This blog is being written from the absolutely beautiful Whatamango Bay, where we're having a mini-break. The photos were taken when we arrived, and there was no rain in the forecast. The Sounds can't have got that memo because the next day was quite a wash-out. Peter had a crack at fishing off the jetty before the wind joined the rain and stopped play, while my little jaunt around Picton shops wasn't affected. We had a very relaxing break nonetheless, and the view that took in Karaka Point, was amazing whatever the weather.
Some tentative steps to winter-down the gardens around the house have finally started with a hedge trimming and some weeding. There are peastraw bales lined up (at great expense $15 each - eeek - supplies have been limited this year and I didn’t get in soon enough). Just the flower beds to weed now, which hopefully won't be too bad. It's been a while and the weeds are pretty big, but that usually makes it easier to pull them, unless it's grass or clover. The art of optimism, eh?
The first frost finally happened last night. The citrus received their first organic ‘frost cloth’ spray in the nick of time. It was a decent frost that killed off the gourd plant foliage, and thereby revealed the full extent of the crop. A whole tableful of prime, scrumptious gourds now need to be dried for several months. Some are huge and heavy and I'm hoping a plan to suspend them will materialise quite soon. In the meantime it's totally soul-nourishing to look out over them, as a proud gourd-mama. As usual, a glorious day followed the frosty night. Perfect gardening weather meant that the process of weeding and tidying one of the vege beds was a happy task. Now I've made a good start, I'm hoping that'll create a momentum for continuing with the tidy up.
It’s been a lovely autumn, though we could have probably used a bit more rain. Can’t really argue with bright, sunny days that are not too hot to work in. There have been the usual misty, moody sunrises, including the one in the photo, where the sky seems to be mirroring the colours in the garden.
We made a decision to dispatch our two rams, Walter and Junior. That leaves us with ewes Marie, Skylar and Holly, and ram lamb, Saul. It’s filled up our freezer too. Bone broth was made, and for the first time we had a go at rendering the fat to make mutton tallow. It was an easy process in the slow cooker, so we now have heaps of clean, white fat for cooking. The jars show the tallow when it was still liquid - oily and yellow. The tallow can be used to make candles too, but I have enough beeswax for that.
No sooner had we decided on the fate of our rams, my old pal Liz messaged to ask if we wanted their ram. We got our very first ram, Rambo, from Liz, so very much déjà vu. She’s decided not to do lambs next year, so their ram had to go one way or the other. We were keen to change the genetics of our flock, and Hank will do the job nicely. He’s a white Wiltshire breed and mostly sheds, except for a Mohican strip down his back. He was straight into hassling the girls on arrival, so (hopefully) cue cute lambs later this year. Young Saul seems to be keeping his distance from the flock - perhaps Hank is pushing him out a bit.
I’ve re-discovered our spiraliser and now have several bags of spiralised carrots, beets, broccoli stems, butternut and kumara prepped in the freezer. They are versatile and cook quickly so are handy after long work days. And I’m fairly sure I had way more fun than I ought to whilst spiralising. Obviously that means I got a bit carried away...
The kitchen is nearly done and continues to be a joy. Just the fan to wire in and the tiling behind the oven left. The central bench is where everything happens and it’s the perfect height and size for working on. The oven is now fully functioning and has seen its first of Peter’s Yorkshire puddings. The gas burner is a bit of an adjustment as things cook much faster than we’re used to. The central plate holds a wok perfectly and it’s been great to have it back in action.
The buckwheat has been threshed and the grain separated from the chaff, using a very technical set up. Pouring from one container into another in front of a fan blew away the light-weight chaff and husky debris. A stronger fan might have done a better job, but the result wasn't too bad. Next up - bribing Billy to grind away the husks and then finely grind the flour kernel within. Then a small cushion can be made from the husks. A very small cushion...
Fire restrictions have eased, so Peter took the opportunity to burn the old kitchen units and some other crap lying around. That's created some space in the carport, in addition to space in the garage that appeared when the new kitchen stuff was shifted into the house. Lots of old carpet and underlay will need to go to the tip, along with the old kitchen appliances that aren't worth passing on. Some of the carpet has already been put aside to use as weed mat.
No change on the home front, though we have booked a trip to Aus in September to do the Spinning Babies Practitioner course in Sydney - COVID pending. Peter will join me at the end of the course and we’ll spend time with one of his old mates who emigrated there decades ago from Yorkshire. I’ve had my first COVID vaccine and just about completed my vaccinator certificate so will be able to help out in the clinics. Right now those clinics are absolute bedlam for the limited clinicians who staff them. It’ll mean weekday hours for me, so that’s a big tick.
Lucas and Laura are still planning to come back to NZ later in the year, before heading back to Melbourne. They’re hanging out for quarantine-free travel because of the prohibitive cost of MIQs. Sam had a trip to Stewart Island with the band, where they were warmly welcomed by the 400 ish total population. He saw kiwi and heaps of other wildlife. Hopefully I’ll get there myself one day - it’s on my bucket list. Billy is hoping that my vaccinator status will mean a slightly earlier vaccine for him, and there’s a chance he may be right. The vaccines are made up in batches, and any left at the end of the clinic are offered to health staff first, and then any family member who can get there on time. He doesn’t have any definite plans other than to return to Europe when he can.
My hypno portfolio is still coming along, albeit in fits and starts. It’ll be cool to officially be able to add the Spinning Babies content to my future classes later in the year. That does mean I’d actually have to start the classes first, and I don’t have a specific plan there. I definitely want to get the lion’s share of the hypno diploma completed before I launch into another pretty big project, and I’m trying to work on a bit of life/work balance and reduce the number of juggling balls in the air right now. I’ve started the Autoimmune Protocol diet in a bid to curtail some rheumatoid arthritis symptoms that are shouting louder. It’s very restrictive and means that much time is spent preparing food. Not a bad thing in itself, but still needs accounting for.
Our winter hay and firewood supplies are well stocked, so we’re feeling ready for winter when it really bites. Bring it on. "What good is the warmth of summer, without the cold of winter to give it sweetness" (John Steinbeck).
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