it is tuesday night and we haven't gone back to school yet.
This has to be the definition of stress free - a long enough w/e to have a whole day for farm jobs, a day for rest, a day to go out for a trip and a day to get ready for school!
So Friday we lay in and did very little. Some of us had a go at a 24 hour fast, just to remind ourselves what it is like not to eat. I found it hard at times but cannot say I really felt hungry even after 23 hours without food.
Then we killed a fat lamb to be ready in tme for Easter.
We broke our fast with fresh liver and kidneys and belly flap mince burgers. Scrummy!
Up early on saturday to carve up the carcase that had been hanging overnight. Stuart and Eric had done the skinning and gutting, but only surfaced in time to see the meat go in the freezer.
I am getting more sophisticated at butchery and used a saw to cut the ribs and back bone this time.
We did farm things and were going to go to Diggers, but their fert truck ahd arrived so we satyed at home. good job as our neighbour Bob turned up with his tractor and mulched the fields. The grass was getting long, but was nowhere near as bad as last year when it was over my head.
Easter sunday was another day of changing plans and I ended up doing very little apart from cooking for friends. We made them work for their tea as one of the Pitt Island ewes had flystrike for the second time and we had to catch and treat her before we ate.
Monday was lie in time and I actually went into school to get some work ready. eric and I had an epic fishing trip to our favourite place. I caught a large kahawai on the first cast and we had another 2, a couple of snapper and eric even hooked a huge stingray. I had to take over his rod as it was heading for China, stripping line off the reel at a fair rate. I managed to get it back to the rocks, but the line snapped as I lifted it in. Probably a good thing as we werent sure what we should do with it.
The weather broke today which was an ideal way of making me get stuck into my pile of marking and prep. Chan was back at work, so we had a boys day at home. Snapper and kahawi for tea.
Back to school tomorrow. Pictures will follow. The rain has stopped so off to check on sodden sheep. Stop press: Skippy was very "interested" in Nippy the ewe. Did you know that a ram's penis is about 18" long?
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Friday, March 14, 2008
Mike's Birthday
It was my birthday on Wednesday and I am now 42. The wags have been telling me that I now know the meaning of life and maybe they are right! I reckon I have got more idea of what it is about than I did half my life ago when I was 21. I remember going on a holiday hitching round Ireland with the purpose of working out what life was about - and singularly failing to do so.
We have had an up and down week. Eric and I went fishing on Sunday at our favourite spot. It was calm with the threat of rain but still pretty sunny. We were surprised to find 2 other cars parked up and our fave spot already taken. We had a go a bit further round the rocks. It was too weedy and we had no bites. Fortunately the other people went so we got ourselves a feed of mussels and moved. The water was very clear and I couldnt see any fish. We fished for an hour with no bites and I was resigned to going home empty handed. I told Eric I would reel in and then we would go. As I reeled in slowly, the bait wa staken with a whack and I was into a massive kahawai. It was all over the place trying to lose the hook. I was afraid the rod would snap as I pulled it out of the water but it was safely brought in. Measured about 24 inches. We ate fried fillets for tea and it was lovely.
The next night we had snapper courtesy of Aaron who had been out on his kayak. One of the benefits of living in the Far North.
Stuart is enjoying his new bike and went down with me to the museum on Saturday afternoon. We had not been for at least a year and I had forgotten how good it was. There is a good mix of natural history, geology and human stuff. Always something new to see and ponder about. This time I was struck by the number of moa skeletons that had been found near our fishing spot.
We have had a few losses on the farm this week. The worst was Picton the cat getting run over this morning. Eric was pretty upset especially as his last cat got run over as well. We lost our only sussex pullet to a hawk on Wednesday and then lost a barred rock hen today. At this rate we will have no chickens left by next w/e when I had planned to move them to more secure quarters. We will have to make it a priority tomorrow.
I was at school on Wednesday for my big day and so it was a pretty normal. The boys had made cards which was nice. Chantelle got up early and made me breakfast which was nice. We had an Indian curry for tea from Redan Road dairy. We had butter chicken, chicken Korma and a lamb rogan Josh(?). The korma was best, but not a patch on a Lancaster Nice and Spicy. I reckon we will have to get the spices and have a go at doing it ourselves.
Patrick has been growing in front of our eyes these last weeks and he was off on Thursday from the effort, plus a tummy bug. We knew something was wrong when he didn't go out for an hour on his bike after tea. I took the day off because Chantelle's stuff was less rearrangeable than mine.
Thanks to everyone for their birthday cards and wishes. The celebrations continue ... I like to string my b'days out for at least a month. Had cake with my housegroup at school today, then drank the english beer I had been saving for a special occasion at Social club tonight. Tomorrow C and I are off to The Beachcomber for a meal.
Pics to follow .... after I have taken some!
We have had an up and down week. Eric and I went fishing on Sunday at our favourite spot. It was calm with the threat of rain but still pretty sunny. We were surprised to find 2 other cars parked up and our fave spot already taken. We had a go a bit further round the rocks. It was too weedy and we had no bites. Fortunately the other people went so we got ourselves a feed of mussels and moved. The water was very clear and I couldnt see any fish. We fished for an hour with no bites and I was resigned to going home empty handed. I told Eric I would reel in and then we would go. As I reeled in slowly, the bait wa staken with a whack and I was into a massive kahawai. It was all over the place trying to lose the hook. I was afraid the rod would snap as I pulled it out of the water but it was safely brought in. Measured about 24 inches. We ate fried fillets for tea and it was lovely.
