Categories: From the Farm This Week
      Date: Aug  4, 2011
     Title: 4 August 2011
Winter is in full swing, all the leaves are off the trees.  Ruth did say she saw a new bud on a plum tree.  Im still looking for it.
The grass has stopped growing, thank goodness for the sabbatical fallowing and hay to keep the stock going.  We are feeding out hay every day to everything now and that will continue for another 50 days as we allow 90 to 100 days feeding out from the shortest day here.  But you never know this season is far from normal.  Ruth has had ducks come out with ducklings even in the snow last week.  The clutches are not big as the thunder and lightning kills a good percentage of eggs.  But they are very early this year.
Samuel has brought himself a new Rifle 243 with a stainless barrel for hunting.  I must say its a really nice gun.
Ila has been busy sewing, Pat has sent more fabric from her factory.  Ila took the weekend off to stay with the girls at a beach house Daisie's parents rented for her birthday.  I think i want to be a teenager again, good times, good things and no worries.  Ah that's right, they ain't got wisdom... Ha.. got em.
Ruth's goats have started kidding so she is milking again.  Now the problem is they have all had 2 or three kids, mostly billys and they are getting all the milk.  So if you want
some really nice pet Nubian goats with floppy ears and great colors, we will give them to you.  Really i don't like killing them they are too good.
I have sorted up all the young sows into farrowing paddocks ready for them to start having piglets.
Been doing some fence and gate maintenance - fixing broken gates and straining slack wires - still have heaps to do.
I had a farm consultant visit to do north of New Plymouth.  Only a small unit on farming terms but a pleasure to look over the stock, they were all in good order, fallow, being fed and a food forest planned and started.
Steve came out for live tree posts, he has got two trailer loads so far.
I have put a bit of time into the smoke house as we have the course coming up and needs to not only work but look the part.
Sina and Elton have been busy feeding new lambs, planting, pruning and clearing tracks.
Got to get moving as i have to sort the hall for the Top bar bee course.
John