Summertime….

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The summer holidays are well underway and life is pretty blissful here…..

Spending time at the beach always high on the priority list 🙂

Luca had just come in from snorkeling and that is Rich coming out of the water in the distance
The beaches are pretty crowded here 🙂
Someone hung the rope higher than usual, it has added to the challenge
I love this photo of the 3 of them 🙂
Sand pizza 🙂

With all the rain over the new year period there are a few puddles on the road down to the beach, much to Pica’s delight, she just cannot help herself!

We had been trying to find a way up a mountain not far from home for a while. We did try it once, lost our way and never made it to the top. It was gorgeous day last weekend so we thought we would try from another angle. Quite the adventure and climb ,(on hands and knees at times) , but oh so worth it!

The path somewhere in there 🙂
Looking back to where we started, this part was steep and tricky. The bay in the background is Deborah Bay, just around from Port Chalmers
We ran into a herd of wild goats at the top of the mountain. From the amount of poop around this is a favorite hang out of theirs. I guess for the most part they don’t have many visitors. They did not seen too alarmed to see us, and ambled off to let us admire the view….
Dunedin city to the right and Port Chalmers to the left

Pica was particularly tired after the wee excursion, and collapsed into bed, she always does at least twice what we do on our hikes so not surprising. Vida always up for a sleep!

Rich has been busy working on the property during the week, he had been wanting to cut down this tree to get it chopped up and in the wood shed for a while now.

Luca and Ted would not let him cut it up for a few days as they wanted to use it in their games.

Rich had also wanted to cut this particular tree to give a better view of the Harbour Cone from the fire pit area he has built. It worked beautifully….

We climbed that in 2019 before we brought this property

Eventually he was allowed to cut it up 🙂

The wood shed definitely needed a top up, cutting our own is hard work ,(for Rich mostly), but energy costs are so much lower when we use the wood stove.

Lucas mates ,(Ted and Mahe), have been here most days doing kid stuff 🙂 I come home after work to tired but happy kids. I try to capture moments where I can, of what they do, so we can remember these happy relaxed times where the kids have no worries and are so carefree, just how childhood should be…

Lego spread throughout the house is a school holiday theme, hours and hours are spent building and as it cannot be cleared away, (projects are in process), we have to watch where we step, night time bathroom trips can be treacherous 🙂

Hammocks are good either way apparently, this area is getting so much use which is wonderful, worth all the effort Rich has put in
Raiding the strawberry patch, blackberries will be next, they are almost ready…
Luca teaching Mahe how to make noodles for a snack
Reading post snack before heading off on the next adventure.
Waiting for supper. At the end of the day the kids and Pica are pretty tired and just want to chill, makes them all sleep well though I have to say 🙂

Rich took Ted and Luca to the salt water pool in Dunedin this week, they had a lot of fun and all came home exhausted. It is such a cool facility for the city to have, in an amazing setting , we are very lucky!

Luca does, amidst the fun, have chores to do. Here he is cleaning all our windows. He is getting pretty good at it I have to say, maybe I will start hiring him out 🙂

The vege garden has been producing rather large tasty specimens, the combination of lots of rain then heat….

Rutabago (Swede)
Spring onions
Cabbage

In the background of this photo are walnuts. A colleague of mine gives them to us, their tree is laden with them. For Christmas Rich had a nut cracker in his stocking, the boys had been using a mallet up until then with varying results, the nut cracker way more successful 🙂

The chicks are so grown up now and doing great. River still puts them to bed early, but otherwise they all hang with the rest of the flock and come when I call them. Slowly but surely the flock is growing. I am happy with how it is going and the various genetics now within it, will make for healthier chooks.

Luca has 2 and a half weeks of holiday left before heading back to his last year at Port Chalmers school. Bitter sweet as he loves it there, but he is looking forward to high school and all it offers. I on the other hand would love time just to stop for a few years 🙂

Me and my boy