward to heading over to the West Coast next week to do some midwifery work.  Peter will bring Sam and Billy to join me for a few days, and we’ve got some lovely accommodation booked just outside the town.  Optimistically I’ll get a bit of down-time to enjoy the serenity and native bush in one of my favourite places in the world.

We’ve lit the fire a few times, though it’s more of an indulgence as it’s not really cold.  It’s just scrummy to draw the curtains, don pyjamas, eat chocolate and watch the flames.  Happily the damson gin is ready to warm our cockles, and certainly doesn’t disappoint. 
Winter – bring it on.

 

*According to the story, Minthe was a beautiful water nymph who attracted the attention of Hades. Hades was the stern ruler of the Greek Underworld and the husband of the goddess Persephone. It seems, however, that even Persephone’s obvious charms could not keep the attention of Hades at all times. The Underworld god therefore engaged in an illicit – but not terribly well hidden – affair with the Naiad Minthe.

Naturally, Persephone found out about the relationship between her husband and the water nymph. And in a scenario that is all too familiar in Greek myth, the spurned wife took revenge on her husband’s mistress. Minthe became the unfortunate object of Persephone’s wrath. The goddess of the Underworld began to step on Minthe, beating the poor Naiad with furious kicks. Minthe however was transformed into the mint plant, and with each tread of Persephone’s foot, this plant released a delightful scent. This is the myth of how the aromatic mint plant received its name.