July 2017

A small classified ad on the Onamalutu Facebook page, asking for the loan or purchase of a bull to provide bespoke services to our heifers, achieved success within minutes.  Some neighbours have a beautiful 2 year old Murray Grey bull who was on a temporary stud-break.  Currently surplus to their requirements, they were happy to offer his services.  He’s a gentle and relatively timid beast who arrived after a short stroll down the road on a lead.  He fitted in straight away, and – joy of joys – has already enjoyed a measure of rumpy-pumpy with Athena.  As he’s not technically ours, we’ve given him a Roman god name, rather than Greek.  Thanks to Peter and Sarah for the loan of the lovely Apollo.  We’ve been feeding out hay for a few weeks now, and all the cattle have become tamer.  Dionysus is quite demanding and can moo very loudly if the need arises, which apparently is quite often.  He’s managing to hang onto his status as top cow, but maybe Apollo will eventually stage a coup.

The sheep are still not obviously looking like lambing, so not good news for Leggy, but not over yet.  It’s quiet without chooks or pigs, but also quite a relief to be free from twice daily feed rounds.  Some work needs to be done with the original chook run as it’s been trashed by the cows and is quite an eyesore, spoiling the view from the sleep out.  We plan to extend the garden area to accommodate Lazy Mazy (in all her future glory) and possibly a small shed to do some produce preparation for dehydrating.

More garlic has just been planted after this month’s full moon.  The vege garden is gently sleeping and enjoying many (bug-killing) stunning frosty mornings.  The frosted parsley looks absolutely gorgeous. The tea cuttings and onion seedlings are still alive and seem to be thriving, and another batch of onion seeds recently sown.  A little more tidying up has happened: lavender hedge trimmed, raspberries trimmed back but awaiting tying-in, more raking up of pea-straw and leaves.  Otherwise it’s been left in peace, though as the seed catalogues have just arrived, probably not for long.

Shiitake mushroom dowels have arrived.  Hopefully we’ll get round to cutting down and drilling some birch logs soon to get them started.  Also in hand is a button mushroom kit, which will be activated soon.  The ‘Fungery’ space is cleared, so we just need to work out how best to prop up the logs and sort out a trough to put mushroom compost in for the buttons.  The research is enjoyable, and I’d be very tempted to attend a mushroom growing course if only there was one nearby.

A new bare-rooted Black Doris plum tree is waiting for its planting moment.  There’s already one in the orchard, but it was badly damaged by a storm.  It’s propped up and looking considerably worse for its ordeal, but we're giving it a chance to re-invent itself.  The fruit we managed to save was stunning and dried beautifully, and it’d be awful to think we’ll ever be without them if that original tree doesn’t recover.   A spot has been dug out for the new tree, and while I was out there, I did some tidy-up pruning and sorting out of stakes.  Can’t wait for the summer fruit crop. It's beautiful to see the blossom buds swelling on the fruit trees, a feel-good sign that spring is coming. The cows have had a couple of sessions in the orchard, chowing down on the green pasture.  They have to be watched in there all the time, and then herded out at the precise moment they decide they’ve had enough to eat and it’s playtime.  Hermes is the worst culprit for lingering beyond last orders.

Our attention has been totally tuned in to the sleep out project.  Myriad tasks have been completed, though several more remain.  The painting is complete and there’s some furniture, including a bed.  We’ve stripped down and up-cycled a set of drawers that was formerly part of a dressing table.  Some decorative knobs (I’ll do the jokes) have lifted it beautifully.  Curtains are still needed, as is a kitchen cabinet of sorts.  We’ll also need to work on getting some internet out there.  We’ve been advised that a booster may not be effective, so it’ll probably mean digging a trench so that a cable can be connected from the modem in the house to the sleep out.  Another happy little project. The room photos are neither 'before' nor 'after', more of a progress record.

Karyn has been helping with the design aspects of the sleep out.  I haven’t yet managed to get her to roll up her sleeves, but her advice has been great, sometimes even golden.  I am a person with no taste, as opposed to bad taste - an important distinction.  When you have no taste, it’s possible to occasionally, accidentally and randomly select something that is utterly tasteful.  This can happen even without the injection of cash, but is more likely if you can throw lots of money at it.  I’ve never been accused of being a perfectionist, really more of a bodger.  I was a tomboy and am now a wild rural woman who has never ever been heard saying ‘what gorgeous shoes’.  As far as I’m concerned, clothes are what you wear to stop being naked, and I know it shows.  Probably a congenital abnormality.  Anyway, the likes of me definitely need the likes of Karyn to save me from my worst excesses.  Thank you for saying it as it is Karyn, and sorry for those moments when I’m totally a lost cause. 

The garage bathroom has been mostly re-decorated, but a small disaster on the toilet front has delayed progress and we may need to get a plumber to sort it out.  My fault of course.  The toilet has always rusted up quickly, and it didn’t take too much detective work to realise that it may be because the cistern was coated with rust and full of ghastly orange water.  The task to clean it out was unpleasant but successful, except for the little matter of the leak. 

The bees are still buzzing whenever it’s warm enough, and I’ve been unable to turn down the opportunity of adding another hive.  Peter’s dragged out a solid pallet and hive 3 will sit behind Madame Cholet, alongside the grape vines.  I really really don’t need any more hives but the universe must have realised that actually I really really want another, and conspired to bring one to me.  Here’s hoping that hive 1 is strong enough for a triple split in spring, or maybe I’ll be lucky enough to acquire a nuc from a fellow beekeeper.

Progress has been made in terms of researching a possible solar-dehydrated business.  I’ve run the idea past an environmental health officer, who didn’t show any outward signs of thinking I’d lost my marbles.  She had a couple of suggestions that will need following up, such as testing our water supply to make sure it meets commercial standards.  The council’s small business adviser has put me in touch with local food safety experts, and confirmed that I’m allowed to run a home based business on this property.  If it goes ahead, the business will be known as ‘Kai-Dri’.  It has an impressive logo, designed by Lucas.  He’s already got some ideas for a website.  The business is officially registered, making me not only a CEO, but also the principal share-holder, and the proud owner of one whole share.  A totally novel experience.  Here’s hoping I can get the business off the ground next year.

Sam’s been home for a weekend, after a hideous drive via the inland route.  Bad enough in itself, but a 4 hour delay at the site of a burning chemical truck extended the 6.5 hour drive considerably.  Snow also slowed up progress.  Lovely to see him, and roll on the completion of the coastal road repairs.  Billy is waiting for confirmation of an apprenticeship that will mean a move to Christchurch.  Amazing that all 3 boys will end up in the same city!  And another adjustment for us oldies left behind.  I should probably book in for a bit of therapy.

So much for a lifestyle block blog this month: very little to say about the land.  Could that possibly reflect the preparation and graft that has kept us busy these last few years, that we’re finally getting organised?  Nope, too ridiculous.  Maybe winters have always been like this?  I don’t think so.  In total denial?  Yep, that’ll be right.