Categories: From the Farm This Week
Date: Mar 4, 2014
Title: 4 March 2014
Wow its so dry out here. I am so glad we fallow farm and have a good build up of grass. The stock are looking great the horses are even to fat.
We tidied up after the party and it reminded me of everyone who asked how Samuel was doing and getting on. You know i'm so proud of my children. Samuel is over 70% through his stainless steel fabricator Apprenticeship. Has brought his own house in Stratford and has lived there for over a year now in a nice area. Got boarders and he is also doing weekend work. He is doing Very well.
We are still looking for a trade job for Ila and we are going to have to get on to this fast as she is 19 next birthday. Umm I started working for myself at that age.
The gardens are getting ready for winter planting and we are on to the last of the zucchini/ They have been a great seasonal food and i'm going to miss them. The blackberries are full and ripe every day when we do farm work we are eating them. You know we eat so well today we had to whip up a feed as we were sorting donkeys for foot trimming and ran out of time to cook. So into the garden and trees in 5 Min had a salad.
Some fresh fish i traded at the market. With a small glass of our home brewed plum wine. Now that's a meal and you cant buy it you just can't get it that fresh.
The donkeys foals are so good this season Ila has been spending time with the ponui island ones mainly as most of the English foals are sold now. Ponui are a NZ rarebreed from the Ponui island are just so nice to work with. I hope i have time this season to get some into the cart .
We have Wwoofers starting in the morning and Hank and her family are coming to stay for a few days. So with Aubrey we are going to have a full farm.... its great. Fi will be back at the weekend as well so a very positive feel out here.
I have killed a lamb, pig and some chickens to feed everyone with Ila and Aubrey's help. And yes for those who know Aubury she has got stuck in to help even skinning a lamb and plucking chooks. Fiona came out Saturday and helped pack up the meat so we could run the week with all the people on site.
Woke up today the 4 march and its cold.. ITS A FROST .. but as the morning opened up the mist lay white in the valley and around the trees the sky blue and clear the roosters crowing and the ducks waiting for their food ...This place is paradise. I call it AVONSTOUR ISLAND as that's how its set up, as the whole province is in slash, burn, spray mode ..chasing the white and black gold with ever greater use of chemicals and damaging ways ......................Avonstour sits like an island in a sea of it ........................
There are other islands like Ross on Skinner Road and Maxine in North Taranaki and of course Dee up at Korito. These islands have huge food
security and we are connected with wire and radio waves. Other islands are small gardens in the City growing food.
But you know what island living is the best, wake up when the rooster crows then cook my breakfast of liver, bacon and home grown zucchini.
Walk out on the Veranda, sit in the sun looking at the Gypsy ponies, Geese and other livestock. Then make a list in the daybook of things to be done. Its long hours but not work ..its life.
Today Ila's Kelpie pups have started opening their eyes. They are SO fat like red fur seals I would say another week or so and they will be walking around.
We are busy making plum wine in barrels and buckets. Samuel's old bedroom smells like a brewery we intend to make cider again this year and we are hoping to get John to run a course for us so you can do this as well.
O yes went to toastmasters and entered the evaluation competition... just for fun ...And you know what i blooming won ..a bit of a lack lustre win as all the other contestants were disqualified for going under or over time. Fiona missed by one second ...O well won a bottle of red wine and now i have to represent the club for both a speech and evaluation .. Um i think i need to get a small alcohol powered vehicle(boat) to keep the fuel bill down for trips to the mainland. So i can go and talk for the club ..
So on this beautiful back country sunny day i need to get a line through some things on the work list ..