The next night we had snapper courtesy of Aaron who had been out on his kayak. One of the benefits of living in the Far North.
Stuart is enjoying his new bike and went down with me to the museum on Saturday afternoon. We had not been for at least a year and I had forgotten how good it was. There is a good mix of natural history, geology and human stuff. Always something new to see and ponder about. This time I was struck by the number of moa skeletons that had been found near our fishing spot.
We have had a few losses on the farm this week. The worst was Picton the cat getting run over this morning. Eric was pretty upset especially as his last cat got run over as well. We lost our only sussex pullet to a hawk on Wednesday and then lost a barred rock hen today. At this rate we will have no chickens left by next w/e when I had planned to move them to more secure quarters. We will have to make it a priority tomorrow.
I was at school on Wednesday for my big day and so it was a pretty normal. The boys had made cards which was nice. Chantelle got up early and made me breakfast which was nice. We had an Indian curry for tea from Redan Road dairy. We had butter chicken, chicken Korma and a lamb rogan Josh(?). The korma was best, but not a patch on a Lancaster Nice and Spicy. I reckon we will have to get the spices and have a go at doing it ourselves.
Patrick has been growing in front of our eyes these last weeks and he was off on Thursday from the effort, plus a tummy bug. We knew something was wrong when he didn't go out for an hour on his bike after tea. I took the day off because Chantelle's stuff was less rearrangeable than mine.
Thanks to everyone for their birthday cards and wishes. The celebrations continue ... I like to string my b'days out for at least a month. Had cake with my housegroup at school today, then drank the english beer I had been saving for a special occasion at Social club tonight. Tomorrow C and I are off to The Beachcomber for a meal.
Pics to follow .... after I have taken some!
Saturday, March 01, 2008
More rain
Saturday morning and the rain is back. Heavy persistent rain that is forecast to be here all weekend. We shall be working indoors by the look of it.
We have had a fast quiet week, settling into our routine. The karate is going well and they have gone twice a week for 2 weeks. Stuart went on a school trip to sketch rock pools yesterday. They go out more here than in the UK.
Last weekend we went for a family walk on Sunday afternoon, carrying on a long Bryan tradition. Much resistance was encountered from the boys, but it evaporated when we got there. We went to look at the scout camp up near the quarry. It was abandoned and overgrown. The expected track that would take us up the hill for a view, had either not existed, or was overgrown. The bush here is so rampant that tracks soon grow over if they are not regularly cleared. So we made do with the familiar track. Patrick was on his bike. Chris and Clinton went past on their mtb's and that was enough to get Stuart to want to get a new bike! That is today's job, along with making his video for Lets get inventing.
Eric was off school this week with a stomach bug, but he was back by Thursday. He reluctantly missed his cadets on Wednesday as he had been off school.
Chantelle was off one day as well with a bug. She is keeping busy with her work. As am I ....
Farm news: I am keeping an eye on Skippy the ram to watch for him mating the ewes. The white ones all seem good and they have plenty of food. I am checking them twice daily for flystrike. We have 2 little ewe lambs that will end up as roasts at Easter weekend. That will leave us with 2 rams and 4 ewes to breed from over the winter. Our land cannot cope with any more than that.
We have had a do with broody chickens this week. Finally found out where the red chicken has been hiding for the last few months - under a sheet of roofing iron with 11 eggs. She has not been near a cock in ages so they were all infertile. I took 11 eggs from the bottom coop and put her on them in the wire coop on the lawn. She was unimpressed and refused to sit on them. We let her go and put the eggs under a desk lamp in Eric's room. We will see if our home made incubator does the job.
We have had a fast quiet week, settling into our routine. The karate is going well and they have gone twice a week for 2 weeks. Stuart went on a school trip to sketch rock pools yesterday. They go out more here than in the UK.
Last weekend we went for a family walk on Sunday afternoon, carrying on a long Bryan tradition. Much resistance was encountered from the boys, but it evaporated when we got there. We went to look at the scout camp up near the quarry. It was abandoned and overgrown. The expected track that would take us up the hill for a view, had either not existed, or was overgrown. The bush here is so rampant that tracks soon grow over if they are not regularly cleared. So we made do with the familiar track. Patrick was on his bike. Chris and Clinton went past on their mtb's and that was enough to get Stuart to want to get a new bike! That is today's job, along with making his video for Lets get inventing.
Eric was off school this week with a stomach bug, but he was back by Thursday. He reluctantly missed his cadets on Wednesday as he had been off school.
Chantelle was off one day as well with a bug. She is keeping busy with her work. As am I ....
Farm news: I am keeping an eye on Skippy the ram to watch for him mating the ewes. The white ones all seem good and they have plenty of food. I am checking them twice daily for flystrike. We have 2 little ewe lambs that will end up as roasts at Easter weekend. That will leave us with 2 rams and 4 ewes to breed from over the winter. Our land cannot cope with any more than that.
We have had a do with broody chickens this week. Finally found out where the red chicken has been hiding for the last few months - under a sheet of roofing iron with 11 eggs. She has not been near a cock in ages so they were all infertile. I took 11 eggs from the bottom coop and put her on them in the wire coop on the lawn. She was unimpressed and refused to sit on them. We let her go and put the eggs under a desk lamp in Eric's room. We will see if our home made incubator does the job.
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